CHIPPEWA INDIANS IN INDIANA

CHIPPEWA MEANS "TO ROAST UNTIL PUCKERED UP". THIS IS LIKE THE MOCCASINS THEY MAKE THAT HAVE PUCKERED STITCHES. ACCORDING TO TRADITION THE CHIPPEWA WERE PART OF A LARGE BODY WHICH CAME FROM THE EAST. THEY PUSHED THEIR WAY WEST ALONG THE LAKE SUPERIOR. THIS TRIBE WAS SO LARGE AND HAD MANY DIVISIONS IN 18 STATES. THEY BECAME KNOWN FOR THEIR WRITERS. AT ONE TIME THERE WERE OVER 25,000 CHIPPEWA.

THE OJIBWA ARE THE SAME PEOPLE. THEY ALL SPEAK ALGONQUIAN. THEY EACH HAVE COMMUNITIES ON RESERVATIONS. THEY ARE CALLED FIRST NATIONS. MOST OF THEM SPEAK OJIBWA, A MUSICAL LANGUAGE. AS WELL AS ENGLISH. THEIR KIDS HAD CHORES. THE WOMEN WERE FARMERS, DID COOKING, CHILDCARE , STORY TELLING AND MUSIC. THEY BOTH HARVESTED WILD RICE. THEY KNOCKED IT DOWN WITH A POLE INTO THEIR CANOE. THEY LIVED IN BUFFALO TIPIS.


THEIR WARRIORS WORE LONG HAIR IN BRAIDS AND HAD PORCUPINE ROACH HAT AND TRIBAL TATTOOS. THEY MADE CANOES FROM BIRCH BARK FIBER AND IS STILL POPULAR. THEY USE PACK ANIMALS AND DOGS FOR CARRYING GOODS A LONG DISTANCE. THEIR FOOD WAS VERY DIFFERENT DEPENDING UPON WHERE THEY LIVED. THEY HUNTED BUFFALO AND OTHER BIG GAME. THEY HARVESTED RICE AND CORN. THEY GATHERED NUTS AND FRUIT. THEIR HUNTERS USED SNARES AND WHEN THE PLAINS MEN HUNTED BUFFALO THEY SET CONTROLLED FORES.

THEY USED SPEARS AND FISHHOOKS WITH LINES FOR FISHING AND SPECIAL PADDLES FOR KNOCKING RICE INTO CANOES. THEY HAD TIME TO MAKE BEAUTIFUL BEADWORK. OTHER CRAFTS WERE BIRCH BARK BOXES, BASKETS, TIPIS, AND DREAM CATCHERS. THEY MADE WAMPUM OUT OF WHITE AND PURPLE SHELLS AND TRADED IT LIKE MONEY. THEIR WAMPUM BELTS TOLD A STORY OF A PERSON'S FAMILY.

THE CHIPPEWA, OTTAWA, AND POTAWATAMI ALL TRADED CLOSELY. THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE OJIBWAY OF THE COUNCIL OF THREE FIRES. THEY HAVE MANY LEGENDS. HERE IS ONE ABOUT PORCUPINE:

WHY PORCUPINE HAS QUILLS

LONG AGO PORCUPINE HAD NO QUILLS. ONE DAY HE WAS IN THE WOODS AND BEAR CAME ALONG AND WANTED TO EAT HIM AND HE CLIMBED UP A TREE. THE NEXT DAY HE WENT OUT UNDERNEATH A THORNY TREE. HE BROKE SOME BRANCHES AND PUT SOME ON HIS BACK. THEN HE WENT TO THE WOODS. BEAR CAME TO HIM AGAIN AND HE JUST JUMPED UP ON HIM PORCUPINE CURLED HIMSELF UP. THEN BEAR LEFT HIM ALONE.

THE WENOBOJO, OR ONE OF THEIR TRICKSTERS, WATCHED HIM. WENEBOJO PEELED OFF SOME OF THE BARK UNTIL THEY WERE ALL WHITE. HE PUT CLAY ALL OVER PORCUPINE AND STUCK THE THORNS ON HIS BACK. HE USED HIS MAGIC TO MAKE IT INTO PORCUPINE SKIN. WOLF CAME AFTER PORCUPINE BUT HE JUMPED OFFBECAUSE OF THE QUILLS. BEAR WAS ALSO AFRAID. SO THIS IS WHY PORCUPINE HAS QUILLS.

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