Ojibway Culture
"I believe
that there is an energy-I prefer to call it a creative energy; other
people call it something else- which exists beyond the human's physical
awareness...The energy exists within the land-the North American
continent (Turtle Island). It exists within human culture-the
Anishinabe's origins, history, present and destiny. It exists within the
Anishinabe's spiritual teachings which sustain him/her on the earth."
--Leland Bell
"The Island of the Anishnaabeg"
Ojibway Dreamcatcher Origin Story
Long ago in the ancient world of the Ojibwe
Nation, the Clans were all located in one general area of that place
known as Turtle Island. This is the way that the old Ojibwe storytellers
say how Asibikaashi (Spider Woman) helped Wanabozhoo bring giizis (sun)
back to the people. To this day, Asibikaashi will build her special
lodge before dawn. If you are awake at dawn, as you should be, look for
her lodge and you will see this miracle of how she captured the sunrise
as the light sparkles on the dew which is gathered there.
Asibikaasi took care of her children, the people
of the land, and she continues to do so to this day. When the Ojibwe
Nation dispersed to the four corners of North America, to fill a
prophecy, Asibikaashi had a difficult time making her journey to all
those cradle boards, so the mothers, sisters, & Nokomis (grandmothers)
took up the practice of weaving the magical webs for the new babies
using willow hoops and sinew or cordage made from plants. It is in the
shape of a circle to represent how giizis travels each day across the
sky. The dream catcher will filter out all the bad bawedjigewin (dreams)
& allow only good thoughts to enter into our minds when we are just
abinooji. You will see a small hole in the center of each dream catcher
where those good bawadjige may come through. With the first rays of
sunlight, the bad dreams would perish. When we see little asibikaashi,
we should not fear her, but instead respect and protect her. In honor of
their origin, the number of points where the web connected to the hoop
numbered 8 for Spider Woman's eight legs or 7 for the Seven Prophecies.
It was traditional to put a feather in the
center of the dream catcher; it means breath, or air. It is essential
for life. A baby watching the air playing with the feather on her
cradleboard was entertained while also being given a lesson on the
importance of good air. This lesson comes forward in the way that the
feather of the owl is kept for wisdom (a woman's feather) & the eagle
feather is kept for courage (a man's feather). This is not to say that
the use of each is restricted by gender, but that to use the feather
each is aware of the gender properties she/he is invoking. (Indian
people, in general, are very specific about gender roles and identity.)
The use of gem stones, as we do in the ones we make for sale, is not
something that was done by the old ones. Government laws have forbidden
the sale of feathers from our sacred birds, so using four gem stones, to
represent the four directions, and the stones used by western nations
were substituted by us. The woven dream catchers of adults do not use
feathers.
Dream catchers made of willow and sinew are for
children, and they are not meant to last. Eventually the willow dries
out and the tension of the sinew collapses the dream catcher. That's
supposed to happen. It belies the temporary-ness of youth. Adults should
use dream catchers of woven fiber which is made up to reflect their
adult "dreams." It is also customary in many parts of Canada and the
Northeastern U.S. to have the dream catchers be a tear-drop/snow shoe
shape.
The above story is a combination of information
gatherered by Lyn Dearborn, from California, and Mary Ritchie, of the
Northern Woodlands, with assistance from Canadian elders. Miigwetch!
