Night Flying Woman: An Ojibway Narrative

. “It is important that you learn the past and act accordingly, for that will assure us that we will always people the earth.”

In Ojibway culture, it is important to listen to the stories of one’s elders. It is believed that five generations of Ojibway make a circle, with the first generation starting the circle, the next three generations moving away from tradition, and the fifth generation closing the circle by returning to tradition.

“For five years, Oona’s cycle of life was the same. Summer camp to ricing camp to winter village to sugar bush to planting time to summer camp. These years were filled with love and laughter and this cycle was the cycle of life of our people, the Ojibway.”

Before European settlers arrived, Oona lived the traditional life of the Ojibway. This life comprised working with nature rather than against it—making camps for collecting wild rice and tapping for maple sugar as well as planting new crops.

“‘It is sad to be leaving, my Oona,’ said Mother, ‘but in one’s life there are many times when one must leave a place of happiness for the unknown. I have done this many times, but the beauty of a life remains forever in the heart.’”

Fleeing from European settlers, Oona’s family and seven others left their home for the west. They wanted to continue their way of life by avoiding contact with the settlers. Oona’s mother taught Oona the value of remembering the past; in so doing, former happiness and memories would always be with her.

“They would travel a tortuous way, winding back and forth, leaving no path to follow. It would be a silent, secret journey so that the strangers in the forest would not know that people were fleeing.”

In order to continue their way of life, Oona’s group of eight families had to avoid the European settlers—as the latter would force them to conform to new ways. At this point, the Ojibway had already heard stories of the settlers’ influence on other clansmen and tribes.

“As Oona looked at the trees, she heard the si-si-gwa-d—the murmuring that the trees do when they brush their branches together. It was a friendly sound, and the sun sent sparkles through the si-si-gwa-d that chased the shadows.”

To find a new home, Oona’s father, uncle, and grandfather ventured into the forest, leaving the rest of the group at a campsite. Oona feared for them, but her mother told her to observe the trees. When Oona did so, she recognized the beauty of the forest and was no longer afraid of it. The Ojibway were a nature-loving people and felt at one with both the natural and spiritual worlds.

“When the village was built and a routine established, the people held a feast and ceremony. It was a good feast, mostly of fish, for the Animal Brothers were carrying their young.”

Oona’s group eventually made a new home (rainy country) where they could live according to their culture away from settlers. They were careful to celebrate this new home in a way that was respectful of the neighboring animals, their Animal Brothers. The Ojibway were grateful for the animals and would not hunt them at times when they were carrying young.

“She sat before them, and they said, ‘Our daughter, what has been done today? Can you ask in truth and peace, Have I done enough today to earn the right to live tomorrow?’”

Oona’s grandparents often posed this question to Oona, as the Ojibway must contribute to communal life. Each tribal member has talents and skills to use for the benefit of the group and their survival.

“The following year was also a good one, and Oona went to the sugar bush and ricing camp. Her life followed the pattern the Ojibway had followed for many years. It was a pleasant cycle and she learned all that young Ojibway girls must know.”

Oona’s group thrived in their new home. While they did not have different winter and summer villages as per tradition, they still collected maple sugar and gathered wild rice. Hidden from settlers, their life continued to be happy and make way for Oona and her cousin E-Quay to grow into their own as young women.

“It is the custom of our people to be guided throughout their lives by their dreams. Some are especially blessed, for their dreams can tell us what will come, what must be, and what we must do.”

Oona was one of those blessed as a Dreamer. When sleeping, one of the two souls, that of reason and experience, leaves the body and the ensuing dreams offer a conduit to the spiritual world. Oona’s dreams are visions of future events.

“Thus the Ojibway sustain life. Our life and the life of our Animal Brothers is one. We give back to the earth life, and thus the circle is complete.”

An old woman in Oona’s village named A-wa-sa-si explained the Ojibway’s beliefs to Oona. All life is respected, including animal and plant life. The Ojibway are grateful for these life-giving gifts and do not waste them. When an animal is hunted, the Ojibway use all of it and share the bounty with the community so as to honor its life.

“To Oona it seemed a mixed-up place, for there were many kinds of lodges—round lodges of mats and birch bark, lodges made of forest poles, lodges made of inner wood, and lodges made of cloth. Many of the Ojibway wore the strangers’ clothes and lived in the strange lodges.”

When Oona arrived at White Earth Reservation, she was surprised to see the resident Ojibway adopting some of the settlers’ habits—the latter’s influence already taking hold of Ojibway culture.

“They say that we must accept some of the new ways, but we must take only the ways that are good. We must keep what we can and try to remain what we are within our hearts.”

Oona’s grandfather urged Oona to be secure in her identity and retain as much of Ojibway culture as possible. He did not condemn all new ways but advised assessing their goodness—which would prove valuable in the face of the settlers’ demonization of Native cultures.

“We must decide—shall we stay separate and not see the children from ricing to planting, or shall we speak to them each night about the good of our people?”

Oona’s community had to decide whether to retain their way of life in the forest and send their children to the village school or move to the main village and see their children every day. Recognizing the importance of socializing their children, who were the future of their people, the community leaders ultimately decided to move to the main village. The village school went on to instill European culture and malign that of the Ojibway.

“When they reached the big Ojibway village to prepare the place for their lodges, they found much sorrow. The Ojibway people there had suffered much through the winter. The wagonloads of food and clothing promised by the big leader again had not arrived.”

Denied the ability to live as they once did, the Ojibway had to depend on the settlers’ government to make good on promised payments for the surrender of their lands (via treaties). The government repeatedly failed to do so. As a result, the Ojibway in White Earth Reservation suffered from hunger and disease.

“They set up a self-sufficient pattern of living that kept many of the old customs and beliefs despite the pressure from strangers.” 

Oona’s group of eight families set up its own community within White Earth Reservation’s main village, dubbed Greenwood. They were able to continue much of their way of life, with their first year being a fruitful one. At times, the leaders had to be discreet with some practices, such as the use of medical herbs, as the assigned government agent was opposed to them.

“Suddenly [Oona] saw her mother’s face in a dream. It was harsh and unsmiling. Her eyes were full of anger and yet she seemed to be weeping.”

Oona’s grandfather explained the meaning of Oona’s dream: Her mother was conflicted, feeling pressured (and somewhat eager) to adopt new ways but distraught to hear the settlers’ demonization of Ojibway culture.

“The many changes in the Ojibway material life did not change their traditional way of sharing. There was a kindness in the people and in the help they gave to those in distress.”

In telling both her and Oona’s stories, Broker emphasizes the importance of sharing to the Ojibway people. Even in difficult circumstances, they are quick to help each other and share with those in need.

“In her seventeenth year, Oona married a man whom she had known at school. He was only part Ojibway.”

Oona and her husband A-wa-sa-si-s became Christians and learned to farm in the new way. However, they upheld many of the old ways as well and their farm offered a refuge to Oona’s grandparents and other relatives.

“The Ojibway did not quite understand the words of the soldiers, but their rude, harsh voices had a touch of anger that could turn to violence. The Ojibway knew they must escape.”

While traveling south to trap animals, Oona, her husband, and her brother-in-law were nearly killed and eventually taken prisoner by white soldiers. However, Oona’s connection to the spiritual world saved the group, as her prayer for a fog was answered and allowed them to escape.

“Many Ojibway families still lived far from the towns where the schools were.…[S]o the government built boarding schools for them to stay in. The teachers were the white strangers….[T]hey all agreed the Ojibway must change their ways.”

Mandatory boarding schools were the US government’s primary means of depriving the Ojibway of their culture. Ojibway children were forced to speak English and were taught that their own culture was inferior. They were treated harshly, and their parents did not get to see them for long periods of time.

“Later the Ojibway succumbed to a disease of the spirit. They began to drink the aliens’ liquors, which helped them forget that they were classed as caricatures in a land that once honored them.”

Oona chronicled both the physical diseases that killed so many Ojibway (given the sudden changes to their diet) and a rampant spiritual sickness (stemming from their forced assimilation). It was disheartening to have one’s culture denied and insulted for years.

“These practices were all that the boarding-school children knew about Ojibway life. Those who knew about the old ways were silent. They were never asked to speak.”

Years of white socialization distanced Ojibway children from the first generation. They no longer knew their own history and traditions and lacked the initiative to respectfully ask their elders to tell them the stories and legends of their people.

“In her late years, Oona never went to Greenwood. The Ojibway who lived there seemed to be a different people. They were not of the forest. They were on the path of the strangers’ circle, grasping all the new ways.”

An older Oona was saddened to see her people’s disconnect from their culture after years of adopting the settlers’ ways. It pained her to visit her old home, as its essence had been lost.