Reflections of the Great Lakes, part 17: Animosh and the Twins

zhaawano

Nov 3, 2022

8 min read

Updated: Sep 27

Gashkadino-giizis/Baashkaakodin-giizis (Freezing Moon), November 3, 2022

Boozhoo, aaniin indinawemaaganidog! Gidanamikawininim weweni miinawaa. Biindigeg miinawaa nindaadizooke wigamigong; enji-zaagi'iding miinawaa gikendaasong.

"Hello my relatives, I greet you again in a good way. Welcome back to my Storytelling Lodge, a place of love and knowing."

Ningad-aawechigenoongom giizhigad!

"Let's share a teaching today!"*

PREFACE: THE CREATION OF TURTLE ISLAND

Many strings of lives ago – when the World was still young – the Mishi-ginebigoog, the Underwater Snakes, who were relentless foes of the playful yet benevolent semi-spirit Wenabozho, unleashed a deluge from the depths of the Great Lake in their zeal to destroy him. Wenabozho narrowly avoided the flood by taking shelter in a tall pine tree atop a high mountain. During this time, there was an aadizookaan, a supernatural being, living alone in the sky. Her name was Giizhigookwe, or Sky Woman. GICHI-MANIDOO, the Great Mystery of Life, feeling compassion for her solitude, sent a male aadizookaan to accompany her. Animikii (Thunder) was his name, and he journeyed to Giizhigookwe's sky lodge. From their union, the Anishinaabeg (a twin brother and sister) were born, whom she intended to lower on the back of a giant Mikinaak (snapping turtle). However, Giizhigookwe first needed to persuade Mikinaak to offer his back for the world's re-creation, as the Underwater Snakes had flooded the earth beneath her, drowning most creatures in the Great Flood that struck the First World. Upon discovering that a few animals had survived, Sky Woman called upon the giant turtle. He surfaced so she could sit on his back and summon others to join her. Among her helpers were Maang (the loon), Amik (the beaver), Nigig (the otter), and Wazhashk (the little muskrat).

On that distant day, after Giizhigookwe had come down from her sky lodge to the newly-formed world shaped like a turtle's shell, dancing sacredly the entire way, she spoke to the water animals:

"I may not possess all the creative powers that GICHI-MANIDOO holds, but as a female spirit, I have a unique gift. I have the ability to recreate. I can recreate the world that GICHI-MANIDOO made, though I cannot do it alone. I need your assistance. We should create some land. Let someone dive deep and bring me a handful of the original soil crafted by GICHI-MANIDOO. This soil will serve as the seed for recreating the Earth."

All the aquatic creatures, who adored the female spirit from the Skies, vowed to assist her and spent the entire day attempting to reach the soil beneath the vast expanse of water, but without success. Nigig the otter dived deep but couldn't reach the bottom, and just before he drowned, the others pulled him back onto the Turtle’s back and revived him. Maang the loon also dived and failed. The same happened with the others. By the end of the day, only Wazhashk the little muskrat, unaccustomed to swimming in deep water, had not attempted it. The courageous little creature decided that since no one else could help, it was up to him to try. He took several deep breaths and dived deeper and deeper.

When he finally resurfaced, tayaa, what a surprise! Wazhashk held in his paw the soil from the sea's bottom! Gratefully, Giizhigookwe took the soil from little Wazhask’s paws, dried it, breathed life into it, and then rubbed it onto the turtle's back. As she rubbed the soil in circles, an island began to form above the water. With the help of Ma'iingan the Wolf, Giizhigookwe continued to move over the new soil. Ma'iingan and she walked in ever-widening circles; some say it took them 14 summers to complete the task. Thus, the Earth was recreated. From that time on, the Anishinaabeg called this newly formed world "MIKINAAKOOMINIS," or "Turtle Island."

ANIMOSH AND THE NURTURING OF THE TWINS The new island was finally complete, and Giizhigookwe’s purpose on earth was almost fulfilled. Just before she ascended in her last sacred dance into the fading light of the sky, she summoned the awesi’ag (animals) to council once more and asked them to help her nurture the boy and girl to adulthood. The awesi’ag, fond of the niizhoodeg (twins), promised Sky Woman they would do everything possible to comfort and help them survive: Animosh the dog watched over the abinoojiiyensag (babies); Onijaani, the doe, provided milk to nurture them; and Ma’iingan, the wolf, brought freshly hunted meat so they wouldn’t starve. Makwa, the bear, offered his thick curly fur to keep the infants warm, while Amik the beaver and Wazhask the muskrat volunteered to bathe the abinoojiiyensag to keep them clean. Giigoonh the fish taught the niizhoodeg to wave their little arms and legs, and Bineshiiyag, the birds, sang sweet lullabies to them. Meanwhile, Animosh the dog enthusiastically performed his babysitting duties, enh, with all his energy! A single sound from the twins would have him jumping to his feet, ears perked and tail wagging. When he discovered what troubled the infants, he would solve the problem or call upon the other animals for help. Did the niizhoodeg need fresh moss for their cradle? Animosh would promptly seek help from Amik and Wazhask. Were the niizhoodeg hungry? Animosh would run to the great hunter Ma’iingan for fresh meat, or to Onijaani for nourishing milk. Were flies and mosquitoes keeping the abinoojiiyensag awake? Animosh would ask Asabikeshikwe (spider woman) for help—or, if she wasn’t home, he would jump and snap at their tormentors until the abinoojiiyensag laughed heartily. Did the niizhoodeg want entertainment? Animosh would perform all sorts of amusing tricks to keep them occupied. He would roll on the ground, rolling his eyes and wagging his tongue, then sit up and wag his tail. He would tickle them by licking their noses until they shrieked with joyful laughter. Once the abinoojiiyensag were calm again, he would lie beside them, cover his eyes with his paws, and rest until needed again. But it soon became clear something was amiss with the niizhoodeg. Concerned for his two little protégés, Makwa the bear called all the awesi’ag to gather around the infants. “Aaniin nisayedog ashi nimisedog gaye! (Hello brothers, and sisters too!)" Makwa said, "Like you, I am worried about the abinoojiiyensag because they cannot walk! They appear strong and happy with our brother Animosh, but alas! They cannot run and play like our own young! What do you suggest we do to help them?" After a moment of thoughtful silence, Ma’iingan spoke first. “Atayaa! Geget gi debwe! (Indeed! You are truly speaking the truth!). The abinoojiiyensag are certainly not weak! They consume the meat I bring them each morning at daybreak." Onijaani, the gentle doe, calmly agreed with Ma’iingan. “Debwe, the niizhoodeg certainly drink the fresh milk I bring them daily." Then Amik the beaver and Wazask the muskrat exclaimed together: "Tayaa! Geget gi debwe! Goodness, this is certainly true! The abinoojiiyensag definitely wave their arms and legs with great strength when being bathed! They even splash us until we are soaked and losing our temper! Then they laugh at us for being cranky and continue waving their limbs as if nothing happened!" Giigoonh the fish quietly chuckled, “Enh, aahaaw, Amik and Wazashk are right, eh! The Anishinaabe niizhoodeg are good students; they do exactly as I taught them, heh heh!" Giigoonh had barely finished when a gentle spring breeze softly swept over the nearby lake like a welcome visitor. The breeze, carrying catkins from the azaadiwag (poplars) awakening from their winter sleep, brought comfort to all earth’s creatures! As it blew through the camp where the awesi’ag had gathered, inashke! in walked the great teacher Wenabozho, also known as Misaabooz the Great Rabbit or Hare! Wenabozho had escaped the wrath of the Mishiginebig by climbing a tall tree and, after the earth was recreated, he traveled the land, blessing all of Creation by naming the waters, mountains, trees, plants, animals, and birds. “Boozhoo, mino-gigizheb nisayedog miinawaa nimisedog omaa noongom!", Wenabozho greeted, "Hello, it is a good morning, my elder brothers and sisters gathered here today! Today GICHI-MANIDOO sent me on a special task, to play with the niizhoodeg, the twins whom Sky Woman has lowered to the newly-created earth to create a new human race!" Makwa the bear rose to his feet and, standing on his hind legs, welcomed Wenabozho. Acting as the spokesperson for all awesi’ag present, Makwa told Wenabozho of their concern. Wenabozho listened carefully to Makwa’s account and, after a while, said:

“Hoowaah! You all have indeed taken good care of the Anishinaabeg (the Humans)! However, you have cared so well for them that they haven’t learned to care for themselves! Little ones are better off when we do not pamper them too much. We should encourage them to undertake things on their own instead of always handing them things on biskitenaagan (a birch bark platter). Therefore, I shall travel to the faraway land of my Father, where the sun sets in the sea, and think of ways to help the abinoojiiyensag learn how to walk."

DANCING A RITE OF PASSAGE Wenabozho bid farewell to the council of awesi’ag and traveled to the land of the Grizzly Bears, where his father E-bangishimog and his brother Maajiigawiz reigned. This place, with its towering mountains reaching the sky and shrouded in thick clouds, was the most sacred. There, he called upon GICHI-MANIDOO for the inspiration needed to find a solution. Being a powerful spirit, his request was granted, and he returned to Gaa-zaaga'iganikaag, the land of many lakes. Mii go, hoowaah! Thousands of memengwaag (butterflies) accompanied Wenabozho back to the niizhoodeg, who were still lovingly cared for by Animosh the dog. Upon witnessing the swirling clouds of memengwaag, the eyes of the nizhoodeg sparkled, and they soon crowed with delight, their little legs waving and tiny arms reaching out to the fluttering creatures! Yet, the memengwaag always fluttered just beyond their grasp... before long, in their attempts to catch the memengwaag, the niizhoodeg began to crawl, then walk, and finally, enh, even run…

Migizi, the White-headed Eagle, soared high above the camp and, with a powerful cry, released one of her feathers, which was caught by the twins. To commemorate this joyous event, Animosh danced around the camp, howling with delight. Soon the niizhoodeg, holding the feather aloft, joined him, whooping and stomping the ground. Then, all the awesi’ag present that day danced with them, and together they celebrated the legendary, magical rite of passage of the first two Anishinaabeg (spirit beings transformed into beings of flesh and blood) who walked the earth...

Giiwenh, so the story goes.

* Excerpt from "Stories from the Land of Crane and Turtle: Wenabozho and the Butterflies" narrated by Zhaawano Giizhik.