Migiziwi-giizis (Bald Eagle Moon) - March 9, 2025
"AT THE LAKE SINGING OUR SONG"
Jiigewe’am naawij, nagawawin jiimaan,
wiijiiw giigoonh, bineshiinhyag
Megwe digowag, megwa anwaatin ge.
Nagamowin nibi nagamon,
Agamiing nagamawin nagamon.
("Paddling along on the lake in our canoe,
Traveling along with the fishes, the birds,
Among the waves, in calm waters too.
Singing our water song,
At the lake singing our song.")
- Ojibwe Lake ChantBoozhoo, biindigen. Hello and welcome!
In a blog series called "Reflections of the Great Lakes," showcasing fine art images and original jewelry pieces by myself and fellow artists, I strive to capture and celebrate the spirit, beauty, and majesty of Gichigamiin, the Great Seas of the Anishinaabe People. This immense natural treasure was once respected, revered, and held sacred, but today it is frequently undervalued and exploited by many. I invite you to the eighth episode of the series, which highlights two paintings I recently completed and a set of rings I crafted some time ago.
Before I tell you a bit about how the waves of the gichigamiin represent the concept of anishinaabe bimaadiziwin or "the Native Way of Life," let's first explore nibi, the water, and its spiritual significance to us. Traditionally, the spiritual teachings about the water are the domain of ikwewag (women), so I will only briefly cover it to give a general understanding of the traditional Indigenous perspective on nibi, the water.
"HOOWAAH, NINGOOKOMISINAANIG - OUR GRANDMOTHERS"
Onjida gida-igom ningookomisinaanig jiinaago gaa-iyaajig, noongom e-iyaajig miinawaa waabang ge-iyaajig...
I’iw nama’ewinan, maaba asemaa, miinawaa nindode’winaanin gida-bagidinimaagom.
Ahaaw!
Thank you for the Grandmothers of yesterday, today, and tomorrow...
We offer our prayers, tobacco, and our hearts.
Yes!
- A personal prayer song by the author for our elder Water Warrior WomenThe Anishinaabe and Ininew (Cree) Word for Water and Its Origins
Nibi, or in certain areas known as nibiish, signifies water in Anishinaabemowin (the Ojibwe language) and is an ancient term with profound significance. It is pronounced nih-BEH or ni-PIH (or ni-BEESH), depending on the region. The first pronunciation is common among the Nakawe-Ojibweg (Saulteaux) of western Ontario, while the latter two are preferred by Ojibweg in places like Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Ininew (Cree) word for water is nipi or nipiy, pronounced ni-PEH or nih-PIH.
A few years back, my Swampy Cree friend Michel Sutherland from Fort Albany, Nishnawbe Aski in Northeastern Ontario, shared with me the following dibaajimowin (true life story) about the origin of the word nipi/nibi. He explained that the word nipi/nibi comes from the old form b'he; over time, it transformed into "nibi": Niin, or ni= my; b'he = water.
Nibi: My water.
"My uncle and I, in 1981, went spring goose hunt, 8 kilometers south from our community. He watched my careful meditations in the mornings, all day, and in the evenings, I was not aware that was what he was doing, but sharing life together was what we were doing. After his long walk, kneeling down near the wood stove, I handed him a cup of water. Quietly staring at the stove, he said, water is life. You are water, everything around us is made of water, touch a tree as you would touch your own body, it is solid but this these containers carry water, this what our ancestors believe. Nowadays, we say 'Nibi' or 'Ni'pi' for water, but in the old days when our ancestor wore no clothing but a strap and a breach called water 'B'he' and I tried to pronounced it 'Pi' or 'Pe' and he said no, not that way and again pronounced it properly 'B'he,' later on , in the time, after we met the White people is when we started to say 'Ne'b'he' to mean: my water. Then later, it was pronounced 'Ni'pi.'"
Nibi Waaboo, the Water Song
In Anishinaabe culture, Nibi Gaa-bimaaji'iwemagag translates to "The Water That Gives Life." The verb root is bimaaji', signifying "give someone/thing life," and it can be divided into bim- (along in space or time, by), -aad- (way of being or life; one's character or nature), and -' (cause someone or something to be or to act).
Gichi-nibi, meaning Great Water, translates to "Sacred Water Circle." This term refers to the natural cycle of life. Nibi, the water, sustains all living things. Giganoonigonaa nibi: the water speaks to us is a phrase from Anishinaabemowin, the beautiful Anishinaabe language. Nibi nourishes manoomin, the wild rice, and it feeds the environment where the Anishinaabeg and Ininewak reside. The nii'inaa ikwewag (women of the Anishinaabe Nation) are the guardians of the Gichi-Nibi, the sacred water circle. This belief arises from the idea that Anishinaabekweg have a closer bond with natural cycles than ininwag (men). This connection is illustrated by women during their menstrual cycle, linking them to aki miskwi (the blood of the Earth), which is nibi, the water. As a result, Anishinaabekweg possess the connection, knowledge, and ceremonies to bless and purify the waters.
An essential aspect of the ancient water ceremony is known as mide waaboo (which means "sacred liquid"). During this ceremony, a song called nibi waaboo ("water song": literally "water liquid") is performed. A Midewikwe (a member of the medicinal, spiritual, scientific, and philosophical society of the Anishinaabe Peoples, the Midewiwin) raises the water in a vessel made of sacred copper, while the midewaanikweg (Sacred Water Line women) present sing the water song.
During the prayer, the spirit of water is invoked, and a small portion of nibi is distributed among those present at the ceremony. The water transforms from mere nibi to mide-waaboo, which is regarded as sacred medicinal water.
Water songs can be performed anywhere to honor the water's spirit. This can occur at lake shores, riverbanks, wells, the vast ocean, or even at your kitchen sink—anywhere water is present. Traditionally, during the nibi waaboo ceremony, a ceremonial staff is used, and specific teachings are shared. Women form a circle and play clapper sticks made of white birch bark, as was done in the past, before the hand drum became available to women (see the image below).
The Mide Waaboo is traditionally celebrated each year during the thirteenth moon, which occurs at the end of February or March. It is customary for the water song, similar to all women's ceremonies, to be sung at the Oshki-agoojin (New Moon)—when the Moon is positioned between us and the Sun—and exclusively by women. The song should be sung once for each of the seven directions: east, south, west, north, the skies, the earth, and within oneself.
The lyrics of the nibi waaboo song hold such sacredness that, despite the importance of sharing the message of the song globally, I am not at ease with posting them online. Therefore, I will refrain from sharing the song's lyrics in today's story.
The Yearly Journey of the Mother Earth Water Walkers
Since the spring of 2003, the "Mother Earth Water Walkers" have organized an Annual Women’s Water Walk. In April of that year, several women from various Anishinaabe odoodemag (Ojibwe clans) united to raise awareness about the pollution of the fresh water lakes and the manoomin (wild rice) fields by chemicals, vehicle emissions, motor boats, sewage disposal, agricultural runoff, and leaking landfills. The walk is held in the spring to represent renewal, regrowth, and rebirth. These legendary yearly Nibi Water Walks are rooted in Anishinaabe Ceremonial Water Teachings. Water Walkers participate to honor the rivers and all water, communicating with the water spirits to ensure the health of rivers, lakes, and oceans for future generations.
Ninga izhichige nibi onji. This phrase in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) means “I will do it for the water.” Midewaanikweg (Sacred Water Line women) recite this whenever they pass the water – both the giver and receiver of the water say it. For more information about the Mother Earth Water Walkers movement, see: Reflections of the Great Lakes, part 1.
The Tides of the Great Lakes
As life cannot exist without water, we must never take the waters of Gichigamiin (the Great Lakes) for granted, nor the water that fills the wells, inland lakes and ponds, rivers, and the great sea waters (oceans). For the Indigenous Peoples living near the water, nibi is not just an element but a soul (spirit) that provides them with sustenance, beauty, growth, generosity, and peace of mind.
This contemporary and elegant designer ring set—though not available for purchase—is crafted from 14K white gold and sterling silver using the overlay technique and is named Nibi Aawan Bimaadiziwin (Water Is Life). The name and the elegant design of the rings, crafted in a comfort fit—meaning the rings have rounded inner edges for enhanced comfort—artistically allude to mino-bimaadiziwin, or "The Way of Living a Good Life." Additionally, the flowing, oxidized wave incorporated into the design of the rings subtly nods to the tides of Gichigamiin, the North American Great Lakes, and graphically to the ‘outline drawing’ style of the Medicine painters who follow the tradition of the Native Canadian Woodland School of Art.
This contemporary and elegant designer ring set—though not available for purchase—is crafted from 14K white gold and sterling silver using the overlay technique and is named Nibi Aawan Bimaadiziwin (Water Is Life). The name and sophisticated design of the rings, created in a comfort fit—indicating the rings have rounded inner edges for added comfort—artistically reference mino-bimaadiziwin, or "The Way of Living a Good Life." Furthermore, the flowing, oxidized wave featured in the rings' design subtly alludes to the tides of Gichigamiin, the North American Great Lakes, and visually to the ‘outline drawing’ style of the Medicine painters who adhere to the tradition of the Native Canadian Woodland School of Art.
Life and the Cycle of Nature
For the Anishinaabeg, bimaadiziwin, or life, has always been influenced by both material and spiritual elements. Anishinaabe ishinaamowin/izhinamowin, our traditional worldview, along with the social structure of our communities and cultural traditions, is rooted in the teachings of bigwaji-bimaadiziwin, the cycle of nature, and an inherent understanding that existence involves a dynamic and ongoing interaction among all of creation.
Similar to the ever-changing tides of the lakes, this mutual interaction between life forces is a flowing, dynamic entity that influences—and is influenced by—everyone and everything in the present, past, and future.
For the Anishinaabe, all elements and entities—natural objects and events, humans, artificial objects, animals, plant beings, and spirit beings—are interconnected and exist beyond the confines of linear time and space.
Midewiwin and the Native Way of Life
Anishinaabe Bimaadiziwin, also known as mino-bimaadiziwin, represents the Native Way of Life. It embodies a good, wholesome, and balanced existence that individuals should uphold in harmony with their community and all of Creation. This lifestyle is believed to bring good fortune, health, and peace of heart in this world, and to ensure entry into Gaagige-minawaanigoziwining, "The Land of Everlasting Happiness" in the afterlife.
In Anishinaabe society, material wealth has not historically elevated a person's status. It is courage, skill, and respect for children, Elders, and the sacred web of life that lead to bimaadiziwin.
For a Midewiwinini or Midewikwe, a male and a female member of the Midewiwin respectively, which is the ancient society of thinkers and healers, straying from mino-miikana bimaadiziwin, the true path of life, and failing to return is tantamount to death.
Nonetheless, this ancient wisdom carries a cyclical concept. Because digression seldom has a lasting nature, a Mide is anticipated to retreat yearly for reflection and prayer, seeking guidance from the manidoog (spirits) and evaluating their life to ascertain if they remain on the true path.
A Wave Represents Life and Unity
The wedding rings feature a dramatic, flowing wave design, with two halves of white gold—one matte and the other highly polished—representing all of the aforementioned concepts. Together, these halves of the gently curved ring surfaces embody the Universe. The wave design signifies life in its entirety and evokes a unity symbol, reflecting both the duality and complementary forces present in nature and human nature.
The wave symbol evokes the concepts of ebb and flow, day and night, or the contrast between dark and light. It serves as a reminder to the ring owners that every living being or partnership between two people comprises two distinct parts or individuals who, much like intermingling waters, coexist and collaborate closely.
So the story goes...
Giiwenh. So goes the Teaching Story about Life... and such is the tale of the wedding rings. Miigwech gibizindaw noongom mii dash gidaadizookoon. Thank you for listening to my storytelling today. Giga-waabamin wayiiba, I look forward to seeing you again soon.
Click here to discover the first story in the Spirit of the Great Lakes series. This tale showcases the incredible journey of the courageous Mother Earth Water Walkers and includes several paintings by Simone McLeod, artwork by Leland Bell, as well as a pen-and-ink drawing and a gold pendant made by me.
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