Star Stories, part 18: The Boy Who Came From the Sun
Updated: Aug 17
Namebine-giizis (Suckerfish Moon)/Zaagibagaa-giizis (Budding Moon), May 15, 2022
Updated: Miskominike Giizis (Raspberry-Picking Moon)/Manoominike-giizis (Ricing Moon)/, August 17, 2026
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THE SPIRIT BOY WHO LIVED IN THE SUN
Boozhoo 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 where love and learning abound.
I dedicate today's story to nishiim (my younger brother) Bryce Morison, an Elder, spiritual teacher, and talented artist from Manitoba whose spirit name is gᐐᐎᓭᓐᓯᔥ ᑮᓯᓱᓐg ("Little Boy in the Sun"). The story is about the origin of Gwiiwizensish, "the Little Boy" – which is how, in the Midewiwin Lodge of the Anishinaabe Peoples, the little water drum is called. The little water drum is oshkaabewis, or "ceremonial helper" of the greater water drum, called Omishoomisan ("Grandfather").
This story is dedicated to nishiim (my younger brother) Bryce Morison, an Elder, spiritual teacher, and gifted artist from Manitoba, whose spirit name is gᐐᐎᓭᓐᓯᔥ ᑮᓯᓱᓐg ("Little Boy in the Sun"). It tells the tale of the origin of Gwiiwizensish, "the Little Boy" – the name given to the little water drum in the Midewiwin Lodge of the Anishinaabe Peoples. The little water drum is oshkaabewis, or "ceremonial helper," to the larger water drum, known as Omishoomisan ("Grandfather").
In Midewiwin belief, the Grandfather drum's resonant sound, which extends far and mirrors the voices and heartbeat of the Universe, "causes the sky to brighten and the water to calm for the person who carries the drum." Despite its smaller size, the Little Boy drum holds equal spiritual and symbolic significance. The Little Boy's voice is all-encompassing and all-powerful. Its deep, steady echo with a firm tone resonates through every fiber and bone, creating harmony in the spirits of those receptive to it. Traditionally, the Little Boy's membrane is stretched over one or both open ends of a hollow log (or kettle) using seven small round stones, symbolizing Life. This small water drum is so vital that it is said that to be a true Mide (practitioner of Midewiwin ceremonies) is to know Gwiiwizens, the Little Boy…
Nahaaw! Ningad-aawechige noongom ! Ok, Let's tell a teaching story now!
There was once a manidoo-gwiiwizens (spirit boy) who resided in a wiigiwaam (wigwam) high in the sky. He was called Makoons, Little Bear. He shared the wiigiwaam, which was circular and composed of stardust, fire, and rays of light, with his father, Giizis (the Sun), the grandfather of all life on earth. His mother, Dibik-giizis (the Moon), the grandmother of all life on earth, had left his father and moved to a distant place. His parents lived on opposite sides of the Universe and rarely communicated anymore. When his father awoke in the morning, his mother went to bed, and vice versa. They did this to avoid encountering each other.
Makoons loved his father deeply, despite his fiery temper. When he wasn't spending time in the nearby giizhigomakwaanzh (sky den) of his uncle, Gichi Makwa, the Great Bear[1], who was an excellent ayaadizooked (storyteller) and taught him everything necessary to become a great mashkikiiwinini (medicine man), he would gather misan (firewood) for him and assist in gathering food by catching Thunderbirds and trapping anangoog (stars) that resided in wiigiwaaman (lodges) along Binesiwi-miikana, a vast road winding through the Galaxy. He was a good and dutiful son! Yet, he also had another side. In fact, he had many sides.
Geget, Makoons was indeed not an ordinary spirit. He was makwa manidoo, a bear spirit. It was widely believed that Gichi-manidoo, the Great Mystery, assigned him numerous bear-related duties. Being born of the Sun and the Moon, he had immense powers and strengths—attributes that would be considered extraordinary today but were once taken for granted and not seen as particularly unusual.
The reason Makoons was so well-loved was not due to his supernatural powers, but how he used them. The manidoog adored him not only for assisting his father but also for his relentless efforts and willingness to help others. His empathy, combined with a curious spirit that led him to travel great distances to offer assistance, allowed Makoons to communicate with many spirits. Through these interactions, he learned that the anishinaabeg (humans) on earth were struggling. Having forgotten their ancestors' teachings, they could no longer utilize the land's and water's resources, leading to sickness, misery, and death. Makoons, seeing himself as their father, felt compassion for them and realized that without providing them with Sacred Medicine, they would soon face extinction...
After he shared with his father what he had witnessed on earth, his father advised him to assist the humans. "I will be alright," his father assured him, "don't worry about me. Just ensure you come back to me once your tasks on earth are complete, as we need you here."
Giiwitaa'ose Giizis ("Walks Around the Sun") is a bolo tie crafted from sterling silver and 14K gold, featuring hand-cut natural Kingman turquoise and red corals, designed and handcrafted by Zhaawano Giizhik. The design includes stylized bear paws and a twisted wire, balls, and red coral pattern surrounding the central stone, symbolizing the Little Spirit Boy's journey across the sky. This bolo tie is intended as a storytelling medium and is not available for purchase.
JOURNEY TO THE EARTH
As soon as it was said, Makoons filled his makwayaani-midewayaan (bearskin bundle) with makomashkiki (bear medicine) and set off. After a four-day journey through the galaxy and various layers of the sky, he arrived on earth, at the shore of a vast saltwater sea. There, he met Binesi (a Thunderbird) in the form of gichi-ikwe (a very old woman). The gichi-ikwe instructed him to head westward and informed him that soon, while crossing a large river that drains the waters of a chain of Great freshwater Seas, he would encounter mikinaak (a snapping turtle) whose tail would guide him to a place where food grew in the lakes and streams. The woman in his dream explained that he would find the Anishinaabeg there, who had forgotten the old teachings and now lived in darkness and misery. It would be a long journey, she warned; he would come across several mikinaako-minisensing (turtle-shaped islands) before reaching this land. She also instructed him to stop seven times along the way, light seven fires, and gather as many miigisag (sea shells) as possible to use as teaching tools and healing objects once he reached his destination. She mentioned he would also encounter nigig (an otter) along the way; this nigig would assist him in retrieving seven perfectly round stones from the sea's bottom, which would be crucial in creating a healing tool for the starving Anishinaabeg...
Makoon's mother and all of his star relatives went to sleep. Once his uncle, the morning star, had dimmed his light and his father began to set the sea ablaze with his purple glow, he knew it was time to leave. Before the Thunderbird woman said maajaashin (goodbye), she informed Makoons about an island northeast of Spirit Rocky Island,[2] which was the final turtle-shaped island awaiting him at the journey's end. When you reach this place, she added, you will see grass growing on water all around you as far as the eye can see; then you will know your journey is complete.[3]
"Izhimikinaakaabinakwe" ("Dream of Turtle Woman"), a line art drawing by Zhaawano Giizhik. The female figure within the Great Sea Turtle symbolizes the Thunderbird Turtle Dream woman from the story. Above her, the Great Lakes are illustrated with Baawitigong (Sault Ste. Marie; the fifth stopping point in Makoon's journey) at the center, along with the flying Sandhill Crane, which was sent to guide the way to this picturesque place of waterfalls and rapids. ©2010 Zhaawano Giizhik.
THE INITIAL, SECOND, AND THIRD FIRE
Determined to locate the place described by the Thunderbird woman, Makoons crossed a wide river known as Gichigami-ziibi. [4] Mii sa iitog o ke-mada'atooyaan (“This must be the road along which I am to journey”) he thought to himself. As the gichi-ikwe had foretold, he soon encountered a large sea turtle. The turtle's head faced the setting sun, and its tail pointed towards the rising sun. Diving beneath the river's surface, Makoons continued his journey and soon reached the first of four freshwater seas he needed to cross.[5] Upon arriving at a place called Mooniyaang [6], he saw the first turtle-shaped island. There, he lit a fire on the beach and collected a pawful of miigisoog as instructed. He then swam to a place known as Animikiiwaabad (or Wayaanag-gakaabikaa, the Place of the Thunder Waters, present-day Niagara Falls) — where he encountered the second turtle-shaped island — and beyond, to a location where two lakes were connected by a narrow river. Here, at Waawiyaataanong (present-day Detroit in Michigan), he rested and collected a pawful of seashells. It was here that he lit the third fire on his journey west.
Manidoo Makwa Gikendamaazo Manidoowini-minising ("Spirit Bear Discovers Spirit Island") ©2021 Zhaawano Giizhik.
THE FOURTH FIRE
That night, as he rested on the beach by the third fire he had kindled on his journey, he had a dream. In this dream, he pushed giizhikaatig (a cedar tree) through the four worlds and then entered a vast body of water. After several days of swimming due north, still dreaming, he came across a series of small islands, which he used as stepping stones. As he leaped from one island to another, he suddenly heard a sound that seemed like joyful laughter! Then a voice echoed in his mind, repeatedly saying the phrase Noos, bawaajigewinan waasa izhaamigadon, bawaajigewinan waasa izhaamigadon ("My father, dreams go far, dreams go far!")
Makoons stopped in his tracks and gazed toward the source of the sound. Awenesh wa’aw beminizha’ogwen. Manidoowigwen ("Who is this that must be following me?! It must be a spirit!"), he thought. Narrowing his eyes, he noticed a dark, slender, swift-moving object on the sea's surface to the east, then in all four directions; suddenly, the directions converged into what seemed to him a vast madoodiswan (purification, or sweat lodge)! This madoodiswan was a large island, rich with countless beaches, inland lakes, and remote areas where many spirits resided,[7] and he realized it was time to kindle a fire for the fourth time on his journey. It was on this sacred island, where sky, water, and land merged, that he spotted the object of his curiosity: a nigig,[8] playing in a bay near a manidoo-owaanzh (spirit cave).[9]
Makoons, recognizing and valuing the magical event unfolding before him, still dreaming, swam towards the friendly and playful slider, asking for help in locating seven small, round stones mentioned by the Thunderbird woman. Together, they dove beneath the bay's surface to the cave of the Underwater manidoo and began their search, but not before offering gifts to appease him. At the cave's bottom, they discovered seven perfectly round stones, which Makoons placed in his bundle alongside the miigis shells. Afterwards, the two new friends swam to the beach, where Makoons lit his fourth fire...
THE EVIL WIINDIGOO FROM THE UNDERWATER CAVE AT THE BURNT BLUFF
Makoons awoke as soon as his father brightened the eastern sky; his new friend, the otter, was still asleep and snoring loudly, seemingly worn out from his antics the day before. He wondered if he was still dreaming. Once the fire had burned out, he roused his snoring companion. After breakfast, nigig told him about a mysterious cave located a few days' journey to the southwest, inhabited by wiindigoo (a cannibal spirit) that terrorized the hungry anishinaabeg (humans) living nearby.[10] This spirit was once an Anishinaabewinini (Ojibwe man) who, on the verge of starvation, succumbed to an evil spirit that transformed him into a cannibal. Now a maji-manidoo himself, he resided in an underwater cave[11] and preyed on the People of the Bearfoot Nation, relatives of the Ojibweg, a nation that lived to the north...
Makoons, who considered himself the father of all anishinaabeg, decided to visit and see this cannibal for himself. After bidding his friend apane bimaadizin (farewell: literally, "continually live!"), he gathered his belongings and traveled west, then south, along the shore of a large body of water.[12] Soon, he noticed people running with fear in their eyes. Being a very curious spirit, Makoons headed towards the disturbance. A terrifying roar halted him. A monstrous creature stood on a high cliff, its massive shadow covering the land. The ground shook beneath its feet and a voice like thunder echoed across the bay. Makoons observed the monster with disgust. The enormous cave dweller before him was so thin it appeared emaciated, its dry skin stretched tightly over its bones. With bones jutting against its skin, a deathly ash gray complexion, and tiny eyes sunken deep into their sockets, it resembled a gaunt skeleton freshly unearthed from a grave.…[13]
With a deafening roar that echoed through the ground beneath Makoons, the cave spirit, which seemingly used makwag (bears) as a metaphor for humans, shouted: “Shkozin, ondaashaan makoonsag. Wewiib, wewiib, ambesa, ambe omaa bi-izhaan. Nimaapiji-bakade noongom. (Wake up!! Come here, bear cubs! Hurry, hurry, come on, come here! I am terribly hungry today!)”
Makoons was a friendly spirit, inheriting his mother's calm wisdom, the moon, while also having his father's fiery temper. He quickly transformed into a half-bear form and began dancing toward the cliff, shaking his miigis shell rattle. The giant wiindigoo, still standing on the cliff and clearly near-sighted, was frozen in place, squinting to see the approaching dancing man/bear. Its small, hideous eyes showed a mix of surprise and curiosity. Never in its miserable existence had it seen a dancing bear, especially one shaking a rattle at it! Then, with a grunt, it stepped off the cliff and moved toward Makoons. Without hesitation, the latter put away his rattle, grabbed his war club, and charged at the monster. Before the astonished creature could react, he split its skull open and tore out its heart with his bare hands, revealing it to be nothing more than a lump of ice. The soil he stood on was stained red, and when the monster's heart fell onto the beach, the water level rose immediately. Then, wa taasayaa!! as Makoons threw the monster's brains into the water, they turned into adikamekwag (whitefish)...
Once the starving People of the Bearfoot Nation realized their oppressor could no longer harm them, the survivors emerged from their hiding spots and approached Makoons, holding his hands in gratitude. They expressed their thanks for his defeat of the monster and for providing them with an abundance of whitefish, whose silvery tails now shimmered in the bay's waves. They told him they would always honor him with the title Gaa-nanaandawi'iwed ("He Who Heals People"). Makoons, who understood only a little of their dialect, nodded shyly and murmured "ahaaw, baamaapii." After cleaning the wiindigoo's blood from his war club, he continued on his journey, searching for the fifth resting place he believed lay to the northeast.
MAP LEGEND:
1. Mooniyaang: present-day Montreal.
2. Wayaanag-gakaabikaa ("Concave Waterfalls"): the Niagara Falls
3. Gichigamiiwi-ziibi, the Great Lake River, present-day Detroit River (MI/ON), near Waawiyaataanong or "Round Place" (present-day city of Detroit).
4. Manidoowini-minising, or "Spirit Island" (present-day Manitoulin Island, Ontario)
5. Baawitigong ("Place of the Cascading Rapids," present-day Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Ontario)
6. Manidoo-minisaabik ("Spirit-rocky island": near present-day Duluth, Minnesota)
7. Mooningwane-kaaning-minis ("Place of the Yellow-shafted Flicker," La Pointe on present-day Madeline Island, Wisconsin)
A. Animikii-wajiw, the Thunder Mountain (present-day Mount McKay, Ontario)
B. Wiisaakode-giishkadinaang ("At the Burnt Bluff") near Nooke-wiikwed (Mako-wiikwedong: "At the Bay of the Bear"), present-day Bay de Noc in Upper Michigan.
THE FIFTH FIRE
It took him three sunrises to locate the spot where he was to light a fire for the fifth time. An ajijaak (sandhill crane) let out its powerful call, and its echo, resonating across a vast river, guided him to the most stunning place he had ever seen. Expansive stretches of trees and vegetation bordered the banks of a Great Sea River as far as his eyes could see, and the joyful sounds of numerous rapids and waterfalls delighted his ears. The crane that had led him circled above the rapids four times before landing on a hill overlooking a settlement of many anishinaabeg. Never before had he witnessed so many anishinaabeg gathered in one location! [14]
Soon, he discovered that these people, who referred to themselves as baawitigowininiwag ("People of the Place of the Rapids"), like their relatives to the south and west, were experiencing conflict and unrest. Despite the area's natural abundance, offering ample food from the rivers, lakes, and forests, a long history of battles with neighboring tribes had soaked the land with the blood of their warriors, causing them to forget the teachings of their ancestors. The concept of bimaadiziwn (how to live a life of love and caring for one another) no longer resided in their hearts. Consequently, the once plentiful fish, game, and berries began to disappear at alarming rates, and the town by the rapids was hit hard by starvation and disease. To make matters worse, the villagers, like their southern relatives, faced daily attacks from another wiindigoo, a cave-dwelling giant that had arrived from the north and delighted in running through the town each dawn, devouring their abinoojiinhyag (children). Wiindigoog always seemed to prosper during times of scarcity and famine!
Makoons, who had clearly come to Earth with a mission to assist the humans he considered his children, appeared before the town's people and those from a nearby island in human form, explaining his identity and purpose. He then lit a fire and constructed madoodiswan (a sweat lodge). Grandfather stones were heated, and everyone present was guided into the lodge, symbolizing a mother's womb. After the ceremony, he informed each person emerging from the lodge that they were reborn:
Inawemaagan,
Bichiinag giwii-maajiibimaadis.
Mino bimaadizin.
Miigwechewendan gimaamaa aki.
Miigwechewendan gookomis dibiki--giizis
Miigwechewendan gimishoomis giizis
Miigwechewendan noodinoon gaye mitgoog gaye asinig
Miigwechewendan nibi gaye animikiig gaye gimiwan
Miigwechewendan makwag gaye aamoog gaye giigoonyag
Migwechewendan akina gegoo ahaw.
(My relative!
At last you are at the beginning of your life.
Live well!
Be thankful for your mother the earth
Be thankful for your grandmother the moon
Be thankful for your grandfather the sun
Be thankful for the winds, the trees, the rocks
Be thankful for the water, the thunder grandfathers, the rain
Be thankful for the bears, the bees, the fish
Be thankful for everything alive!)
That evening, he ventured into the marshes and swamps located north of town in search of the wiindigoo. He simply had to rely on his sense of smell, and when the odor of decaying flesh became overwhelming, he realized he had discovered the cave where the giant resided. Ambe, ningadishaa ("Well now, I will go there") he murmured to himself. He began to sing a chant:
Heya~ya~he
Heya~ya~he
H ͤya~whe~yawhe~yaw.
Heya~ya~he~.
Heya~ya~he~.
H ͤya~whe~yawhe~yaw!
Gii-ishkwaa-gimiwang
Nookaabaawe aki.
Mii apii mookiiwaad,
Mooseg miinawaa zaskwaajimenhyag.
(Heya~ya~he
Heya~ya~he
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw.
Heya~ya~he~.
Heya~ya~he~.
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw!
When the rain is over
The earth gets soft.
That's when they come out,
The worms and leeches.)
When the wiindigoo, still asleep, heard Makoons mocking him in song, he charged out of his cave, roaring with fury. Makoons, who had stationed himself at the entrance with his war club held high, struck the Giant's head with a powerful blow. Then, as the monster writhed on the ground, he carved out its heart of ice and watched it melt into a pool of water. Afterward, he gathered the monster's brains and returned to town, where he threw them into the sea river before the astonished villagers.
"Indinawemaaganidog!" he shouted. "My relatives! If you adhere to the instructions I provided the other day on achieving a state of mino-bimaadiziwin and remain committed to the good red road, the river will soon be filled with countless shoals of adikamekwag. Before long, the four-legged and many-legged creatures that rely on the river and its banks' vegetation for survival will return! Soon, gigiigoonyikewinininaaniwag (your fishermen) will once again set out in their jiimaanan to spear the whitefish in the river, and your children's bellies will no longer be empty. Aanish, iidog ji-ishaan miinawaa (“Now, it seems that I shall have to be on my way again”).
THE SIXTH FIRE
And on he went, moving north and then west, in pursuit of the land where food grows on water. For six days, he swam across an immense expanse of water that stretched as far as the eye could see[15], heading in the direction where each day his father disappeared beyond the horizon and his uncle appeared in the evening sky.[16] To his right, he noticed a flat-topped mountain rising from the waters of a large bay,[17] and observed lightning and thunderous roars echoing across the lake. Wa! Onzaam niibiwa ishkode wi'iw wajing ("Wow! Too much fire on that mountain!") he thought, "no need to start another one," and continued until he came across a rocky island in a bay[18]. Here, for the first time on his journey, Makoons saw fields of manoomin (wild rice), just as the Thunderbird woman in the Land of Dawn had foretold. He realized it was time to light the sixth fire. Soon, he thought, he would encounter the people he had vowed to heal with his Medicine when he lived with his father in the sky! Haw dash. Well now! That's what he did; after kindling a fire and collecting more miigisag (shells) on the shore, Makoons once again submerged beneath the vast waters, swimming northeast, and emerged at the seventh and final turtle-shaped island awaiting them at the journey's end. [19]
THE SEVENTH FIRE
As Makoons made his way through the water toward the shore, he spotted a large miigis resting on the colorful stones. Its glossy shell, mirroring the rays of his father who was high in the bright midday sky, bestowed the world with illumination, vitality, and wisdom. Recognizing it as a sign of life from his father, Makoons was more resolved than ever to do a good deed, so he sat on the beach and ignited the seventh and final fire.
Seeking the people he had heard about while still in the sky land, Makoons swam to the mainland. He walked for days until he arrived at a beautiful wooded area where the muskrat lived.[20] Binaakwii-giizis, the moon of the falling leaves, would soon end, giving way to ishpiming ozhishenyan (his cross-uncle from above).[21] The forest was tinged red with the blood of Gichi-makwa, his favorite ishpiming omishoomeyan (parallel uncle from above)[22], who every fall is pursued by hunters shooting arrows at him; as he descends to the horizon, drops of blood fall from his wounded tail onto the tree leaves.
THE BOY WHO FELL ILL
As Makoons walked in the guise of an oshkiniigiins (human boy) through the painted land, he met a small family consisting of a mother, a father, and their sick young son. The parents immediately took a liking to Makoons and decided to adopt him. They explained that they were hungry and had left their oodena (village) by the great lake[23] in search of game. Makoons, feeling compassion for them, ventured into the woods and hunted enough game for them to regain their strength. Unfortunately, the little boy was too weak and passed away. Grief-stricken, his parents wrapped his body in sheets of wiigwaas (birch bark) and decided to return to the village to bury him there. On their journey back to the Great Lake, where they had left their relatives, they would stop to camp at nightfall. During these stops, they erected poles to place their deceased son's body on, to protect it from wolves and vultures.
On the second evening, as they set up camp, Makoons, who had a truly big heart, told his adopted parents that he pitied them and wanted to help bring their beloved son back to life. The parents looked at him in disbelief, but then the mother, realizing their adopted son was no ordinary being, asked him how that could be accomplished. "We must break camp, Inga (my mother), and walk all night to ensure we reach it when my celestial father rises. Once there, we shall have the women make a wiigiwaam (lodge) covered with wiigwaasan (birch bark sheets) and apakweshkwayan (cattail mats).
THE HEALING CEREMONY
They reached the village by the lake at sunrise and the parents made sure Makoon's instructions were carried out properly. This included the building of a lodge with two openings, an entrance directed to the east and an exit to the west, with a fire inside and a makak (basket) filled with baate-miinan (dried blueberries) placed at the entrance. After this had been done, the family and friends went into the newly erected wiigiwaam and seated themselves around the corpse, which – save for the boy's head – was wrapped in wiigwaasan. A small water drum, its membrane tied down with the seven round pebbles Makoons had brought from his journey, stood nearby. When they had all been sitting quietly for some time, they saw through the doorway the approach of Makoons, who entered in the shape of a bear. After grabbing a handful of blueberries from the makak he placed himself before the corpse of the boy. Pulling out a zhiishiigwan (rattle) from his biinjigwasan (medicine bag), he started to chant – which, to the spectators, sounded more like grunting than anything else. After a while he raised himself up on his hind legs and chanted:
At sunrise, they arrived at the village by the lake, and the parents ensured that Makoon's instructions were followed accurately. This involved constructing a lodge with two openings: an entrance facing east and an exit to the west, with a fire inside and makak (a basket) filled with baate-miinan (dried blueberries) placed at the entrance. Once this was completed, family and friends entered the newly built wiigiwaam and sat around the corpse, which was wrapped in wiigwaasan except for the boy's head. A small water drum, its membrane secured with the seven round pebbles Makoons had brought from his journey, was nearby. After they had been sitting quietly for a while, they saw Makoons approaching through the doorway, appearing as a bear. He took a handful of blueberries from the makak and positioned himself before the boy's corpse. Taking zhiishiigwan (a rattle) from his biinjigwasan (medicine bag), he began to chant, which to the observers sounded more like grunting. After some time, he stood up on his hind legs and chanted:
“Heya~ya~he
Heya~ya~he
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw!
From up above I come, leaving footprints in the sky.
Mystic-like I came forth!
From the hollow of the earth I emerged, leaving footprints in the soil.
Mystic-like I came forth!
Across Four Seas I swam,
Mystic-like I came forth!
Seven Fires I lit along the way,
Mystic-like I came forth!
Heya~ya~he
Heya~ya~he
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw!"
As he circled the deceased boy in a clockwise direction, frantically shaking his zhiishiigwan, his trembling body moved rhythmically to the imagined beat of a drum. Suddenly, the rattle magically sent a series of miigisag (seashells) toward the deceased boy! Then, the boy's body started to quiver; the quivering intensified as Makoons kept dancing, shaking his zhiishiigwan, and shooting miigisag, all while he chanted:
Awenen
Dewene
Bemaaji’ag?
Who is this Sick unto death Whom I restore to life?
After he had circled around four times, atayaa! the boy slowly opened his eyes, to the amazement of his family! As his limbs started to move, the bark covering was removed, and he stood up! He had been brought back to life!
THE GIFT OF MEDICINE AND ETHICS
Once the boy received water and a few pinches of a crushed plant remedy to aid his recovery, the bear exited the lodge through the western door. After some time, he returned through the eastern door, now in human form. Approaching the boy who had been revived, he said to him:
Gigete-bimaadiziwin aapidendiwan
miinawaa dash noongom omaa gidoshki-bimaadiziwin, ahaaw.
I'iw oshki-waabang. Aanjitoowin maajiishkaatoon maampii.
Mino bimaadizin, nishiim!
("Your old life is gone
and your new life is now here, yes!
It's a new tomorrow, change starts here.
Live well, my younger brother.")
Next, Makoons turned to the boy's father and said to him:
Noos gaawiin anishinaabewisii, ayaawiyaan manidoo ningwizis.
Bi-mayaa-miniik niiji-manidoo mayaa zhigwa ji-gi-aawiyan.
Noose, zhigwa asemaa ji-atooyeg.
E-mikondem mii eta aabiding ji-gashkitood wenji-bimaadizid omaa agaawaa bimaadizid mii omaa;
niijii-manidoo mayaa zhigwa ji-giiweyaan.
This can be freely translated as follows:[24]
My father! I come from the Sky. I am a spirit. And so are you!
Now, you, being also a spirit, shall put out tobacco.
My spirit was able to perform this miracle before your eyes but once!
Soon, I will go home, but not before I have inducted you and your People in the various mysteries and noble knowledge of medicine, medical practice, and ethics."
After he spoke, the villagers, along with many others who had traveled from near and far to witness the miracle, gathered around him, erupting in cries of admiration and chanting as they addressed him:
Heya~ya~he
Heya~ya~he
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw!
Manidoo-makwa, gaabinaagozid.
Manidoo-makwa, bigizhaaweni mishinaan!
Manidoo-makwa, gaabinaagozid.
Manidoo-makwa, bigizhaaweni mishinaan!
Heya~ya~he
Heya~ya~he
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw!
("Heya~ya~he
Heya~ya~he
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw!
Spirit Bear appears here.
Spirit Bear! Come, have zeal for us!
Spirit Bear appears here.
Spirit Bear! Come, have zeal for us!
Heya~ya~he
Heya~ya~he
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~ya~he.
Heya~whe~yawhe~yaw!")
Makoons then spoke to the gathered Anishinaabe people that day with these words:
"Ahaaw! Niin manidoo-makwa! Niin goos! (Yes! I am a spirit bear! I am your father!) But you will always remember me as manidoo-gwiiwizensish (a little spirit boy) who descended from the Sun and used bear magic to revive one of your People. Therefore, you shall grant me an honorary position in your Midewigaan (Medicine Lodge), and my voice will resonate wide and far during your ceremonies, and you shall recall me when you perform your sacred rites. From now on, I will be known as oshkaabewis (ceremonial helper)!"
He stayed with the Anishinaabeg for some time, instructing them in the construction of madoodiswan (a sweat lodge) and offering them the gifts of ceremonies, rituals, and ethics. This established the groundwork for the two Sacred Medicine Lodges of the Anishinaabeg Peoples. [25]
After achieving this, he informed his adoptive parents that his earthly mission was complete, and he needed to return to his father, the Sun. The Anishinaabeg no longer had to fear illness because they now had the Sacred Medicine Knowledge, which would help them live honest and wholesome lives. He then explained that he would return to his SunFather in the Sky, where, as ishpiming oshkaabewis (ceremonial messenger from above), he would assist the Anishinaabeg during ceremonies...
THE VOICE OF THE LITTLE BOY DRUM
Giiwenh. This is the tale of the little boy who came from the Sun and, during his brief time on aki, provided the Anishinaabeg with crucial guidance and sacred items—such as the miigisag and the zhiishiigwan. These are still used today for healing the sick, at sacred feasts, and during initiation ceremonies. Most importantly, he inspired the People to live once again according to the long-forgotten teachings centered on mino-bimaadiziwin—the Way of a Good and Wholesome Life. As a result, the berry bushes, maple trees, and wild rice fields returned to their former abundance, and game and fish once again filled the woods, lakes, and rivers, providing much-needed sustenance to the people. He thus saved the starving Anishinaabeg from extinction, and they gratefully honored him with a water drum, which they named gwiiwizens (little boy), or, in a purely ritual context, oshkaabewis (ceremonial helper).
Even though he visited us a very long time ago, the boy from the Sun still remains in our hearts. Today, the people of the Medicine Lodges remember and honor him as the assistant to the Grandfather water drum—the "Chief" water drum that oversees the current Midewiwin Lodge.[26] Traditionally, Mide people believe that the Little Boy guides the way to the Grandfather, and when the Grandfather arrives, darkness vanishes, illuminating the entire world and sky...
Geget sa go, in Midewiwin belief, the sound of the Grandfather drum, with its resonating beats that reach far and align with the voices and heartbeat of the Universe, causes the sky to brighten and the water to become calm for the person carrying the drum. Yet, despite being smaller, the Little Boy drum holds equal spiritual and symbolic significance. The Little Boy's voice is all-encompassing and powerful. Its deep, muted echo with a steady tone reverberates through every fiber and bone, creating harmony in the spirits of those receptive to it. The Little Boy, with its membrane traditionally stretched over one or both open ends of the hollow log (or kettle) using the seven small round stones that Makoons collected during his journey across the 5 Great Lakes, symbolizes Life. It is said that to truly be a Mide, one must understand the Little Boy.
Ahaaw sa. Mii sa ekoozid. Miigwech bezindawiyan noongom. Alright, that's the conclusion of today's story. Thank you for listening to me. Gigiveda-waabamin wayiiba, I hope to see you again soon! Mino bimaadizin! Live well! Migwechewendan giizis gaye makwag gaye mitigwakikoog gaye akina gegoo ahaw! Be grateful for the Sun, the bears, the drums, and all living things!
Makwa Waakaashkaw Giizisong ("Bear Circles Around the Sun"). This bandana (neckerchief) slide set, featuring hand-cut natural Kingman turquoise and red corals, was designed and crafted by Zhaawano Giizhik. The design illustrates the journey of the Little Spirit Boy across the sky. This slide acts as a medium for storytelling and is not available for purchase.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Traditionaly, Giizhigomakwag, or Giizhigong Makwag, the Sky Bears or Bears-Above, are deemed eternal while Akiimakwag, the bears that live on Earth, die of sickness or old age or at the hands of hunters and return as manidoog (spirits) to giizhigong, the Sky World, from where they descended when born in their giizhigomakwaanzhwan (sky dens). Thus, the life cycle of the earthly bears reflected and paralleled the seasonal rotation of the great sky bear – in the form of cluster of seven stars – around Giiwedanang (the Returning Home Star, or North Star). What happened in the Sky World – phenomenons that were expressed in the sacred star stories told to the young – foretold (and thus complemented) events that would take place on the Earth. The bear that dwells in the sky cared for the earth from its giizhiig wiigiwaaman (sky lodges) and the earthly bears reflected the movements of their cousin in the sky by digging for medicinal plants in the Earth in spring and summer; and also by finding a resting place in the earth's bosom when it was time to hibernate. Yet vice versa, the Earth Bears also care for the sky! Since the first humans (a twin) came from the sky, earthly bears by extension still care for and look after their descendants, the Anishinaabeg. Source: Our Clans Among the Stars, Chapter 1.
[2] Makoon's seventh and final stop would be in the area of Mooningwane-kaaning-minis (meaning the place of the yellow-shafted flicker) — La Pointe on present-day Madeline Island, Wisconsin — and, in our story, it was here, a little inland of this island that he encountered the family of the boy who fell ill and died.
[3] Grass growing on water: manoomin, the wild rice. See: The Spirit of Manoomin.
[4] Gichigami-ziibi, the Sea River, present-day St. Lawrence River.
[5] Gichi-zaaga’egan (Big Lake): present-day Lake Ontario. Also called Niigani-gichigami (Leading Sea).
[6] Mooniyaang: in gichi-ziibi, the Big river (present-day Ottawa River), near the present-day city of Montreal.
[7] Manidoowini-minising, or Spirit Island: present-day Manitoulin Island, located in Gichi-aazhoogami-gichigami (Great Crosswaters Sea) - present-day Lake Huron. Also called: Odaawaa-minis (Odawa Island).
[8] To this day, Nigig's characteristics, like his playfulness, craftiness, adaptability, industriousness, and his adventurous and autonomous nature, are still core aspects of the teachings and the leadership of the Midewiwin Lodge. Nigig symbolizes new life, and all of life is seen as an extension of his magical power. Just as from time immemorial the Anishinaabeg have drawn on the resources of both land and water to survive, so too the Otter, being one of their most important mediators between the physical world and the spirit world, lives in both environments, and the People have always tried to emulate his talent for moving through both worlds with ease, playfulness, and humor.
[9] The Odaawaa Anishinaabe name for this cave, Manidoowaaling, gave its (Frenchified/Anglicised) name to Manitoulin Island where it is located. By the 19th century, the Odaawaa "l" was pronounced as "n". The same word with a newer pronunciation is used for the town Manitowaning (19th-century Odawa "Manidoowaaning"), which is located on Manitoulin Island near the underwater cave where legend has it that the spirit dwells, in Manitowaning Bay.
[10] A very old owaanzh mazinaajimowin (cave painting done in red ocher) at Wiisaakode-giishkadinaang("At the Burnt Bluff") near Nooke-wiikwed, present-day Bay de Noc in Upper Michigan – shows similarities with the Anishinaabe story of Asibikaashi (Spider Woman)/Giizhigookwe (Sky Woman) who lowered the first humans from the Sky World (or the moon) to Earth through the Bagone-giizhig. The anishinaabe in the image seems to be connected to Spider Woman by a spiral umbilical cord. The painting was possibly done by members of the historical Nooke, or Nookezid (Bear Nation or Bearfoot Nation). The spider rock painting is believed to date back to about 2,400 years before present, or around 600 CE.
[11] These Anishinaabeg, a tribe that was closely related to the Mamaceqtaw (Menominee) but eventually became absorbed by other Nations (probably the Mamaceqtaw, and by the nooke/bear clan of the Ojibweg), identified themselves as Nooke (Bear Clan) or Nookezid ("Tender-foot" ). This name was corrupted by the French into Noquet.
[12] Mishigami (Great Lake) or Miiskogami (Sweet/Freshwater) Lake: present-day Lake Michigan. Another name for this freshwater lake is Ininwewi-gichigami (Illinois’ Sea).
[13] Source: Basil Johnston.
[14] Baawitigong ("Place of the Cascading Rapids"), present-day Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan/Ontario: originally a portage around gichigami-ziibi, the Sea River (present-day Ste. Marys River). The Ojibwe name for the area around this economical and political center of Anishinaabe Aki (Ojibwe country) is Baawiting ("cascading rapids").
[15] Gichi-gami - Lake Superior.
[16] Nigaabii-anang, the Star of the West: the Evening Star. [17] A reference to Animikii-wajiw, the Thunder Mountain at Gaa-ministigweyaag (Place of Islanded River, present-day Thunder Bay). This table mountain, home of the Binesiwag (Thunderbirds), is called Mount McKay by non-Natives.
[18] Manidoo-minisaabik (Spirit Island; literally, "Spirit-rocky island"); not far from Onigamiinsing “at the little portage": present-day Duluth in Minnesota. [19] Mooningwane-kaaning-minis ("Place of the Yellow-shafted Flicker") — La Pointe on present-day Madeline Island, Wisconsin. [20] Wiishkoonsing, or "Muskrat Lodge Place"; present-day Wisconsin. [21] Gaa-biboonikaan, the bringer of winter. [22] Omishoomeyan: parallel uncle (a father's brother; a stepfather). [23] Gichigami, the Great Lake (Superior). [24] The literal translation is: "My father is not a human. I, a son, am a Spirit. Just as - my fellow Spirit - you now are. Father! Now, you shall put out tobacco. Recalling that he could do this only once in order to barely live here, thus he lived here; my fellow Spirit, so now, I must go home." Source: Gwiiwizens wedizhichigewinid—Deeds of a Little-boy, as passed down by 19th century Misi-zaaga'iganiing (Mille Lacs) ogimaa (chief) Bayezhig. See: Spirit of the Three Fires.
[25] The two main Medicine Lodges of the Anishinaabeg: Midewiwin and Waabanoowiwin.
[26] The Anishinaabeg traditionally use two different types of Waterdrums in the Midewiwin Lodge: the Grandfather Drum and the Little Boy Waterdrum. The Grandfather drum can be recognized by the hoop placed at the top of the drum, while the Little Boy Waterdrum is tied together with seven small, round stones. In Midewiwin practice, the Grandfather is symbolically supported by OSHKAABEWIS, his ceremonial helper, called the Litle Boy Water Drum in reference to the origin story of the Midewiwin, about a little bear boy who descended from the Sun and remained for some time among the Anishinaabeg to teach them the mysteries of the Midewiwin. To read more about this topic, see: The Sound of the Mide Drum.
Star Stories: The Great Sky Bear That Lives Among the Stars
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