Stories and Teachings From the Earth, part 21: Fire of the Buffalo
- zhaawano
- Nov 25, 2024
- 16 min read
Updated: Sep 1
Baashkaakodin-giizis / Gashkadino-giizis (Freezing Moon/ Freezing Over Moon) (November 25, 2024)
Nimishoo Bizhiki
Awi'ishiikan gidishkode
Wiidookawishiikan ji-mashkawiziyaan.
("Grandfather Bison,
Lend me your fire
And help me to be strong.")
- My personal prayer to BizhikiHe Who Is One With the Earth
Bizhiki, the buffalo—or more accurately, the bison—is a powerful creature that has long been mistakenly referred to as a buffalo, but is indeed a bison. This revered and respected Grandfather of the Western Direction is known for the mighty fire that burns within him. Countless tales about him have been shared within the maple sapling structures of medicine lodges, on sacred sun dance grounds, and around many campfires and kitchen tables across Turtle Island. Gichi-mookoman, the White Man, has made efforts to extinguish this fire permanently. By attempting to extinguish the fire within the bison, they aimed to extinguish the fire within the Indian. Yet, despite their attempts to eradicate the bison herds, grandfather bison remains with us—and so do we. The Anishinaabeg have many names for him: Mashkode-bizhiki, meaning "prairie cattle," and also "Bashkode-bizhiki." The Ojibweg from Northwestern Ontario refer to him as Ishkode-bizhiki, or "fire cattle." Another name used is Bagwaji-bizhiki, or Bigoji-bizhikii, both meaning "Wild Cattle." His larger relative from the woods is known as Wiishkii. However, his true name is Bizhiki, a contraction of Bezhig Aki, which translates to "One Earth," or "He Who Is One With the Earth."
There is a common misconception that "buffaloes" were unfamiliar to the Anishinaabeg, who originated from the East and primarily inhabited the wooded areas around the Great Lakes. Additionally, some Ojibwe people assert that Sun Dances–where the bison plays a significant role–have never been part of Anishinaabe traditions. They claim that buffalo only existed on the Plains and that the Sun Dance is exclusive to Plains cultures. However, the truth is that the original range of bison included much of the boreal forest regions of Alaska, Yukon, western Northwest Territories, northeastern British Columbia, northern Alberta, and northwestern Saskatchewan. Bison were present from the Atlantic Coast to the mountains, from the Arctic in the north to the swamps of Florida. Moreover, the bison that roamed the forests around the Great Lakes, known as wiishkiig in Ojibwemowin, were larger and heavier than those on the Plains. Given the longstanding connection between the Sun Dance and the bison, it is plausible that both have been integral to Anishinaabe culture since ancient times. More on this topic can be found later in this narrative.
The Teaching of Respect
In Anishinaabe culture, Gimishoomisinaan Bizhiki, our grandfather bison, symbolizes one of the seven guiding principles known as nizhwaaso-gikinaamaagewin or seven grandfather teachings. Among Algonkin-speaking peoples, he represents the virtue called manaaji'idiwin, or respect, by the Ojibweg. To the Siksikaitsitapi, our relatives on the northern plains known as "Blackfoot,"the bison is iinii, which is closely related to the word for respect, iniiyimm. The Inun-ina or "Arapaho" refer to bisons as henééceen, a synonym for life itself.
Bizhiki instructs us that respecting all of creation means living with honor. "Act with integrity in both your teachings and your actions towards everything. Avoid wastefulness and be conscious of the harmony among all living beings. Share and give away what is unnecessary. Treat others as you wish to be treated yourself. Avoid causing harm to yourself or others."
The bison was chosen to symbolize the teaching of respect because it has always sacrificed itself for the welfare of the people, earning their respect. Bizhiki has supported the Indigenous way of life by giving every part of itself out of respect for others' needs. The bison contributed every aspect of its being to support human life, not because it was of lesser value, but because it respected the balance and needs of others. "To honor all creation is to have respect," it teaches us. "Live honorably in teachings and in your actions towards all things. Do not waste and be mindful of the balance of all living things. Share and give away what you do not need. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Avoid causing harm to yourself or others." This is a teaching that all Indigenous Peoples recognize and honor, and regardless of where the bison's lessons are shared or originated, they convey the same principles of maintaining a moral respect for all living things.
Akiwenzii's Song for the Buffalo
The illustration above depicts an elderly man with a pipe, standing before a bison. Despite having experienced many winters and being in the final phase of his life, he calls the bison "nimishoo," meaning "my grandfather." Under the light of a full moon, the old man sings a song to the grandfather standing before him:
Aaniin nimishoo!
Waase-miskwakoneng giwiiyaw.
Gimashkiki aapji-manidoowan.
Gwaashkominode’ewashkina’ injichaagonaanig.
Nanaakonan majide’iwin inde’inaaning.
Waawiiji’amawishinaang gwenwaajitoong nizhwaaso-gikinaamaagewin.
Dibishkoo giin
Biiwang giiwedinong niwii’-niibawitaan.
Dibishkoo giin
Niwii’-zhiibendam miikanaang.
Dibishkoo giin
Ninjichaag wii’-baazhigwaadizi.
Aanawi zanagamog
Miziwekamigong niwii’-babaama’adoo.
Dibishkoo giin
Ninga giiwe.
Dibishkoo giin
Megwe-anangong niwii’-bimose
Nagamoyaan.
("I see your light, grandfather
Bright with red flames is your body.
Your medicine is powerful.
Fill our spirits with your kindness.
Defend our hearts against evil.
Help us honor the seven teachings.
Like you I shall withstand the blizzard from the north.
Like you I shall be tireless on the trail.
Like you
My spirit shall persevere.
Even though the road is difficult
I shall walk all around the world.
Like you
I shall return home.
Like you
I shall walk among the stars
Singing.")
You might wonder why I depicted an akiwenzii (elder man) standing before the bison. Well, firstly, akiwinziiyag and bizhikiwag share a unique connection to the earth. Akiwenzii means "Comes from the Earth, of the Earth, and returning to the Earth." It refers to an elderly man recognizing his inevitable return to the Earth. Essentially, he is a steward, or caretaker, of Mother Earth. Both akiwenzii and bizhiki possess an ancient fire within them, a powerful fire of life known as life experience. They have faced numerous challenges and hardships on their journeys, which they have ultimately conquered. They offer us valuable life lessons if we are willing to learn from them. In a world where wisdom and compassion seem increasingly undervalued, grandfather bison and elderly individuals have the ability to rekindle kindness and understanding in our hearts. Most importantly, having walked and rested on the earth beneath them for so long, they both hold a profound love and deep understanding of our mother, the earth. Their heartbeats resonate in harmony with hers. This is likely why our words for "bison" and "old man" essentially convey the same meaning.
The Meaning of the Pipe
The Ojibweg shared numerous aspects with the Dakota – or Bwaanag ("Roasters"), as they are known in Ojibwemowin, their language. Both groups revered the bison, which provided them with songs, ceremonies, and sacred items like pipes, drums, and feathers, especially for those living on the plains of present-day Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Montana, and North Dakota. This connection inspired me to paint the akiwenzii holding a pipe. For Indigenous Peoples, the pipe is a sacred tool that, when filled with tobacco or kinnikinic and smoked, fosters a profound spiritual connection with the world, the plant and animal beings, people around us, and the spirits residing in the four directions. The Ojibweg refer to the pipe as opwaagan, while the Dakota call it čhaŋnúŋpa. Both Nations believe that the opwaagan/čhaŋnúŋpa embodies two spirits that agreed to unite in this form, creating the pipe as we know it. These spirits are integral to, and even responsible for, the creation of aki, or maká – the earth.
One of the spirits that agreed to assist in forming the opwaagan/čhaŋnúŋpa was our Grandfather Rock. This is the stone component of the pipe, sourced from the same area by both Nations. The Ojibwe name for this spirit is Gimishoomisinaan Asin, and its Bwaan name is Tȟuŋkášilauŋyaŋpi Íŋyaŋ– both translating to Grandfather Stone. Another spirit that agreed to help is Mitigwaabiiwinini (meaning bow man in the Ojibwe language) and čháŋ (meaning tree in the Bwaan language). This is where the pipe stem is made from; it originates from the trees.
The Bison Residing in the Northern Night Sky
No one represents the concept of mankind's connection with nature better than a particular type of traditional healer known among the Ojibweg as a jesakiid or jaasakiid ("shaking tent conductor"). These jaasakijig ("shaking tent conductors") use a jiisakaan, also called gozaabachigan, a Shaking Tent, to foresee the future and heal the sick.
Ancient traditions indicate that the Shaking Tent originates from the black hole within the Mashkode Bizhiki. The Bison constellation, constellation, identified as Perseus in Western sky maps, is situated in the northern sky. It is positioned away from the galaxy's center, reaching into the outer areas of the Bison Arm, the second major spiral arm branching from the core of the Path of Souls (Milky Way). The bison acts as the guardian of the jiisikaan/gozaabachigan. During winter, the Bison Constellation is prominently visible, but in the summer, it is scarcely seen as it resides on Earth. Here, it takes the form of the terrestrial bison, which offers every part of its being to sustain and support human life.
The Bison in the Sun
We will now examine the significance and function of the bison in the Ojibwe ceremony of Giizis-niimi'idiwin (Sun Dance).
Giizis-niimi'idiwin is an annual ritual that involves self-sacrifice and making petitions to the aadizookaanag (Spirit Grandfathers of the Universe) to ensure harmony among all living beings. This ceremony, which usually lasts four days, celebrates the continuity between life and death, illustrating the cycle of dying and rebirth. Participating provides hope for renewal, restoration, and forgiveness. The Sundance is held on sacred ground, both literally and figuratively.
Giizis-niimi'idiwin is thought to have developed from Nibaagweshimowin (the Thirsty Dance). During the late 1800s and early 1900s, when the Canadian and US governments banned various traditional Indigenous ceremonies, several Ojibwe people went off into the bush to perform the ceremonies away from the scrutiny of the church and government. Some took the Thirsty Dance westward. It remained out west, with the Nakawē-Ojibwe Anishinaabeg Nation (Anihšināpē) of the northern High Plains. From there, it is believed that the Thirsty Dance spread south and west to a wide range of Native Nations in the western Great Plains. In the ceremony, usually held at the summer solstice, the time of longest daylight, Migizi, the white-headed (bald) eagle, plays an essential role as a mediator of communication between humans and the spirit world. In the past, the Rain Dance was known as the Thirsty Dance. It was called this because when the dancers performed in full sunlight while blowing their eagle bone whistle, it effectively "dried them up."
Interestingly, "Sun Dance" is a misnomer because the dancers actually perform for the Thunder rather than the Sun. Initially, it was known by various names: Nibaagweshimowin (Thirsty Dance; pronounced nih-puh-qway-shim- moh-win), * Gimiwani-niimi'idiwin (Rain Dance; pronounced kim-mee-won-nee-nim-mee-eh'ee-tee-win), * and Ogichidaa Niimi'idiwin (Warrior Dance; pronounced oh-gitch-che-tah-nim-mee-eh'ee-tee-win).* However, "Sun Dance" (Giizis-niimi'idiwin; pronounced geeh-ziss-nim-mee-eh'ee-tee-win) * is the term most people use today. This annual dance is essentially the ultimate challenge for body, mind, and spirit. The ceremony takes place in a circular structure, the Sun Dance Lodge, providing shade for those supporting the Sun Dancers who move around the Sun Dance Tree, a forked pole typically made from a male azaadi (a poplar or cottonwood tree) located at the center of the circular dance area. The Tree of Life symbolizes Creation. The idea behind it is that the trees originated from a single tree and spread out to its grandchildren (people, animals, birds) at the beginning of the Earth's Creation.
The Sun Dance ceremony begins with seven songs, each connected to the four directions, the grandfather tree, the bison, the sun, the moon, and the Thunderbird. These include unification songs of the supporting tribes, spirit songs, additional bear songs, star songs, the great wiigiwaam song, and many other songs.
The lodge is always constructed in a circle with the entrance facing east, symbolizing the arrival of light, or south, representing the source of life-giving rains. According to a teaching from the Mikinaakwajiwininiwag (Turtle Mountains People) of North Dakota, there are eight "doors" in total. The "east door" is associated with Wenabozho, and, and since he originally came from the east, a pole is dedicated to him. At the center pole's top is the Thunderbird nest, as it is the Sacred Thunderbird, represented by Migizi, the white-headed eagle, who serves as the messenger for prayers sent to GICHI-MANIDOO. Bizhiki, the bison, is honored by placing specific parts of its body at the base of the tree. Occasionally, skulls are placed around the lodge's perimeter to honor bizhiki's power and bravery. During the sun dance, the participants face the azaadi tree, keeping their eyes on the Thunderbird nest, and continue until dusk on the final day, dancing and praying for the well-being of inoodewiziwin (family), daawin (community), and gookomisinaan (Mother Earth). Afterward, there is always gift-giving and a traditional feast.
Giizis-niimi'idiwin includes dances and healing songs passed down through many generations. There are songs for the thunderbird, the sun, the earth, the pipe, and the people, as well as songs for the bison. A madoodiswan (sweat lodge ceremony) takes place before the actual Sun Dance ceremony, involving the Grandfather Drum, a sacred fire, a pipe ceremony, fasting from food and water before participating in the dance, and, in some instances, the ceremonial piercing of skin. The act of piercing, being the ultimate test of physical endurance, represents the highest form of sacrifice we can offer to the Universe. Dancers participate in Sun dancing only as a result of a dream or a vision, never randomly.
Although Sun Dances across Turtle Island (North America) are not the same, they follow similar yet unique protocols. Every Sun Dance, or Thirsty Dance, includes the presence and involvement of the Bison. In some instances, dancers circle the sun dance lodge four times, pulling bison skulls with thongs pierced through their backs (see the image above). Preparations for the summer solstice thirst dance begin at the winter solstice. In western areas, the "beginning of the sun fire" is lit, and four preparations, including specific songs, are made for the thirst dance. During this time, an asemaa-gaashkibijigan (tobacco bundle) is tied for the summer solstice. The bundle is kept by the thirst dance/sun dance leader, usually inside the bison's cranial cavity, until it is opened on the summer solstice.
The presence of bison skulls highlights the significance of the bison spirit, alongside the Eagle spirit, in the Sun Dance Ceremony. Due to the immense power of the bison's medicine, it is believed that animals possessing medicine recognize him as their ogimaa (leader). This is why healers in the Sun Dance Lodge seek the bison's guidance to determine which awesi'ag (animals) are most suitable for their purpose. In essence, it is the bison that selects the appropriate animal to provide the necessary medicine for a healing ceremony...
In certain communities, especially the Nêhiyawak Ininewak or Plains Cree, a dance occurs on the fourth day of the Sun Dance ceremony, known as paskwâwimostôsnîmihitowin (Buffalo Dance) depending on the dialect.
For them, this dance is the most moving part of the Sun Dance. The presence of the bison brings comfort to the hearts of family members who have experienced loss, such as through suicide. Four men dressed in bison attire and four women carrying bison skulls dance around the Sun Dance lodge and then enter it. During the dance, people wail, sob, and place blue and white ribbons on the bison horns. It is believed that the bison can assist the spirits of the deceased who are lost or stuck. After the Buffalo dance concludes, it feels like the Sun emerges after a storm. People soon begin to smile again, as if a heavy burden has been lifted from their shoulders.**
How the Bison Introduced the Sun Dance to the Anishinaabeg
My friend Jessie Cree, an esteemed Ojibwe elder and lodge leader from Mikinaakwajiwing (Turtle Mountain Reservation in North Dakota; spelled "mee-kee-knock-kwahcheeng" in Turtle Mountains folk-phonetic script), * recounted to me the story of the bison spirit that brought the Thirsty Dance to Turtle Mountains.
Jesse mentioned that the Sundance / Thirsty Dance Lodge symbolizes the world. It is connected to the Ojibwe Thunder Being cosmology. One reason Midewiwin people participate in the ceremony is that it conveys the cosmology of the Thunderbird in contrast to Mishibizhiw (the Water Lynx).
The story Jessie shared with me—which originally came from an Ininew (Cree man) named Many Eagle Sitting from Buffalo Lodge Lake—is as follows: "A buffalo instructed Niibiwamigizi Abi (Many Eagle Sitting) to create a dance for him, but he did not, so the buffalo killed his son. Eventually, Niibiwamigizi Abi performed the thirsty dance. He dedicated the first song to the buffalo. The buffalo dance song consists of a set of 7 songs that must be sung before any others.
One day long ago a man came with the buffalo herd. The man from the buffalo herd was a man-spirit riding on a white buffalo. Some say he was Nanapush (Wenabozho) himself! This spirit-man showed the Indians how to use every part of the Buffalo and taught medicine to the women. He showed them everything about the buffalo. He told them that the shedding of blood was given to ikwewag, the women, and that they were the life givers to be taught medicine. It became their spiritual responsibility to ensure that every aspect of the buffalo was treated with respect and not wasted. The man had a blood spot on his chest which was identified with piercing of the chest. The man went back to the buffalo herd and left with the buffalo.
I was taught all the seven songs which I carried on for the thirsty dance ever since it was brought back from the 1950's. The eastern pole (of the thirsty dance lodge) is Nanapush's pole on the east side."
"When you have a sun dance lodge you have a center pole. Up top there is a nest called a Thunderbird’s nest. The young men used to climb up there and they would cry and fast and pray up there, in the old days. The whistles —boodaajiganan gaa izhinikaadoon— were whistled to plead to the Thunderbirds for blessings for the people. They mimicked the sounds of baby birds pleading for help from their parents and grandparents in the sky, the Animikiig!"
— Quote from an Elder from Mikinaakwajiwing, the Turtle Mountain Tribe of North DakotaThe Evolution of the Sun Dance from the Thirsty Dance
In conclusion, let's examine the history of the Thirsty Dance, its transformation into the Rain Dance, and ultimately, the Sun Dance.
The Rain Dance originated following the Dust Bowl, a period marked by severe dust storms that severely impacted the ecology and agriculture of the American and Canadian prairies during the 1930s. The drought occurred in three waves: 1934, 1936, and 1939–1940, with some areas of the High Plains experiencing drought for up to eight years. In response, farmers gathered and appealed to the authorities to address the drought. They sought permission to visit a nearby Ojibwe reservation to request assistance in bringing rain.
The medicine men viewed this as an opportunity to conduct their most sacred ritual, the Thirsty Dance, named because the dancers endured thirst while performing under the sun. They lit their pipes and prayed, and since the ceremony aimed to summon rain, "Rain Dance" became a more appropriate name than "Thirsty Dance."
Thus, the term "Rain Dance" was coined. After receiving government approval, the medicine men prepared for the "Rain Dance," setting up a Lodge and inviting all local Ojibweg to participate. Many attended, not necessarily to aid the American farmers or their government, but because life on the reservation was plagued by poverty and abuse, prompting them to engage in the ceremonial act of skin piercing as a form of sacrifice.
However, when the farmers realized the true nature of the dance, they were taken aback and chose to disassociate themselves from it, so they departed. The Rain Dance lasted four days. A number of dancers endured the piercing for the benefit of their community, but there was also celebration and plenty of feasting. Tears flowed, both from joy and pain. Songs were sung for the bison, the thunderbird, the sun, the earth, the pipe, and the people. These songs served as appeals to the spirits mentioned, asking them to intervene and aid the People, particularly to heal the sick. As a result, rain fell for about a week and a half. The rain was so abundant that the farmers returned and asked, “Can you please make it stop raining?”
From that point forward, the Thirst Dance became known as the Rain Dance. The Rain Dance spread further west to the Lakota, the Nakoda, the Nêhiyawak, and southward to many other Plains People. Each Nation or tribe created its own narrative about the ceremony's origin. The Lakota referred to the Rain Dance as "Wiwáŋyaŋg Wačípi," meaning "Sun-gazing Dance." This name was adopted by other Nations, which is why the term "Sun Dance" is now used throughout Turtle Island.
In 1883, aiming to deter Indigenous customs and assimilate Native Americans into mainstream society, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs outlawed the Sun Dance. This ban was reaffirmed in 1904 and persisted as "illegal" until 1934 when Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s new administration overturned it. Throughout the fifty years of prohibition, certain Native tribes and communities defied the law, continuing to perform their sacred dance, sometimes during federal holiday celebrations like the Fourth of July...
>To read more about the Sun Dance, see: Teachings of the Eagle Feather, part 28: Path of the Sun Dancer.
Fiero Double Vowel Chart - The following list provides a general guide to pronouncing Ojibwe words using the Fiero Double vowel method. The consonants are pronounced in a manner that is mostly similar to English.
“a”- sounds like the “a” in English "tuba" or the "u" in English "but"
“aa”- sounds like the extended “a” sound in the English word "pecan"
"ay" - sound like the "ye" in English "bye-bye"
“i”- sounds like the “i” in English "bit"
“ii”- sounds like the “ee” in English "reed"
“o”- sounds like the "u" in English "put": for example: "onjibaa" (s/he comes from a certain place) or the "u" in English "bush": for example: "animosh" (dog)
“oo”- sounds like the “oo” in English "loot"; for example: "boozhoo" (greetings). In some cases it resembles the "oa" in English "boat"; for example, "indoonjibaa" (I come from a certain place) or "gidoodem" (your clan)
“e”- sounds like the “ay” in English "stay" or the "e" in "ledger"
"sh" sounds like the "sh" in English "show"
“zh” sounds like the “su” in English "measure"
y - The letter “y” followed by a long or short vowel resembles the "y" sounds of "yin-yang"
"zh"- sounds like the "su" in pleasure.
Vowel + nh - The "nh" indicates a nasalized vowel, with the "h" not pronounced as a separate sound. Examples: aanh (also written as a'anh), enh, iinh, oonh.
An apostrophe (') is used to express a glottal stop.
Consonants: generally pronounced similarly to English consonants.
"j" resembles the "j" sound in "Jim."
**Source: Buffalo Spirit: Sundance is the ceremony of ceremonies by Jennifer Ashawasegai.
Comments