Stories and Teachings from the Earth, part 28: The Generous Spirit of Baagak
- zhaawano
- 1 day ago
- 14 min read
Binaakwe-giizis (Falling Leaves Moon)/Waatebagaa-giizis (Leaves-Turning-Colors Moon) - October 16, 2025
This post contains a list of words and their phonetic transcriptions in the Ojibwe language
"There was this man called Paukahkoosh...he suffered for his people. He fasted for his people too long and he died. The creator gave him life again, but his appearance was that of the way he was when he died. Bony with sagging skin like a skeleton. He was given the gift of life like a spirit but alive. He had the ability to fly with the wind. He loved his people so much that he protected them against their enemies, shooting them with arrows or clubbing them to death and eating their insides. He remembered his hunger that killed him. Sometimes they heard him hollering in the wind. He came to become a flying skeleton feeding on the insides of people, usually enemies of his people, warriors and hunters. Some medicine men and magicians held a dance for Paukahkoosh. They made a bargain with him to exchange gifts with him for his favor.... That's what I will be doing on Feb. 23. Here in the turtle mountains..."
- A tale about the origin of Baagak, the Flying Skeleton, as recounted to me by Mikinaakwajiw (Turtle Mountain) Elder Jessie Cree on Migiziwi-giizis (Bald Eagle Moon), February 23, 2025Today's story highlights one of the most intriguing and vibrant aadizookaanag (story figures) in Anishinaabe and Ininew cultures: Baagak, the Flying Skeleton. The Baagak aadizookaan is an ancient tale shrouded in mystery and misconceptions, yet it remains highly relevant today due to its profound connection to Indigenous identity and self-healing. Cautionary tales about Baagak help preserve our collective cultural intuition, and it is no exaggeration to say that when these stories are forgotten, we lose touch with our true selves.
Let's attempt to unravel the mystery and misunderstandings about this ambiguous entity.
Baagak, a flying skeleton or bony specter similar to the Wiindigoo and the Misaabe, is a relic from the ice ages. His name is spelled in various ways: Paakuk, Pauguk, Paagak, Pah-kuck, etc. In some stories, Baagak—also known as Bizhishigoganewin, meaning "Skeleton"—represents a person who becomes this winter spirit through self-sacrifice. In other tales, he is portrayed as an evil person who turns into a skeletal entity as punishment for murder. His story is told not only in winter but throughout the year, as he is an aadizookaan (spirit helper) linked to the wind and who watches over us in every season.
"All the Manitou’s of the sky had their origin in space except for one. Pauguk was a man who coveted his brother’s wife and, in order to gain her, killed his own brother by drowning him."
- Basil Johnston, Think Indian
"Paakuk has roamed the skies and flown over since the dawn of history because of the wrong he did by committing the first sorcery murder among the Ojibway...Paakuk is known to fly very fast. One second his
mournful cry is heard in the skies in the east, the next second in the east west, the next second in the west...Ojibway believe that Paakuk will never stop flying until the end of the world"
- Animikii Binesi/Norval Morrisseau, Legends of my People: The Great Ojibway
"He was the flying skeleton destined to dwell between earth and sky, banished from the land of the dead for his actions while living. Lust, greed, betrayal, and murder were among his many crimes. His lonely, lingering presence was a lesson to those who followed his course. Whenever sounds were heard that couldn’t be explained, his Mishomis (Grandfather) would say, ‘that was Pauguk.’ Paagak roams the skies, crying out."
- Kegedonce/John Borrows, Drawing Out Law
To grasp the identity and importance of Baagak, let's start by focusing on some key facts.
In Ojibwe, Anishinini (Oji-Cree), and Ininew (Cree) cosmology, the Flying Skeleton is viewed as an aadizookaan, or "supernatural story figure" and "spirit helper" serving a protective and prophetic role within the society. As bagwadaakamig bawaagan, a guardian of the wilderness and a spirit linked to jiibenaakewinan, funeral rites, he symbolizes various elements of the spirit world, death, and the afterlife. In numerous tales, he is depicted as a being of starvation, a relic of the Ice Ages. As such, he is regarded as the one who brings snow, which allows for a successful hunt, thus preventing starvation and ensuring the society's survival. Conversely, when seen at night, often as a flying skeleton in sagging skin and sometimes appearing as a ball or disk of fire, he is thought to signal impending sickness and death.
"Baagak" is derived from the same root as the Ojibwe word for bat, "apakwaanaajii," suggesting a link between the two. Anishinaabe tradition holds that the apakwaanaajiig invited Baagak, a human named Waasikgaaboo ("The One Who Seems to Be Glowing"), who, overwhelmed by guilt from committing heinous crimes, transformed into a bony specter, into their caves and taught him to live and survive in darkness.
The Baagak has a female counterpart known as Bineshii[n]yikwe Okanan (Bony She-Bird) in the Ojibwe language. This sky creature is often mistakenly called "bineshi okanin." She was a grieving woman who fell in love with Baagak, but since he did not answer her feelings, she also became a skeletal apparition. It is believed that she resides not only on earth but also in the star world, as a 9-star summer star formation resembling the stick figure of a waabi-ajijaak (a white sandhill crane) flying north. On earth, when an ikwe (woman) dies, she may transform into a bineshiiyi okanan (bony bird). According to my informant Jessie Cree from Mikinaakwajiwing (Turtle Mountain), these flying skeletal beings, when they appear at night, are thought to predict impending death.
"How scary can a skeleton be to make sure you listen to hear the bones of our ancestors..."
- Kakeykahkuck/Michel Sutherland, Maskiki Wi Iniwak elder, 2025The Ininew People (such as the Néhiyaw from Saskatchewan) traditionally perform "Pakahk" ceremonies, known as the Manitokan Nîmihitowin, or "Spirit Helper Effigy Dance," which are typically conducted in the fall or early winter and primarily involve gift exchanges. This dance is often promised by a hunter who has been granted the spiritual right by the "Pakahk." Among the Peoples of the high plains, a successful hunt was crucial, and it was a common practice for hunters to offer gifts and tobacco as a reciprocal gesture.
Ininew hunters, although he was often seen as a solitary, wandering spirit destined to exist between the earth and the sky and associated with death, starvation, and other adversities, primarily viewed "Pakahk" as a supportive spirit, bestowing exceptional hunting and healing abilities upon those under his protection. The Manitokan Nîmihitowin typically begins at a central mīkiwāhp (tipi) with a dance where animal bladders filled with grease are shared, a delicacy they believe is favored by Pakahk. Grease is burned and offered to the Pakahk, which he gratefully accepts through the smoke. Participants move from mīkiwāhp to mīkiwāhp, exchanging gifts and dancing. At times, the gift exchange centers around an effigy or doll known as a Manitokan, designed to ward off sickness and starvation, where individuals give and receive gifts. People would take something from the gifts surrounding the Manitokan and leave another gift or tobacco. ¹
Manitokanak, or Manidookaanag, are carved wooden statues depicting the head and occasionally the upper body of a humanoid figure, placed in locations where one can offer or receive gifts. These figures are linked to Ininew traditions and the Midewiwin religion of the Nakawē Ojibweg. People would bring offerings of clothing and other items as prayers for improved health and fortune. This practice of giving and receiving is typically accompanied by a four-night ceremony. Offerings are sometimes left at portages or other sites connected to the beings being petitioned. The manidookaan, often dressed like a doll and carved and decorated by the dreamer, generally represents the Baagak.
For the Ojibweg, a manidookaan represents a man from mewinzha (long ago) named Baagakosh, who passed away while fasting for his community. This man was brought back to life by GICHI-MANIDOO (The Great Mystery) as a being made up of hanging skin and bones, who traveled by flying with the wind. The manidookaan effigy marks the onset of winter starvation and its end at the two mid-solstices, halfway between the winter solstice and the summer solstice. To some Mideg (Midewiwin practitioners), a manidookaan is symbolized by a tree; other Mideg create a small figure carved from a tree as a representation of the memory of Baagakosh when he was alive. ²
There's more to say about the Baagakosh, or "Little Baagak": It was widely thought that a person who froze to death could turn into one. The Baagakosh, sometimes depicted as a dwarf-like creature with long, icy fingers and a small bow or rifle, appeared in cautionary tales meant to urge children to keep the fire going during winter. More broadly, these stories about Baagakosh emphasized the importance of respect and obedience in children. Frequently, tales were shared with children as a warning, advising them not to venture out at night.
The Ojibwe Midewiwin conducts a ceremony known as Baagak niimi'idiwin, or the Dance of the Boney Specter, where dancers align in two opposing rows facing a wooden effigy of a man. This effigy, considered to possess a living spirit, is known as Baagakosh ("little Baagak"). The center of the dance area is left open, with the Baagak effigy positioned at the far end of the lines. The ceremony begins with a Pipe Ceremony to honor the Spirit of Baagak, led by the ogimaa (leader) or his oshkaabewis (helper), who prepares the pipes for all participants. The pipe is first offered to the Northwest, believed to be Baagak's dwelling, and then to the cardinal directions. A bladder of animal grease is placed in a suitable dish and covered with down. Some dancers consume goose fat as protective medicine and dance with the effigy, seeking assistance with healing or personal matters, leaving their offering with the Baagakosh effigy. After the dance, two ogimaag (leaders) "revive" the Baagakosh effigy, which is then returned to the bush. ³
The Midewiwin of the northwestern Plains conduct a ceremony called Mide'ahidowin, or "Bargain Dance ceremony,"where they exchange gifts and awaken the Baagakosh. It is a midwinter solstice ceremony that takes place between the winter and summer solstices. At Mikinaakwajiwing, the Turtle Mountain Reservation, the local tale of the Baagakoosh is recounted during the ceremony; it is a relatively recent story about how the Baagakoosh came to be at Mikinaakwajiwan, the Turtle Mountains. The Baagakosh is usually a felled tree, and the ogimaa (ceremonial leader) breathes life into it. This act is viewed as a dance to "bargain" with the Baagakoosh, representing "the waking up from sleep," which symbolizes the resurrection of the dead. ⁴
During this specific mid-winter ceremony, a miigis (cowry shell) is used to "breathe life into" the manidookaan—the wooden effigy sometimes referred to as the Baagakosh. A song is sung to the four corners of the earth, and the Mide ogimaa blows into the miigis four times. ⁵ This act symbolizes how GICHI MANIDOO (the Great Mystery) breathed life into everything in the world, especially into the earth, which was formed after the last ice age by Wenabozho. Symbolically, with each breath, the earth expands, and life is granted to it and, through its soil, to the trees. As the manidookaan is animated through the miigis, participants offer gifts to the manidookaan/baagakosh, exchange gifts, and consume goose grease to honor the communion with the spirit of Baagak. ⁶
The Mide Jiibay is a ceremony performed by Midewiwin Ghost Dancers to establish a connection with the spirit of Bagaak. In this ritual, the Baagakosh is created to symbolize someone who has passed into the next world. Typically, the pole marking the deceased's grave is used for this purpose. However, to prevent any disturbance to a grave, a Mide Jiibay practitioner may opt to cut down a living tree to harness its life-giving energy. ⁷
The view of Baagak as a terrifying figure and murderer punished for killing his brother and brother-in-law and causing his sister's suicide—is a negative perspective, possibly influenced by the Church and the boarding/residential school system. An Ininew friend, an Elder from Pîhtâpek Ililiwak, Ft Albany First Nation, suggested to me that in his community, the eerie image of a skeleton hanging or caught on a tree symbolized a lost and tormented soul weighed down by guilt, and its sole purpose was intended to ensure adherence to the way of the Midewiwin lodge. He added, "I think the Christian converts (of the Midewiwin) altered the original reason." In pre-contact times, hoever, Baagak, or Baagakosh, was recognized as someone who died while fasting for his people, a commendable act. It's crucial to understand that in traditional, pre-contact Anishinaabe and Ininew beliefs, death is not seen as negative or evil. Rather, it is considered a manidoo (spirit) and a gekinoo'amaaged (teacher) that brings positivity, teaching that death is a natural part of life and a transition to another form of existence. The stories and ceremonies associated with Baagak, symbolizing winter, cold, and death, emphasized the importance of sharing food and material goods for the community's welfare.
There are additional contexts to consider. Historically, when the spirit of Baagak, during winter storms, often on dark and windy nights when he soared above the rattling trees, revealed itself to someone, it represented both a gift and a challenge. The Baagak trickster, sometimes manifesting as a gaunt, flying skeleton, moaning, screaming, or laughing and equipped with an invisible bow and arrow, would attempt various distractions, but if you could withstand its deception–and not laugh back–you would pass the test and gain significant power. Facing Baagak without fear (and thus facing your own fears) signified the young person's growth and maturity and increased their chances of living healthily into old age. Thus, the Baagak played a crucial role in odibaajimoodaadiwinan, or coming-of-age storytelling. Additionally, in contemporary Anishinaabe understanding, Baagak is a gikinaamaagewin (lesson) that serves as a reminder to uphold respect for and adherence to Anishinaabe Inaakonigewin (Anishinaabe law) and the moral guideline of mino-bimaadiziwin–to live a good and wholesome life. This concept suggests that the transformation of a human being into jiibayigan (a skeleton) symbolizes the neglect of land laws and human behavior, warning humanity about the consequences of disregarding these laws. Therefore, the Baagak acts both as a cautionary lesson and as an awe-inspiring specter symbolizing the broken connection with the human, natural, and spirit worlds, ultimately leading to a loss of self-identity. ⁸
The character of the Baagak is as ambiguous as its attitude toward animal fat. As previously noted, the Ininew Medicine people from Saskatchewan traditionally use animal grease bladders in their Manitokan Nîmihitowin ceremony to "bargain" with him (essentially to appease him); it was generally believed Pakahk enjoyed offerings of fat. Among the Ojibweg, however, it is common to use fat as a deterrent when they sense a Baagak nearing their camp. An Ojibwe Lodge Keeper from North Dakota told me that Baagak has such a strong aversion to animal fat that they consume goose fat during their Baagakoosh rituals to prevent it from targeting their behinds, as it is believed the Baagak favors that particular body part. ⁹
These facts alone underscore the unique perception of the Baakak (and similarly, the Bineshiih Okanan and the Wiindigoo) among Indigenous communities. Storytellers throughout Turtle Island offer numerous and varied interpretations of these winter spirits. Some narratives portray them as emblems of illness, death, and cannibalism, while others emphasize their positive aspects. Although these aadizookaanag feature prominently in cautionary tales about isolation, self-destruction, greed, and selfishness, their stories, filled with monstrous details that unsettle our subconscious and disturb our dreams, undeniably encourage beneficial social behavior. They serve as shock therapies that convey essential lessons on the importance of community spirit and demonstrating kindness and generosity towards others and all of nature's relations.
By mirroring our individual and collective identities and examining the Church's influence—its doctrines of good and evil, guilt, and redemption, which have deeply confused our hearts and minds—along with the issues of man-made climate change and the current environmental crisis, Baagak aadizookanan help us become more aware of human evolution and the world we inhabit today. They assist in overcoming shared, intergenerational trauma, dysfunction, lateral violence, and identity loss, and, most importantly, they aid in rebuilding a strong sense of responsibility to the group and rediscovering our true identity as Native Peoples. Therefore, I would like to conclude today's story by suggesting that Baagak embodies a spirit of generosity that benefits everyone. Ultimately, acknowledging both positive and negative interpretations of Baagak can help heal the scars of genocide and lead to acceptance of our troubled and complex history.
Miigwech gibizindaw noongom (Thank you for listening to me today).
Illustration: "Telling Stories of Baagak" ©2025 Zhaawano Giizhik
FOOTNOTES:
¹ Source: Orders of the Dreamed: George Nelson on Cree and Northern Ojibwa Religion and Myth, 1823 ^
² According to a teaching shared with me by Elder Jessie Cree from Mikinaakwajiwing (June 2025) ^
³ According to a teaching shared with me by Elder Jessie Cree from Mikinaakwajiwing (June 2025) ^
⁴ According to a teaching shared with me by Elder Jessie Cree from Mikinaakwajiwing (June 2025) ^
⁵ Interestingly, according to an ancient Ojibwe tradition, when Wazashk, the Muskrat who helped Giizhigookwe (Sky Woman) recreate the flooded world by diving to the sea's depths to collect soil for the new earth, died, Wenabozho revived it, giving the brave little creature its own spiritual lodge. ^
⁶ According to a teaching shared with me by Elder Jessie Cree from Mikinaakwajiwing (June 2025) ^
⁷ According to a teaching shared with me by Elder Jessie Cree from Mikinaakwajiwing (June 2025) ^
⁹ According to a teaching shared with me by Elder Jessie Cree from Mikinaakwajiwing (June 2025) ^
PRONUNCIATION DICTIONARY*
Aadizookaan: A story figure, a supernatural spirit helper; a sacred story. Pronounced "awt tiss sooh kawn"
Aadizookaanag: Story figures, supernatural spirit helpers. Pronounced "awt tiss sooh kah nuck"
Aadizookaanan: Sacred Stories. Pronounced "awt tiss sooh kah nun"
Apakwaanaajiig: bats. Pronounced "ah puh kwawn nah chick"
Baagak: Flying Skeleton. Pronounced "pauk kuk"
Baagakosh: Little Flying Skeleton. Pronounced "pauk kah koosh" (short "oo" sound)
Bagwadaakamig Bawaagan: Guardian of the wild places. Pronounced "puck kwhat tawh comick pah-wah kun"
Bineshii[n]yi Okanan: Skeleton Bird (Literally" Boney Bird"). Pronounced "pee nay she ye ooh kun-nun"
Bineshii[n]yikwe Okanan: Skeleton She-Bird (Literally" Boney She-Bird"). Pronounced "pee nay she ye-iqway ooh kun nun"
Bizhishigoganewin: Skeleton. Pronounced "pee shish shieck oh kun nay WIN''
Giizhigookwe: Sky woman. Pronounced "kee zhe GOOH qway" (emphasis on the sky) or "kee zhe GOH qway" (emphasis on the woman spirit)
Ininewak: Cree persons. Pronounced "in nin nee wuck"
Jiibenaakewinan: Funeral rites. Pronounced "che pay knock kuh way win non"
Manidoo: Spirit. Pronounced "mun nit tooh"
Manidoog: Spirits. Pronounced "mun nit took"
Manidookaan: Spirit Helper effigy, Spirit Helper. Pronounced "mun nee tooh kawn"
Manidookaanag: Spirit Helper effigies, Spirit Helper dolls. Pronounced "mun nit tooh kawn nuck"
Manitokan Nîmihitowin: Spirit Helper Effigy Dance (Nêhiyaw/Cree dialect). Pronounced "nee mih ih-tih WIN"
Mewinzha: In the distant past. Pronounced "mee uh ween uh zhaw"
Midewiwin: Grand Medicine Society; Medicine Dance; Northern Drum Society. Pronounced "mid TAY-win" or "mid E tay we win"
Mide'ahidowin, also referred to as Mide'niimi'idiwin: "Bargain Dance Ceremony" or "Medicine Dance" (especially honoring the Baagakosh). Pronounced "mih tAYhint t o WIN," "mih tAY nee mih ih-tih WIN," respectively.
Mikinaakwajiw-ininiwag: Turtle Mountain People. Pronounced "mee kee knock kwahcheeng"
Nakawē Ojibweg: Nakawēg; Plains (Saulteaux) Ojibwe people. Pronounced "na kah way"; the plural form is "nah kah wake"
Ojibweg: Ojibwe people. Pronounced "oh jib wake"
Waasikgaaboo: The One Who Seems to Be Glowing. Pronounced "wass suh kee kah bow"
Wiindigoo: Winter Cannibal. Pronounced "ween dig go"
*This phonetic dictionary employs the Fiero double vowel system for spelling, with phonetic pronunciations based on the dialect of the Mikinaakwajiw-ininiwag ((Turtle Mountain Band of North Dakota), unless specified otherwise. For more details on accurate pronunciation, see Nisidotam Spelling & Phonetic Charts of the Ojibwe Language.