Stories and Teachings from the Earth, part 33: Ninjichaag, the Spirit Within Me
- zhaawano
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Iskikamizige-giizis (Boiling Sap Moon) / Namebin Giizis (Suckerfish Moon)—April 57, 2026
Pronunciation of "ninjichaag"
Aaniin! Hello!
When aanike-mishoomisaabaneg, our ancestors, observed a person or a "relative" from the nonhuman realm, what did they see? In their daily lives, this enigmatic quality, known as NINJICHAAG, my spirit, consistently manifested itself in a person’s demeanor and temperament, their expressions and gestures, and through the tone of their voice. Since they were believed to be windows to the soul, ojichaag (someone's spirit) became particularly evident through a person's eyes–after all, wasn't it our older and wiser brothers, awesi'ag the four-legged animals, who looked directly into a man’s eyes to discern his true intentions?
In a similar vein, the aanike-mishoomisaabaneg held the belief that the ojichaag—the core essence and awareness present in humans and non-humans alike—expressed itself through what they called jiiban (shadow): an often hidden aspect that influences and directs a person's perception and intuition. They recognized that, under specific circumstances, a person's shadow might mysteriously become visible as ojiibaaman (aura)!
While I believe these ideas to be true, I recognize that Western tradition encourages us to view our
in a strictly technical and rationalistic way. Are we not taught in school to make distinct categorical separations between living organisms and so-called dead matter, the animate and the inanimate, the natural and the supernatural, the human and the nonhuman, and linear time and circular time? This is why I am becoming more aware that the key to understanding the essence and expressiveness of my art, and potentially even my observational skills as both an artist and a person, lies in the ancient worldview of the aanike-mishoomisaabaneg rather than in the classical paradigms of Western thought.
Mi'iw. Miigwech gii-agindaasoyeg. That is all, thank you for reading.
My visual art and jewelry are crafted as educative tools and are not available for purchase.
Illustration: Aginjibagwesi Nagamon - Song of the Goldfinch ©2025-2026 Zhaawano Giizhik
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