Teachings of the Eagle Feather, part 40: One Spirit, One Mind

Waawaaskone-giizis (Flower Moon) - June 2, 2025

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Boozhoo!

The "One Spirit, One Mind" story necklace, created at my workbench to celebrate the unity and strength of the Anishinaabeg Peoples, showcases a 3-part eagle feather fan and an elegant circular design combined with a delicately woven stainless steel choker.

During the era known as the second fire, at least 1200 years ago after arriving in the Lower Peninsula of present-day Michigan and northern Indiana, three groups of migrants from the northern Atlantic Coast regions began to emerge from the Waabanakii Nation, or—as they had begun to call themselves—ANISHINAABEG: the OJIBWEG (Chippewa), the elder brother designated as ‘Faith Keepers’, or guardians of the religion and caretakers of the Sacred Rattle (and later, the  Waterdrum) of the Midewiwin; the ODAAWAAG (Ottawa) or Trader People, the middle brother tasked with sustenance; and the BODWEWAADAMIIG (Potawatomi) or People of the Fire Pit, the younger brother responsible for the Sacred Ancestral Fire. These three groups established a loose political-military confederation known as the NISWII-MISHKODEWIN (Three Fires). The Three Fires confederation remains vibrant today, not only politically but also in a spiritual/religious context; the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge, a modern movement of the Midewiwin Society, draws inspiration from the historic Three Fires Confederacy.

The Sacred Scrolls of the Midewiwin reference Michilimackinac (Mackinac Island; Place of the Big Snapping Turtle) as the sacred location where the Niswii-mishkodewin Confederacy was established, and where the Three Brothers pledged to collaborate, each assuming an economic role. The Ojibweg, known as the Faith Keepers, gathered wild rice and heavy winter furs; the Odaawaag, the Trader People, transported these goods to the Bodwewaadamiig, the Hearth Tenders in the south, in exchange for corn, beans, and squash, which they then returned north. It is said that for a millennium, the Three Brothers worked together and celebrated during the annual fish harvest at Baawitigong, now the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie at the Michigan and Ontario border.

The eagle feather fan pendant symbolizes the founding of the historic Confederacy and the recent revival of the ancient Midewiwin Lodge. On a deeper level, the three feathers represent the unity of Body, Mind, and Spirit. The deep red color of the three red coral beads on the upper part of the feather shafts signifies the Sacred Ancestral Council Fire of the Anishinaabeg, as well as the blood kinship and survival strength that unite them as a People, both politically (the Confederacy) and spiritually (the Midewiwin Lodge). The red coral color represents all Peoples who come to the Lodge, not just those of Anishinaabe descent. Everyone is welcome to participate in the ceremonies as long as they possess a sincere heart, mind, and spirit and demonstrate a lifelong commitment to seeking spiritual truth, knowledge, and healing through the Seven Teachings. These teachings were passed down by the Grandfathers from the Dawn Land to the Anishinaabe Peoples before they embarked on a two-thousand-year migration journey from the shores of the Great Water in the east. Finally, the two gold dividers positioned among the red coral beads represent the realms of Earth and Spirit, which unite in the rituals and ceremonies of Niswii-mishkodewin Midewiwin, the Three Fires Midewiwin.

As with all my jewelry, the necklace is designed to serve as an educational tool and is not for sale.

For further information on the Three Fires Confederacy, check out:  How the Smoking of the Pipe Brought Peace and Healing to the People of the Three Fires

For additional reading about the Midewiwin and the Seven Grandfather Teachings, please refer to:  The Seven Grandfather Teachings-Weaving Threads of Tradition

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