The Way of the Heartbeat, part 22: Shake Your Rattle in a Good Way

zhaawano
Feb 13
5 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Makwa-giizis (Bear Moon)/Namebini-giizis (Suckerfish Moon), February 13, 2026

Zhiishiigwan painting by Zhaawano Giizhik (detail)

Aaniin!

We live in a time and a place where so-called "ghost warriors," as if they were Baagak the Flying Skeleton, * appear flying at night and rattling the trees to instill fear and devour our spirits. It is important to understand that we must protect our spirits against those who try to take it away from us. Do not let fear and despair consume your thoughts and your life. Stand firm against their slander and intimidation.

Let's examine the current trends of 'Pretendian Hunting' and 'Identity Policing' that have spread through Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. Recently, some folks out there have been shaking their rattle in bad ways again, provoked by constant social media trolls with harmful motives. Ignoring them doesn't make it go away. The ripple effect of harm and suffering through individuals, families, and communities is devastating. Those engaged in this toxic behavior must be held accountable, not just by their victims but also by the community they claim to be part of.

Flight of the Pretendian Hunters painting by Zhaawano Giizhik

This colonial form of brainwashing acts as a double-edged sword by instilling internal division through a kind of psychological warfare that is fundamentally foreign to us. It keeps us separated, preventing us from uniting in large numbers against the colonial system. This is precisely what John Trudell, Russell Means, Dennis Banks, and others who have passed away dedicated their lives to warning us about.

The contemporary culture of calling out, as advocated by Michelle Christine Cameron aka Crystal Semaganis of the so-called 'Ghost Warrior Society,' is a phenomenon that, rather than safeguarding Indigenous communities, further undermines Indigenous interests. It contradicts Indigenous cultural values and teachings.

This colonial form of brainwashing acts as a double-edged sword by instilling internal division through a kind of psychological warfare that is fundamentally foreign to us. It keeps us separated, preventing us from uniting in large numbers against the colonial system. This is precisely what John Trudell, Russell Means, Dennis Banks, and others who have passed away dedicated their lives to warning us about.

Your culture never instructed you to create division; instead, it teaches us to carry ourselves with dignity wherever we go. It stresses the importance of self-respect and respecting others, irrespective of their skin or eye color. Instead of confronting those you SUSPECT of harming (or stealing from) your culture through harassment, public ridicule, or defamation akin to 17th-century colonial witch-hunts, these issues should be addressed appropriately. This means engaging others (especially Elders!) with traditional protocols of politeness, using respectful language, speaking to them courteously, ASKING them privately rather than publicly DEMANDING an explanation, and involving them in a circular conversation to achieve the respectful communication our ancestors would have endorsed.

Are you aiming to be a true Indigenous person? Do you desire to be a warrior protecting your Indigenous heritage and values? Are you looking to stop cultural theft and put an end to cultural appropriation? Do you wish for your community to recover from the traumas and self-hatred inflicted by colonizers? Then cease adopting their ways of thinking and speaking.

Break free from their polarizing mindset. Transcend their divisive way of thinking.

Do not fall into their trap. Embrace your humanity by being like Ode'imin—someone with a generous heart. Shake your rattle in a good way, and only in that way.

Miigwech bezindamoyan - thank you for listening.

lllustrations:

The paintings serve as storytelling tools and are not for sale.

FOOTNOTE:

*Historically, in Inino (Cree) and Ojibwe Anishinaabe traditions, when the spirit of Baagak (the Flying Skeleton), during winter storms, often on dark and windy nights when it 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, you would pass the test and gain significant power.

Facing Baagak without fear (and thus facing your own fears) signified a person's growth and maturity and increased their chances of living healthily into old age. Thus, the Baagak played a crucial role in coming-of-age storytelling.

Additionally, in contemporary Anishinaabe understanding, Baagak is a 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.