Niigaan mikan waabooz obimikawewin. Mikan mitig ji aabijatooyan, ji bimaakositooyan goysk imaa, ge izhi dadibinaman nagwaaganeyaab ji nagwaazod waabooz. Amii ezhi badakidooyan niizh mitigoon gegekayii, ji ziinjising nagwaaganeyaab. Miinaawaa bookonan zhingobiins amii imaa izhi attoon niigaan nagwaaganeyaabiing.
Ani waabang wiiba gigaa naadagwe daga ji nagwaazod waabooz. Wiiba dash izhaa jibwaa awensii gimoodamik gidagoodoowin.
Go to the bush, find rabbit tracks. Find a place where you will set a snare for the the rabbit. First, find the rabbit tracks. Find a stick to place across for the snare, and then wrap the snare wire on the stick where the rabbit will be snared. Then you will place two sticks, one on each side of the snare to secure the snare. Break a branch and place it in front of the snare.
Next morning, go early and check to see if you snared a rabbit. You will have to go early so an animal does not steal your snare.
Carter Nash cutting up meat (Photo Credit: Kelsi Blackhawk)
By: Ocean Sky Tom
Students at Baibombeh Anishinaabe School got their hands all bloody last Thursday October 4 .
For Grade 7 and 8 Ojibwe language and land –based classes they were invited to Shawendaasowin Prevention Services to learn how to harvest a deer.
Students took turns sawing, slicing, cutting, and washing the meat. Alongside this, they were listening to cultural teachings and documenting with microphones, cameras and video cameras with the Naotkamegwanning’s community journalism trainer Karli Zschogner.
Teddy Copenace, the elementary land-based coordinator, guided them through the process, explaining the sacredness of the deer.
Student West Ranville jumps in to document audio and video as others take turns slicing deer meat, listening to teachings of Teddy Copenace (Photo Credit: Kelsi Blackhawk)
“The main protocols that I did was that we put tobacco down before we started cutting this deer up,” he said speaking to interviewer West Ranville. “This is someone’s clan and on top of that, the Creator is the one who gave us that deer for us to survive.”
He describes how the hooves are used for pow wow regalia, use the he use the hide as a drum, for moccasins, and a jacket to keep as warm
He also explains that out of respect for the animal, the skull and antlers are left with an offering of tobacco.
Student West Ranville jumps in to document audio and video as others take turns slicing deer meat, listening to teachings of Teddy Copenace (Photo Credit: Kelsi Blackhawk)
Teacher Roland White says he was happy to students working with their hands.
“It’s part of our culture, it’s part of who who we are, to learn about animals,” he said.
Baibombeh students take turns cutting up deer meat and documenting (Photo Credit: Kelsi Blackhawk)
Lester Kavanaugh, the Senior Prevention Worker at Shawendaasowin Prevention Services hosted the space. He says he got the deer after requesting community hunters to donate wild game.
“I am planning on doing is feeding the students at least once or twice a month hot lunch,” he said.
When interviewed, Sharia Yomi of Grade 12 said she would definitely do this again.
“It was a good experience,” she said. “So that our young know how to skin deer and know the teachings of our animals and spirits.”
Naotkamegwanning News 