Reminder to come out and listen to our special invited guest, Ron Indian-Mandamin Friday at 2:00 pm in the Elders Lounge. Jason Parenteau speaks the following day at 2:00 pm.
“When humans were starting to become strong, a trickster taught us how to fight, to use our tools for weapons against one another; against our own, against our neighbors… against other nations. That ugly ownership dismantled our original ways. The war amongst humans was so great, She – Manitoo Ikwe, came and asked once more for help from the animal world. It was Ma’iingan the wolf who agreed to show the humans a mirror image of ourselves. The wolves fought and killed one another leaving behind orphaned pups. It was there they were scared of the wolves and asked, ‘why they were doing that to one another…she, the wolf, spoke and said ‘this is what you look like to us…you scared us and we need to show you the example you set.’ It was the first time human genetically engineered the outcome of a species…inday, the dog…I don’t use the word animosh, it is not proper to use that word. Inday..ninday, my match, my heart…wolves reminded us of the importance of gizhewaatiz…zhaawendiwin..gizhewaatiziwin…no matter of our appearance, love one another, take care of each other.”
Ron Indian-Mandamin
In my research, I enjoyed learning there is an older word for dog – “animosh,” it’s “Inday” – something I love. The following is an excerpt from Miish’akomoo: Aki Onakonigewin – Sasquatch Earth Laws:
So as we evolved, fast tracking another 40,000 years, and we were given Ma’iingan – Wolf. It was Ma’iingan who accepted that responsibility from Oshkaabewis.
Mii awe Weniboozho, (from Nanaboozhoo/Weniboozhoo) it was him who spoke to his sister, our Goddess, our Creator of life. And it was her that spoke to the animal world.
‘Who is going to help them. Who is going to help these humans help themselves?” And it was Ma’iingan.
“I already tried to help Nanaboozho, I did what I could with him yet he still didn’t listen. He was still very dependent to survive. Dependent on anything and anyone to keep him alive. Even dependent on the fellow giants – Missabewag. He was too lazy, he was too tired all the time to do anything. He wanted everything done all the time.”
And as Nanaboozho was reminding the Wolf, begging that Wolf for forgiveness,
“I’m sorry I did that. But we need you again. These humans, my children, my grandchildren, they need your help. They’ve lost their compassion. They don’t help each other. Look at them, they are pitiful. They don’t know what they are doing. They evolved so fast and so far, that they forgot how to treat each other well, we need to help them.”
So it was Ma’iingan, who said,
“Aho, I will do this again, one last time. I won’t do it again.”
So it was Ma’iingan who demonstrated the ability for humans to care for something other than their own species.
So Ma’iingan deliberately fought with each other, the wolves, and abandoned pups. So these orphan pups were seen; they were observed by the humans, the woman, ladies. And it was the women who offered their own doodooshaabo- their milk, who gave them their doodooshaabo so they could recover the health of these little Ma’iinganensag,
And that’s where humans, we developed oxytocin -that feel good chemical in the brain. That is where we learned how to take care of something other than our own. And it was Ma’iingan who said,
How, look at them. This is what they need – they are caring for our pups. Even though they don’t look like a human, they are offering their own milk so they could survive.
And as that relationship developed and evolved, the Wolves thought it was necessary to branch out. They had a big council meeting up in the heavens, Dabishkoo Giizhig –
On the other side of this reality, they spoke.
“They must break their relationship now, they will have two different paths. Humans will lose their habitat by way of themselves. The wolves will demonstrate what needs to be done to survive.”
So as they came back, they told the humans, we need to branch off. But we will leave a gift, and Nigig- Otter came too.
“I will be a part of this gift with you too. They will be part playful, loving and kind, yet aggressive, mean and vicious.”
And they developed Animosh- (dog), and otter (Nigig) and Ma’iingan (Wolf). And they gave that gift to humans.
“Remember, Weweni Bimaatiziwin – Live this way, live with these principles and you will find balance.” That is where humans started to care for something other than their own…
Last modified: March 13, 2019
