Ojibwe Waasa Inaabidaa: We Look in All Directions

Developed as a companion to a public television series, this book tells the story of the Anishinaabe/Ojibwe people, their history, and their culture from precontact times to the present. Chapter 1 discusses oral tradition and summarizes creation stories and migration stories that link the Ojibwe to other culturally and linguistically similar indigenous groups. The structure and nature of the Ojibwe language is discussed, as well as its importance to teachings and spirituality, language loss, and language renewal efforts in K-12 schools and colleges. Chapter 2 examines the Ojibwe perspective on the natural world, the loss of traditional homelands during the period of American expansionism, growth of tribal self-determination, and current environmental and land management issues. Chapter 3 looks at education and family, beginning with a description of traditional Ojibwe education, the clan and extended family system, the path to wisdom, and traditional teaching methods. Education for assimilation in mission schools and federal boarding is described, followed by Indian educational reforms in the 20th century and recent developments of tribally controlled education and integration of Ojibwe language and culture into the schools. Chapter 4 covers traditional notions of holistic health and wellness, traditional health care and herbal medicine, and the current Ojibwe health status with regard to diet and spiritual and mental health. Chapters 5 and 6 examine traditional and contemporary leadership and governance, subsistence skills, loss of natural resources, and the current reservation economy. A bibliography contains 72 references. Many photographs are included