Mentorship is a cornerstone of our Ojibwe way of life. Passing down skills and knowledge from one generation to the next is the foundation of our community. The extended family is the support structure we have relied upon to thrive and provide space for this passing of skills. These ways of life have been largely disrupted by the genocidal policy of the church and government ran boarding schools. Multiple generations of our families were disrupted by children spending their lives away from the love, mentorship, and support of Home. Arriving back with the scars of abuse the survivors did their best to carry and raise their children. In my family my grandparents and great grandparents were taken to boarding schools...
One year ago, this feature on the Ordean Building Window Murals brings back great memories and we still love to drive by seeing our Ojibwe Florals in this place, the center of all good things.
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Our heart lies inside teaching and our community. Perhaps this part of our humanity is the deepest grieving during this time. The laughter, the stories, the transformation inside of cultural revitalization is the root of who and what we do. We had big plans! like many of you did in March. And like many of you, we had to get even more creative, more adaptive, and more resilient. Thanks to a grant from the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council we were able to teach an 8 week zoom beading and moccasin class. Co teachers Michelle Defoe and Sarah Agaton Howes gathered together with 20 makers in the making from across the nation. Challenging ourselves to teach what is a hands on...
