Ojibway Traditional Child Rearing Practices

Children were considered a precious gift given to them by the Creator. They were protected and guided through all their life stages. Traditional Indian people were not known to have large families, usually two to three children. Some of the reasons they limited the amount of children they had was their ability to feed and provide for their children and they did not want to bring up children in a world that may be laced with battles. If there was a possible battle brewing between another tribal community or others such as Euro-Americans, they held off from procreating. It was important their children grew up in a safe world.

The most important event in an Indian child’s life was, and continues to be with many tribal communities, the receipt of personal identity through a naming ceremony.  The given name permitted the child to have a place by the tribal fire and be a part of the tribal thoughts and discussions. The name was a gift from the spirits, inherited through a naming ceremony by the person bestowing the name, usually soon after the child’s birth.  The given name was to be respected for its origin within the tribe and cherished by the one receiving it.  The children’s names would come to the leaders and other adults in the village through dreams and visions.  Sometimes children would receive the name of a namesake who passed on.  Two people in the same village could not have the same name simultaneously (Densmore, 1979).

Equally important as the child’s name was their family’s clan affiliation. Parents and other adults raised children under the guidance and leadership of their specific clans. The establishment of the clan system gave the tribal communities a governmental system which provided strength and order. There were seven original clans with natural abilities:

Crane – Chieftanship

Loon – Chieftanship

Fish – Intellectuals

Bear – Police and Herbal Medicine People

Deer – Gentle People

Martin – Warriors

Bird – Spiritual Leaders (Benton-Banai, 1979)

            Dreams were considered significant, so children were taught at an early age how to take notice of them.  By examining their dreams closely, predictions of good and bad events and other necessary information could be derived. While they were still innocent, they were encouraged to walk alone in the woods to commune with their spirit guides.  Their faces were blackened with coal before they ventured on this journey.  Fasting also occurred during the time the young men and women were coming of age to assist with seeking direction for their adult years.

            Children were taught to watch, listen and respect the “spirit of the woods.” Adults informed them about what to watch for while in the woods. They need to watch for warnings and a warning may appear as a small branch falling in front of them warning them of danger. The wood spirit was considered a friendly guardian (Densmore, 1979).

The child and mother were inseparable for the first year of the child’s life. During the traditional period, the educational process occurred in three phases.  In phase one, a child would be strapped onto a cradle board, referred to as a dikinagan, for most of the child’s first two years to learn the life skills of observation and listening.  They watched the adults in the village work and learned about the habits of people and animals. Their observation skills were enhanced as they matured from infant to a young child.  Surrounded by nature, they observed and listened to the communication between animals and people. The art of listening was fostered further through seeking wisdom on their search to learn the deeper meaning of things.  Listening and observation skills were held in high regard with many Indian people.

The second phase began at approximately age seven. From one year of age until adulthood, girls were cared for and nurtured by their mothers, grandmothers, and aunts.   All female adults in the village, other than their mothers, were considered aunts, and all these caregivers provided training to prepare them for adulthood. They received training on how to raise crops, to gather plants and berries for food, and to provide other necessities for the home. Another lesson involved how to make nets for fishing.  The making of fishing nets consisted of gathering basswood or nettle cord, learning how to dry these materials, separating the fibers by wetting them and drawing the fibers through their mouths, how to roll the fibers, and how to tie the netting fiber in different patterns to enable the fisherman to catch different kinds of fish. 

Young women were trained on how to tan animal hides, which included the removal of flesh, washing off the blood stains, soaking the hide, scraping off the fur, soaking the hide in deer brains, scraping the hide again, and then stretching the hide on a wooden frame. Tribal women also needed to learn how to use the bow and arrow so they could provide protection for the children and themselves when the men were away on hunting expeditions.  Many tribal women were proficient in hunting and fishing.

            At the age of seven, fathers, uncles, and older male cousins provided boys with lessons on hunting and fishing.  Concerning the construction of canoes, boys were taught how to remove bark from birch trees and how to shape the wood for flooring and gunwales.  They were given instruction about how to gather and combine spruce resin with grease and black powder of cedar to coat the canoe as an adhesive and sealant.  Another important lesson involved learning how to make bows and arrows used in hunting. When the young male had his first successful kill, the whole village celebrated. The kill was served as the main part of the feast.

            The third phase of the educational process consisted of the search for wisdom.  The search extended into late adulthood.  This involved a quest to know the entire story of things, events and happenings from the simplest to the most complex, and through the many layers of meaning (Hilger, 1992).

            The elders, adult males and females provided teachings to prepare the youth for their path in life.  It was important to learn how to live in a gentle way with humbleness and respect accomplished through prayer, fasting, and listening to everything. The beliefs associated with the path of life included the following:

·         Honor Gitchi Manito (The Creator).

·         Honor elders.

·         Honor our elder brothers (all animals are considered to be elder brothers because they were here before humans, and they are relied on for teachings, as well as for sustenance).

·         Honor women.

·         Keep promises and uphold pledges.

·         Show kindness to everyone.

·         Be peaceful in body and spirit.

·         Be courageous.

·         Be moderate in dreams, thoughts, words and deeds (Peacock and Wisuri, 2002).

            Children were disciplined in many ways.  They were ignored if they were tale bearing, and scolded if caught lying.  Stealing usually resulted in the child returning the stolen object to the person it was stolen from.  Older children often received spankings for stealing.  Sometimes fear was used, but not to the extent that it was harmful to the children.  Instilling fear about certain things was often a safety measure.  For example, to prevent children from playing on a hill that was considered dangerous, the parents would put a scarecrow at the top of the hill to scare them, and the children never went back to the hill again (Hilger, 1992).

Boys and girls could play together when they were younger, but as they matured, it was not allowed. The children would copy the adults doing various chores, such as housekeeping, caring for dolls, hunting, fishing, and dancing to prepare them for adulthood.  All age groups participated in a variety of games of chance and games involving dexterity, such as lacrosse.  The use of games served as a part of the learning process.

            The Anishanaabeg, like other cultures, had a creation story that was continually recited to provide lessons for all tribal people including their children.  In the beginning, Gitchi Manito created the universe as we know it today. He created Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon, Mother Earth and Father Sky. On the earth, he created all things, living and nonliving. He created life on the earth, in the sky, and in the water. He created the plants, rivers, four-legged and winged creatures, and the swimmers. After this was done, he created one of the greatest mysteries of all, the four seasons, to bring harmony and balance to all.
            After all creation of animate and inanimate entities was completed, then the Creator made man. After he created the first Anishanaabe, the Creator instructed him in a dream to name all things in the language given to him, Anishinaabemowin. The first man went about his journey and named all things he saw, the animals, insects, birds and fish. He told Gitchi Manito in a dream he finished what was requested of him. Then the Creator gave the first man his name, which was Nanaboozho. Whenever the Anishanaabeg meet and greet one another, they say a part of his name, Boozhoo, meaning hello.
            The creation story tells how the Anishanaabeg originally migrated to the Great Lakes region from the East Coast. The Anishanaabeg resided peacefully until the villagers became restless and unsettled.  Selfishness and competitiveness took over the lives of these inhabitants. The Anishanaabeg were at war with one another and they were not on the red road.  Hatred and other forms of dysfunction ran rampant through the entire Anishanaabeg nation.  The creator looked down at these settlements and decided to cleanse the earth with water to renew the earth, its inhabitants and begin anew. Many creation stories contain a flood as a part of the cleansing process.

            After this cleansing, Nanaboozho found refuge on a log with many animals. All of these animals tried to swim to the bottom to retrieve a piece of dirt to rebuild a land base. Many of them tried and failed. Then, the smallest, weakest of the four-leggeds was able to accomplish what the other animals could not.  That animal was the muskrat. However, the muskrat gave its life to bring up the dirt, which saved all the other animals and Nanaboozoo. The muskrat’s lifeless body floated to the top of the water with the dirt clenched within his little hand. Nanaboozoo placed this dirt on the turtle’s back and created the land, which today is referred to as Turtle Island (Benton-Benai, 1979).  The telling of creation stories and story-telling has carried significance throughout the history of the Anishanaabeg.

            Ceremonies were held to celebrate various stages in the lives of the Anishanaabeg:

Ghost suppers were held to honor those who passed on. The ghost supper has been a traditional fall ceremony of Anishanaabeg people throughout history. The time when leaves are falling on the ground was considered a time for remembering and honoring those who walked on. The ghost supper has been held in many different ways.  One common denominator includes the serving of the favorite foods of the ones who are being remembered.  Usually a place is set at the table for the one(s) who passed on.  The plate was fixed with a variety of the loved one’s favorite foods and left for the entire evening. 

            Ancestry has been paramount for Anishanaabeg people.  Ghost suppers served as an avenue for family stories and fond memories of the deceased.  Families would visit another’s home and eat the food they prepared. Then that family would be invited to their home and so on.  This fostered community awareness, and encouraged community trust and sharing. 

The sweat lodge ceremony was another way Indian people united for a common purpose, which was to commune with the Creator and other spirit guides. The sweat lodge ceremony served as a vehicle to give thanks, and pray to Gitchi Manito and the attendees’ spirit guides.  These ceremonies continue to be held today. 

The purpose of the Mediwiwin was taught to the children which included that life was enhanced by living right and by the proper use of herbs. Respect of the Mediwiwin was emphasized. A person’s conduct determined their length of life. Evil actions created problems for the offenders. No person escapes the consequences of their sins. The rite of initiation instilled a specific “spirit power” of the candidate and that person was expected to renew their spirit power at the annual ceremony of the society (Densmore, 1979).

            Children learned from elders and other adults about the four sacred plants, which were used in many of the spiritual ceremonies. Four sacred medicines had provided balance, protection and cures for the Anishanaabeg and other cultures throughout history. The four sacred plants are tobacco, sage, sweet grass and cedar. The plants carry much significance, such as their representation of the four directions and the four stages in one’s life. The four sacred plants have been used throughout history in spiritual and healing practices.  Other herbs and spices were also used under the direction of a medicine man and other spiritual healers. 

            The four sacred plants are often utilized in sweat lodge ceremonies, pow wows, ghost suppers, naming ceremonies and other spiritual practices.  The four sacred plants complete the circle of life. Their smoke can provide cleansing for the mind, body and spirit.  They can remove negative energy and refresh those who use them. It has been very important for the Anishanaabeg and other cultural groups to bestow gratitude for all the Great Mystery has provided to them.  Keeping the idea of gratitude in their minds and the proper use of all the sacred plants helps those who use these sacred plants to convey their personal meaning of thankfulness.

           

The purpose of traditional Ojibwe educational practices was to prepare the young people to provide for the needs of the community.  Children were also taught how to develop a meaningful relationship with the Great Mystery. These teachings were part of the balance of their life journeys and beyond into eternity.  If one only learned about life skills without the benefit of obtaining knowledge about the spirit, it was believed this individual would live a life without purpose or any significant meaning. The entire village provided care, supervision, and instruction to the children.  Essentially, all adults were responsible for the security and protection of all the children. 

  

References

Benton-Banai, E. (1979). The Mishomis Book: The Voice of the Ojibway. Minnesota:

            Indian Country Press, Inc.

Densmore, F. (1979). Chippewa Customs. Minnesota: Minnesota Historical Society Press.

Hilger, I. (1992). Chippewa Child Life and Its Cultural Background. Minnesota: Minnesota

            Historical Society Press.

Kubiak, W. (1999). Great Lakes Indians: A Pictorial Guide. Michigan: Baker Books.

Peacock, T. and Wisuri, M. (2008). Ojibwe: Waasa Inaabidaa – We Look in All Directions.

            Minnesota: Afton Historical Society Press.

Time Life Books – Editors (ND). People of the Great Lakes. Virginia: Time Life Books.