Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Giiwegiizhigookway Martin, Lac Vieux Desert vice-chairwoman, stands by the mitiganaabe (staff) used in the Ojibwa prayer ceremony held Tuesday morning at the LVD tribal center. The four other smaller staffs represent the directions, north, south, east and west. They were used as batons during the 7-day Healing Circle Run.
By JEAN NORDINE
jnordine@yourdailyglobe
Watersmeet - Taking place this week is the 2018 Healing Circle Run. It is a prayer for healing for the Ojibwa Anishnaabeg communities and is similar to a relay.
The run is an opportunity for people to come together to pray for healing for themselves, their families, their community, their nation, Akii, and all their relatives.
There is a Ojibwa teaching on healing that says, "For a nation to heal, it must begin with the individual. As a person heals, then that person can help heal his/her family. As a family begins to heal, they can help heal their community. As communities heal, they can help heal the nation. As individuals, families, communities, and nations heal, they can help Akii (the earth) and our plant and animal relatives to heal."
Participants from seven Ojibwa communities run seven different legs of the event. Before each day's run begins there is a healing ceremony and prayers are given.
The 2018 Healing Run began in Lac Courte Oreilles on Saturday. Tuesday was the fourth day of the run as it continued from Watersmeet. Prior to setting off from Lac Vieux Desert a group of more than 30 people sat in a circle and held a healing ceremony, which began with smudging and passing of the pipe.
Smudging involves the burning of sacred herbs, and is for spiritual cleansing or blessing. The pipe-ceremony is a sacred ritual for connecting physical and spiritual worlds.
Jason Schlender, of Lac Courte Oreilles, began with prayers in Ojibwa, then translated for those who weren't familiar with the language. His message was, "it's good to start the day saying miigwich (thank you) and to acknowledge the spirit. And to rest and recuperate as we continue sharing our story and strengthening our bond."
Giiwegiizhigookway Martin, Lac Vieux Desert vice-chairwoman, spoke of the history of the run which originated 30 years ago with Ernie St. Germaine. At that time the run was for peace and solidarity when there was much tension about spearing in the Northwoods. The run was a way to educate people about treaty rights and to come together and achieve the peacefulness the communities wanted. The healing had to come as the next step.
Martin said over the years the message did transition to healing and the run has been called the Healing Run for 10 years. She said, "It is intended to continue to evolve into whatever becomes the things that are needed in our communities in the future."
A mitiganaabe (staff) was passed from person to person as each had an opportunity to share their personal stories. This particular mitiganaabe has been part of the run since the beginning. It is made from a piece of wood from the rain forest with feathers attached representing each of the participating communities.
There were also four smaller mitiganaabe which represent north, south, east and west. These are used as batons during the seven day run.
On Saturday, the 611 mile journey began at Lac Courte Oreilles, Pipestone Creek and ended 84 miles later at the Lac Du Flambeau Round House.
The run continued on Day Two from Round House to the Mole Lake Cultural Center, a distance of 69 miles.
Seventy-two miles were completed on Day Three as the run made its way to the Lac Vieux Desert Pow-wow grounds. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community also joined the run on Day Three. Traveling 82 miles from Baraga to meet up at LVD.
On Day Four, 118 miles were ran. The run kicked off from the Lac Vieux Desert Elderly Building, with 17 LVD runners making their way to Bessemer. From Bessemer Bad River runners furthered the run to Odanah. Then Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) representatives brought the batons to Ashland turning them over to Red Cliff runners who completed the 118 miles at the Red Cliff Tribal Campground.
Today, Day Five, consists of a 98-mile trek to the Fond Du Lac Black Bear Casino, before continuing 107 miles on Thursday to the St. Croix Hertel Community Center.
The complete 611 mile circle will conclude on Friday with the last leg of the run being 63 miles taking the runners back to the starting point of Lac Courte Oreilles Pipestone Creek.
