Over 200 community members, from babies to elders, took part in the traditional Anishinaabe spring feast at AICHO on March 20, 2024. In Anishinaabe tradition, sacred items need to be feasted at least twice a year: once in spring and once in fall. This is an act of acknowledging and honoring the spirits, relatives, ancestors, and other community members and the help received from them. Feasting connects Indigenous people to their own culture, their communities and their spirits.
Miigwech to our Traditional Healing Grant via Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Division for funding these cultural experiences for the community. Lastly, miigwech to Ivy Vainio, AICHO’s Arts and Culture Coordinator, for being the lead organizer and for all of AICHO staff and Gimaajii relatives for assisting tonight. AICHO launches new program to teach children and youth core Anishinaabe cultural traditions12/26/2023
AICHO has started two new groups, Oshki (youth 11-17) and Abinoojiiyag (10 and under), to offer core cultural teachings. The Oshki group meets weekly and the Abinoojiiyag group meets every other week to bring youth and children together with traditional cultural teachers. Children and youth are learning traditional stories, hands-on traditional activities, how to use traditional medicines, and the meaning of our drum, pipe, feathers, eagle staff and more. Carrying cultural knowledge strengthens us and helps us go through life strong and in a good way. We do this by bringing our generations together to learn and grow together. Carrying the teachings forward! Miigwech to the Minnesota Office of Justice Programs for support for innovative solutions to end community violence and create community well-being & safety.
For AICHO's first in-person event of the Indigenous Writer Series, Thomas (Tom) Peacock (Fond du Lac Ojibwe tribal member) and Elizabeth (Betsy) Albert-Peacock (Red Cliff Ojibwe tribal member) of Black Bears and Blueberries Publishing. Tom and Betsy read passages from their books, shared about their writing processes and influences, working with Indigenous illustrators, and Tom shared a beautiful excerpt from his new book in progress. The event ended with a book signing and sale. The community came out to support these Indigenous writers with us. The session was moderated by Dr. Jill Doerfler (White Earth Ojibwe direct descendant), Department Director of UMD Department of American Indian Studies who co-hosted the event. Miigwech to McKnight Foundation for funding AICHO’s Indigenous Writers Series. Dr. Michael “Migizi” Sullivan shares with us about how this new book “Plums or Nuts: Ojibwe Stories of Anishinaabe Humor” which feature stories told in Anishinaabemowin by his mentor, cultural and spiritual advisor, and life long friend Amik Smallwood-iban, stories that he recorded and transcribed, has come to life, also about the importance of language revitalization, and how healing and humor are intertwined within Ojibwe culture.
Dr. Sullivan is a Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe tribal member who lives and works on his reservation near Hayward in northern Wisconsin. He is currently the faculty director of Native Studies at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College. He is heavily involved in Ojibwe language revitalization in our surrounding communities across Turtle Island and with the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Immersion School on the LCO reservation. Amik, who is mentioned in this recording, was a friend, mentor, advisor, teacher to countless people. He was larger than life when he was in this earthly realm with us, and our memories of him keep him close to us. To hear the audio of the stories: https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/ To purchase the book: https://shop.mnhs.org/products/plums-... It's National American Indian Heritage Month. AICHO asked some questions to our Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin: Together We Grow Youth Program participants to share their perspectives of what it means for them to be American Indian and what they would want to share with others about their Indigenous experience. Miigwech to these youth for their leadership, bravery and knowledge in sharing their Indigenous worldview with all of us. Let's listen to their Nibwaakaawin - their wisdom.
Join AICHO and our community partners Mashkawisen and St. Louis County, Minnesota Public Health for a session with Sharyl Whitehawk recovery programs with culturally based teachings, ceremonies, and curriculum help Native American struggling with addiction.
Date: October 5, 2022 Time: 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. CT Virtually on Zoom Register by Friday, September 30, 2022 at 5pm. Registrants will receive the Zoom link on Oct. 3 Whitehawk is a Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Ojibwe tribal member and is a Level III Addictions Counselor & LADC at the Khunsi Onikan Native Women’s Treatment Program at the American Indian Family Center in St. Paul, MN. This webinar/zoom is part 1 of a 3 part Indigenous Health Series that AICHO is putting together in partnership with St. Louis County Public Health. Free and open to the public, but know that this will center on the American Indian/First Nations experience. Sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Division via our Waaseyaa Healing Grant and St. Louis County Public Health. Flyer: Moira Villiard Our Giinawiind and Gimaajii kids participated in the Fond du Lac Band Gitigaan’s Gitigaan Wiikondiyag Garden Feast today. We played traditional lacrosse for a couple hours, went swimming at Kiwenz Campground, then toured the Gitigaan garden and ate food from the Feast. It was a full eventful day. Miigwech to Giinawiind and Gimaajii Youth program staff Kayla Jackson for bringing these youth to this event where they got to learn about and reconnect with culture, traditions, Indigenous food and to the land. The youth also volunteered and helped at the event as well. Photos by Ivy Vainio Youth learned to make traditional Anishinaabe wild rice poles through AICHO’s Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin: Together We Grow Youth Program. Through this hands-on workshop, guided by Michaa Aubid (East Lake Anishinaabe) and Veronica Skinaway (Sandy Lake Anishinaabe), program participants learned the importance of treaty rights, how to operate power tools and how to knock rice with rice knockers. This knowledge is important when participating in the wild rice harvest, called manoominike in Anishinaabemowin. If we are to preserve culture, we must continue to create it.” - Johan Huizing, historian Last year, the program youth learned how to make wild rice knockers in a workshop taught by 1854 Treaty Authority, passing harvesting knowledge to the youth. In September, the Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin program will participate in the annual manoominike with Ron Willis, under the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College CYFAR Grant activity. AICHO says miigwech to Michaa Aubid and Veronica Skinaway for teaching our program youth and staff about manoominike, the Anishinaabe words connected to harvesting rice and for allowing our youth to make ricing poles.
Miigwech to AICHO staff Ivy Vainio for coordinating this cultural activity with assistance from Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin program coordinator Kayla Jackson, Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin Children’s Program coordinator Mia Menendez and Cheryl Stone and AICHO’s property caretaker Scott Thompson. This event was funded in part by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association of Minnesota, and the Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Division. Reconnect: AICHO Youth field trip to Indigenous farm to learn traditional medicines and foods7/1/2022
To learn about medicinal properties of various Indigenous plant infusions, Anishinaabe food and traditions, AICHO youth visited the Native Wise LLC farm on the Fond du Lac Band of Ojibwe Reservation on June 30, 2022 David and Patra Wise fo Native Wise LLC guided youth from both the Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin: Together We Grow Youth Program and Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin Children’s Program came together in making a salve. Youth chose two Indigenous plant infusions to make into salves. David took the group on a nature walk and introduced numerous Indigenous plants they walked past and explained the traditional uses of the plants. After the walk, the group ate smoked moose sausage with jalepeño and cheese, all made on the farm, wild rice hotdish made with moose meat and home processed beef burger. Such a wonderful time for everyone, especially our youth who were connected to Anishinaabeg cultural foods, plants, traditions, stories, and wisdom. We are grateful. Miigwech to Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin program coordinator Kayla Jackson and AICHO staff Ivy Vainio for organizing the field trip, and miigwech to Gimaajii Mino Bimaadizimin Children’s Program coordinators Mia Menendez and Cheryl Stone and intern Ellie Waring for assisting. Photo by Channing Powers, 10 year-old Giinawiind Giginitaawigi’gomin program participant. Programs are funded in part by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Human Services Behavioral Health Division, Northland Foundation, United Way, Sheltering Arms Child Development and Family Support, and Statewide Health Improvement Partnership.
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