Cultural camp provides language linkage

Sarah Cummins

8/29/2001 12:00:00 AM

Participants at a recent camp celebrated a specific aspect of Ojibwe culture-language.

The Ojibwe Language Camp 2001 took place Aug. 7 to 10 at the Saginaw Chippewa Campgrounds.

"In terms of the spiritual significance of the language, it is important to learn about the clan, because that is who we are," stated Charmaine Benz, ZCS publication specialist/editor. "The first lesson is always who we are, because it is important to reaffirm that to the Creator."

The event was sponsored by the Ziibiwing Cultural Society (ZCS) and the Saginaw Chippewa At-Large Program. ZCS employees Benz and Mae Pego and At-Large Program Youth Coordinator Steve Pego are members of the Center Fire Three Fires Midewiwin Society.

The Midewiwin Society requires its members to know some Ojibwe and to be willing to learn more, according to Mae Pego, ZCS cultural resource manager/multimedia coordinator. Society representatives have traveled around conducting these workshops for people interested in learning the language.

"Our language is sacred," said presenter Eddie Benton-Banai (Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa). "It should be treated as sacred."

Some of the activities participants took part in included building a lodge, singing songs, dancing, learning about the drum, creating a story and doing skits.

Several of the presenters encouraged camp participants to open up their minds to new ideas and new ways of thinking. Some Native people have trouble learning Ojibwe, because their ancestors went to boarding schools and were not allowed to speak in their native language, according to presenter Mary Deleary (Ojibwe).

"Creative thinking is the spiritual side of our mind," she explained. "How to find the language is a process. We need to learn how to activate it. This part of our mind is frozen up-kept buried-from all of our experiences as Anishinabe."

The influence of the Mt. Pleasant Indian School which was open from 1893-1933 was one reason for conducting this camp, according to Steve Pego.

"This area was hit the hardest because the Indian School was right here in Mt. Pleasant," he stated about the loss of Ojibwe language.

However, Steve Pego and other planners said they believe the language camp provides an enjoyable way to learn Ojibwe.

"This is just another way of having fun with the language and bringing people together," he said.

Last year's event focused a lot on the language vow, an integral part of joining the Midewiwin Society. This year, the camp was structured more toward beginners, according to Mae Pego.

"The teachers wanted to focus more on who you are and where you came from," she explained. "The clan system has dwindled, but it hasn't disappeared. People used to know their clans."

The camp, which took place on the heels of the annual Little Elk's Retreat Powwow, had participants from the At-Large Homecoming and guests at the Tribal Campgrounds. About 50 people came from many communities across Indian Country, including the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe from Minnesota, Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community from Michigan, Chippewas of Kettle Point & Stony Point from Ontario and Wikwemikong First Nation of Ontario. There were also attendees with Oneida and Muskogee heritage.