2008 Woodie Awards
Spirit fest
By: Rachel Esterline
Issue date: 11/5/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
With emotions ranging from solemn sadness to joy and laughter, Saginaw Chippewa Indian tribal members gathered Friday to honor their fallen at a Spirit Feast.
"The Spirit Feast is basically a centuries-old tradition," said William Johnson cq, curator of the Ziibiwing Center. "It is to honor family members that have walked onto the spirit realm."
At the feast, members gather to remember their loved ones and honor their ancestors.
"It is also a time to celebrate life, too," Johnson said. "It's also an opportunity to remember those veterans that have paid the ultimate price."
George Martin cq conducted the ceremony.
Martin, a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, wore a traditional ribbon shirt and a medallion around his neck, representing the Ojibwe elder's Lynx clan.
Martin, a Hopkins resident, said he sees the ceremony as a time to repay and respect the ones who have left before him.
"Once they leave us, we like to let them go because that's what they want," he said.
The dishes served at the feast were the favorite foods of those who had passed on.
"We're going to send them food that they liked," Martin said.
A spirit dish is made for the ones being honored, with their favorite food placed on birch bark and put into a sacred fire, which burned outside during the ceremony.
Next to the sacred fire sat four bowls, containing the sacred herbs of sweetgrass, sage, cedar and tobacco. Johnson said offering these to the sacred fire carries prayers to the creator.
During the ceremony, each person took a small amount of tobacco from a bowl with their left hand. Martin said the left is used because it is closest to the heart.
Shortly afterwards, the pipe was passed around.
"The pipe is a direct link with the creator," said Johnson.
Those who did not want to smoke, or were too young, could touch it briefly or hold up one hand to be passed.
Ninth-grader Emily Cole cq was attending the annual feast for the first time. Her brother-in-law works at the center. Cole said she enjoyed the speakers and what people said about their ancestors.
"It was pretty interesting," she said.
The Ziibiwing Center had been hosting the Spirit Feast since 1995.
"We had an opportunity to repatriate 145 ancestors from MSU (Michigan State University in 1995). Those individuals came from the Fletcher site in Bay City, Michigan," Johnson said.They were reburied in the Nibokaan cemetery locally, he said
news@cm-life.com
"The Spirit Feast is basically a centuries-old tradition," said William Johnson cq, curator of the Ziibiwing Center. "It is to honor family members that have walked onto the spirit realm."
At the feast, members gather to remember their loved ones and honor their ancestors.
"It is also a time to celebrate life, too," Johnson said. "It's also an opportunity to remember those veterans that have paid the ultimate price."
George Martin cq conducted the ceremony.
Martin, a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars, wore a traditional ribbon shirt and a medallion around his neck, representing the Ojibwe elder's Lynx clan.
Martin, a Hopkins resident, said he sees the ceremony as a time to repay and respect the ones who have left before him.
"Once they leave us, we like to let them go because that's what they want," he said.
The dishes served at the feast were the favorite foods of those who had passed on.
"We're going to send them food that they liked," Martin said.
A spirit dish is made for the ones being honored, with their favorite food placed on birch bark and put into a sacred fire, which burned outside during the ceremony.
Next to the sacred fire sat four bowls, containing the sacred herbs of sweetgrass, sage, cedar and tobacco. Johnson said offering these to the sacred fire carries prayers to the creator.
During the ceremony, each person took a small amount of tobacco from a bowl with their left hand. Martin said the left is used because it is closest to the heart.
Shortly afterwards, the pipe was passed around.
"The pipe is a direct link with the creator," said Johnson.
Those who did not want to smoke, or were too young, could touch it briefly or hold up one hand to be passed.
Ninth-grader Emily Cole cq was attending the annual feast for the first time. Her brother-in-law works at the center. Cole said she enjoyed the speakers and what people said about their ancestors.
"It was pretty interesting," she said.
The Ziibiwing Center had been hosting the Spirit Feast since 1995.
"We had an opportunity to repatriate 145 ancestors from MSU (Michigan State University in 1995). Those individuals came from the Fletcher site in Bay City, Michigan," Johnson said.They were reburied in the Nibokaan cemetery locally, he said
news@cm-life.com
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