Aaniin, hello,
We honour those
who sang
who went before
who howled
who taught the songs
of instinct,
debwe, they knew and spoke the truth.
We honour those
who kept the fires going
when all around
was a smothering force,
izhichige, that is the way it's done.
Each leg
of each journey
is a mixture
of the many relations
who went before,
who didn't rest
before breathing their flesh
into ours.
Miigwech, Thank you.
When hostility rang out
and our ancestors
grew weaker
they did not believe their lives
were the ones broken and bleeding
for they knew
that place of balance
did not thrive on commodity,
Ki Kikenim na? Do you know me?
And as they got older
dimmed down to a smolder
that fire
it continued
long after
they became
the peace in the earth
they honoured,
maajaan, I am leaving this house.
Old bones, old ways
ensured grandchildren's days
would survive their lives,
Kenesidotaun nuh anenaun?
Do you understand what I say?
Relations to earth
kept the feet seeded
moving in dance
its growing heart healing
beating on the red road of peace,
dazhi, there, in that place.
A spirited blaze
built miles
of hard journey
on legs fronted in bones, feathers and claws,
wolf spirit taught the meaning of clan,
Maadaadizi, He begins a journey.
We honour those
who went before
teaching stories, songs
and dances to soar,
agawaatese, he casts a shadow while flying.
In feathers and skins
bones fronting flesh
a breathing spirit makes medicine,
Miigwech.
Giga-waabamin. See you.
LauraLee K. Harris
(Ancestors speaking in Ojibwe, translations are in italics)
