Onaabani-giizis (Snowcrust Moon) - March 12, 2025
Boozhoo, aaniin, hello,
Welcome to the ninth edition of the blog series called "Reflections of the Great Lakes." This series showcases my jewelry and artworks, sometimes accompanied by images of paintings from like-minded artists.
The narratives honor the spirit, captivating beauty, and majesty of GICHIGAMIIN, the Great Lakes of Turtle Island (North America). They thematically link the displayed jewelry and artwork with the Seven Grandfather teachings of the Ojibwe Anishinaabeg People, who have lived near the Lakes' shores for many generations to sustain themselves.
The story today features a set of yellow and red gold rings that I crafted some time ago in my studio.
Dibishkoo zhiingwaatig n'ga inaadiz
Dibishkoo asin n'ga abiitam
Dibishkoo nibi n'ga danii
"Like the pine tree would I be
Like the rock would I remain
Like the water would I stay
"Gaadawenimishinaang ji-aakozisiwaang
G'mashkiki-akiimewaa manidoowan
Ganaanawiziwn minowaawinigowendaagad
"Keep us from sickness
Your medicines are potent
Good health is blessed"
(Songs to the spirits and the mysteries of the Earth; part of the annual Ritual for Long Life of the Ojibwe Medicine Society of the Waabanoowiwin)*
"A Different Song"
As I worked at my bench crafting these storytelling rings, named Aki Nagamon (meaning "Earth Song" in Ojibwemowin), I reflected on the significance of the Earth in our culture. I realized how the holistic perspective Native Peoples hold toward the Earth contrasts with the general Western or European viewpoint, which is largely influenced by a blend of scientific approaches and Judeo-Christian values.
When European settlers arrived on Turtle Island, they perceived the immense "potential" of the land for economic exploitation. Despite needing assistance to survive the harsh conditions of this "New World," they believed they could instruct the ancestors of the Anishinaabeg Peoples—who had lived, survived, and even thrived there for many generations before the Mayflower landed in the Cape Cod area—on how to "live off the land." However, the cultures these newcomers encountered had their own understanding of the earth and the lands that held the remains of many generations before them. They defined the world and geography through the spirits inhabiting the land and a rich tradition of ritualized stories and ceremonies passed down through generations.
Above all, the design and title of the rings embody the sacredness of the Earth as perceived by the Original inhabitants of Turtle Island. These rings, in essence, sing our own song of the Earth. They also deliver a message to those accustomed to valuing the Earth in purely economic and monetary terms: isn't it time to finally listen to the millennia-old wisdom of the original inhabitants of Turtle Island on respecting the land and its sustaining traditions? It's time for these newcomers, who identify as Americans and Canadians, to learn to sing a different song.
A traditional tale as a source of design inspiration
The striking silhouette of the Sleeping Giant, a rock formation extending into Lake Superior and shaping the waters of Thunder Bay, inspired the creation of these distinctive wedding rings.
According to a local Ojibwe aadizookaan (traditional story), the giant is known as Nanabijou (also referred to as Nanabush or Wenabozho), who was transformed into stone overnight when the hidden site of a wealthy silver mine, currently called Silver Islet, was revealed to European outsiders...
The flowing graphic design on the rings symbolizes the connection between humans and Aki, the Earthmother. It not only depicts the earth's surface but also highlights the intricate bond we share with Earth, our Mother.
The stylized outlines of two lovers' faces emerge from Aki, with their anatomical features seamlessly blending into the earth's surface, creating a symbolic unity between earth and lovers. The red hue on the lower part of the wedding rings symbolizes the fertile earth, while the yellow on the other half of the ring shanks represents the sky world, infused with the life-giving warmth of Giizis, Grandfather Sun.
Every day from sunrise to sunset, Grandfather's golden rays penetrate the womb of Mother Earth, in a cyclical and rhythmic pattern, bestowing his awe-inspiring power upon nature and the spirit-filled world around us. The two human faces, mirrored like the Sleeping Giant, seem to emerge from Earthmother; they appear to silently sing a song of gratitude for the sacred life breath with which the Great Mystery infused the Universe we are part of...
So the story goes...
Giiwenh. So goes the Teaching Story about the Song of the Earth... such is the story of the wedding rings. Miigwech gibizindaw noongom mii dash gidaadizookoon. Thank you for listening to my storytelling today. Giga-waabamin wayiiba, I hope to see you again soon.
Click here to read the first episode in the Spirit of the Great Lakes series, which centers around the incredible story of the courageous Mother Earth Water Walkers and showcases several paintings by Simone McLeod, artwork by Leland Bell, as well as a pen-and-ink drawing and a gold pendant by me.
The rings shown on this page serve as storytelling devices and are not for sale.
* Source: Basil Johnston: Ojibway Ceremonies, University of Nebraska Press - Lincoln and London, Bison Book Edition 1990, pp. 122-123.
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