Migiziwi-giizis (Bald Eagle Moon) - February 18, 2025
Titled Oshki-aniibiish ("Spring Leaf"), the design and colors of this bolo tie, which I crafted some time ago, tell the story of Spring and the light from Gimishoomisinaan Giizis ("Our Grandfather sun"), which rejuvenates tree leaves during ziigwan, or springtime.
A stylized leaf of the oziisigobiminzh (black willow tree) was chosen to decorate the stone inside the bolo tie slide because oziisigobiminzhiig (willows), as deciduous plants, lose their leaves in winter but are among the first trees to regrow them in the subsequent spring. In most regions, new growth appears during the Onaabani-giizis (Snowcrust Moon; March) and Iskigamizige-giizis (Sugarbushing Moon; April), giving the bare branches a green hue and the foliage a glossy green color at the tip with a softer green underneath.
The bright blue of the oval turquoise cabochon stone in the center of the bolo slide represents the warm south, home to the Animikii Binesiwag, or Thunderbirds, who bring rain and help the leaves of trees and plants to grow. This blue hue also alludes to Gichigami, the great freshwater sea now known as Lake Superior, with the matrix and pyrite inlays in the stone symbolizing its many islands, or minisan. The silver leaf across the stone signifies aniibiishan aanji-niigiwin, or the rejuvenation of the leaves. My Anishinaabe ancestors referred to these green spring leaves as "ashkibag," with the plural form being "ashkibagoon."
The recessed and oxidized (blackened) area surrounding the turquoise stone symbolizes the night, during which the Waabanoowiwin (Society of the Dawn) still perform their healing rituals, concluding them at dawn. The inlaid geometric patterns represent the physical elements of the moon, stars, thunders and lightning, fires, winds, rains, rivers, and mountains.
In summary, the twisted wire positioned on the outer rim of the bolo slide symbolizes Wenabozho's legendary dance of creation atop a hill on an island in Gichigami (Lake Superior), while also alluding to the perpetual cycle of the seasons. It embodies what my ancestors referred to as bimaadiziwin: Life in its most complete form...
The bolo tie is part of the author's personal collection and is not for sale.
Comments