Cultural Lessons and Story's

Challenge:

Age 5-13 - Some of the early storys' heard when young were about the Gaga man. When we weren't at our bed when we were supposed to be, the gaga would catch us. Later, we could be taken by Gaga when we were out after dark.

Lesson: We were home and covered up for bed when Mom told us to be.

My two were not exposed, but my mother would tell the story. We thought about how mean to scare a baby. We don't watch scary or horror shows or storys now.

Even though we always understood why, that made no sense and were not necessary to my thoughts.

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We were taught to use our faces rather than hands to show a way to go. To use the hand was called rude. We were taught to watch and hear more than speak as we have two eyes, two ears, and one mouth for a reason.

We were taught that the wealthy person is the person who donates the most and not the person who has the most.

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We were taught the snow snake games, card games, and other cultural games growing up.

We heard small people storys and learned to not go to the water alone or to not go to the woods alone.

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When we were young we heard about John Skunk, a boy from mom's home town. He fought the females so when her brothers fought her, they would be called John Skunk.

The story spread throughout the whole clan.

Lesson: No one wanted to be called John Skunk and no one wanted a boy or man that was a skunk. So, boys/men wouldn't hurt young females or women, and young females and women would not hang around any skunks!

And my mother would call my son John Skunk, even though my son was 3 years younger than the only female.

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My brothers, the youngest female, and me were all bear clan. That meant that we would know some about herbs and we could help others. Bears also show some very good safety measures. You have heard how 'Mother Bear' behaves. And how they patrol and care for the camp.

When another bear clan person, even from another state appears, we are related. They are brothers and females from our clan. We don't marry our brothers or other clan, but we treat them respectfully and well. We don't hunt or eat bear meat.

Age 10-18 - At my house, when young females start the monthly cycle, they may stay home to take care of themselves. They are not expected to go anywhere. Not even to school. The cycle was treated as a powerful cleanse. We have a bunch of do not do's, mostly and some to do's.

We have our plates, and other sets for meals. We don't cook. We are careful where we walk and what we do.

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Age 18+ - As a youngster and an adult, some tales were hard to take. When told storys about Nanaboozhoo that were to be told only when snow was on the ground and after dark, that wasn't always the way we operated.

The Nanaboozhoo story was told to teach lessons and there were alot of them. We were taught not to tell them when there was no snow on the ground.

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Bunny turds were used for health and for asema/tobacco, Grandpa told us when we were young. We would be teased by other bands about how we were bunny chokers.

Then once when we ate bunny at an elder's house, afterward we stopped that eat due to the sweetness we could taste. Later we found out that when cooked they added maple syrup.

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Grandpa spoke fluent clan language. He wouldn't teach us even one word. He told us we would be better off not to learn the language. We could be hurt. He was a boy who was sent away to school. He was hurt when he used the language there.

So, that made trouble for many of the clan to learn the language. Many are only just new learners.

We have words that are to show what is dead and what has energy. A stone was dead and a rock has energy. Some people can tell them apart. Seems babys' are good at that.

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When we grew up there were many a story about fours, and that made me confused because of the threes for people of European ancestry. An example was the butcher, the baker, the candle maker, and other nursery rhymes.

The fours would be a method to talk about all the world matters. Then the seven grandfathers tell us about the values of the people.

One of my best jobs ever was to tell a story. Even a story from another place. Recently we were told that when you go to a hardware store for doodooshaboo/what we use on our breakfast cereal, expect to leave empty-handed.

And when you relax under a tree of doves, don't be shocked to be crapped on. That should be expected as they do that.

Lesson: For clan members that are not healthy, you can not expect doodooshaboo or to not be crapped on when we go there.

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As an elder at age 55 - An elder was a fun occurrence. My meals were often served to me rather than to get my own. Many events were free now. Respect was shown.

The culture consultant job was never a concern for anyone. Almost as though, of course, that should be what she does. And no one can cover that place unless they are an elder.

When Chaga was for cancer and we had used chaga for many years already and was referred to by the culture as "feel good" in the clan language then others started to buy and harvest the crop each year that felt good.

The use of Chaga to smudge weekly at the group and to share how Chaga works can be helpful to so many.

Along the way sage, sweetgrass and cedar found the way to the smudge too. Sage and sweetgrass have a mellow effect and are often used together late day. Cedar was used recently as tea, to prevent bad and deadly 19. Some elders talked about that as a cure.

When young the new age people could smudge before 1978 when our people got the freedom to act, pray, and do as we wanted. Then there was the Creator that we understood.

The sweat lodge and other ways to care for self came to our people as was true years ago. The methods that went underground, came above ground. The cultural lessons are here and more are on the way.

So much hunger from our people for more cultural lessons and storys.

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