Snow is on the ground, which means it is storytelling season for the Ojibwe people. Ojibwe people have inhabited the Lake Superior region dating back to prehistoric times. Today, there are 11 Ojibwe tribes that inhabit the Lake Superior region in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Each tribe shares traditional stories depicting the migration of the Ojibwe people and the creation of the world they inhabit. Aadizookaan in the Ojibwe language translates into winter storytelling. Many Ojibwe elders tell us that when snow covers the ground, and certain animals are sleeping, it is the time for traditional stories to be told.
The Ojibwe people have passed down traditional stories from generation to generation. Elders were often the storytellers and shared stories with the younger generations to instill morals, values, wisdom, and connections to nature and animals and to explain how the world they live in was created. Ojibwe people were migrants who traveled the land and set up camps where resources were available to sustain their people. Migration stories share instructions from the Creator to find where food grows on the water. This is how the Ojibwe came to settle in the Lake Superior area when they found wild rice growing on the lakes of the area. They set up their camps, and wild rice became one of their main staples of sustenance. The Ojibwe tribes share many stories in common, but each has unique stories based on the areas they reside in.
Photo of Laughing Fox’s flutes and mask used during the storytelling. Photo by Jennifer Cadotte | The Promethean
On Feb 20, the University of Wisconsin-Superior Indigenous Cultures Resource Center and the Department of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion hosted an Ojibwe Storytelling Night featuring Michael “Laughing Fox” Charette in the Yellowjacket Union Atrium. According to Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Salisa Hochstetler, “this event is open to all regardless of background. Our purpose is to foster a sense of belonging.”
Laughing Fox is a member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians who is a renowned storyteller, poet, and flute player. He has traveled the world sharing his talents and stories to educate people about the history and culture of the Ojibwe people. As a self-taught flute player, he has a unique ability to infuse the art of flute music into the stories he shares. Laughing Fox explained, “The medicine of the flute transcends cultural barriers.”
Laughing Fox shared many stories this evening, including how man and wolf first met and a timeline covering the history of the Ojibwe people. He also shared how his grandmother taught him to be patient, not look for knowledge before being ready, and to sit down and listen. He went on to explain how he learned to play the flute by sitting in the woods and listening to the sounds of the animals and nature. His stories carried messages of morals and values necessary to the Ojibwe people.
Troy and William Howes, Fond du Lac descendants. Photo by Jennifer Cadotte | The Promethean
Laughing Fox closed his presentation with a travel song performed by Troy and William Howes, descendants of the Fond du Lac tribe. He explained that the traveling song is sung in Ojibwe communities to pray for the safe travels of those who will be traveling a great distance to reach their homes.
For more information, contact the Department of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at (715) 394-8015 or email at edi@uwsuper.edu
