Ojibwe Elder Billy Blackwell shares stories from time-to-time with readers of the Cook County News Herald. Long ago, the Ojibwe didn’t have a written language so stories were passed down orally from person to person throughout the generations and this is how Billy has received the stories he recounts. Miigwech Chi (big thank you) to Billy for sharing his stories. Artwork created by Jim Korf
Long ago an Ojibwe elder told me an interesting story. As a child he lived deep in the woods on an island within a huge lake. As a child with charcoal on his face and with much fear he fasted for many days and nights. During that time he received many visions.
As he became an older man he had developed an alcohol problem. He was about to break from his family and was now living on the reservation near a town. He went to a large meeting in a bigger town and checked into a hotel. He went into the bar and ordered a drink. When the bottle was put in front of him, his emotions went soaring and he saw a vision he was given when he was fasting as a child. He got up, got his belongings, checked out and went home. He told his family what had happened and that he was going back to the island he had lived on as a child. He went where he had fasted and remembered the circle of cedar boughs that were placed around him. He sat down, placed tobacco on the ground near him and began to cry.
He stayed there for many days and nights. He had the same dream, day and night. He would walk for miles in one direction, but could not go around a huge mountain, which was almost like a wall. The next time he would walk in the other direction. Still, he could not get around the big mountain wall. This continued to happen every time he went to sleep. Finally on his last night of suffering, he woke up from his dream. The entire long mountain wall was gone. He could see far ahead of himself and he saw his family with him together, much older. He cried out in happiness and thanked the Great Spirit.
Then a huge wolf appeared in front of him. He deeply thanked the wolf that had helped to blow down the wide mountain barrier.
“Thank you, Miigwetch”, he told the wolf.
“No, it was not me that blew down the huge mountain,” the wolf replied. “It was you. I have been with you and have lived inside of you since you fasted as a child.
“Now today in this suffering while fasting again, I walked from your brain to your heart. It was you and your strength that won this battle on your path of life.”
“Yes, you blew it once, and it was the Great Spirit and me that helped you back to the path and hard choices you alone could make, but you have made them and won your life back.”
The man left the Island and returned home to his family, telling them of all of his dreams and victory. He lived to be very old, sharing stories and dreams of his life, with those who searched for knowledge.
This story is what all of us can go through in our very own way, and on our path of life. This elder told me of many visions of life ahead for all of us. He told us to remain spiritually strong and to seek knowledge that will help us through rough times. Yes, his dreams, this vision helped not just him, but many of us. This is true. Miigwetch, (Thank you).
Editor’s note: Billy Blackwell is now an elder himself living in Grand Portage. From time to time he shares his stories with our readers, and we are grateful for this gift.
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