Washing Away the Grief

okay I'm an translate on the various ceremonies that have been given to us as a people through these ceremonial dances sir when these drums are brought out and used one of the most beautiful ceremonies I think we have been given that are done to the ceremonial dances is called what we should end we're that's when people are dressed dressed up helped out by the community in dealing with their grief what happens when an individual passes on at the funeral are instructed that the only thing they really have to give away is the clothing that person had done the person has those are what you collect and there's a small bundle that's created that's put on the floor below the casket music contains four outfits towel and washcloth and tobacco and after the funeral is completed at the site graveside you shade that bundle was given to a drum keeper one that owns one of those sue drums much like the one that emit can I take care of that is the one that has a yellow yellow painting across the middle in red and blue on one side and those are the drums that have that song that grieving song that has been put there to help her our people that are grieving and usually within the year after the death of that individual a drum people who was received in the clothing of that individual calls his drum members together gathers them together and passes out the clothing to all of them his drum members and soon after them no matter sewn ceremonial dance they'll called the grieving relatives in and they're brought in usually a Saturday afternoon and they're seated in the south side of the drum and they're seated in a row and usually not all family members are are seated there may be the oldest and the youngest and and what they do as his seat them they walk him around the drum first and then see them on the south side and from there they wash them and comb their hair give him new clothes and put ribbon in the hair maybe if it's a man sometimes they'll buy him a cap or a hat tie ribbon around them and then they'll also wash them and what they're doing as they're washing them they're literally washing their grief off and then they wash her face the same thing after they've done that and sometimes some of them will put new clothing on them maybe a new dress for a woman or a new shirt for a man or a new hat for a man and after that everybody that's it that's at the dance we'll all come together and give those grieving relatives either blankets clothing or money they all come together and help the grieving relatives and soon after that then there are four get your dog that belong on these drums and there they get up and stand on the east side of the drum and there are four songs that are sung washing songs the first one song that song that's song that is when the first getcha dog gets up and dances around those that are on our grieving die are seated out on the floor when he's done then he takes some Rouge or lipstick and puts that red color around their forehead to each one of those and then following songs it's that kind of good Shaddaa puts that red coloring on the right-hand side you know left hand side left cheek the coloring in the other the third one comes along and puts it on his chin they read totally coloring and then the fourth one puts it on the right cheek then these a get your dog that are helping here are bedrooms and the reason they're able to help in the ceremony is based on their works means is they have to have seen blood dweller overseas in a battle and then this gives them an opportunity this is where they get up and talk and they tell why they're able to help in this particular ceremony what it is that they saw when they were in battle and had this ability to help I always remember I'm gonna add some additional stuff here I was a member of my uncle talking about where he got his ability to to do this this can be passed on to another individual that's being dread to time they're being dressed at a good hour it will say I'm giving you this you can use and help other people in this the same ceremony and the old man that had talked to my uncle died gave him that ability to to do this had talked about way back he said they were traveling he and a friend were Anishinabe a friend we're traveling along in the woods and they came upon a white man a jammu come on and evidently they were in a war at that time fighting it they were fighting the Anishinabe at that time so what his friend did was his hauled off and killed it Jammu c'mon and that blood they saw at that time gave that old man the right to do this ceremony passed it on to my uncle now I was remember when he told it that's was that a dance a lot of the people there didn't understand the Ghibli and I was laughing to myself insensate they didn't know what my uncle was saying but anyway that's where he got his right to do this laughter there are after all they'll go get your dagger and are done and they've talked and staged white they're able to this ceremony then one of them gets up and talks to her those grieving Realtors and gives them tips on how to deal with their grief and one of some of the things I can remember that they're told they're told to try to enjoy yourself as much as a much as possible while you're on this earth to enjoy yourself the relative that you have lost will also be doing the same over there we need to let them go off here if you're holding on to them and grieving is spending it over your time weaving they are gonna be doing the same up there they're not going to be happy so continue to do what you've always done you know you should when I'll talk to these relatives at the time I'll tell them you know I was here some of our initial Nabi people sing and I can't dance for a year I can't sing for a year because they lost a relative close to me that is not what war child we're taught to enjoy ourselves as much as possible also they're taught to get up early dress yourself nicely hold your head up and smile as Anishinabe people before you and to so also go to ceremonies go around people all of that one won't be helpful to you in dealing with your so it is pretty much I can't think of many more tips they gave them but that some of them and then that time they sing that song my head's been put to song that's been put there on that drum to help our people who are grieving and they are told when you get up to dance a song you can draw it can drop most of the grief that is bothering you you won't drop it all totally and then everybody's gonna join in and help you and help you dealing with this grief so that's what they do so this ceremony has done wonders for our people that but she those who lived uh had a hard time dealing with their loss they see the community come together they helped him they see the gifts that they're given and also all the coloring which symbolizes to that which is right not that which is dark and to enjoy themselves as much as possible and then I was being reminded to that in time you will see your relative that you've lost you know that each and every one of us have been put on us on this earth and there's a time those money do decide when we have to journey off and change worlds so at that time is when you'll seen your relative but also to remember that each one of us had been put on this earth for a reason there is something we are to deal with our to work on while we're on this earth uh for us to each of us to find out what that is and accomplish you didn't get it done and now I was that it must be a wonderful feeling when it's time for Anishinabe to journey on and they finished what it was those money do wonder them they do while they're on this earth there must be a wonderful feeling as they go down that path realizing they'd accomplished what they were supposed to and I was taller people that's what I call and it should not be successful though this is a beautiful ceremony itself know something really wonderful that was given to a tour people to these drums knee glitch

Channel: Lee Obizaan Staples

Views: 2,240

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: obizaan, ojibwe, ojibwe language, ceremonial dance, ceremonial drum, big drum, mille lacs, aazhoomog, manidoo, dewe'igan

Id: ummQJhm3Qyo

Length: 13min 18sec (798 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 08 2017