The Spirit of The Dead According To Ojibwe Beliefs
Credit: classroom.synonym.com
Lee Staples, a spiritual leader for the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation in Central Minnesota, says that one must understand Ojibwe beliefs about life in order to understand Ojibwe beliefs about death. “We have within us Anishinaabe spirit, and we just occupy this physical body during that lifetime,” he says. “There is…a reason for us existing on this earth, a reason that the creator put us down…I always think it must be wonderful to know when you go down the path, that you accomplished what Manidoo (creator) wanted you to do on this earth.”
Staples performs traditional burials for the Ojibwe at both the Mille Lacs and Fond du Lac Indian Reservations. His job is to send the spirits to another world and protect those who remain behind. According to traditional Ojibwe beliefs, after the body dies, the individual’s spirit spends four days walking westward to the place where the soul dwells after death. Dan Jones, Ojibwe language instructor at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, speaks of the spirit this way: “He doesn’t know it, but if he gets lonely, he may take someone with him.”
Credit: rightojibwe.blogspot.com
Small children and babies are particularly vulnerable. This is the origin of the Ojibwe practice of smudging charcoal on the foreheads of infants and children before bedtime. They believe that the charcoal protects the children from those wandering spirits. As Jones says, “When the spirit sees the charcoal, [the face] is blurred, and he can’t see who it is.”
Ojibwe Mourning and Burial
When a person dies on the Fond du Lac Reservation, the family lights a fire in their home. Relatives of the dead tend to the fire, keeping it continuously lit until the fifth day after death, when they bury the body. During the first four nights, the family offers food to the spirit. They also offer tobacco, one of the four sacred medicines the Ojibwe traditionally use. (The others are sage, sweet grass and cedar.) They place birch bark matches inside the casket with the body, so that the spirit can use the matches to make fires along its journey to the other world. “The land is called Gaagige Minawaanigozigiwining—the land of everlasting happiness,” says Staples.
On the final night, the relatives hold a feast. During the meal, they offer food to the spirit of the person who died for the last time. At the end of the meal, they smoke a final offering of tobacco or place it in the fire. Then Staples speaks directly to the spirit, laying out the details of the journey the spirit will undertake in its passage to Gaagige Minawaanigozigiwining.
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Thanks for sharing this. If you know anything about Fire Keeping, I’d love to read about it. Miigwetch!
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IT is good to know for my world languges class this web site helped out a lot
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Very glad you found this article helpful!
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same bro we have class together
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it is free relistate
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My sister inlaw passed away. She wants me to spread her ashes where we spread my fathers. On our land in northeast Wisconsin. Our family is of Ojibwe ancestry. I am slowly learning the customs and history of our great people. Is there a prayer I can say when I do this, todo it properly is important to me and her. Miigwetch.
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I don’t think they allow cremation. Might want to check
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You don’t think who allows cremation? Ojibwe? You know we aren’t a monolithic people
My family has never held any restrictions on cremation.
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Biidwegaabo indizhinikaz. Waasawganing Indoonjibaa.
I was taught these teachings are very sacred to our people. I disagree this is put on line. “Sharing our Ways” means with our people not the whole world.
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Gatekeeping is not a part of Indigenous culture. Sharing knowledge is an honor and always will be, no matter the recipient.
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mlaah asif, with your “gatekeeping” gen z BS, Taylor. lmfao people need to respect our ways or else you want random ass people snatching the rug right from underneath us, Again!! this is why us natives cant have anything good.. just willing to give it away like its nothing. cha, gatekeeping neenagosh.
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Taylor, I am Ojibway and what you are saying is not true. Our teachings are very sacred to us and not up for grabs for any recipient. White people have shown to not respect us by committing genocide on our people and trying to claim parts of our beliefs as their own without any respect.
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Than you!
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un fortunately if you wish to shift it forward things have to change if we can get the right words it will make it easier. but the sooner we get to one world one people no borders no flags we use the robots that will “take our jobs” to shift into a different way not an ism not an I we us learning sharing knowledge resources and raising the need for law courts police jail prison out of our children and selves… when your needs are met and you are allowed to participate in community and creative authentically express… we get the quantum shift and goodby 3rd dimension the longer we stay wage slaves for people that are fucking our planet,,, with our money our resources OURS… these people gotta go the greed the money the need to feed something that cant be fed.
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@Henry, to live together in peace we need to understand one another and what is sacred and important. By not understanding, we insult and hurt without understanding how. As the decendant of a white immigrant, I realize this land was not theirs, and that they lived on it in their way. Without knowing your culture and what was sacred to your people, they caused destruction and pain. I have never known any other place, so my place is on these lands now too, but I am not the same as my ancestors. I can learn from the mistakes of the past and offer a beginning toward building a world where all cultures and peoples are honored and respected – where one does not rule the others but shares in its joys and sorrows. I am, personally, grateful to have a place to learn about the traditions of the Ojibwe peoples.
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Miigwech El, I could not have said it better myself. I am so thankful for the knowledge that has been shared because it helps me to understand things that I intuitively know, but I also understand the desire for traditions and beliefs to be protected. By sharing, without dilution, it is hopeful that these important teachings can be kept alive and bring harmony to our world. Just yesterday, in my presence, a Native American was asked about about the Woo Woo Woo War Cry (many of us have seen depicted in Hollywood movies) and she did not take the opportunity to dispel this stereotype. Later she spoke of funeral traditions, and that is why I am here today to research other perspectives of the truth because she has discredited herself with me. Today, through my research at sevenponds.com and Sarah Sunshine Manning’s recollections of her childhood and what it means to be Native American, I understand that this stereotyped war cry has become a way for my friend to feel recognized as a Native American, and I can understand and be more compassionate about what brings her to the place that she is at. Miigwech Sarah Sunshine Manning for sharing your story and helping me take a step through the doorway to understanding.
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please google what is happening in canada with the Wet’suwet’en tribe and the coastal gas link pipeline going thru their river. i think this is the purest one i have ever seen because it is so fierce and its not to try to be anything its in the face of a royal canadian police officer evicting them from their traditional lands… the time is coming so near… but the way i see it we have one chance to preserve the little chance we have to he ONE PLANET of HUMANS living an authentic free will existence and thriving in a resource based economy where all needs are met without being a wage slave, completely disenfranchised, or an undeserving overlord,,, not controlled by symbols, white jesus, blood quantums, or borders… we dont have to kill everything… we should just collectively agree to not participate. venusproject.com
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What is happening in Canada, and in the USA on many fronts with our people is sad. The fact that there are still missing, and murdered women at a rising rate, not a declining one, the fact that we have over 10,000 bodies of children found, yet so many more to be found at residential schools in our country, yet there is not a loud voice for it anymore. I still cry tears, my heart still breaks. I have never felt a feeling like this ever. If I hear one more person say its in the past nit happened so long ago just let it go! Do we let remembrance day go? No we do not! Why because the people that lost their lives to fight for this country deserve to be respected, but not at any less than these helpless children that in all right founded this country of ours! It was their patents and grandparents and great grandparents that helped cultivate the land that white men took over while we were taken to a place they picked and called reservations. So maybe we have made great strides in everyones mind, are you living in a home that water runs brown out of its taps? That your children have sores on them from drinking water or bathing in the water? That your clothes look as dirty after washing them as they did before they did? We it happens here still! There are Indigenous peoples in Canada living on Reservations that we were made to go live on, yet with all the great lakes and smaller lakes, and the technology we have now. No one has fixed this!!! WHY??? WHY???? If this was the city of Toronto, would this be happening??? Would it be happening for 10 years and more?? NO IT WOULD NOT!! It should not for any community living in our country! Especially to people whom ancestors founded this country! This country of ours may be starting to see, but most do not want to face the truths, most do not want to learn our ways, some that fo have good intentions, tho others do not. Have we not learned anything from our past, how do we ever trust with our stories our beliefs? I do not ever want to give anyone the power to take those away from us again! So we should hold them close to our hearts, only share if they are truly worthy and trusting to hear.
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El, why are you speaking over a Native person? You are preaching with pretty words about why you should be entitled to this information like he hasn’t heard it all before. The things you’re saying are classic white savior rhetoric. Why do you need something explained to you in order to respect it? I think the most healing thing you could have done here was not center your white experience and perspective. This is very disappointing and embarrassing for me as another white person to see. Even though you feel your intentions are good, you are treating Henry like a child. I see us talking over First Nations people in the real world (“something else” in election results), and in text books (everything Natives “did” is in past tense,like they are extinct) on every single social media platform, and in every corner of the internet. You are not the first white to say this kind of thing. Live your life respecting people whether you understand their culture or not. Read up on how you can participate in LandBack (landback.org) if you want to help right the wrongs of our ancestors. Learn about #MMIW #MMIWG2S, do you know the 3rd leading cause of death among native women is murder, and this is based on current data that is almost non-existent ( we simply don’t have the date on Native American women’s murders according to FBI profiling criminologist Jim Clemente)?? For white women respiratory disease is 3rd and murder doesn’t even make the top 10. Do you know that the most recent tally of indigenous children’s bodies found on residential school land is around 9,000 currently? The request that I hear time and time again from Native people is that if you want to have access to their customs and SACRED Teachings, Natives simply request that you contribute to and protect their culture and way of life in the way they ask. So educate yourself on the issues that effect the tribes you wish to learn from and take an active role in advocating for them instead of speaking over them and centering yourself as a response to their VALID complaints. In short, if you truly care about coming together as one you need to have the integrity and humbleness to value the needs of the most vulnerable in our society.
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Wow, Meghan, well said.
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Love this comment. Many of us who have white immigrant ancestors do not agree with the way indigenous people were and still treated. I have many different “parts” to me: Irish, Sicilian, Lithuanian, Russian and my great, great grandmother was Sioux. We all created by the Holy Father . Love and Peace.
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This is so thoughtfully written. I am Ojibwe from Ontario Canada. Thank you For those words. I think where we are now, that respect, understanding, and acknowledgement for what was done to us. Instead of people stereotyping, they should educate themselves, go learn and read then come to the table to have a good conversation. Not one of hatred and throwing stones. Unfortunately we can not change the past. However we can work together to change our future.
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As a hospital chaplain, I was called to assist a family with smudging and drumming after the grandmother died. Your article has helped me do better
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That’s great, Silke. It’s always nice to hear that our content has helped someone to help others who are dealing with the death of someone they love.
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I am very greatful for the information shared here. I was informed today that a great friend has lost a family member. Not wanting to insult or disrespect him or his family I sought to learn of Ojibwe traditions. I served the Anishinaabe while in federal service and learned many things from them.
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Hi William,
How wonderful of you! We loved to hear from our readers like you who are impacted by an article and share it with a friend.
It sounds like your federal service was quite interesting.
Suzette, Founder
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I am grateful for this information. I am reconnecting to my indignity and information like this really helps me understand. Miigwetch 🧡
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I am very thankful for this information and would like to learn more about the customs of ojibway tribe.
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My brother did a DNA test and learned he is Ojibwe, so assuming I am wanted to learn where we descended from and reading your response to sharing your ways made me cry. I plan on learning all I can to better understand who I am. Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks for this reliable current information. I googled this topic because I just finished watching a documentary about unearthing graves in the British Isles. Without any indication that it’s anything but common, they spoke of construction sites finding human remains from as recent as the 1500s, and as far back as 4,000 BC.
It made me wonder why we hear so little about any unexpected unearthing of any Native American burials — was it because in ancient times, cremation was standard practice? Because they did not place much value on the “meat package” that carried the spirit in the material world, and did not bother with burial? I have to guess that it’s NOT because excavators, etc., ignore any human remains they find, not because they are careful of Native sacred sites, but because they wouldn’t immediately know whether the body was Native or European, so they’d likely report it.
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Thank -you for sharing… I have suspected my Mother’s Mom was Ojibwa. My name is Cynthia which means Moon-goddess. I am of O – blood type. My Grand-Mother taught me a lot. I really appreciate your share. Amen
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My Fathers Mother was born in Canada and claimed native blood. She was named Isabell Hudson. Anyway when as a boy when a family member passed the family would gather and there would be a give a way. Every family member would be given an object, tie tack, ring, belt something that was personal. was this part of traditional belief or just something we did as a family
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I’m shocked by the hate from my Ojibwe brothers and sisters.
I have been reconnecting with my roots and this helped me a lot. Unfortunately, I don’t have elders here to give me teachings or stories about our people and online is the best I can manage at the moment. I have met many that are understanding and many that have nothing but hate in their hearts.
If we want to get redemption for the past, knowledge must be shared and understood for change to happen.
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I’m an enrolled tribal member who is ordained and recently started a cultural teaching church. This information has been very helpful to my mission and I want to offer a chi miigwetch for making it available to all of us. It is important to me that our people be allowed to learn and return to our ancestral ways, pre colonization, and that it should be recognized as equal to any other cultural life ways.
For those in this thread who defended us by chastising others… please don’t. What matters the most is sincerity. Not everyone knows the right ways to do something or say something until they’re given a chance to learn. Please allow those who are sincere to learn before waving fingers at them. We should all be given a chance to learn and then to do better before shamed and/or shunned. Our culture is one of inclusion, acceptance, and understanding. It is a culture of love and respect for all things. If you wish to defend us as our allies, please remember those things when doing so.
We are still here after 500+ yrs of attempted extinction that continues today. We are just now starting to reclaim the things that were stolen from us. In reclaiming those things we have a responsibility to share what we learn. That is a huge part of preventing our extinction. The world has no idea who we really are except what Hollywood, government, and the Christian religions have taught. We’ve never been allowed the voice to teach the world who we are, from us. That matters if we expect the world to respect us and accept us, and it matters in putting a stop to the vast misinformation and misinterpretation, misunderstanding, and abuses of our cultures and peoples for so long. How does the world know they are doing something wrong if we never are allowed to teach them what is right? How can we ask them to stop and expect understanding if they lack the understanding of why we wish them to stop?
We are not victims, we are survivors. As survivors we carry an extra responsibility to make sure that our truth is told. Please allow us that. I believe we’ve earned that by now. Miigwetch!
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Thank you Dawn!
I posted below.
Debbie Robibson
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Thank you. My sister is Ojibwe and she died last night. I wanted to know what the rituals were. I can’t do this since I am a white settler, but I can at least imagine in my mind what my sister deserves.
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My Cousins are/were Ojibwe. I am not. I had the honor of experiencing the traditional, um funeral, for lack of the proper term. It was beautiful. I lit the fire this evening for my Cousin, Butterfly Woman. I gave my offering of tobacco and strawberries. I kept her company until i was cold. What a beautiful culture
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I am not Ojibwe. However, I am a human being. I have been graced to learn more about the Ojibwe culture and teachings. I believe the wisdom and laughter that has been shared with me has made me a better human and has also helped me on my path to be a good human and live a balanced and honorable life.
Respectfully, Miigwetch!
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I have a Spirit Guide of Native American descent and I am wanting to know the following.
I have seen black paste or could be charcoal smudged on the side of the face close to out eye. Or on the wrist.
Is this to ward of the wandering spirits.
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FANTASTIC!! I grew up on Rolling River First Nation and when our loved ones die we too practice the same beliefs. It is incredible that our traditions are kept and passed on throughout time.
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I was told by someone that when you place a piece of cedar face down it represents a burial. How do you tell the top from the bottom of cedar and is this a Ojibwe teaching
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