Welcome to the Deep North by Winona LaDuke

Welcome to the Deep North by Winona LaDuke

President Trump is coming to Bemidji Minnesota, a town between three large Anishinaabe reservations, Red Lake, White Earth and Leech Lake. A town which is the home to Bemidji State University, some stellar schools, and also some racism, big time. Beltrami County, is where Bemidji is located.

One thing for sure, a storm is brewing and change is here. In the time of the pandemic and societal change, there’s a way to hold on to old hatred and there’s a path towards reconciliation.

There are a lot of people who have hope and many of them hope to vote.

When I Used to Fly

When I Used to Fly

I used to have this superpower of flying all over the world. It’s true. I flew out of Fargo’s Hector Airport to the far reaches of Italy, Istanbul, and even Calgary. Those were the days. I sat next to cool people. I have a closet full of beautiful clothes that I used to wear when I would give a lecture at a university. Imagine this: I would talk, and people would clap.

Fallen Idols by Winona LaDuke

Fallen Idols by Winona LaDuke

“My suggestion for the fallen idols is maybe a Statue Garden of Shame. It could be a learning exercise, sort of like looking at old statues or pictures of Hitler. Don’t keep that stuff around, it’s bad karma.” - Winona LaDuke

Photo: Josh Whiting: Detroit where the Columbus statue once stood. Very close also to where Fort Detroit stood and the Potawatomi, Ottawa and Wyandot villages were on Jefferson.

A case for Waawaatesi: That’s the Ojibwe name for firefly.

A case for Waawaatesi: That’s the Ojibwe name for firefly.

Waawaatesi: That’s the Ojibwe name for firefly. It has to do with a flickering light. I live with the fireflies. They seem to be in abundance now, more than ever. Magical sparkles in the night, the edge of the prairie, the edge of the bush. That’s where they live.

In praise of potato by Winona LaDuke

In praise of potato by Winona LaDuke

I’m particularly fond of purple potatoes. I grow them. Mewizha, way back in the day, my ancestors also grew a purple potato.

“The Ojibwe have cultivated this early potato, according to their traditions since aboriginal times, and it surely looks primitive enough. It is round in circumference, about two or three inches long, has purplish flesh, and never cooks to a mealy consistency. It is much prized for soups and is always firm and crisp when cooked..,” Ethnobotanist Huron Smith would report to the Milwaukee museum 100 years ago.

What we can learn from bats by Winona LaDuke

What we can learn from bats by Winona LaDuke

There are many old stories in Ojibwe culture. Those stories often tell of lessons brought to us by animals. There’s an old story about how the bat helped us win a lacrosse game and now that’s why the birds migrate. This time might be known as the time that the bat, or the bapakwaanaajiinh, taught us a lesson.

Indigenous fire management is the answer to raging wildfires by Winona LaDuke

Indigenous fire management is the answer to raging wildfires by Winona LaDuke

As we watch Australia burn, it’s clear that indigenous fire management could have changed this story dramatically. Countless news stories have noted that land and homes are often saved in areas managed by aboriginal people using indigenous fire techniques. Read more

Cart (0)