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Artefacts

Return of Anishinaabe Artefacts

September 16, 2022

The ceremonial objects in the Pauingassi collection were photographed in use in 1932 by American anthropologist A. Irving Hallowell. In 1970, they were gathered up by another anthropologist, Dr. Jack Steinbring of the University of Winnipeg, who placed them in the University’s Anthropology Lab and promised to keep them safe.

(The late) Omishoosh said that objects in the Pauingassi collection should not be asked to do their former work—they should be used for teaching.

When it was discovered that artefacts were missing from Pauingassi, my husband, (the late) Nelson Owen spoke with his grandfather (the late) Omishoosh on a number of occasions and felt there was a great need to protect and recover what had been taken. We contacted the newspaper that ran the article about the disappearance of the artefacts and they put us in touch with Dr. Jennifer Brown and Dr. Maureen Matthews. Then we began our quest to retrieve the artefacts and get them under community control.

Nelson consulted with the heads of all 25 families in Pauingassi and with their agreement, requested that the collection be repatriated to the community with our family as guardians, not owners. It took many years to complete the repatriation after our initial request in 1998. The collection is now cared for at Manitoba Museum and we are confident that the artefacts are in a safe place, although a number are still missing. On this journey of recovery, we have taken up the mantle of guardians so that our children and all children of Pauingassi will have a chance to learn from these storied objects and understand the role they played as Omishoosh wished.

The artefacts range in age from 50-200 years old. They are unique and unusual in design and reveal important ideas about Anishinaabe culture. If I were to show the collection to someone and point out the two pieces that speak to me, it would be Omishoosh’s embroidered apishtaagan (chest protector) and the wawezhi’on (dance cape) that belonged to Koowin.

Learn more in Obaawingaashing Gichi-Aabijitaawinan | Pauingassi Collection, a book about the Anishinaabe ceremonial artefacts and community collections. You can donate to Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Fund to receive a copy. Visit the Shop page for details.

Dr. Matthews, Joshua, and I are planning to develop an exhibit with the existing artefacts as well as search for and bring home to the collection any pieces that were moved from Manitoba.

The most significant pieces I would say are the drums. They carry a great deal of knowledge and are highly respected for their role in the ceremonies of the people of Pauingassi First Nation. Fortunately, we have pictures of the owners, stories about their use, and the artefacts themselves, which is rare.

—Elaine and Joshua Owen, Guardians

Obaawingaashing Gichi-Aabijitaawinan | Pauingassi Collection

216 pages
Please donate to receive your copy

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Filed Under: Artefacts, Cultural Heritage, Uncategorised Tagged With: Pauingassi First Nation

21 Artefacts, Explained

September 16, 2022

Pauingassi First Nation is proud of its collection of over 200 artefacts, which is cared for by Manitoba Museum in its Sacred Storage area and viewed only on rare and special occasions.

Dr. Maureen Mathews worked with Elders in the community to understand the history of the artefacts and their relationship to each other. As Curator of Cultural Anthropology at the museum, she works with community Guardians to ensure the artefacts’ safe-keeping.

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, we asked special permission to share photographs of 21 artefacts. Some artefacts were used in two important ceremonies:

  • Waabano, an Anishinaabe social dance in the Pauingassi area
  • Boodaade, a dream dance which originated in Pauingassi
Waabanoowigamig, the ceremonial lodge in Pauingassi where Waabano ceremonies took place.
Photo: American Philosophical Society, Hallowell Collection
Naamiwan (Fair Wind) was a famous Ogichidaa, a widely respected healer and leader of ceremonies in Pauingassi.
Photo: American Philosophical Society, Hallowell Collection

Learn more in Obaawingaashing Gichi-Aabijitaawinan | Pauingassi Collection, a book about the Anishinaabe ceremonial artefacts and community collections. You can donate to Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Fund to receive a copy. Visit the Shop page for details.

1. Naamiwan’s water drum

2. Naamiwan’s dewe’iganaatig (drumstick)

3. Naamiwan’s mitigwakik (metal rattle)

These powerful objects are Naamiwan’s personal water drum, drumstick, and metal rattle. He used this drum in his Midewiwin practice and played it during sweat lodges and Waabano ceremonies. Naamiwan was assisted in his practice by the drum and drumstick who also called upon his small drum-shaped rattles (below) for healing. As wiikaanag (ritual brothers) these ceremonial objects once helped save the life of Naamiwan’s grandson Omishoosh Owen.

Naamiwan sits in front of his waabanowigamig with his wife Koowin Owen. You can see his water drum, drumstick and metal rattle. Photo: American Philosophical Society, Hallowell Collection

4. Naamiwan’s zhiishiigwanag (rattles)

Naamiwan used these rattles—one with a sucking tube and another with ribbon—to invoke a state of being called gwiingwa’age (a wolverine). He tapped the rattle on his chest while singing, and in the persona of a wolverine, was sometimes able to travel to the land of the dead to bring people back.

5. Naamiwan’s Boodaade (dream drum)

Naamiwan’s Boodaade (dream drum), 1932, with Naamiwan’s three nephews at Poplar Hill, Ontario. The drum, built in about 1915, was still in use in the 1940s. Photo: American Philosophical Society, Hallowell Collection

This drum was named Gibaabaanaan and a brother drum made some years later was called Gaa-gizhewaadizid (the Gracious One). At a site near present-day Pauingassi First Nation, renowned medicine man Naamiwan (Fairwind) had a dream to make Gibaabaanaan, the drum that you see here. This healing drum cured many people. The drum was also used to communicate with the dead and guide souls safely along the flower-lined path to the land of the dead—the land of summer birds.  

6. Boodaade baagaamaaganan (drumsticks)

Angus Owen. Photo: American Philosophical Society, Hallowell Collection

These drumsticks are made specifically for use with the Boodaade drum and are shaped to reflect the Anishinaaabe war club, hence the alternated name, bekwaag dewe’iganaatig.

The drumstick in the middle belonged to Naamiwan’s eldest son Angus Owen who was leading ceremonies in Pauingassi by the 1940s. Omishoosh remembers being present when Angus Owen made this drumstick.

Ogichidaag (warriors) and Ogichidaakweg (grand warrior women) who conducted Waabano, Boodade, and other ceremonies in Pauingassi.
Photo: American Philosophical Society, Hallowell Collection

7. Wawezhi’onan (dance capes)

Circular red plaid dance cape with red wing blackbird wings and tinklers
Wawezhi’on worn by Naamiwan’s wife Koowin Owen, leader of the Ogichidaakweg in 1933.

Ogichidaakweg (grand warrior women) wore dance capes in the Boodade ceremony. The capes were part of Naamiwan’s dream and made by women in the community who participated in the ceremony. In this ceremony, Ogichidaakweg led the dance, coming first into the Boodaadewigamig (round ceremonial lodge).   

One of two Boodaadewigamig lodges where Naamiwan’s Boodade ceremonies took place. Photo: American Philosophical Society, Hallowell Collection

8. Gijipizon (belt)

The bandolier-style belt with gaanda’igwaasonag (thimbles) tinkled as Oshkaabewisag (apprentices) danced in Waabano and Boodade ceremonies. This piece has beautiful silk button-hole stitch embroidery.

9. Apishtaagan (chest protector)

Worn under the shirt as a chest protector, this piece is part of the regalia Omishoosh wore in ceremonies. The embroidered design inside the circle is called Gaagige Anang (the Forever Star). It is a representation of the Star spirit, the one who visits you in dreams.

Oshkaabewisag (apprentices) and Oshkaabewisikweg (women apprentices) who assisted with the Waabano, Boodade, and other ceremonies in Pauingassi. 1933. You can see two men wearing the gijipizon (bandolier-style belt) and a woman with the Gaagige Anang (Forever Star) embroidered on her dance cape. Photo: American Philosophical Society, Hallowell Collection

10. Zhiishiigwanag (rattles)

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These rattles were used in Boodade ceremonies. You can see them in the hands of apprentices in the photo above.

11. Odaminowinan (counting sticks)

These are used for scoring in the moccasin game makizinataagewin, a lively gambling game played by both Anishinaabe and Cree.

12. Odaminwaagan/Nabawaaganag (cup and pin game)

This hand-eye coordination game is made of hide, a piece of stiff metal wire and ankle bones of a caribou. The player swings the bones and leather tail and scores points when they catch particular bones or put the wire through holes in the leather tail. The game is played by children and adults. It is usually played only in winter. The game seen here was made by Miskwaa’o Owen for Omishoosh when he was a child in the 1920s or 30s.

13. Aagimag (snowshoes)

Anishinaabeg used snowshoes in winter to travel to hunting grounds and around traplines.  They carved and bent poplar or birch to make the frames. These snowshoes were made by Sugashki Strang of Pauingassi for his own use in the 1960s.

14. Aagim zhaaboniganan (snowshoe needles)

Anishinaabeg laced shoeshoes with rawhide using snowshoe needles. The top snowshoe needle was made by James Owen.

15. Netting shuttles  

These netting shuttles for making fishnets are made of poplar or birch and finely carved. Fish nets were made out of twisted fibre made with nettles or other fibrous plants. The size of the shuttle sets the size of the net. Anishinaabeg made fine-mesh seine nets, which were used in spring at a weir to scoop fish out of the river. In fall, they made gill nets, which catch fish in deeper water at the mouths of rivers as the fish prepare to spawn just before freeze-up. The smallest shuttles are about seven centimetres high and the biggest are about 30 centimetres high.

The netting shuttle on the left was made by Fred Owen in the 1950s.

16. Waaboose saykun (rabbit fur blanket)

This rabbit fur blanket is made up of about 300 rabbit pelts. It is about the size of an adult sleeping bag and incredibly warm. It is made using a netting technique on a portable loom. This blanket was made by Augusta Owen in the 1960s.

Zhoowaab Keeper in 1932, making a rabbit fur blanket on a loom. Blankets and garments, especially for children, were made using this technique. Photo: A-160, American Philosophical Society, Hallowell Collection

17. Gwaaba’igan(ag) (ice scoop or dipper)

When you collect water in winter from a hole in the ice, this scoop is used to move pieces of ice out of the way so that your bucket will have water and not ice in it.

18. Spoon (emikwan)

This hand-carved spoon is large, bigger than salad servers, and was used to stir and serve soup and stew. It may also have had a ceremonial role. Spoons tend to be owned and used exclusively by one person. The same is true of drinking cups.

19. Mikingan(an) (hide scrapers)

Moose hide scrapers are used to remove flesh and hair from moose hide. The ones on the left have a metal blade and the ones on the right are made of a sharpened moose or caribou shin bones.

Mikingan made by Jamie Crow (left) and St. John Owen.

20. Dikinaagan (cradle board)

Cradle boards were made by the family for the baby. The father usually made the wooden backboard and frame for the bumper and the mother made and decorated the mossbag into which the child was laced. Women in Pauingassi favour bright plaids for these mossbags and sometimes they are elaborately embroidered. The dikinaagan pictured here was made by William Baptiste in 1958.

Maadoz, (William Owen, grandson of Naamiwan), wife Aanang and their baby in a dikinaagan with a small drum and drumstick, 1933. Photo: American Philosophical Society, Hallowell Collection

21. Minjikaawanag (gauntlets)

These are children’s gauntlet mittens with beautiful beading. They are made of smoked, brain-tanned moosehide by Mary Crow of Pauingassi in 1970. 

Obaawingaashing Gichi-Aabijitaawinan | Pauingassi Collection

216 pages
Please donate to receive your copy

Shop

Filed Under: Artefacts, Cultural Heritage, Uncategorised Tagged With: cultural heritage, Pauingassi First Nation

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