Rainbow warrior Elder, here to help...

Aniin!
way na boo zhoo! Bendigan!


N'Indizhinikaz, Doug
nindigo Anishaanabemowin, Bgizo Epichii Wasaamowin
N'indodem Nigi,
Kwa'wak awak' Hawtsaw we'
Nindoonjibah Mnido Mnising

Hi welcome.
Its traditional to introduce myself as an Anishaanabek in 4 ways.
1. my name
2. my spirit name
3. my clan or totem
and 4. where i am from. .

My name is Doug
My spirit name is "Lightning Swimmer"(loosely translated) means one who swims during a lightning storm.
my clan is Otter
and my Kwakiutl clan totem is Dolphin.(this was gifted to me from another tribal elder on the West Coast of Canada)
I am from Manitoulin Island Ontario Canada.

I am here to resolve some of the problems that I have concerns over, between what is traditional from what has been taught to me by Elders and what has not, which has been touted as teachings, and is simply new age mysticism.

I am here because I feel strongly that if we are going to know these teachings, which, btw, was taught to me, that these were given to all the Two legged, then we should get it correct.

I Grew up among the Anishaanabe. Which is the word used for three tribes of people, known as "Niswe Ishkode" or the three fires.
The Odawa, the Pottawatami, and the Ojibwe.

The Odawa were the traders, the Pottawatami keepers of the physical skills, and the Ojibwe, the keepers of the Spiritual Knowledge.

The language is HIGHLY important. To know the language is an art and it takes a lifetime to know it, many speakers are now dying off, and only about 40% of the first nations in my area speak fluently. This is changing. So...

Gawain, opeche ninitaan Anishaanabemosi,
adash, Ninga gwejitoon Anishaanabemowin.

This is a phrase as mentioned by Dan Jones, an Ojibwe teacher of the language who has taught us that even the fluent speakers will have humility,"Dbaadendiziwin" (7 Grandfather teachings), by being humble we are honouring the Wolf, and his teachings of humility, by first saying those words, which mean:

"I do not speak well in Anishaanabe, but I will do my best to speak it".

First, the language of my people and all first nations is one of the heart. It is simple. it uses no fancy words, and the words themselves hold secrets which only the speakers themselves can really know, since they in a sense encode the nature of the people and the spirituality which exists in harmony with the earth ways in the language.
To know the language is a gift from the Creator. But it is so much more which can only be understood by learning the language and you wont find the deeper meanings of the language on the internet. It has to be understood not in the mind, as the fair skinned races language does, but in the heart, with intuition. I am not fluent. But I am learning.

I am an Elder. It is my duty to help. The medicine wheel teachings are a large part of what i do. I will not get into a huge discussion of those teachings tonight, I will say that I have entered into the "north direction" Which means I am now an elder and have an eagle feather to be able to pass around the teaching circle.

A little more about me.

I am also a taoist. And I am part Irish. I have no connection to my Irish heritage. I am fair skinned. I am treated with the same dignity of a full blood. However the harsh reality of things is there are very very few maybe 5-6% of all First nations have pure bloodlines. So what we now have is a mixed lineage.

my purpose here is to help answer any questions. If I know the answer i will offer it. I will be talking more about the medicine wheel, the Four sacred medicines, the 7 Grandfathers, and the spirituality as it really is. as well I offer one great teaching/s On water, which is usually reserved for the Women of the tribe. I did not ask for this knowledge, I was gifted it by the Creator, and it is in in fact a rare teaching that some of the Elders have confirmed for me. I will be teaching this as my main path, since water is also part of my Taoist path.
Water is sick, we are mostly beings of water, and needs our help. I am pleased to pass on these spiritual things, that have been handed down throughout the ages. It is an honour.

I will be putting in the reality of what the truth is about first nations culture too because what is really left of the culture is only a faint remnant of what once was. Many of the teachings are gone. Some of them come back through dreamtime, others are lost forever, in the assimilation process.

So please feel free to laugh with me, have fun, and learn...
while we sit and hold that eagle Feather and share...

Doug