Hang tight while we fetch the video data and transcripts. This only takes a moment.
Connecting to YouTube player…
Fetching transcript data…
We’ll display the transcript, summary, and all view options as soon as everything loads.
Next steps
Loading transcript tools…
Indigenous Storytelling with Isaac Murdoch | Isaac murdoch | YouTubeToText
YouTube Transcript: Indigenous Storytelling with Isaac Murdoch
Skip watching entire videos - get the full transcript, search for keywords, and copy with one click.
Share:
Video Transcript
Video Summary
Summary
Core Theme
This content is a collection of Indigenous Anishinaabe stories shared by an elder, aiming to preserve cultural knowledge, teach moral lessons, and foster connection and understanding between diverse communities.
Mind Map
Click to expand
Click to explore the full interactive mind map • Zoom, pan, and navigate
is there a way to get my screen up bigger
it's on full
um full View okay don't press record yet
we got to figure out what's wrong how
come I'm not on full view on my end well
you're on live right now
so everyone is
Tada welcome to my world trying to
figure out
so on our end
okay on my end I am very very small
but we're just going to give it another
it's 1 30 right now so we'll just give
there we go uh the host had spotlighted
your video for everybody
incredible so for those that have tuned
in we are just waiting uh just for some
more people to join in
and we're just going to give it another
minute or so
and let people do that I know that
sometimes minutes count
and so we don't want to start the
stories without everybody be you know
being logged in so we're just going to
give it a minute just to be
just to be courteous and to be
uh you know make sure that everybody
and in the meantime you can stare at
I think these computers are just amazing
like what they do the technology in
these computers is really incredible
so I guess everybody's going to be
zoomed in on YouTube instead of this
that's correct so lots of people are on
the other end watching I think you're
good to go
well that's good let's do it
so hello everybody Welcome to
our storytelling session we wanted to
put this out there for you so that we
can sort of understand the natural world
through the lens of dineshnabek
so I'll start off with the traditional greeting
greeting
which is something that we always do
before we tell stories
Linda foreign
so my name is the man who paints the
Rocks I received that name when I was
younger I got deathly sick
and it was late in the middle of the
night when a medicine man came and gave
me that name
and the name served as a way to fix me
or cure me from my illness
my Village is the place where the
serpents are painted on the rocks
which is what
otherly known as gnabijing
and there are serpents that are painted
there and there's an old story that that
took place there a long time ago a real
true story and maybe one day I'll be
able to share that story with you
and I am Ojibwe I'm an ishnabek
and of course I come from
uh the the bush I was raised in the bush
I lived most of my life in the bush and
these stories that I'm going to share
with you actually were all the stories I
learned you know growing up in the bush
listening to Elders listening to
fishermen and Hunters
and so I'm happy to share them with you
today and also I I live at a place
called nimkiyaj bakong which means
Thunder Mountain
and not too far from where I live
there's a great Mountain where the
Thunderbirds of course live
and so it's with great honor and respect
that I'm able to be here with you today
to just share some stories
about the land about the plants about
the animals the stars all of those things
things
and you know when we decided to do this
we thought wouldn't it be great for kids
of all Races kids of all ethnic
backgrounds and cultures to be able to
hear some of the indigenous stories of
these lands here
and we feel that's important because the
more and more that we share with each
other and the more and more that we are
able to get familiar with each other
and exchange knowledge systems exchange
stories and you know Dances and all of
these things the stronger we become as a society
society
because when we look at being diverse
and being
you know uh strong together
we become magical people with superpowers
superpowers
and so that's part of the reason why we
want to do this is to ensure that we're all
all
learning from each other and gaining
strength from each other
and of course getting to know each other
and so this is a great opportunity to do
this through storytelling these stories
are not myths they're not Legends or
fables these are real stories that
happened long time ago
the old people always said these stories
really happened
and so I I'm excited to share them with you
you
and always remember
that your family has stories your people
have stories and dances and songs
and you know they're important they're
important for society and they're also
important for the morale of the social
conscience of the whole entire world
we need to hear your songs and your
dances and we need to hear your stories
too so hopefully maybe one day you'll do
this and share stories about your
culture I think that would be amazing
so we're going to start off
with some stories and
of course time goes by so quick
you know it just goes by like so fast
that we want to try to get through at
least four or five stories with the time
that we have it's not going to be one
long story
but it's going to be a whole bunch of
little stories
and I think that's good because of
course you can kind of rewind things and
re-listen to the stories again
and it's kind of cool these short
stories are really neat and so the first
story that we're gonna learn that we're
gonna hear
is about a plant called
called namepen
namepen
and I'm going to show you a picture of
what namepen looks like
the May Pen is a beautiful plant
it's green
it has it looks like a heart and
and
they live in the in the forest where
it's really really shady and dark
and their Roots last all winter
meaning that they'll keep growing year
after year and The Roots will keep
getting stronger and stronger
and for my people the Ojibwe people this
plant is used for many things
it's a very sacred plant
and I'm going to tell you how this plant
came to be
this plant is a very sacred plant to us
and so I want to tell you this story
years and years ago
I don't know how long
maybe thousands of years we don't know
but we know that the story Remains the Same
Same
you see what happened
was there is a great big fish
and this fish is big they can grow very
very long and back in the old days this fish
fish
they say that it could be as long as a house
house
and this fish is called a sturgeon
and of course this fish
it's very strong and you can see how
strong it is and it's a very old fish
this fish has been around since the dinosaurs
dinosaurs
this fish has been around that long it's
hard to believe that it's been around
that long since the dinosaurs
that hasn't even evolved
because it's the perfect fish
but they say a long time ago
the people had an agreement
they had a
you know a contract with this fish that
fish those fish
those sturgeon
at a certain spot
at these waterfalls that if you were to
go past those little waterfalls you
couldn't fish the sturge in there
but for whatever reason my tribe started
to fish them there
they kind of got greedy
and they wanted those big sturgeons so
they went to that forbidden place
to get those sturgeon
and they started to get them and they
got lots of them
oh they're smoke rocks were filled they
had lots of fish eggs they had lots of
fish but they took too much
so that fish the chief of the of those fish
fish
come on man
the chief sturgeon fish the boss of all
the sturgeon
got upset
and it got mad because people went to
that forbidden place and start to eat
all of those fish those were those were
not the rules that's not what we agreed
upon my people should never have gone
there and eaten those fish in that spot
that was part of the agreements we had
with those fish
so the chief fish
was very upset
and the people didn't stop fishing at
that forbidden spot
and so the chief started to swim around
and it was big
it was huge
it had a great big mouth like this on it
it was big and round
and sturgeons they have sucker lips like
and it was
these great big lips
people would be canoeing and the
sturgeon would just come up and just
swallow the whole canoe in the person hole
hole
would eat them
that fish start to swim around and start
to find people paddling
there goes a canoe there goes a person
people got scared
but that Big Chief
you know it didn't care it just kept on
there goes another one there goes
another one people were petrified before
long nobody was fishing in the water
because this chief
was creating fear
amongst the waters nobody would dare go
into the waters
nobody would dare go there
because that fish was so strong
and of course that fish was trying to
protect its people too
because people were going to the
Forbidden spot
that was not allowed we broke the rules
and then so of course the chief I think
took it a little too far and started to
eat everybody but that's what happened
this great big fish
so the people
they got very scared and they summoned somebody
somebody
they summoned a great being
that is made of Thunder that is made of
lightning that is made of the West Wind
and the stars and is also made of bear
this person has many Powers inside of
inside of it
and so people called upon the great Nana
bonjour and for those that don't know
about Nana bonjour
Nana Buju is like Maui
in the movie mwanda
you know how Maui is he's like kind of
Joker and joking all the time trickster
like has special powers
well Nana boujou was called
and nanabuju is always dressed
so eloquently always had beautiful
feathers in the hair
nanabuju was like a human
and of course Nana boujou came to the rescue
rescue
and not abuju met the people
and said what's going on I hear my name
being called all the time the wind keeps
giving me these messages that there's
something going on
well the people said we're being eaten these
these
these great big sturgeon fish are eating us
us
we don't know what's going on
said well you've been going to the
Forbidden spot and you've been fishing
them there you weren't supposed to
bother them there at all now the chief
was upset and he wants to he wants to
eat you
so I don't know what to do
I don't have nothing nobody gave me
nothing to do anything so people quickly
got together they got these gifts
and they started to
um give presents
you know like beautiful pouches of
tobacco and and beautifully porcupine
quilled bags and you know all the fancy
things that you would get back in those
days people start to bring out their
their best gifts and give it to Nana boujou
boujou
and said okay I'll take this these gifts
as an offering I will go there and I
will try and stop that big sturgeon fish
come on name
I will stop that big fish for meeting
you or I'll try anyway
so now the Bossier jumped into a canoe
the bushes floating along nicely all of
a sudden bubbles
there is something underneath the canoe
and it was much larger than the canoe
and as nanabuju looked nanabuja could see
see
this great bigs
massive huge sturgeon swimming underneath
underneath
but because Nana bourgeo was in the canoe
canoe
the sturgeon didn't know
but it was nanabuju
and so this the big sturgeon turned
around and it jumped up with its great
big mouth that was just wide and it
gulped up the canoe in nanabuju
next thing you know Nana boujou's in the
stomach of this great big fish
it tells that great big fish let me out
of here I just wanted to talk to you
that big sturgeon told not abuju I'm
never letting you out
never Nana bonjour says if you don't let
me out
I'm gonna do something you're not gonna
like it
that big surgeon said look at me look at
how big I am
you can't do anything
look at how powerful I am
and besides I swallowed you and you're
in my stomach
so I don't think you can really see anything
said okay fine then
and he reached behind his back and he
pulled out one arrow that he was using
to hunt ducks
you see arrows were made in different sizes
sizes
bigger arrows were for bigger game like
deer and moose elk and smaller arrows
were for like ducks and rabbits and birds
birds
so we took a small little arrow
and of course he's in the stomach of
this great big fish
and he can feel the heartbeat
of this fish right beside his ear bump
so he just grabs that arrow and he just
book gives it a little poke
all that fish didn't like that at all
all of a sudden just spit out Nana bonjour
bonjour
Nana boujou found itself in the water
and it spit out that canoe and the canoe
floated to the top of the lake now the
bougie's fine to the top jumped into
that canoe
and looked at that sturgeon
and that sturgeon took off
and remember it got wounded because now
the buzu grabbed that arrow and went book
book
will not abuju sat there and thought
about it that surgeon was gonna die
that big chief of a sturgeon
so nanobuju felt sorry for that fish
and nanabuja went on to the land paddled
over there
got to the land
and none of ushu had a beautiful bag
of roots and shrubs medicine roots
and grabbed those some of those roots
and just threw them all over the ground
Maj John
Sultan that sturgeon started to come
and that surgeon said I think you you
killed me I won't live much longer
Nana abuju said come on this land
so that sturgeon wiggled its way on the
land that great big fish
and it started to eat
what was on the ground
magic magically these plants started to
grow and the plant that started to grow
was in the maypin
and we're going to show you that in the
May pin one more time
this the mapen as soon as not abuju
through those roots on the ground they
start to grow nice big and Lush
told
that sturgeon
use your big lips and dig up those roots
and eat them
it'll cure you
it'll cure you what happened to your heart
heart
I didn't want to kill you
I just wanted to teach you a lesson not
to be bothering people
and I'm going to tell the anishnabic not
to go to that forbidden place again
and things will be like that and it'll
be so
and so the sturgeon ate these plants and roots
roots
and it saved itself
of course by the power of nanabuju by
the power that nanabuju had in its
medicine bag
and the sturgeon was healed
and that's how this plant came to be
and as that surgeon went away
said I thank you for
you know trying to do the right thing now
now
and as a special gift
I'm going to give you those spikes
on your body
to help protect you
and that's how that
those you see those spikes
that was from Nana Buju gave them those
spikes to protect the fish
because it decided to get along now and
not eat people [Laughter]
[Laughter] so
so
I guess that's a story that I wanted to share
share
and that's a story that I learned
a long time ago of course the plant is
known as Wild Ginger
and the sturgeon is known as uh in
Ojibwe language
and this plant we call the maypin that's
wild ginger
and so
that's one of the stories I wanted to
share with you it's a story that
I knew as a child and it's a story that
I really really loved hearing growing up
especially when I was a teenager
I always listen to that story all the time
time
and so hopefully you enjoyed it
and I guess the moral of the story if
there is one
is to don't go to forbidden places
you know don't go there because lots of
places on this land you're not supposed
to go there
that's off limits
it's not meant for us to be there so we
don't go there there's lots of places in
the forest where we're not allowed to go
maybe only certain animals are allowed
to be there at that time and we have to
respect them and we don't bother them at
that time
and that's I think what I take away from
the story is that we have to respect our
sacred agreements that we have with the animals
animals
and the birds and the plants and the sky
and with each other
so it's really important to honor those agreements
agreements
so the next story we're going to talk about
about
gets even stranger if you thought the
first one was strange
wait till you hear this next one
Okay so again
again
this amazing incredible person
that has like the power of thunder and lightning
lightning
and its grandfather was a bear and his
grandmother came from the Moon and it's
got all sorts of these powers and its
dad is the West Wind
and so Nana boujou was also quite mischievous
mischievous
it was very mischievous
because his dad was the West Wind
and the west wind is like unpredictable
the west wind doesn't know
it just comes in and swoops out
and so now had that restlessness
you know from its dad
is walking along one day in the forest
just looking for trouble
and of course you know Nana busu is a
like a spirit very powerful
you can't just destroy Nana bush
and none of boujou all of a sudden hears
some singing and a distance
[Music] away
somebody's out there I wonder who's out there
there
all of a sudden foreign
having fun
and of course you know what they were doing
doing
this person that was having fun
they had these
uh clay balls and
and
this this other person was throwing
these clay balls way high in the sky and
said who is that out there
who who's who's my brother I can't see
you get over here and I'll take a look
at me you'll know who I am
ran over there sure enough it was his
so his brother was half rabbit and half human
human
the bottom part was rabbit
and that was his brother
and of course his brother had grabbed
these clay balls and throw them up in
the air and they go Sky High almost to
the clouds and they he'd spin around and
he'd catch it
so now Abuja said I can do that
tobiabus said I know you can but this
isn't about you this is about me I'm
having fun here
if you want to have fun too go get your
own clay balls
so nanobuju grab some clay balls
made them up
and said let's see you can throw them
the highest
whoever can throw them the highest is
Tobi boo says you know you're always
trying to be better than everybody all
the time
you shouldn't try and have to be better
but yeah I'll play with you
so of course the Bible has grabbed this
this clay ball and threw it up into the air
air
way high it goes all the way to the cloud
and of course spins around and catches it
it
Nana Bourgeois says that's pretty good
but watch this
grabs a clay ball and throws it up
that clay ball went so high it went past
the cloud
into the darkness
and not abuju sat there for a long time
and made a fire
you know took out his pack sack and
you know had caught in a duck earlier
start to roast that duck on the Fire
ate that duck
you know that duck was nice and fat you
could just see the juice of the fat
running down nanabuju's face
oh he wiped himself off and then all of
he catches the clay ball that's how far
and tobio says you win you can obviously
throw that ball higher than I can
you win
so Nana bhuji says yeah I win but what
do I win
this was a competition
the Bible said this was only a competition
competition
to see who can throw the ball higher and
who who had the most strength
that was it there is no prize
said there's always a prize
I won
he says I'm going to take everything you own
own
everything in your pack sack belongs to me
me
and of course tobiabu says you can't
take everything in my pack sack those
are that's my stuff those are mine
oh yeah yeah I can't take them actually
and I'm gonna take them so they start wrestling
wrestling
and they started wrestling more and next
you know they're they're kind of like
you know how Brothers wrestle around and
sometimes it gets a little bit serious
you know what I mean
that's what happened they started to
wrestle around and it got a little bit serious
serious
but of course they can't really hurt
each other because they're both powerful spirits
spirits
you know you can't hurt any of these
people they're they're too powerful
and so they're they're rustling around
in the trees and all that stuff they're
they're fighting each other but not to
her like they don't want to really hurt
each other they're just wrestling around
all of a sudden to Bibles
you know they got up on top of this
great big rock you know and it was big
and almost like a mountain
and he grabbed him by his legs and he
started to drag him down that big rock
and now Abuja said hold on a minute my
bum my bum what do you mean your bum
well my bum is burning because of the rocks
rocks
he says you gotta settle down
so the Bible says okay we'll hold this
well could kind of bother my stuff quit
and now the bushes stopped and the Bible stopped
stopped
and the Bible says oh my goodness look
not abuser turned around
and there is all sorts of Nana buses uh
bum was getting scraped off and it was
and so they quickly made up and said
let's quit let's quit horseplaying let's
quit wrestling with each other
but those
those things that grow on those rocks
like that
and we call them
that's what we call that the scabs of
The Rock
and those scabs that you see right there
we believe because they came from
nanabuju that they're very very sacred
and during times of famine during times
of sickness
we can eat those
and it'll give us nourishment and
strength to carry on
and I remember when I was little I used
to go on to the rocks and collect that
and I used to put them in a big pot of soup
soup
and we'd sit there and we'd put maybe
some fish in there or a rabbit in there
and we'd eat that
it doesn't doesn't really have a taste
but it'll keep you alive
it'll keep you going
and so that's our origin story for this
so afterwards NADA Buju and chabai boost
they laughed and they took off playing
and uh just like never before nanabuju
put some stuff on his behind
and it got cured right away
but those that skin that was left on
those rocks they just kept growing and
spreading and growing and spreading and
growing and spreading
that's why those are there today that's
how they got to be there
and very nutritious
very good for you
so if you're ever Starving in the bush
and you know maybe your food got stolen
by a bear I don't know
or maybe you just you went a little too
far and you got lost and you know you
got no food
and just say that you happen to have a
phone with signal
message me
I can tell you what to eat in the forest
give me a call
and uh I will direct you great to those
things growing on those rocks that came
from Mount abuju's bum [Laughter]
[Laughter]
but that's a story that I always heard
we used to hear that story all all the time
time
and one place where that that took place
is where that happened
that means the place where the rocks are
all broken
and I know where that is too I was there
there's a special places in there
there's caves in there special places
you know one of those places we don't go
around to very much
but that's that's how that fungus on
those rocks came to be
is because of what happened between us
and his brother tobiabus
there's lots of stories like that
lots and lots of them
but that's just one of them
the next story I want to tell you
because time goes by so fast
is a story of when
our leaders
a leader is somebody that helps make
decisions a leader is somebody that is
lives their life by example a leader
will make other leaders
a leader is somebody who shows courage
and strength and humility
and all of those things respecting
kindness that's what makes a good leader
and they say a long time ago
you know there is a lot of disharmony
amongst our tribe
they were arguing and you know there is
they're trying to fight each other you
know there is outbursts and there's
people who are starting to get rude
people forgot
the original instructions on how to live
here on this Earth and with kindness and dignity
dignity
and they started to get rude with each other
other
and what rude means
it's like it's not being nice to somebody
and so
of course they start to get rude with
each other they started to
you know
steal from each other all those things
and the Chiefs start to argue amongst
each other's too
the chiefs were arguing with each
other's all the time
they're arguing and fighting and they'd
have counsel well all the Chiefs got to
get together and they've got to make
good decisions for each other
they get together and they'd end up
arguing and fighting
nobody could get along
so the Chiefs kept trying over and over to
to
you know try and get along and not fight
with each other but they started to get
rude too
they started to get rude everybody
but there is an old grandmother
who was a very beautiful person
who never argued with anybody she was
the kindest person that you'll ever know
she was always smiling and happy and
whenever you visited her she always had
food and she'd tell you jokes and she'd
make you feel better about things
and to say oh don't worry everything's
gonna be fine
don't worry about nothing
and of course lots of young people were
hanging around her Wigwam her Lodge
where she lived
she had a beautiful wig wall made out of
birch bark and branches it was so well done
done
and you know inside of her Wigwam it was
so clean and beautiful and all the young
people would go there and hang out with
her to listen to her stories and she had
a very contagious laugh when she laughed
her whole body laughed with her
everything this went up and down
you know she just said when she laughed
everybody couldn't help but laugh too
and she was a very powerful Medicine
Woman too let me tell you she was a very
powerful Medicine Woman
even though she didn't seem like that
she was
and she didn't like the way that
everybody was fighting all the adults
she didn't like that how the kids were
being left alone
while all the parents were out fighting
and arguing with each other
so she had a plan
she says okay kids what do I want to do
we're gonna play a game where
where
whoever wins
will be the chosen one but you don't
know what you win yet
but whoever wins will be the chosen one
and what we're gonna do is we're gonna
have a jumping game
and we're gonna see you can jump the farthest
farthest
whoever can jump the farthest will be
the chosen one
and so of course all the young children
you know they got up and they had they
had a great big stick laying on the
ground like a log
and they'd run and they'd jump off that
log and they'd see how far they could
fly and then they'd hit the ground just
like long jumping in the Olympics same thing
thing
and as soon as where their feet touched
that's where they'd put a stone and
and
they started to jump one by one these
children started to jump boom
boom
boom they'd fly douche another one boom douche
douche
you know lots of them were jumping
lots of them jumped really far too some
of them were incredible jumpers some of
them were jumping like a deer
that's how fast they were
and far
that old lady was impressed that old grandma
grandma
so finally after the old jumped she looked
looked
she went to the farthest Stone said
whose stone is this one
oh this young person said that's my
stone great come with me you're the
chosen one where am I going what what do
I win
you don't win anything you're gonna go fast
fast
you're gonna go seek a vision in the forest
forest what
what
I thought I was gonna get something good
you will get something good
but you have to go in the forest and
this young person was about 12 or 13
years old
they had you know about 13 Winters had
passed in this child's life
so they're they're like a teenager a
very young teenager
and the grandmother takes them up into
the forest up onto a mountain and
and
says you have to stay here
he says all the people on the bottom
they're all fighting
look at them now
so that boy is looking at everybody
yeah they're fighting he can hear the
arguing and everything from the top of
that mountain
the boy feel feels sad
the boy doesn't feel good
the grandmother says don't worry about it
it
you're gonna help fix all of that but
you have to
you have to seek a vision you have to go
up on top of that Hill
and you have to pray for a vision
maybe somebody will come down and help
you I don't know but I have a feeling
somebody will
and of course during a Vision Quest or a
you know we don't eat water or drink
food unless it's given to us
so the little boy sat there for three
days no food or water
finally the old grandmother comes
here I have some have some beef have
some water have some meat
in order to have a vision no I never had
a vision oh
oh
well I'll come back after then
a couple days go by the grandmother
comes back and
has meat and food and feeds the boy
gives them some water
did you have a vision no I never had no vision
did anybody visit you nothing
oh well we're just gonna have to stay
out here a little longer
so a couple days went by and
grandmother comes along more with some
food and you know feeds the boy in water
and says how are you doing good
did you have a vision nope
nope
I guess what you're asking for is a lot
so you have to sit there a lot
but don't worry I'll be back
on a 10th day
and when that boy looks at that
grandmother he's smiling he's glowing
he's radiating why
why
well partly because the grandmother has
some food which she quickly gives him
and some water
and he feels better now but he says I
had a vision I had a dream
well what was the dream
he says I was sitting here on this rock
all of a sudden are all the stars in the
the sky they dropped like this and I
found myself in the star world
he says and I noticed that
all these Stars he says some of those
stars were people
some of those stars were was my own
people from a long time ago some of
those stars are our ancestors
he says in that places it's so beautiful
and that those Stars
they've they're also watching what's
happening they're arguing and the fighting
fighting
and they they took me up there to to let
me know that they're going to come down
and and get the Chiefs
so that they'll be able to lead the
and the grandmother is happy and said oh
that's so good I'm happy at least things
will get better now
and so
the Stars
at night time
came down in the village
and they started to roam around the village
village
and wherever the chiefs were
the Stars would grab a chief and take
the chief way up into the sky
and there'd be another Chief over here
at another Village and they'd take that
Chief up
and another Chief and another Chief and
another chief
pretty soon there was lots of these
chiefs were taken up into the sky
and once they got up there they had
great counsel
the Star Nation
the star people that live way up in the sky
sky
some of them are getting
they're all anishinaabe from a long time ago
ago
they all had counsel and said
you have to be respectful
you can't fight amongst each other
you have to be good with each other always
always
when you're respectful with each other
when you can show dignity and and
respect and caring and sharing and
people will be like that too
and so we're going to remind the people
we're going to remind them of
of
that this needs to happen
and we're going to go down there and
tell them
so for now we're going to bring you back
to the Earth
nourished with this knowledge
and they took all the thieves down
and as the Chiefs came down they started
and they didn't come down as humans
and
they came down as these lily pads
they came down as these these flowers
those yellow flowers
and they say their yellow flower represents
represents
the sky world
and the lily pad represents the Earth
and that they're connected
and that whenever we see a lily pad
we're always reminded
that we have to be kind to each other
that we have to be good to each other
that we have to share what we have
and that no matter what happens
you know when we make mistakes we fix them
them
we fix them by being generous
and by caring for one another and for
saying I'm sorry
you know we have to learn how to apologize
apologize
and that's how these these lily pads
came to be and we call that kandamo
The Roots
to
take to suck things out
like an infection or something
oh maybe one day you'll come to my
Village we'll go into the swamps we'll
pick a bunch of these roots and I'll
show you what they're for they're big
some of those roots are this thick and
they're long
they're very long there could be many
planets going off one route
and because those Came From The Stars
those roots are powerful because that's
where they came from
this plant came from there
it was brought to us from there
it's a very powerful plant
and whenever I see one of these I'm
reminded of that old lady
you know she knew what to do that old
grandmother knew exactly how to fix things
things
and not only did she fix the villages but
but
she made things feel better and she left
something for the world
for the rest of our time here on Earth
which of course is the beautiful lily
pad and all of its beautiful star-like flowers
flowers
there's many different lily pads with
beautiful flowers so whenever you're in nature
nature
you know always take a look stop take a
look at the the lily pads
look at the stars on the flower that
looks like a star on top of it
and remember this story
that we have to be kind and caring with
one another
and I wanted to share that with you
and I want to thank you for listening to
me as I told that story it was a little
bit of a long story
but there's more stories to be told
and so let's just keep on rolling
because you know what time is going by
so fast
we don't even have a half an hour left
what are we gonna do
this next story
is an interesting story
and it's one of the most favorite
a long time ago
our children
were put in cradle boards
and a cradle board is like never you
know when you see babies and they're
tied up in a board and they got this big
thing around their head maybe Jody if
you can find a picture of a cradle board
and pop that up that would be really cool
cool
so maybe Jody can do that we'll see but
anyway a long time ago our babies were tied
tied
onto boards
and as the parents worked I know it's it
sounds mean it does it sounds really
mean but it's not mean
all over the world people had cradle boards
boards
and it's where the babies were strapped
into so that
you know they could sit there and watch
their mom work
I guess and learn about working and
learn about being patient there's lots
of reasons why they're in the Cradle board
board
and they would sit there and sometimes
the Cradle board would be tied to ropes
and you can swing them and you know and
if the Cradle board you know fell over
yeah there's cradle boards right there
yeah so the Cradle board would help them
would help the uh the babies with their
posture and making sure that their bones
grew right
and it was a really beautiful thing and
they're always decorated like that
really nice
and so one day
this mother was working in her Wigwam
you know and she was busy busy busy it
was hot sweat was pouring down her face
she didn't know what to do so she
thought oh I got to go to the lake and
wash my stuff off
but she had her little child her daughter
in the Cradle board and of course these
she used to rest that cradle board up
against the wall in the Wigwam in the shade
shade
and of course nothing would would bother
the baby
of course she thought that's what she thought
thought
so she's off you know putting water on
her face and she grabs a little bit of
water with her hands and she comes back
to baby
but baby's crying why was baby crying
baby hardly ever cry so Mom of course
put water on the baby's face and you
know couldn't find out why the baby is crying
crying
and inside this cradle board there is
moss so a long time ago we didn't have
diapers we had Moss
and moth was actually better than diapers
diapers
but anyway
mom checks the Moss
everything's okay the baby's clean
Mom puts the ear to the baby's stomach
to listen to see if maybe the baby has a
sore stomach no
baby doesn't have a sore stomach
checks the baby for a fever no
the baby already had a nap and it wasn't tired
tired
so when she grabs the baby and she's she
starts to feed the baby
oh the baby doesn't want to eat it's not
even hungry so she doesn't know why the
baby's crying
so she thought oh I'll I'll watch I'll
change its clothes and I'll wash them and
and
I'll put some other clothes on and as
douche
two dots red dots with blood coming out
of them on the baby's leg
something bit the baby's leg
man
babies crying and crying and crying
the mother says oh no
and she looked on the ground and she
seen Slither marks go away
and disappear into the forest
not any kind of snake
but that kind of a snake
so of course she screamed my baby's been
bit by a snake a poisonous snake
and she's screaming and she's crying and
she doesn't know what to do and she's
she's having a hard time and she's
freaking out and she's frantic because
all of a sudden the wind starts to blow
there's a dust devil
wind blowing around and around and all
this very magical being appears and
Nana boujou looks so handsome
you know he always always had to have
the best feathers
always had to have the best clothes and
everything always trying to be better
than everybody else
but nana bonjour appears and the
mother's happy because NADA Bourgeois is
powerful is the master of all roots
the master of all the medicines that
so the mums asked you
can you help me my baby's sick
my babies gonna pass away
we don't want the baby to pass away can
you help can you help my baby
said yes I can help your baby
and can you go find that snake can you
kill that snake I don't like that snake
said yes
took out a rattle
and gave it to that baby
and it said for as long as that baby has
that rattle it'll
it'll
always be
that baby will never be sick
that baby will never ever be sick
and so that baby grabbed that Rattle and
started to shake next thing you know the
sickness started to leave the baby
those two dots douche that were put on
the leg by the snake they started to disappear
disappear
and the baby got cured by this magical
rattle that Nana bush had
and it was shaking and not abusu said
look at how powerful that chesiguan is
and says don't worry
we'll try to find that stake when I find
that snake I'll kill it for you
the mother said good
so not Abus you when walking in the
forest of course not a bonjour is
magical to find anything
all sudden finds that snake
grabs that snake lifts it up and says
I don't know why I bit that baby that
snake said it was an accident I just
went slithering into that Wigwam that Lodge
Lodge
where that bait that home and I got
scared when the baby started to cry and
I I just bit it by accident I didn't
mean to bite it
whatever you do don't
don't hurt me
not abuju said you know
I'm not gonna hurt you
and he reached around his neck
and he took off some beads
but not any kind of beads these beads
were special these beads were made from
certain shells that are only found in
the deepest parts of the ocean
the beads I'm talking about
are Wampum beads
and this is what they look like
and now that you grabbed off a string of
wampum beads and start to wrap them
around the snake's tail
and so when you look at the snake
you can see how the rattle
was made by these Wampum beads
when you look at the shaker
you can see how they're made
by these Wampum beads
and so let's take another look at the
right there you see that
right there
so nanabuju gave that snake the the
Wampum off its neck
and put them on there and told that snake
snake
right now
the baby's happy
and playing with the rattle
from now on
when somebody comes near you warn them
and you too can use your rattle that I'm
going to give you
that you're there and that way you won't
get scared that way they know how to
and so the snake was happy because it
got that shaker
from nanabuju made from wampum
made from those beads that are made out
of shells
and so not a bougie walked back to the
camp and the mother said did you kill
that snake no I didn't
but I'm going to tell you why
that snake made a mistake your baby is
fine everything's okay
your baby's healed
and that snake knows what it did was
wrong it just got scared it didn't know
it made it made a mistake
it made an accident
and so I've given that snake a
sheshigwan too
I gave that snake a Shashi Guan at the end of its tail a rattle
end of its tail a rattle and so from now on when those snakes are
and so from now on when those snakes are around
around they'll rattle their tail
and when you hear that go the other way they'll always warn first they won't
they'll always warn first they won't despite
despite and the mother said oh thank you so much
and the mother said oh thank you so much you know she says I'm sorry now that you
you know she says I'm sorry now that you put it that way I don't want to see the
put it that way I don't want to see the snake die
snake die I'm happy that the snake is there
I'm happy that the snake is there and that it's alive I'm glad that you
and that it's alive I'm glad that you gave it a beautiful Tale
gave it a beautiful Tale and so not Abus you said no problem
and so not Abus you said no problem but I'm not always going to be around
but I'm not always going to be around like this I just happen to be nearby
like this I just happen to be nearby and he grabbed into his magic bag of
and he grabbed into his magic bag of roots and he threw out some Roots into
roots and he threw out some Roots into the into the sky
the into the sky and those roots landed on the ground
and those roots landed on the ground and the next year this plant grew
and the next year this plant grew and we call this plant Norway jobik
and the roots of this plant are the Cure is the remedy to help
are the Cure is the remedy to help somebody who is bitten by a snake
somebody who is bitten by a snake so if you ever do miss out on the
so if you ever do miss out on the warning
warning and you're fooling around
and you're fooling around and you didn't listen to this story
and you didn't listen to this story right
right and you went too close to that snake in
and you went too close to that snake in a in a bit you this is the plant that
a in a bit you this is the plant that will actually help help you
will actually help help you now of course I don't recommend any of
now of course I don't recommend any of you bothering any of these plants
you bothering any of these plants because you have to really get to know
because you have to really get to know them first but this is just to show you
them first but this is just to show you what this plant looks like
what this plant looks like and I actually have this plant that
and I actually have this plant that grows near my home and that's how I
grows near my home and that's how I heard this story
heard this story when I first learned to pick this plant
when I first learned to pick this plant and so that's the origin story of how
and so that's the origin story of how the rattlesnake got its Rattle and how
the rattlesnake got its Rattle and how that plant came to be now how it helps
that plant came to be now how it helps people that got bit by a snake and it
people that got bit by a snake and it also shows the great power of the
also shows the great power of the sustigon the rattle
sustigon the rattle foreign
now we have one story left time is going by so fast I can't believe
time is going by so fast I can't believe it
I'm going to tell you we only have so much time left
much time left so I know we've been here for a while
so I know we've been here for a while but you're great listeners I can see
but you're great listeners I can see that already by the way I can see all of
that already by the way I can see all of you
you so I know exactly what's going on in
so I know exactly what's going on in your classroom right now
your classroom right now because none of the bonjour is my dad
because none of the bonjour is my dad and I got special powers and I can see
and I got special powers and I can see you
you um the next story I'm going to talk
um the next story I'm going to talk about
about is that I'm going to share with you is a
is that I'm going to share with you is a story about
story about not sharing
not sharing so you know throughout the story I'm
so you know throughout the story I'm kind of talking about not sharing not
kind of talking about not sharing not giving not being nice not being
giving not being nice not being respectful those types of things
respectful those types of things and I think it's really important that
and I think it's really important that we remind ourselves you know sometimes
we remind ourselves you know sometimes through stories and dance and those
through stories and dance and those types of things that we need to share
types of things that we need to share that's how the world gets better
that's how the world gets better that's how society and our communities
that's how society and our communities get better our families get better is
get better our families get better is when we share things with each other
when we share things with each other and so this is a story about sharing
and so this is a story about sharing they say a long time ago
they say a long time ago there is a mother
there is a mother and her husband died
and her husband died which is really sad he passed away
which is really sad he passed away and sometimes that happens you know
and sometimes that happens you know sometimes when people in our families
sometimes when people in our families pass away they're only meant to be with
pass away they're only meant to be with us for a little while then they go way
us for a little while then they go way up into the stars or wherever they go
up into the stars or wherever they go and they were just meant to be with us
and they were just meant to be with us for a little while to give us some good
for a little while to give us some good things to make us feel good about things
things to make us feel good about things and then it was their time to go home
and then it was their time to go home well that's what happened
well that's what happened to
to this mother
this mother her husband passed away
her husband passed away and so she was alone raising the kids
and so she was alone raising the kids and she had four kids
and she had four kids and
and but
but people were getting starting to get
people were getting starting to get greedy with their food
greedy with their food and normally you would make sure that
and normally you would make sure that this family was provided for you would
this family was provided for you would want to make sure that they have meat
want to make sure that they have meat wild vegetables and berries and of
wild vegetables and berries and of course you know people always drop
course you know people always drop things off for them all the time and
things off for them all the time and they worked hard you know this family
they worked hard you know this family the single mother and her kids they
the single mother and her kids they worked hard picking berries and making
worked hard picking berries and making fished Nets and baskets and doing hides
fished Nets and baskets and doing hides and you know like they're busy you know
and you know like they're busy you know but they notice that over time the food
but they notice that over time the food got less and less
and it started to notice on their faces they're they're so skinny
they started to get really skinny and so the mother started to go around
and so the mother started to go around and ask the people
and ask the people you know I don't want to be a burden but
you know I don't want to be a burden but we noticed that there's lots of food
we noticed that there's lots of food around here can we have a little bit
around here can we have a little bit more
oh yeah you can have a little bit and they'd give them some but over time
and they'd give them some but over time if nothing worked before long that poor
if nothing worked before long that poor family was starving
family was starving you know they didn't have any food to
you know they didn't have any food to eat the people forgot to feed them
eat the people forgot to feed them the people forgot about the original
the people forgot about the original instructions
instructions which is to be nice and caring and
which is to be nice and caring and sharing with everybody
sharing with everybody and so this poor family started to
and so this poor family started to starve
starve not having enough food
not having enough food and so the oldest daughter
and so the oldest daughter you know start to take her portion of
you know start to take her portion of the food
the food and sneak it into her you know the other
and sneak it into her you know the other portions that were given
portions that were given and you know just to make sure that her
and you know just to make sure that her her sisters and her mom would eat
her sisters and her mom would eat and her mom would do the same her mom
and her mom would do the same her mom would take her portions and try to give
would take her portions and try to give them to her kids
them to her kids and
and that was sad
that was sad this is a sad story
this is a sad story it's a story when a family was starving
it's a story when a family was starving and nobody would help them
so finally the oldest sister says I'm gonna go walk
the oldest sister says I'm gonna go walk in the forest
in the forest and see if I can find some kind people
and see if I can find some kind people that'll be able to feed us
that'll be able to feed us these kids weren't very old
these kids weren't very old the oldest one was about 12 years old
the oldest one was about 12 years old it's even walking off into the forest
it's even walking off into the forest she didn't realize that the nearest
she didn't realize that the nearest Village was hundreds of miles away it
Village was hundreds of miles away it was a long ways away
was a long ways away you know what she didn't know
you know what she didn't know but she made a mistake by wandering off
but she made a mistake by wandering off and she laid there underneath this tree
and she laid there underneath this tree and day after day went by she got weaker
and day after day went by she got weaker and weaker
and weaker you know she couldn't eat anything
you know she couldn't eat anything finally all of a sudden
finally all of a sudden these stars came down from the sky at
these stars came down from the sky at night time
night time and they start to sing
[Music] he started dancing around her she's she
he started dancing around her she's she was smiling she was happy these stars
was smiling she was happy these stars were dancing all around her
were dancing all around her she couldn't believe it
she couldn't believe it all of a sudden
all of a sudden [Music]
[Music] she started to get raised these Stars
she started to get raised these Stars start to pick her up and they brought
start to pick her up and they brought her way up into the universe into the
her way up into the universe into the sky
sky and she she found herself in the star
and she she found herself in the star world
and they had a huge feast a beautiful feast
a beautiful feast every kind of food that you can imagine
every kind of food that you can imagine was there and she ate
was there and she ate and the star says the more that you eat
and the star says the more that you eat the more that your sisters and your your
the more that your sisters and your your mother is gonna have
mother is gonna have because we're gonna bring down as much
because we're gonna bring down as much as you eat to bring we're gonna bring it
as you eat to bring we're gonna bring it down to them
down to them so she ate Lots she ate lots of fish and
so she ate Lots she ate lots of fish and she ate Beaver meat and moose meat and
she ate Beaver meat and moose meat and deer and she ate all sorts of good
deer and she ate all sorts of good delicious wild vegetables corn and
delicious wild vegetables corn and squash and you name it she ate it
squash and you name it she ate it oh she was so full like her stomach was
oh she was so full like her stomach was just as
just as as hard as that
as hard as that if you were to knock on her stomach this
if you were to knock on her stomach this is how it sounded like
their stomach was so strong and they said we're gonna bring you back
and they said we're gonna bring you back down to the Earth and we're going to
down to the Earth and we're going to bring your family some food
bring your family some food and your family's gonna go tell the
and your family's gonna go tell the people what happened
people what happened we're gonna tell them everything the
we're gonna tell them everything the story of what happened and they brought
story of what happened and they brought that young lady all the way down to the
that young lady all the way down to the Earth and as she got lowered she started
Earth and as she got lowered she started to turn into a plant
and as she got to the Earth she was a beautiful flower
and that's the flower right there that's called the star flower
and a young woman says what we call it
a young woman says what we call it Ojibwe
Ojibwe but we noticed the star flower too
but we noticed the star flower too and of course the Stars visited that
and of course the Stars visited that the single mother and her children
the single mother and her children and brought them a lot of food
and brought them a lot of food and said don't worry
and said don't worry your your daughter's safe
your your daughter's safe she's going to live with us now
she's going to live with us now as a star on Earth
as a star on Earth but she'll always be with you
but she'll always be with you and of course they showed
and of course they showed this beautiful flower and so God will
this beautiful flower and so God will know that is your daughter now
know that is your daughter now and they were happy that she was taken
and they were happy that she was taken care of by the star people
care of by the star people and of course the Stars went off into
and of course the Stars went off into the village
you know it was wrong what you did was wrong
but you have to take care of your people you could not ignore them and let them
you could not ignore them and let them starve
starve always remember that we're watching
always remember that we're watching and
and that flower
that flower that plant
that plant she will always help you in your hunting
she will always help you in your hunting trips
trips she'll grow vast and mighty and she'll
she'll grow vast and mighty and she'll travel and multiply all over
when you're hunting take that plant
take that plant draw it over a fire
draw it over a fire smoke it in your pipes
smoke it in your pipes and blow the smoke on an animal Trail
when you blow that smoke on an animal Trail
Trail the animal will turn back and come to
the animal will turn back and come to you only use it when you're trying to
you only use it when you're trying to feed a family
feed a family a single parent family
a single parent family don't abuse that medicine
don't abuse that medicine but that young lady will be here forever
but that young lady will be here forever to help you
to help you to make sure that you can bring food to
to make sure that you can bring food to those that need it most
and that's what that medicine is used for so even today
for so even today sometimes when I have to go hunting for
sometimes when I have to go hunting for somebody maybe for a family that has no
somebody maybe for a family that has no food
food I'll take that flower
I'll take that flower and I'll smoke it
and I'll smoke it and I'll blow the smoke on an animal
and I'll blow the smoke on an animal track
track and pretty soon that animal will appear
and pretty soon that animal will appear because it knows it has to give its life
because it knows it has to give its life for the people
for the people and that's that's what I know that's
and that's that's what I know that's what I heard anyway
what I heard anyway and that's how that beautiful flower
and that's how that beautiful flower came to be and every time we see that
came to be and every time we see that flower we're again reminded
flower we're again reminded that we have to share what we have to
that we have to share what we have to those that don't have anything
those that don't have anything that's a responsibility of being a human
that's a responsibility of being a human it's a good way to be
it's a good way to be and so I want to take this time to thank
and so I want to take this time to thank all of you unfortunately our time has
all of you unfortunately our time has come to an end for now
come to an end for now but I'll be back I always come back
but I'll be back I always come back but I do want to thank you know
but I do want to thank you know everybody involved
everybody involved I want to thank you know the person
I want to thank you know the person that's actually running the zoom meeting
that's actually running the zoom meeting you know my good sister Jody for being
you know my good sister Jody for being so amazing I want to thank highness my
so amazing I want to thank highness my partners in this for helping
partners in this for helping and but most of all I want to thank all
and but most of all I want to thank all of the teachers and the students all the
of the teachers and the students all the kids watching
kids watching you know together when we share a part
you know together when we share a part of our history a part of Who We Are
of our history a part of Who We Are we get stronger we become more
we get stronger we become more connected
connected and if there's anything that I want us
and if there's anything that I want us to take out of this today is this to
to take out of this today is this to feel more connected with each other and
feel more connected with each other and with the Earth
with the Earth and to go away with a little bit of a
and to go away with a little bit of a responsibility to know that we have to
responsibility to know that we have to give
give to those that have less than us it's the
to those that have less than us it's the right thing to do
right thing to do if we see poor people let's give to them
if we see poor people let's give to them and so with that I want to thank all of
and so with that I want to thank all of you for taking the time to be here it's
you for taking the time to be here it's been a great honor it's been a pleasure
been a great honor it's been a pleasure and
and I didn't want this to end because I love
I didn't want this to end because I love these stories and so I'm very happy to
these stories and so I'm very happy to share them with you
share them with you and you can watch them over and over
and you can watch them over and over again too
again too so with that name
so with that name I will talk to all of you is later Chi
I will talk to all of you is later Chi Mig witch
Mig witch thank you
Click on any text or timestamp to jump to that moment in the video
Share:
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
One-Click Copy125+ LanguagesSearch ContentJump to Timestamps
Paste YouTube URL
Enter any YouTube video link to get the full transcript
Transcript Extraction Form
Most transcripts ready in under 5 seconds
Get Our Chrome Extension
Get transcripts instantly without leaving YouTube. Install our Chrome extension for one-click access to any video's transcript directly on the watch page.
