“Growth is more than a springtime flood, it’s a dance. Dance in all your seasons, my boy, and play the music loud.” —Where Wolves Don’t Die by Anton Treuer
Read MoreChoices, Luck, and Destiny: An Ojibwe Perspective on Shaping a Meaningful Life
Understanding History to Build a Better Future: Why Humanizing One Another Matters
Aabita-Niibino-giizis: The Ojibwe Word for July and What It Reveals About the Anishinaabe Calendar
Photo credit: Jaime Arsenault
One Ojibwe name for the month of July is Aabita-niibino-giizis.
Read MoreDid the Ojibwe Sell Their Land? Understanding Ojibwe Treaty Rights and Indigenous Concepts of Land Ownership
Indigenous Names, Identity, and Visibility: An Ojibwe Perspective on Sharing Native Names
We can be exactly who we are—exactly who the creator wanted us to be—and thrive. —Anton Treuer, The Cultural Toolbox: Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World
Read MoreWhy Oral History Matters: Understanding Native American History Through Indigenous Voices
“Indians. We are so often imagined and so infrequently well understood.” —Anton Treuer
Read MoreHealing Requires the Work: Why Reconciliation Is a Process, Not a Destination
Photo credit: Jaime Arsenault
“Reconciliation is not a spectator sport.”—Late Honorable Murray Sinclair
Read MorePracticing Humanity: Why Education Must Prepare Students for More Than Academic Success
“We all do better when we all do better.” Paul Wellstone
Read MorePlanting Seeds of Change: How Small Actions Can Transform Communities
Human Beings Are Hardwired for Connection: What Indigenous Knowledge Teaches Us About Belonging and Community
“We all do better when we all do better.” Paul Wellstone
Read MoreCeremonies and Community Well-Being: How Ojibwe Cultural Practices Strengthen Social Health
You are a complete, fully realized human being. You are a soul who has a body. You are the one your ancestors were praying for and waiting for through the generations. You have been given a unique set of gifts, and you yourself are a gift to the world. —Anton Treuer, The Cultural Toolbox: Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World
Read MoreGender Diversity and Indigenous Societies: What History Actually Tells Us →
George Catlin, Dance to the Berdash, 1835-1837
(Smithsonian American Art Museum & Renwick Gallery)
Read MoreOde'imin-giizis: The Strawberry Moon and the Ojibwe Word for June
Photo credit: Jaime Arsenault
Connection and culture live inside of us. Having a rich cultural life is not just about looking out and looking for; it is about looking within. We can do that where ever we live. The awakening is healing and empowering. —Anton Treuer, The Cultural Toolbox: Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World
Read MoreSuccess on Our Own Terms: Rediscovering Indigenous Ways of Living, Leading, and Thriving
You are a complete, fully realized human being. You are a soul who has a body. You are the one your ancestors were praying for and waiting for through the generations. You have been given a unique set of gifts, and you yourself are a gift to the world. —Anton Treuer, The Cultural Toolbox: Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World
Read MoreTraditional Foods, Health, and Survival: What Ojibwe History Can Teach Us Today
Photo credit: Jaime Arsenault
“At the ceremony, before we eat, the successful hunter shares the story of their kill. They transition from passive listeners to tellers of the story—from observers to carriers of tradition.” —Anton Treuer
Read MoreZaagibagaa-giizis: The Ojibwe Word for May and the Budding Moon
Photo credit: Jaime Arsenault
May reflects one of the most important signs of spring in Ojibwe country: the opening buds on trees, bushes, and plants after a long winter. —Anton Treuer
Read More“Water Is Life” in Ojibwe Culture: Meaning, Teachings, and Responsibility
Because water gives life, people also carry responsibilities toward it. —Anton Treuer
Read MoreRespect for Elders in Ojibwe Language and Culture
We don’t have souls. We are souls. We have bodies—for a little while. —Anton Treuer
Read MoreHealth, Healing, and Balance: An Ojibwe Perspective on Well-Being
We become like the people we spend time with. —Anton Treuer
Read MoreMoccasins, Babies, and Blessings in Ojibwe Culture
Photo credit: Jaime Arsenault
We have a saying in Ojibwe: “Apegish ge-bimaadiziyan biinish gashkitoosiwan geyaabi ji-zhaashaagamikawad miskomin.” It means “I hope that you live to be so old that you can’t even crush a raspberry between your gums.” It’s considered a blessing.
Anton Treuer, The Cultural Toolbox: Traditional Ojibwe Living in the Modern World
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