Oct10

gichi-gami.

Posted on by
Standard

Ojibwe entering the gichi-gami

(artist unknown)

In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day

City of Ann Arbor Land Acknowledgment: 

Equity and justice are at the center of our city’s critical principles. In that light, we’d like to take a moment to honor the geographic and historic space we share. We acknowledge that the land the City of Ann Arbor occupies is the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – (including Odawa, Ojibwe and Boodewadomi) and Wyandot peoples. We further acknowledge that our City stands, like almost all property in the United States, on lands obtained, generally in unconscionable ways, from indigenous peoples. The taking of this land was formalized by the Treaty of Detroit in 1807. Knowing where we live, work, study, and recreate does not change the past, but a thorough understanding of the ongoing consequences of this past can empower us in our work to create a future that supports human flourishing and justice for all individuals.

 Lake Michigan is named after the Ojibwe word “mishigami” which means “large water” or “large lake.”

Also known as Michigamme/”mishigamaa” meaning “great water“, also etymology for state of Michigan.

The Great Lakes were called  “gichi-gami” (from Ojibwe gichi “big, large, great”; gami “water, lake, sea”).

—

“man belongs to the earth, the earth does not belong to man.”

-ojibwe saying

 

—

credits: project.geo.msu.ed, city of ann arbor, ann arbor public libraries

57 responses »

  11. Pingback: gichi-gami. – HOODISHCLOTHING@GMAIL.COM

  20. “On the shores of Gitche Gumee,
    Of the shining Big-Sea-Water,
    Stood Nokomis, the old woman,
    Pointing with her finger westward,
    O’er the water pointing westward,
    To the purple clouds of sunset.” Until now, I thought Glitch Gumee was a made up thing. Thank you.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

  21. With you all the way on this one. To not acknowledge or condone these travesties toward indigenous people is wrong. I never understand why some take it as a personal attack when people point out these atrocities.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓

  25. Oh wow – I always thought it would do us good to listening a bit more to those ancestors! They were right about just about everything. In my younger times I visited the Hopi Reservation in NE Arizona and we acquired some typical goods they sold. We were astonished at how knowing and truly down-to-earth they were. Then we thought they were probably also naïf but quickly I realised they were WISE. Only the internet brought us much more knowledge and I am in awe of all those American ancestors’ wisdom.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply ↓

Leave a reply to beth Cancel reply