Only-in-winter stories pass on Ojibwe spiritual teachings netscape.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from netscape.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The two-dozen schoolchildren sat in a circle for about an hour, enthralled, as Gordon Jourdain regaled them with tales of the Creator and the origins of their Ojibwe people. As the session wound down, one boy raised his hand and asked, to a chorus of giggles, "How did girls come to be on the planet?"
GRAND PORTAGE, Minn. (AP) The two-dozen schoolchildren sat in a circle for about an hour, enthralled, as Gordon Jourdain regaled them with tales of the
Oral storytelling is crucial to the spiritual traditions of the Ojibwe people of the Upper Midwest and Canada, as is the case with other Native American cultures. Believed to be a gift from the Creator, the ritual telling of stories about creation, spirits and ceremonies helps keep Ojibwe cultural worldviews, ethical teachings and religious experiences alive across generations. Many stories can only be told in winter, when many of nature's creatures rest under a blanket of snow and spirits are less likely to act if offended. Storyteller Gordon Jourdain says it's his role to impart these teachings to younger generations who will carry on the tradition.