A Word -- Aadizookaan

by Gregory Hermann

A WORD

James Vukelich 12-17-2020

Aadizookaan

A sacred story or a spirit

A story traditionally told during the winter. The cold sends many life forms out of our location or in hibernation. These offer times of stillness, openness, learning.

A time for hearing the sacred stories.

The word for ‘sacred story’ is the same word for ‘spirit’.

This ‘expression’ is animate, an expression of life. Given the same respect as I do all of my relatives.

Tobacco is offered to the ones who are absent – those who have flown south, those who are asleep, to the story teller and their ancestors.

These are the stories of how we came to be. This requires a moment of sanctity. We are becoming the life givers as we are creating and passing on this good life – mino bimaadiziwin.

GIZHEWAADISI TAADIDAA

Let us help each other live lives of kindness.

AADIIZOOKAAN

A sacred story

A spirit