The power of a tree: why birch and its bark are so important to Anishinaabe culture | Wiigwaasabak
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2024
- Anishinaabe women share how the birch tree, its bark and the traditional crafts that come from this significant tree have transformed their lives. #CBCShortDocs #StoriesFromTheLand #Wiigwaasabak
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Helen Peltier, who is Anishinaabe from Fort William First Nation, has reconnected to her culture and community through the humble birch bark tree.
For Anishinaabe people, the birch tree is a cornerstone of the culture. For generations, birch bark has been used in many different applications. Learning about this tree, the seasons and how its parts all work together has re-connected Helen to the land and her community. Along with Audrey Duroy, a knowledge keeper, Helen strives for a deeper understanding about the tree of life: Wiigwaasabak.
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I'm from Michigan. I'm apache/Lakota but my closest indigenous influence besides my own dad are the Anishinaabe. If you know an Anishinaabe, you know that laughing together is a huge part of the culture. If you can't laugh and hunt, gather, craft, cook, etc, you are missing out on the best medicine. I love that no one mentioned this, but there is so much smiling here and so much giggling. Bless you all.
Very true! Been living with the Anishinaabe peoples in Northern Ontario for the last year and a half and never laughed so much! 😂
@@PlanetKarma 💖 That is awesome
@@RainCloud848 yes I feel so blessed! 💖☺
So true. My dad passed away and my mother's side just doesn't get our humor we shared
Kchi miigwetch
Good medicine
❤️ windgeather
I wish I had family that could teach me this culture. My family is so broken and I wish I could connect with people and learn more about where I came from. Thank you for this video. So beautiful.
Teach yourself hun. I am! CZcams is a great tool. You can learn anything and share it with others. We can use CZcams to learn to heal ourselves too with plant medicines. Foraging is a cool one to learn and it cures depression and anxiety. Btw my family is broken too. This is why i started learning this. You can find peace even all alone in a forest. I truly live the woods. Learn to find peace within yourself. Meditation is great too...same with Yoga and Qi Gong. All things we can learn on CZcams daily. Just because our family's are both broken, doesn't mean we have to be. Bless you! Sending positive vibes your way and wish you well.💗✌
Praying you will find those ceremonies and those teachings sister :)
Same . But I feel that the spirits of the land will reach out to help us heal if we have respect and sincerity . So many of us are lost children of lost tribes from every continent . Perhaps this is so that some day we will recognize that we are all one tribe .
@Blackthorn Sloe yes as a brother said "all humans we are the red blood tribe, we all bleed red" We're all connected! 🤍❤️💛🖤🌎🌍🌏
Love your sharing and your many gifts! Beautiful. Thank you. Appreciated. Women ROCK!!! Just divine!!! Much love...........hugs
My grandfather used birch to make snowshoes, paddles, are handles, tikinagan, and other things like shelves, boxes and other medicinal uses
And as look around the Birch is no longer found. The utility companies pretend to know. 🤔
I just want to share. I am a non-Indigenous Canadian. I am trying to make improvements in my life. I first learned about Anishinaabe peoples in university. My professor was part Anishinabee. I am rereading some notes and I just want to say I love the positivity of this culture. ‘Love yourself, others and your grounds’ really hits home for me. To me, it makes more sense than the ‘work hard play hard’ mentality of our current social climate. Very interesting way of looking at life!
When I was little I attended Red School House. I was always so happy when we got to go to sugar bush camp with Porky, Eddie, Chuck, Chaz (my area III teacher), and everyone.
As a kid you don’t know the importance of what you’re experiencing. Now, as an adult, I appreciate all of the teachings, stories, good times, memories made and our traditions that were passed down to us.
I’m blessed to have attended RSH for this and for so many reasons.
Megwech❤
Mentioning Red School House brings back a lot of memories..
Thanks for your comment
What a wonderful documentary! Thank you so much for producing it and sharing it! It's so good to listen to and watch relatives share some of this knowledge - very healing.
Thank you so very much for sharing your wisdom.
So interesting to see! I am from the northern Scandinavia and we use the Birch bark in very similar way for baskets, backpacks, knife sheets, knife handles, hats, shoes - you name it. We also make "horns" for traditional music. We also use it as waterproof sheet for our roof. Create birch tar for all sorts of uses. Use it to create fires. And so on and so on. Birch wood has been used for wide range of things as it is almost the only hardwood we have growing naturally here. We also use several different fungus living on birch (or in close proximity) for wide range of things. The young birch sappling are aslo used for weaving baskets and many other things.
Birch also have a very prominent part in our culture on a spiritual level and it has through history been a central point of cult. In several places it has symbolised Yggdrasil, the world tree ans seen as a gateway to the spiritworld through local "ward trees". We still use youn birch trees in the spring and the early summer as decoration to symbolising fertility, life and new happy beginings.
So it is very cool to see similar things being done half a world away :-)
Birch trees are my favourite, thank you!
Thank you. I feel honoured to have watched this. ❤️🇨🇦😘
I am not indigenous but I’m very interested in the culture. It’s very beautiful
Hi Professor Sayers, I would like to start off by saying that I am not Indigenous and I am not an original inhabitant of Turtle Island. At 2:48 the love story comment in the video...I found it amazing that the knowledge keeper can speak about her love story with nature and her love and admiration for the birch tree. One thing I admire about Indigenous culture is that everything to them has significant meanings. There are strong connections not only to the land they live on and are fighting for but also a connection and individual meaning towards everything and everything serves a purpose. I feel the Indigenous communities are more grateful for the land and everything in their lives than everyone else because they know how to show appreciation and are willing to share their knowledge with the rest of the world.
i love the laughter of Audry Leroy. she also got serious naturally. shes a good teacher.
I wish all my anishinaabe family didn't live out of state. my moms aunt is literally one of the reservations respected elders but I only see her maybe once a year. I feel so estranged from my culture being so far away from them, especially knowing they likely won't be alive when I finally am able to move out there. :(
Kwai, Omg. I love this. I was born in Laconia NH. I’m told I am Pennacook Pemigewasset from the Franklin River and Merrimack region peoples of Franklin and Concord NH. I’ve grown up in California, but the East Coast always feels like home. My family think I’m weird sometimes because I actively look for my paper birch relatives. They feel like family to me. And I hug them and thank them for their existence. Like you, no one taught me. I just feel it. One day we hiked at Enders in CT. We came across the largest paper birch I ever saw. I cried with joy and hugged her. I was grateful she was alive. But, two years later, I went again and she was gone. I looked for her remains. But saw very little. I cried and mourned her passing. I found another, smaller birch, close by and held it and cried. My sister understood I think. But my boyfriend thought I was a weirdo. Lol. I didn’t care. I love the birch. They are my relatives. And they are strong but fragile. They need each other. And with development, less thrive. So, to see even one standing tall is like seeing an old friend in my mind. A great leader, and an amazing gift before my eyes. Thank you for honoring our relations. Their lives matter so much A’ho🩶🤍💛
I live this life since I was a kid this is my home land its good to see the other people join I love my people and what you guys call white people they are our people too in this world I love everyone!!
Im drinking chaga while watching and my new born son is chilling in his birch bark wrap while I make my snake and watch this video
😍
I'm a Micmac, there used to be Birch Bark trees in the local cemetary. People don't realize, it was there for a reason ???
Thank you for the teaching much respect my friend
Man I love this.
Thank you for this - and thank you, Bess, for fighting and winning. Amazing.
00:03 Birch bark tree is a staple for Anishinaabe people
02:56 The birch tree holds great significance in Anishinaabe culture.
05:05 Harvesting and using birch bark in Anishinaabe culture
07:19 Birch and its bark have significant cultural and medicinal importance in Anishinaabe culture.
09:43 Birch and cedar trees are important for Anishinaabe culture and crafting.
11:55 Birch bark holds cultural significance in Anishinaabe culture
14:21 Connecting with ancestors and nature through cultural practices
16:51 Art as a means of cultural preservation and expression
18:56 Importance of birch bark in Anishinaabe culture
21:55 Birch trees and their bark hold great cultural significance in Anishinaabe culture
Thanks for Sharing , and teaching those that want to learn a Most important History and way of Life !
Your Energy Is very positive .
WHOA that birch that she is harvesting from looks so healthy. I wonder if this tree evolved to have it's bark removed and is having any difficulties due to the low harvests of it's bark.
I am from Karelia republic, ( in north Russia, near Finland) and birch bark was used for centuries there, but nowadays it is only and mainly for tourists …
Love your video❤ watching from Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬
I love all the tree on my property but I have a special love for my pretty birches. I have two large ones, under which I have made gardens, with seating so I can sit and relax. I’ve been researching lately the medicinal properties of various plants, including the birch, and I’m going to try to use some bark to make a salve. I also love learning about our indigenous cultures, and sometimes go to an Algonquin pow-wow held on a nearby reserve. It is terrible what was done to the native people of this land in the years past, but I hope we can all learn from the lessons the elders can teach if we open our hearts and minds.
Chi Miigwetch from California. 🧡💙💜
Chi miigwech ~ marsee! As an Anishinaabe person I love our trees!
Best video ever 💚
The locals where I live would call me a witch doctor.
i'm so proud to be annishinabe and wyandot nation🧡🧡🧡every child matter !!! it just suck i didn't had to chance to know my biological family cuz i got adopted by a white family and i didn't know who i was ! and now i know im so happy been 3 years i'm reconmecting 🧡🧡🧡🍂🍂🍂
Love it. I love the art. Amazing stuff
I love Birch since a child such an odd love with no innerstanding to why
But her Spirit brought me here. Ty
I'm part Potawatomi, and have always felt connected to the Birch. Came to find out as an adult looking into horoscope and birthstone stuff that it's actually my birth tree. Now my death plan includes being aquamated and having the biomass burried under a grove of Birches so I can continue to give life...
Birch is so cool irl and in mc
Helen, Bess and Audrey!!❤️❤️❤️
Chi Miigwetch! 💜💜💜🦅
Wiigwaasabak IS birch tree
the first poems or stories or lessons that i began to write about and such was on birch bark wirttien with a birch stick. i still have them somewhere. safe. i wrote then when i was up in ely MN. i was with a friend and his family who invited me to come along. i was at the age of probably 14 or 13.
i wanted to go on a hike alone into the woods this one day, so i went and did so, i came accross a fallen birch tree. i then scaned it over to aee if anything of interest would run accross my sight. i then looked up and pirced through the trees and could see the lake glissen in the distance, i admired the sence i was in. i then sat down and troe apart the birch bark from the tree. and i remebered reading something about ppl.writting and drawing on this. so i scaned for the right stixk to use. i then grabbed my knife i carry on me while always in the woods. its as sharp to split a hair. i then carved a point into this birch stick. i then sat down, looked around. i envisioned a scenario or maybe a just a regular vision. i wrote it down as a poem.
i want to find them agian. i miss that moment. someday it will return
Buen reportaje
Thank you
I love this so much ❤️ Boozhoo!
❤
They haven't put it back yet & I'm worried ???
This is wonderful thankyou for sharing your teachings.
My Great Great Grandmother was Turtle Island Indigenous so I really really feel what you guys are talking about.
I love Birch and have green eyes too Chi Miigwetch and blessings guys.
The white birch is dying off. Infested with a bug from Asia. We planted River Birch to replace the felled white birch last year. Looks very similar only instead of white curling bark it has silver curling bark.
I LOVE the silver birch tree! I'd like to know how they harvest such large pieces of silver birch bark without harming the tree
You have to do it right in the beginning of the growing season when the sap starts flowing back up through the tree and the cambium and bark layers become more pliable since they’re filled with the lifeblood of the tree again it isn’t dormant anymore at this time, just need to make a single incision down length of how much you want to harvest from the tree (try to make it near any knotted or gnarled areas so as to get the widest strips of unmarked bark) and peel, do a small test strip first and if it doesn’t peel right off first try you haven’t timed it or cut it right, I know 6 months later may not be much help but I hope now as we go into winter you can hold onto this knowledge and put it to use in the spring, best of luck :)
@@Caromaros Thanks for the reply, if I do try this jeez I'll be on tenterhooks, I really really wouldn't wanna harm a tree accidentally. Thankyou for spreading the knowledge.
When I was growing up there was this Birch tree in the cemetery; I used to watch it age. They never put it back...
Much gratitude from Wisconsin for creating this transgeneration film of wisdom. I am of the Odawa and Ojibwe...My great grandmother, Gladys Electa Dames, niece of our Andrew J Blackbird gave me great gifts, of which, I continue to try to understand. *bow* much respect.
They keep saying they're putting back, but where are the trees I remember ??? 🤔
Beatiful strong women. 💚
Now tomorrow my Mom doesn't know it but I'm thinking about making a burrito pie... 🤔
👍👍
Speaking as a colonizer, I find your ways both wonderous and wise and wish that we could incorporate these kinds of respectful and sustainable attitudes into everything we produce in society. Respect for the land, and for all it's creatures. Thank you for teaching us. ❤️
Imagine self identifying as something so awful. Have a little more self respect! You’re infinite awareness not a colonizer silly.
You specifically are not a colonizer. You were just part of the white race.
I love there is no word for art in their community, they have obviously seen the true art that surrounds us and is in all of us. Love this vid, thanks. 😊
I used to make healing salve ??? 🤔
My grandfather was a home steaders making most everything he needed the using anything that broke to make someone else I'm a great grandfather now and I was able to own the homestead sight I'm still finding signs of having made things on the place and the root cellar is still being used 🤠😊
💚 ☮
As a Micmac I didn't believe in getting fat & happy on Pot ???
Alright i think we need some hunting videos from my people as well, deer tastes incredible
Last sentence... did I miss what the word was?
EbidEL💕
I feel like it’s like kinda useful like I don’t know because like I’m not like anishinabe but like it looks very like traditional and like useful like you know?
❤❤❤❤❤❤👁❤❤❤❣❣
That's not a relationship she is killing the trees
the time of year she does it, it doesn't kill the tree. that part of the bark peels off. the cambium turns dark. and heals back over.
They do it in a way that it doesn't harm the tree