Onigamiising: Seasons of an Ojibwe Year

by Linda LeGarde Grover

Long before it came to be known as Duluth, the land at the western tip of Lake Superior was known to the Ojibwe as Onigamiising, "the place of the small portage." There the Ojibwe lived in keeping with the seasons, moving among different camps for hunting and fishing, for cultivating and gathering, for harvesting wild rice and maple sugar. In Onigamiising Linda LeGarde Grover accompanies us through this cycle of the seasons, one year in a lifelong journey on the path to Mino Bimaadiziwin, the living of a good life.

In fifty short essays, Grover reflects on the spiritual beliefs and everyday practices that carry the Ojibwe through the year and connect them to this northern land of rugged splendor. As the four seasons unfold—from Ziigwan (Spring) through Niibin and Dagwaagin to the silent, snowy promise of Biboon—the award-winning author writes eloquently of the landscape and the weather, work and play, ceremony and tradition and family ways, from the homey moments shared over meals to the celebrations that mark life's great events. Now a grandmother, a Nokomis, beginning the fourth season of her life, Grover draws on a wealth of stories and knowledge accumulated over the years to evoke the Ojibwe experience of Onigamiising, past and present, for all time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Indigenous, Essays, Memoir, Native American, Environment, Short Stories

200 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2017

About the author

Linda LeGarde Grover is a professor emeritus of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth. She is coauthor of A Childhood in Minnesota: Exploring the Lives of Ojibwe and Immigrant Families 1880–1920 and author of a poetry chapbook, The Indian at Indian School. Her 2010 book The Dance Boots won the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction as well as the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize. Her novel The Road Back to Sweetgrass is the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers 2015 fiction award recipient. Linda's poetry collection The Sky Watched: Poems of Ojibwe Lives has received the Red Mountain Press 2016 Editor's Award and the 2016 Northeastern Minnesota Book Award for Poetry. Grover’s essay collection Onigamiising: Seasons of an Ojibwe Year received the 2018 Minnesota Book Award for Memoir & Creative Nonfiction as well as the Northeastern Minnesota Book Award for Memoir, her novel In the Night of Memory the 2020 Northeastern Minnesota Book Award for fiction as well at the UPAA (Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association) U.P. Notable Book Award.

Grover is an enrolled member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe.

Reviews

[Nativida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Onishishin

[Kitty Crary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is the best one I have read in a long time. It is a combination of joy and sorrow, brokenness and ties that bind, kindness and indifference. The emphasis on raising children to practice gratitude, respect, modesty, and generosity was inspiring. Some of her memories echoed my own because we are a similar age, but others were unique to her and other Native Americans. I highly recommend this book. One of my favorite chapters was about making and drinking tea.

[Nostalgia Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Although this can be a relatively quick read, it's the type of book that benefits from being dipped in and out of, slowly working your way through the stories, and giving yourself time to reflect and think about some of the lessons that Grover shares.

Grover shares a variety of stories that she has compiled over the years. Some are funny recollections of childhood, some are traditional Ojibwe lessons and stories, some are simple reflections on the small things in life and how she has come to appreciate them. There are no sad stories in here, but so many of them reflect on how important it is to appreciate all things in life, from friends and relatives, to the tiniest, seemingly mundane things. They can all teach you things at some point and it's important to embrace these lessons, as well as to pass them on to younger generations.

While some of the stories did feel repetitive, since many of them were written as newspaper vignettes, I never got tired of "listening" to Grover's stories and style. Although I was unable to relate to many of the stories personally, the main reason for rounding this down to 3 stars, it didn't detract from my enjoyment and appreciation of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy to review!

(Cross posted on my blog.)

[Eric Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pleasure to read. Read more about it at the link to my short book review: http://www.startribune.com/readers-re...

[Kyera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of tales from Onigamiising! Linda LeGarde Grover has a frank and honest way of telling us stories and recounting the cultural ways of the Ojibwe. It is reminiscent of stories I have heard from elders in my local area of Manitoulin Island (part of the area covered by the Three Fires Confederacy). In this regard, having this collection available for my students to read would be fantastic.

Thank you for sharing your memories and your knowledge with the public Professor Grover!

[Alex Westenhaver-Loretz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not an action book. In fact there is not a lot of action at all. It provides a glimpse at the author's world and the path her people have taken and have been forced to take. It is a remembrance of past traditions and passing them to the next generation. It is a slow moving, heartfelt short stories. The author highlights similarities to present days and to her past. How her memories connect to the current generation.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book--it was good for my spirit. I'm glad to have learned a word--onishishin--that I will carry with me, thanks to the way it was taught throughout the book, both in the chapter defining it and in later stories. I feel like I now know what onishisin means to the author, and I also have a personal connection to the concept. Migwech.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a calmness to Linda LeGarde Grover's writing. Her recollections and insights into Ojibwa life in northern Minnesota gives the reader pause to reflect and enjoy the beauty of nature, family, and tradition.

[Larissa Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a single story in this book did I hate reading. Even the stories that touch on difficult subjects like blood quantum and Indian identity came back around to hope, an important perspective for Indigenous people to have in today's world. I will pick this book up again and again.

[Anne Nerison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Onigamiising is a lovely collection of essays about Duluth, Ojibwe culture and history, and navigating the seasons as an Ojibwe woman. Linda LeGarde Grover weaves history and her own memories into these essays, teaching us how to "live the good life" and be thankful for the opportunities given to us.

At first I was a little annoyed by the repetition of some phrases and elements, such as defining the same Ojibwe words throughout and telling the history of the Indian boarding schools (I wonder if these were originally written as newspaper columns), but after a while I began to enjoy the rhythm of it. It's soothing, in some ways, the beat of ending some essays with "Onishishin" (a word for which there is no direct English translation but roughly means "it's pretty"), or being reminded of "Mino-bimaaadiziwin," "the good life." Less of a comfort but no less important are the reminders of the US and Canada's policies of termination of the Native American people. Throughout, we are confronted with the reality of children sent away from their parents and forced to give up important aspects of their culture, and the inter-generational trauma that has resulted. Even so, LeGarde Grover paints an optimistic picture for the future of Ojibwe people, telling of powwows, the winter tradition of storytelling, making ribbon skirts with teenage girls, and teaching younger generations traditional ways of acting and being.

I recommend taking your time with this book, letting the stories sit with you. It's sort of a calming book, and perfect to read as we change seasons from summer into fall.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really lovely (and at times, wistful) collection of essays. It's broken into four sections based on the seasons of the year and life, and ends in winter, which was perfect for when I picked it up.

There was quite a bit of repetition, which I get given these were originally standalone pieces, but having taken this out from the library (and pushing to meet my reading goal for the year) I didn't have the luxury to read a few and then come back to it in a few weeks, which would have been ideal.

That said, it was thoughtfully written and I never got bored of seeing what bit of life Grover would focus on next. 3.5 stars.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book almost convinced me to try making a quilt. Take that as encouragement or warning, as you see fit.

I picked this up for my sister, but as I was glancing through it found myself compulsively reading more. I now kind of want my own copy too, because reading seasons in the wrong time of year felt like I was doing it wrong, and I want to to-read them in the right times!

[M. Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much

[G Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grover short, little chapters read like newspaper columns from your favorite auntie. Sometimes very light and sweet, sometimes serious stories of Ojibwe history, and always with Ojibwe words and culture (historical and contemporary) mixed it. I pick it up and read a few at a time, and always learn something new.
Enjoyable reading to have on the shelf and pick up as the seasons change.

[Carla Homeister · Rating 5 out of 5]

This sublime collection of essays takes us through a traditional Ojibwe year, beginning with Zigwan (spring), followed by Niibin, and Dagwaagin, until we reach Biboon (winter), one year in the life-long journey on the path to Mino Bimaadiziwin, the living of a good life. These fifty short pieces are part Native American history, part cultural history of Grover’s own tribe, part personal history, and part instruction manual; there are several recipes included and directions for how to crochet rugs, potholders, and a baby blanket. The tone throughout the book is peaceful and harmonious, and each essay is only 3-5 pages long. A quick read, informative, and it has helped me to understand Native American culture more than I did before.

[Deb M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to learn the Native American story, you must spread your reading from the historical narrative to the modern day narrative. I believe Linda LeGarde Grover is an excellent place to begin. In Onigamiising, you will find insight into a Native American, mother, grandmother, and educator. In other of her books, you will find an accurate story of a Native American woman with alcohol issues, giving up her daughters and that same night losing her life. You will then follow the journey of her two daughters given up to the foster system. This will give you another piece of what it means to be Native American. Like any racial groups, there are many stories and Linda LeGarde Grover will show another facet of the Native American narrative.

[Mary Aalgaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gift Linda LeGarde Grover has given us with her stories. Onigamiising is a collection of short stories and essays about her life, Ojibwe life and history, arranged in seasons. I learned so much from reading this book. We read it for book club, and the author attended via zoom. She is a delightful, positive person, who is generous with her stories and time. Our library had the book as a book club bag. I plan to buy a copy for myself and to share with my mom.

PS: I did buy the book, and read more of her stories. I especially enjoy LeGarde’s focus on family, the generations, and passing down of tradition. Highlighting how devastating it was to forcibly remove children from their families in an attempt to destroy their language and culture.

[Sierra Takushi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gift! To sit down with these pages of memories, histories, and lessons, as if sitting down at the feet of an Anishinaabeg elder at the turn of Biboon! So beautifully crafted and grounding. LeGarde Grover graces us with wisdom and lovely vignettes of family&Ojibwe values. I feel so honored to now know a little more about the Native people of the place I call home, and to see Minnesota seasons with a new perspective!

[Jessica McMahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a calm, moving look at Ojibwe culture and traditions. It made me want to sit and talk with the author over a cup of coffee. One of the other reviews I saw mentioned the word lovely and I think that fits this book perfectly.

[Sherri Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book was like sitting around the kitchen table with the author having a great conversation with her. I was moving, informative and funny.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up in New Mexico learning about Navajo, Pueblo, and Apache Indians. Now, living in Minnesota it was interesting to me to read the reflections of this Ojibwe Indian woman. She makes me appreciate the Ojibwe culture in modern-day life. Her series of vignettes would have been more meaningful if accompanied by pictures of the ribbon dresses, rabbit skin baby blankets, and moccasins she describes. I was struck by her tone when she mentioned the Indian boarding school era because although she expressed sadness she did not come across as bitter or angry at what the US government did that caused what she referred to as “intergenerational trauma.” I loved her use of Ojibwe phrases throughout the book. I picked this up as part of the library’s summer reading challenge to read a book by a Minnesota author and I’m glad I read it.

[John Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book includes many short essays (more like newspaper columns) that follow the seasons around Duluth (Onigamiising in the Ojibwe language). The short essays are generally gentle, slices of life from an Ojibwe grandmother living in Duluth. I am not used to Native American writing that is as gentle as this, but most Native Americans that I have met and dealt with in Minnesota, have this same gentle spirit that Linda LeGarde Grover writes in in these essays. She deals with some very hard parts of Ojibwe history here in Minnesota, including the boarding school years, but does it with such gentleness that it sometimes loses its impact. I have liked all her books, but this one has a little bit different flavor than her other two books, that were maybe a little bit more hard-hitting.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of simple stories and remembrances, full of wonderful turns of phrase and memory and history and culture. The focus on Duluth and the seasons gives it a nice local feel, but the best part is just the explanations of Ojibwe cultural practices with a sense of how they've changed over time. But it's a story your grandmother would tell, not a rote history lesson. It's intriguing how often the Indian boarding schools are mentioned, an intergenerational trauma that many of us might remember as old history, forgetting how it continues to have an impact.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such an engaging read and I found myself hooked from beginning to end. It reminded me of a mix of memoir, diary, anecdotes about Native American history, traditions carried throughout generations, generational trauma and the beauty of enjoying nature as well as time with family.

I highly recommend checking out this book which also had some recipes and several Ojibwe words as well as pronunciations.

Trigger warnings: Indian boarding schools, generational trauma, affects of drug use, lost of some Native American traditions

[Betharie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book by Ojibwa woman growing up in Duluth-wonder if Elsa went to school with her. Very gentle narrative, lovely sharing of perspective, traditions of family as well as recounting the harm done to Indians by federal government policy that separated and displaced families. A series of essays written over a year, so some redundancy, but enjoyable.

[Jessi Riel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book while traveling through Duluth (called Onigamiising in the Ojibwe language), the author being from Duluth and of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe. Her memories and storytelling provided some really lovely and informative context to traveling in Ojibwe land, and I’m really glad I came across her work.

[Heidi Bakk-Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little book of essays, which were probably columns for a newspaper, but having been reading the DNT since 1995, I don't think they appeared there, which is a shame. I would have learned more about Duluth if they had. (Heffernan was okay--though goofy-- but these should have appeared on alternate weeks.)

[Angelina V · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It’s full of warmth and hope for the future. It discusses the Ojibwe traditions of living a good life, intergenerational honor and gratitude and the devastating effects of boarding schools. I wish more people shared philosophy with the Ojibwe and were kinder to each other and the world around them.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books works best by being read slowly, even though each story can be read fairly quickly. It is always intriguing to see how different people look at and experience the world. There are definitely some memorable quotes that make me think deeply and gratefully about my life.

[Jenny Knipfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this memoir immensely. It took me into life as an Ojibwe, and I gleaned some helpful information, which will assist me in my writing as I craft my current tale around an Ojibwe woman from the 1860's.