Ojibway Ceremonies

by Basil Johnston

The Ojibway Indians were first encountered by the French early in the seventeenth century along the northern shores of Lakes Huron and Superior. By the time Henry Wadsworth Longfellow immortalized them in The Song of Hiawatha, they had dispersed over large areas of Canada and the United States, becoming known as the Chippewas in the latter. A rare and fascinating glimpse of Ojibway culture before its disruption by the Europeans is provided in Ojibway Ceremonies by Basil Johnston, himself an Ojibway who was born on the Parry Island Indian Reserve. Johnston focuses on a young member of the tribe and his development through participation in the many rituals so important to the Ojibway way of life, from the Naming Ceremony and the Vision Quest to the War Path, and from the Marriage Ceremony to the Ritual of the Dead. In the style of a tribal storyteller, Johnston preserves the attitudes and beliefs of forest dwellers and hunters whose lives were vitalized by a sense of the supernatural and of mystery. 

Genres: Indigenous, Nonfiction, Native American

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Basil H. Johnston (13 July 1929 to 8 September 2015) was a Canadian writer, storyteller, language teacher and scholar.

For his work in preserving Ojibwa language and culture, he received the Order of Ontario and Honorary Doctorates from the University of Toronto and Laurentian University. Basil also received the Aboriginal Achievement Award for Heritage and Spirituality.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Freya Abbas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful stories. I particularly liked the chapter on marriage stories. I like how this book followed an Ojibway boy throughout various stages in his life. The ending was quite sad though. I really liked Basil Johnston’s writing style and I have also read some of his other books (Ojibway Heritage, The Manitous and Moose Meat And Wild Rice).

[Sherri Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the stories. Wish it went a little deeper.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good telling of Anishinaabek tradition and beliefs.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughtfully written stories capturing traditions and ceremonies. Really enjoyed the Vision Quest as it gave me a deeper understanding of what that actually was and what it meant.