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Night Flying Woman: An Ojibway Narrative
With the art of a practiced storyteller, Ignatia Broker recounts the life of her great-great-grandmother, Night Flying Woman, who was born in the mid-19th century and lived during a chaotic time of enormous change, uprootings, and loss for the Minnesota Ojibwe. But this story also tells of her people's great strength and continuity.
135 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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759 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
December 25, 2016
I fortunately picked up this book at Oceti Sakowin Camp in Standing Rock. This Ojibway great grandmother's narrative of colonization as it happened to her family, step by step is both infuriating, but also beautiful in the way that she never let go of her power in knowing and respecting the old ways. It's very gently told but I couldn't help but quake with anger at the horrible things white people forced Native people to do like send their kids from the forest to boarding school, or renounce their medicine and medics while their people died of white people's diseases and bad diets. How will this country every atone and heal from all it's so intensely grave wrongs?!
My favorite quote from the book: "She was a Dreamer and her power was respected." Imagine if that was our world today...
My favorite quote from the book: "She was a Dreamer and her power was respected." Imagine if that was our world today...
December 17, 2020
Will be thinking about this book the rest of my life.
April 19, 2024
I originally thought I hated this book, but upon reflection, I just hated the teacher who was making me read it, so I started to hate the book.
June 24, 2019
Good read. Paints a good picture of the changes a culture can experience in one lifetime. The good, bad, & drastic shifts. Often forced upon a people.
September 24, 2023
Beautiful way to tell a heart breaking story
May 12, 2025
I enjoyed the opportunity to look into and to learn about another culture and way of life. I enjoyed the intimate, honest style of writing and the acknowledged complexity of colonization.
November 14, 2025
It was a little confusing but it offered good insight into the life of the Ojibway.
July 15, 2020
So many emotions felt reading this book but how shameful many of us knew nothing about the US-Dakota war in 1862. I’m learning daily that the history I learned is not the history of those who lived it and share their stories.
July 25, 2024
Very good account of Ojibway culture.
January 31, 2025
Heartbreaking, hopeful
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December 14, 2012This book is a true story about a women who is known by many MN Ojibwe people today as Night Flyin Woman or Oona. The book recounts many important events in Night Flying Woman's life. She lived during the mid 19th century during a time of much change. Many of the changes that Night Flying Women saw in her life time were brought on by contact with the European settlers. The book really gives the reader insight into the lives of the first Native American who faced assimilation and culture shock. If were to use this book in my classroom, I would use it to teach students about what life was like for many Native Amerian people during the mid 19th century and how that influenced the lives of so many Native American people today.
April 3, 2010
That the dreams of a child are very important in the Anishinaabe culture.
November 5, 2008
I love this book. A beautiful gift for the 7th generation of Ojibwe people.
April 12, 2019
I've had this book for years and never read it. It was a worthwhile read. I live in Anishinaabe territory, in Northern Ontario, just north of what is now Minnesota, where the story takes place. I am always looking to learn more about Anishinaabe culture, as a settler of primarily mixed European ancestry living among Anishinaabe people on their traditional territory. I learned quite a few things I didn't know about traditional ceremonies. I loved the inclusion of Anishinaabemowin words throughout the story - helps to learn them.
The author, Ignatia Broker, tells the story of her great-great-grandmother Nibowisegwe (Night Flying Woman, also known as Oona) as told to her by her grandmother - passed on in oral tradition. Oona, born around 1860, recalls her early life living in the traditional Anishinaabe way according to the seasons, harvesting manoomin (wild rice), miinan (blueberries), and other wild foods and herbs and medicines, hunting, and trapping. It tells of Oona participating in a rite of passage when she reaches womanhood that involves going into the forest to dream and having visions that let her family know she is going to have special abilities. Throughout the story, Oona's dreams and visions guide her and her family in their decisions. The story describes the practice of laying down kinikanik (willow tobacco) in thanks to the manidoo, and the ceremonies of naming and death. It was interesting to see a pre-contact way of life depicted.
This way of life, however, does not last, because despite trying to keep their distance from white settlers when they first hear of them, Oona's family is eventually asked to sign treaty papers and join the White Earth Ojibway reservation. They do this fairly willingly, accepting that they will have to adapt to new ways. One take away from this book for me was that the problem was not necessarily having new tools, or even new traditions, but being made to give up the old ones entirely. Oona's clan is interested in learning English, to read, write, sew; to learn new building methods, cooking and preservation methods; and even to learn about Christianity. But they would like to learn these new things and also be able to retain their spiritual practices (e.g. around naming and death); the wisdom of their medicine people the Midewiwin; their language; their dances; their relationship to the land which is grounded in the harvesting of traditional foods and medicines. The problem is they are not given a choice in what they can take from European culture and what they can retain from their own culture. There are laws forbidding traditional food gathering and ceremonies, displacement from traditional territories, and residential schools that alienate children from their languages and cultures. The full impact of residential schools is also not explored here - there are no tales of the abuse many suffered.
It was a sad story, because of all of the loss, both of traditional ways, and loss of life through diseases or in accidents in logging work many Anishinaabe men took up. That said, it ended on a hopeful note with the continuance of traditions and the keeping of stories despite great odds.
The author, Ignatia Broker, tells the story of her great-great-grandmother Nibowisegwe (Night Flying Woman, also known as Oona) as told to her by her grandmother - passed on in oral tradition. Oona, born around 1860, recalls her early life living in the traditional Anishinaabe way according to the seasons, harvesting manoomin (wild rice), miinan (blueberries), and other wild foods and herbs and medicines, hunting, and trapping. It tells of Oona participating in a rite of passage when she reaches womanhood that involves going into the forest to dream and having visions that let her family know she is going to have special abilities. Throughout the story, Oona's dreams and visions guide her and her family in their decisions. The story describes the practice of laying down kinikanik (willow tobacco) in thanks to the manidoo, and the ceremonies of naming and death. It was interesting to see a pre-contact way of life depicted.
This way of life, however, does not last, because despite trying to keep their distance from white settlers when they first hear of them, Oona's family is eventually asked to sign treaty papers and join the White Earth Ojibway reservation. They do this fairly willingly, accepting that they will have to adapt to new ways. One take away from this book for me was that the problem was not necessarily having new tools, or even new traditions, but being made to give up the old ones entirely. Oona's clan is interested in learning English, to read, write, sew; to learn new building methods, cooking and preservation methods; and even to learn about Christianity. But they would like to learn these new things and also be able to retain their spiritual practices (e.g. around naming and death); the wisdom of their medicine people the Midewiwin; their language; their dances; their relationship to the land which is grounded in the harvesting of traditional foods and medicines. The problem is they are not given a choice in what they can take from European culture and what they can retain from their own culture. There are laws forbidding traditional food gathering and ceremonies, displacement from traditional territories, and residential schools that alienate children from their languages and cultures. The full impact of residential schools is also not explored here - there are no tales of the abuse many suffered.
It was a sad story, because of all of the loss, both of traditional ways, and loss of life through diseases or in accidents in logging work many Anishinaabe men took up. That said, it ended on a hopeful note with the continuance of traditions and the keeping of stories despite great odds.
September 22, 2025
Ignatia Broker’s Night Flying Woman is a moving and vital narrative that tells the story of her great-great-grandmother, Oona (Night Flying Woman), whose life bridged the world of traditional Ojibway culture and the devastating impacts of colonial encroachment in the United States. Through stories passed down, the book preserves memories of deep connection to the land, language, and lifeways that colonialism sought to erase.
As an enrolled member of the Sac and Fox Tribe of Oklahoma—whose people were also forced from their homelands in Michigan—I felt this story deeply. My own grandfather was taken from his family, placed in a residential school, and later adopted into a white family. Though he was fortunate to be placed with people who helped him reconnect with his identity, reading Oona’s story made me grieve the traditions, histories, and cultivation that were stolen and beaten out of so many of us.
What struck me most in this book was the way Oona’s life reflects both resilience and loss. Her connection to the land is profound, a reminder of the beauty and wisdom that colonialism sought to sever. Broker’s work is not only a preservation of her ancestor’s story but also a call to all of us in Indian Country to reclaim our languages, teachings, and traditions before they are lost.
For me, this book is part of my own journey of reconnection. I want to do my ancestors justice, to live in a way that honors them, and to help ensure the old ways are carried forward. I hope more of our people feel that same yearning—to learn the languages so few speak, to practice the ceremonies nearly forgotten, and to heal from the harms of colonialism.
Night Flying Woman is more than history—it is a mirror, a warning, and a promise. I hope for the day when colonialism no longer defines Indian Country, and stories like Oona’s remind us that such a future is possible if we keep the old ways alive.
Even in the midst of deep sadness, this book left me with hope—the hope that our people will continue to rise, to speak our languages, to honor our ancestors, and to walk once again in the old ways.
A'ho
As an enrolled member of the Sac and Fox Tribe of Oklahoma—whose people were also forced from their homelands in Michigan—I felt this story deeply. My own grandfather was taken from his family, placed in a residential school, and later adopted into a white family. Though he was fortunate to be placed with people who helped him reconnect with his identity, reading Oona’s story made me grieve the traditions, histories, and cultivation that were stolen and beaten out of so many of us.
What struck me most in this book was the way Oona’s life reflects both resilience and loss. Her connection to the land is profound, a reminder of the beauty and wisdom that colonialism sought to sever. Broker’s work is not only a preservation of her ancestor’s story but also a call to all of us in Indian Country to reclaim our languages, teachings, and traditions before they are lost.
For me, this book is part of my own journey of reconnection. I want to do my ancestors justice, to live in a way that honors them, and to help ensure the old ways are carried forward. I hope more of our people feel that same yearning—to learn the languages so few speak, to practice the ceremonies nearly forgotten, and to heal from the harms of colonialism.
Night Flying Woman is more than history—it is a mirror, a warning, and a promise. I hope for the day when colonialism no longer defines Indian Country, and stories like Oona’s remind us that such a future is possible if we keep the old ways alive.
Even in the midst of deep sadness, this book left me with hope—the hope that our people will continue to rise, to speak our languages, to honor our ancestors, and to walk once again in the old ways.
A'ho
April 26, 2020
In Night Flying Woman, Ignatia Broker recounts the life of her great-great-grandmother, Night Flying Woman, from her naming ceremony to her role as elder and teacher. Night Flying Woman, also named Oona, was born in the mid-nineteenth century and lived through one of the most culturally disruptive periods of time in Native American history. In 1851, Congress passed the Indian Appropriations Act which created the Indian reservation system and moved tribes off of their land, opening up large areas of land to white settlers. Soon the Ojibway, who led a life dictated by the seasons, in harmony with the land and animals, would be cut off from the lakes where they fished and harvested wild rice, the sugar bush where they harvested sap for maple syrup, and the forests where they trapped rabbits and hunted deer. In the foreword, Patricia Fairbanks Molin quotes from a history of the White Earth Reservation, as lumber companies desired to strip the forests, “It seemed absurd (to them) that less than 2,000 people should occupy 800,000 acres of land of so great value both for agriculture and for standing pine.”
The result was the mutilation of the White Earth Reservation. Land that was held cooperatively by the tribe was allotted to individual members. Sold off or diminished in size through succeeding treaties, the area occupied by the Ojibway became only a fraction of the original.
Oona’s family adapted to the practices taught by the white settlers. Many of the Ojibway men worked for the lumber companies and the women learned to farm and raise animals. But Oona was taught to hold on to the old ways as well.
“. . . you must remember all the good our people have known and taught,” her grandparents said, “Compare it to what you are now learning. Do not be ashamed of the good that we have taught and do not be ashamed of the good to be learned. Our way of life is changing, and there is much we must accept. But let it be only the good. And we must always remember the old ways. We must pass them on to our children and grandchildren . . .”
I read Night Flying Woman after reading Staci Drouillard’s Walking the Old Road and Louise Erdrich’s The Night Watchman. This trifecta of books left me feeling ashamed of this part of our American history, yet in awe of the spirit and resilience of the Anishinaabe people. If you are interested in Native American history, I recommend reading these companion books for a deeper experience.
This is Lin Salisbury with Superior Reviews. Listen to my author interviews and read all my reviews at www.superiorreads.blog and at https://www.wtip.org/superior-reads-0
The result was the mutilation of the White Earth Reservation. Land that was held cooperatively by the tribe was allotted to individual members. Sold off or diminished in size through succeeding treaties, the area occupied by the Ojibway became only a fraction of the original.
Oona’s family adapted to the practices taught by the white settlers. Many of the Ojibway men worked for the lumber companies and the women learned to farm and raise animals. But Oona was taught to hold on to the old ways as well.
“. . . you must remember all the good our people have known and taught,” her grandparents said, “Compare it to what you are now learning. Do not be ashamed of the good that we have taught and do not be ashamed of the good to be learned. Our way of life is changing, and there is much we must accept. But let it be only the good. And we must always remember the old ways. We must pass them on to our children and grandchildren . . .”
I read Night Flying Woman after reading Staci Drouillard’s Walking the Old Road and Louise Erdrich’s The Night Watchman. This trifecta of books left me feeling ashamed of this part of our American history, yet in awe of the spirit and resilience of the Anishinaabe people. If you are interested in Native American history, I recommend reading these companion books for a deeper experience.
This is Lin Salisbury with Superior Reviews. Listen to my author interviews and read all my reviews at www.superiorreads.blog and at https://www.wtip.org/superior-reads-0
October 30, 2025
a few thoughts...
-The narrative structure resembles oral storytelling, which leads to a less evidence or hard fact based approach and more of an approach that gives the listener a sense of story and how that story applies to them in their current era.
-Ojibwe culture is matrilineal, so women seem to have more respect given to them. They are viewed as essential contributors to the family and clan. This is reminiscent of pre-Renaissance Europe, when women also worked to take care of the home, children, and garden, while men, like in Ojibwe culture, worked further from home. This is also in line with a non-Aristotelian view, since it was the revival of Aristotle in Renaissance Italy that produced the European view of “women as passive/weak”. Of course, the Ojibwe didn’t have Aristotle, so they wouldn’t follow that view and women would remain active players in society.
-In Ojibwe culture, there is no separation between the sacred and the secular, so all of Ojibwe life revolves around spirituality. Characters never question whether the spiritual world is real, and materialism isn’t a concept in their worldview. One specific use of spirituality is that tobacco was offered at each stopping place during the journey.
-It seems that the more entwined Oona and her family were in white culture, the less natural elements were mentioned, whereas in the beginning of the book, there were many mentions of the animals as brothers and depictions of the sacredness of the natural world.
-I think it really stood out to me how dangerous the work was that Ojibwe men were able to get. It wasn’t just manual labor, it was the most dangerous manual labor, but it was the only thing they could get hired to do. This really emphasized the bias towards them, and made me wonder how this is still an issue today, with a bias towards ethnicity and educational background in different fields.
-The narrative structure resembles oral storytelling, which leads to a less evidence or hard fact based approach and more of an approach that gives the listener a sense of story and how that story applies to them in their current era.
-Ojibwe culture is matrilineal, so women seem to have more respect given to them. They are viewed as essential contributors to the family and clan. This is reminiscent of pre-Renaissance Europe, when women also worked to take care of the home, children, and garden, while men, like in Ojibwe culture, worked further from home. This is also in line with a non-Aristotelian view, since it was the revival of Aristotle in Renaissance Italy that produced the European view of “women as passive/weak”. Of course, the Ojibwe didn’t have Aristotle, so they wouldn’t follow that view and women would remain active players in society.
-In Ojibwe culture, there is no separation between the sacred and the secular, so all of Ojibwe life revolves around spirituality. Characters never question whether the spiritual world is real, and materialism isn’t a concept in their worldview. One specific use of spirituality is that tobacco was offered at each stopping place during the journey.
-It seems that the more entwined Oona and her family were in white culture, the less natural elements were mentioned, whereas in the beginning of the book, there were many mentions of the animals as brothers and depictions of the sacredness of the natural world.
-I think it really stood out to me how dangerous the work was that Ojibwe men were able to get. It wasn’t just manual labor, it was the most dangerous manual labor, but it was the only thing they could get hired to do. This really emphasized the bias towards them, and made me wonder how this is still an issue today, with a bias towards ethnicity and educational background in different fields.
July 11, 2017
An Ojibwa narrative about how life changed for one family when reservations were established in the late 1800s. I'm from around this area, so I have a very clear image of what life was probably like. The way of life, values, and transition to the new ways was very interesting. The writing style was very simplistic, but it lends itself to the oral tradition of storytelling. I felt like I was listening to an elder tell the story. I also liked the motif of the circle and how the ending of the story felt like the beginning. Anyone interested in Native American folklore and traditions should put this on their to read list.
March 19, 2018
This was a beautiful book. The plot is heartbreaking -- an Ojibway girl is born, loving her life, her family and her people, and witnesses the suppression and destruction of much the life-sustaining aspects of her culture by the white settlers over the course of 70 years. The narrative is told without sentimentality. Oona's persistence in remembering the stories and continuing the traditions she grew up with hit home for me. As a white person, it made me realize how DIFFICULT it was for Native people to preserve their language, culture, food and spirituality in the face of genocide, and how essential culture is to survival.
December 24, 2019
A deeply personal and readily accessible account of how cultures adapt to the at first slow-encroaching, then conflict-ridden chapter of Minnesotan history that came with European settlers and the logging/agriculture industry. These stories, like William Warren's, are precious glimpses into the past and provide a roadmap on how cultures, languages, and traditions survive harsh or oppressive conditions. There's even a small word bank of Anishinaabemowin to learn broken down with hyphens so English speakers understand how to string the syllables togethers. If you're interested in Obijway culture, history, linguistics, or spirituality, this is an excellent book to start with.
January 5, 2021
Short read, but extremely impactful story. Highly recommend this one. As someone who grew up and lives in the Midwest (where the Native tribes in this story are mostly located), I found it fascinating to learn about the Ojibway people who lived on the land before me. This is a good way to become better educated on the Ojibway people from a biographical lens. It is captivating from start to finish.
July 24, 2021
I was assigned this book for a course I was taking. I'm now recommending it to others. A beautiful narration of tragedy and injustice. In social studies and history courses we were told a minimal story of how the White Man took land from the Native Americans. This book is a narrative of someone who lived through that. In parts I was crying out of sadness and in others I was screaming in anger. I'm thankful to know this story and to now have familiarity with the Ojibway of Minnesota.
November 1, 2021
This was an interesting book that I read for one of my classes this semester. It follows the life of Oona, an Ojibway woman through her childhood and into a late adulthood and how her and her family survive as the world changes around them. Overall, this was a really interesting, fast read and I think it's one where someone could pick it up and read it within a few hours or even a few days if they chose to.
May 11, 2023
The book gives a meaningful insight into the Ojibway‘s relationship with nature and how their way of life is reshaped by settlers moving into their territory. The story is tragic in the loss of culture and connection between Native American people, but also hopeful in the message that the Ojibway way of life will never cease as long as the generations of the future continue to tell the tales, beliefs, and cultures of their people.
February 3, 2025
3.75 stars - The first half of this book is very atmospheric and you get to know Oona so well. She has a special role in her tribe because when she dreams, those events come true. Her tribe looks to her dreams to help make decisions and influence how they live. There is so much imagery and personification around nature that the entire setting feels alive and real. However, the second half feels a little rushed. Oona becomes a teenager, gets married, becomes a mother, grows old, and is around 80 by the time the book ends. It doesn't feel consistent with the earlier writing. However, I learned so much and for the most part, the story is relaxing. I enjoyed my time reading.
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September 17, 2025I was told to read this for class, but I am honestly glad that I did! I'm not going to rate it because it seems weird to "rate" the story of the Ojibwe.
This was a fast, easy read...but also an important story that everyone should hear. I always thought I really understood what happened to the Native Americans in our country, but this book was a reminder that I was wrong. If you're looking to educate yourself on that topic, I recommend this!
This was a fast, easy read...but also an important story that everyone should hear. I always thought I really understood what happened to the Native Americans in our country, but this book was a reminder that I was wrong. If you're looking to educate yourself on that topic, I recommend this!
January 3, 2020
Fabulous book! A rare first-person account (although as filtered through her descendant) of the crucial time when the Ojibway encountered white people and began to be forced into a whole new way of life. The author takes such a tragic time and tells it through the lens of an innocent girl becoming a woman who must make sense of the senseless.
September 3, 2020
The book is centered upon the story of the author's great-great grandmother and tells the story/history of a great exodus - part of the recounting of the uprooting of families and final settlement on the White Earth Reservation.
The accounting of the closeness of the author's family makes this a great read for anyone, but middle school grades especially.
The accounting of the closeness of the author's family makes this a great read for anyone, but middle school grades especially.
October 4, 2020
Not only do I love this book. To me, it was an eye opener. I read it with my 5 years old. This has brought a lot of questions and we will be spending time in the library reading more about the Ojibway culture and people. One could visibly see the mistake of the white. I really wish instead of disregarding other culture they could have assimilated both cultures. I highly recommend
October 11, 2020
I liked this book much better than when I first read it 20-30 years ago. At that time, I was considering it as resource, either a book for students to read or for lecture material. Now, I was just reading it for pleasure, although the story of the loss of Ojibway lands, independence, and traditional culture is sad.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews