Waabano’gamik

The Lodge

The Pima’tisowin e’ mimtotaman – Danser pour la vie – We Dance for Life formed as a Waabano’gamik during ceremony in the summer of 2019. The intention of the Ma Ma wopayowin kosita miyo itasowewina ayoci miyo mitehiwin ekwa miyo mamitoneyiciikewin (the Core Team of MMIWGT2S+ families, Elders, and allies) was to place MMIWGT2S+ relations at the very center of our work and to ensure the values from our traditional laws guide the work of this project.

The ceremony was hosted by Knowledge Keepers and an Elder from Whitefish River First Nation and followed the protocols of the Anishinaabe territory. Pima’tisowin e’ mimtotaman is the Cree name that emerged from images and symbols from different territories and made the ceremony gathering whole and meaningful. Through this ceremony, we formed the vision of Pima’tisowin e’ mimtotaman.

Above all, our work is guided by nezoowezaagedoowin, meaning unconditional love in the Anishinaabe language. As one of our Ceremonial Knowledge Keepers, Willie Trudeau, explains, nezoowezaagedoowin refers to the very center of love – right down to the core: unconditional. From this teaching, whenever we have gatherings, we always say “try and keep an open mind.” Because we cannot have unconditional love if we do not keep an open mind and when our love becomes conditional, that’s when we have problems in our relations. But if we have unconditional love, we can understand what others are saying and what they mean because we can understand their context in relation to our own. Nezoowezaagedoowin is an action, we put unconditional love into action and into work by connecting in the way of Creator. Creator keeps all in the circle and does not shun anyone for their suffering. Nezoowezaagedoowin also means for animals and medicine. It’s universal in the way of our relations.

The ode’imin (strawberry) was also present with us in ceremony and connected to a jingle dress that entered the lodge with us. Along with ode’imin, we recognized the presence of the oboodashkwaa-nishiinh (dragon fly). The oboodashkwaa-nishiinh describes something that is blowing, vibrating, or fluttering, like the action of the wings of the dragonfly. It goes into something – like a cocoon – and comes out transformed. Like a snake leaves behind its old skin, we leave what we no longer need to carry in ceremony. Together, the ode’imin, jingle dress, and the oboodashkwaa-nishiinh represent our connection to the spirits of our loved ones and honouring the spirits of MMIWGT2S+ in ceremony and in all our healing and actions.

It was apparent through the ceremony that we must remember Pima’tisowin e’ mimtotaman in our relations moving forward and to heal with one another for our youth and children now and in generations to come. The commitment of the core working group was to focus the land- and art-based gatherings on decolonial healing and transformative justice with MMIWGT2S+ families. We must Dance for Life.

Rainbow Lodge, Whitefish River First Nation

Colonial Context and Genocide

In a context of ongoing settler colonial gendered violence and the continued genocide of MMIWGT2S+ in Canada, we believe in the importance of centering grassroots MMIWGT2S+ relations. In building these strong networks of relationships, we enact transformative change in a context of ongoing targeted systemic violence against Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQ+. These relations propel us to continued resistance of settler colonial gendered violence in Canada.