Anung's Journey

by Carl Nordgren

  Most of the time Blue Sky was happy. When he was happy he would practice playing his drum to the beat of the young men’s dances and he learned the songs of praise to Gitche Manitou.

  The time passed and Blue Sky grew older. He was ready to leave childhood behind. It was time for him to go to the tall mountain his village held sacred. This was where the boys of his village would fast and pray to Gitche Manitou. This was the place they would pray for the dream vision that would show them how they must live their lives as men.

  It was time for Blue Sky to pray for his vision but like many of the young boys he was afraid. He was afraid to be alone on the top of the mountain. He was afraid no dream would come to show him his life’s purpose. He did not tell the people of the village of his fears. He tried to hide them. But when he was alone by the bank of the river he would beat his father’s drum and the sound would drive his fears away.

  The night before Blue Sky would leave for the mountain top all of the people gathered at the village fire circle. Some of the men remembered the nights they spent alone in the sacred place, waiting for their vision to find them, searching for signs that would lead them to understand their vision. They told Blue Sky the stories of what their visions meant to their lives.

  As the night went on the Nokomis sang a song about Blue Sky’s mother and father. The children who had earlier danced around the fire now lay quietly at the sides of their mothers and fathers.

  Blue Sky sat alone.

  The next day the men of the village led Blue Sky to the tall mountain ridge that looked out upon the spirit Waubun, the spirit of the East and the new day sun. The place they led him to was the highest peak in all the Four Directions.

  The men could see Blue Sky was afraid. But it was time and they could see he was ready. They left him there alone.

  Blue Sky fasted the first day, eating only the handful of blueberries that grew on the bushes near the peak.

  He was afraid of sitting alone on the mountaintop, but he knew this was his time.

  He was afraid, so he prayed to Gitche Manitou as the new sun rose on the second day.

  And he prayed to Gitche Manitou as the wind rushed by.

  He prayed to the spirit of Maang the Loon when the wind brought a loon’s cry from the distant lake as the sun settled for its rest.

  He prayed to the spirit of Gookooko’oo the Owl when its call echoed across the valley in the night.

  But still Blue Sky was afraid. He was first afraid to be all alone. Then he grew fearful there was someone, or maybe something, back there in the forests, watching him. Once he was sure he heard something but when he turned there was nothing to see.

  On the third day when Migizi the Eagle circled overhead and called out to the world the boy prayed to the spirits of all of the animals in the forests that heard the eagle’s cry. And then he thanked Gitche Manitou for all of the gifts he had been given.

  He was watching the sunrise on the fourth day when his vision came to him. In the bright morning sun light he saw how favored he had been to have all the men and all the women of this village care for him as if he were their first son. For in his vision he was standing before the greatest chief of all the First Nations people and he was telling this chief how the people of his village honored Gitche Manitou. He was standing in front of the greatest chief to tell him that his fathers and his mothers cared for him every day to give thanks to the Great Creator.

  In his vision he could not see this greatest chief, for he was covered by a great mountain of snow white clouds that shined brightly. Just as the clouds were parting and Blue Sky would see the greatest chief, he was startled by a sound behind him, just outside the cleared mountain peak, and he turned to see what it was. There was nothing there, just a branch moving back into its place, and now his vision had left him.

  But the meaning was clear to him. Blue Sky must find the greatest chief of all the people and tell him the story of his mothers and fathers of the village and of the many acts of kindness they have given to him.

  This would be how he would begin his life as a man. Not to find the greatest chief of the Anishinaabe. Not the greatest chief of the Odawa or the Pottawattamie, the closest brothers of the Anishinaabe, who with us are the people of the Three Fires. His vision was to find the greatest chief of all the tribes of the First Nations. And in his vision the spirits were inviting him to begin his journey.

  When the people of his village learned of the vision that came to Blue Sky they were proud of him. For every man of the village thought Blue Sky was his son. Every woman was his mother. They knew Gitche Manitou had chosen their son for a special journey.

  Because Blue Sky was a son to everyone, the people of the village were sad for him to leave. There was such danger traveling so far alone in the forest for a young man who just the day before had been a boy. He could lose his way. He might get hurt climbing a mountain ridge or he might starve if he could not feed himself on such a long journey. And there were many evil spirits who live in the deepest parts of the forest.

  The worst of these evil spirits was Windigo, the terrible one. Windigo, the cannibal.

  That night the people of Blue Sky’s village had a great feast in his honor. They celebrated his vision. In their songs they asked Gitche Manitou to watch over him like a first son. To protect him and to feed him. To lead him to sweet water and to dry shelter. And to keep him safe from Windigo.

  The people sang deep into the night.

  They asked Blue Sky to play his father’s drum and sing his song of his vision. Blue Sky beat the drum while the people of his village danced. They danced until even the young men grew tired.

  That night the people gave many gifts to Blue Sky to help him on his journey.

  They presented these gifts in a beautiful pouch. Each of his mothers had sewn their most precious beads and shells in the design that decorated the pouch.

  The pouch was filled with many things he would need on his journey.

  The Village Chief Tells the Oldest Story

  Blue Sky spent his last night in his village in the wigwam of the village chief. The chief told him many stories that night. He told him all the stories he had ever heard about the great chiefs for one of them might be the greatest chief of all the First Nations. All of the stories he knew told that the great chiefs lived far away in the lands where their ancestors lived before the Great Megis prophecy led them from their ancestral home. Blue Sky must journey far to the East, Waabinong, to the land of the first sun.

  That night the chief told Blue Sky the oldest story. The first story. The story about Gitche Manitou and his dream.

  Our people have always known this to be the first story for it is the only story that came from the time before the earth was first formed. That was when Gitche Manitou had his dream vision.

  Gitche Manitou dreamed about a vast sky filled with stars.

  Among the countless stars there was only one that was a radiant sun, and it bathed his dream with light.

  In his dream there was a wonderful moon, magically filling his dream with mystery.

  But it was the earth that was Gitche Manitou’s favorite part of the dream.

  On the earth he found great mountains shining golden under the bright sun, and he discovered green forests that covered the valleys.

  The clear waters flowing through rivers and streams past quiet meadows into brilliant blue lakes delighted the Great Creator. That these lakes were filled with every sort of fish, and that the green forests were filled with every sort of animal, all of this was a wonder.

  In Gitche Manitou’s dream a giant eagle from the mountains flew down over the trees and landed in the top branches. A feather fell from the eagle and slowly drifted down where it landed at the feet of the most extraordinary animal of all.

  These were the first people.

  The Great Creator’s dream showed life struggling to be born, and life ending, but never ending. For his dream showed life on earth is reborn again and again and that it will al
ways be this way.

  In his wisdom Gitche Manitou knew such a beautiful dream must be fulfilled. So out of nothing he made the universe of the sun, the moon, the stars that blanket the heavens, and the earth and all the life on it. And when he made man he made him out of material he hadn’t used for any of his other creations.

  When the village chief finished his story it was time for him to give Blue Sky his new name. He named him Anung, Morning Star. He told him how he must use the stars to guide his journey East and that is why he named him Anung.

  The chief told Anung to direct his travel each day to the lands of the morning star, the sun. He showed Anung that the design sewn into his pouch included an image of the sun rising in the East, to remind Anung of his true path.

  He told Anung to listen to the wind in the trees. To the animals’ calls and cries. To his heart’s whisper.

  He told Anung that these are the ways Gitche Manitou will talk to him during his journey.

  Then he told Anung about Windigo.

  “Windigo lives in the deepest darkest places in the forest. He lives there all alone. That is why our people travel by water when moving from one place to another. Windigo does not like the water. But when you must travel through the forest he will follow behind you, waiting for the moment when you are not aware. He is as tall as a tree and white as the snow. His face has no nose and his mouth is filled with fangs. If he catches you, he will eat you.”

  The chief told Anung to listen for rustling in the leaves behind him. And to look for bloody footprints, for Windigo runs so fast his feet are always bleeding.

  After Anung asked more questions about Windigo they grew quiet and stared at the fire for a long time. Anung was afraid about his long journey to find the greatest chief, but he knew this was his destiny. After a while they grew sleepy and settled to sleep at the side of the chief’s fire.

  The Journey Begins

  Anung left his village early the next morning. He followed the path that headed East. All the people of his village watched him enter the forest. Each of his mothers cried her sorrow and each of his fathers called out his last advice.

  He carried his pouch with food and the gifts the people had given him. Inside the pouch was his sling. Tied to his back were his snowshoes, as he was prepared for a long voyage that could take him through the winter. Over one shoulder was his father’s drum and over his other shoulder was his bow and a quiver of the finest arrows each father crafted for him.

  All morning he could stay true to his course by following this path through the forests that blanketed the first low ridges. These forests were familiar to him, for his people traveled this path many times.

  When the sun reached its peak the path came to a small river and followed along its bank to the South, Zwaawanong.

  Anung drank some water and filled his water bottle, and rested.

  If he stayed on the path he had been following he would not be heading East towards the place where he hoped to find the greatest chief of his people. If he stayed to his true direction he would be walking deep into the forests where he’d never traveled before and that made him so afraid.

  As he sat there wondering what he should do, a voice spoke to him. Anung jumped to his feet in surprise and looked all around.

  He saw no one about.

  When the voice spoke again it called his name. “Anung, your journey takes you away from the paths of your village.” That is when Anung saw that it was Turtle sitting on a log at the riverbank speaking these words to him.

  “Hello Turtle. How do you know I am on a journey?”

  “A young man who is still a boy would only travel so far from his village all alone if he was on a journey.”

  Anung told Turtle of his vision, and that his journey had just begun.

  “I will go with you,” said Turtle, “for I too would like to see the greatest chief of all the people. My great ancestor Mishee Mackinakong carries all the people of the First Nations on his back. I must see how the greatest chief of all the people honors Mishee Mackinakong.”

  When Turtle asked to come along on Anung’s quest, Anung picked up Turtle and put him in his pouch. They crossed the river and walked into the dark forest where there was no path to guide their way.

  Anung was afraid of the dark forest but he hid his fear by telling Turtle stories about his village and his mothers and his fathers. As they journeyed on, soon he forgot he was afraid.

  Turtle Tells His Story

  The day was long and they traveled a great distance.

  It was late in the summer and the great spirit of Waabanong covered the bushes with blueberries. This is what they ate as they walked on.

  As the sun set behind them they stopped. Anung made a shelter and a fire near the base of a great rock. On the rock face there were many pictures painted by his people and their ancestors. One picture showed there was a large river ahead. There were pictures that told him he would be entering the land of his brothers the Odawa in a day or two. Anung beat the drum as he looked at the pictures and as the drum beat filled the night the image of Deer began to leap and the image of Wolf began to run and the pictures of Bear and of his ancestors began to dance.

  As they were lying down to sleep by the fire Anung asked Turtle to tell him the story about his ancestor carrying the greatest chief and all the people on his back. So Turtle told him his ancestor’s story.

  “Long ago great clouds covered the sky and rained down day after day until the entire earth was flooded. Even the tallest ridges were covered by the flood waters. When the water rose so high all of the original people Gitche Manitou created were drowned. All of the animals who lived on land died. Only the animals who could live in water survived this great flood.

  “After much time passed the Mishee Mackinakong rose to the water’s surface, for he could see that Sky Woman was lonely. The Great Turtle invited Sky Woman to come down and to rebuild the earth on the back of his massive shell.

  “Sky Woman was very lonely and it brought her joy to accept Mishee Mackinakong’s invitation. She gathered all the animals who had survived and asked them to fetch her some mud from the bottom of the deep waters for this is what she needed to rebuild earth.

  “All the animals wanted to help Sky Woman. First Otter dove deep into the depths of the waters. Otter was underwater for a long time but when he surfaced he was out of breath and empty-handed.

  “Then Beaver took his turn. He plunged into the water and swam deeper than ever before but he could not find the bottom and he finally had to return to the surface, exhausted from his try.

  “Then Loon tried. She swam deeper and deeper and she stayed under for a long time but she failed to find the bottom for it was too dark and cold for her and she had to return.

  “When Muskrat offered to retrieve the mud so Sky Woman could rebuild the earth all the other animals laughed at him. They did not think the small Muskrat was so strong or as important as they were.

  “Muskrat did not let that bother him. He dove into the waters and he swam deep down into the cold and dark. He was down a long time. After a while the animals stopped laughing and were afraid for Muskrat for he had been underwater longer than any of them had. He was under the water a very long time.

  “They had just given up hope that he could survive for so long underwater when his body rose to the surface and floated there, still as death. All the animals gathered round as Sky Woman breathed life into him and when Muskrat recovered it was discovered he was holding a small bit of mud in his paws. Sky Woman used this mud to rebuild the earth on the back of my ancestor’s shell. To show her thanks, Sky Woman gave all the turtles the gift of understanding the languages of all of Gitche Manitou’s creatures.

  “That is why the people call this land Turtle Island. And that is why your people honor Muskrat.”

  Anung Meets

  Fisher and Trout

  The next morning as the sun rose Anung and Turtle were ready to travel. They walked many miles, resting and telling sto
ries and gathering foodstuffs along the way. They could see the forest was opening ahead of them. They crossed a small ridge and looked down upon two lakes connected by a small river channel.

  When they came close to the water they saw Fisher. They watched him run to the shore of the first lake and then pace back and forth, back and forth.

  Fisher stopped when he spotted Northern Pike, swimming in the water in the weeds, close to shore.

  “Hey you there Northern Pike. Do you know what Walleye is saying about you over there in the next lake? Oh, my, he says Northern Pike is a slimy thing. He says that you have a long ugly nose. Walleye says all the other fish laugh at your long nose and think you are the ugliest fish in all the rivers and lakes.”

  Then Fisher ran to the second lake where he found Walleye swimming near the rocky shore.

  “Hey there. I was talking to Northern Pike in the next lake. He says Walleye has fat bulging eyes. He says all the other fish think your fat bulging eyes make you the ugliest fish in all the rivers and all the lakes. He says even Walleye think you are ugly and that is why you spend so much time in the deep dark waters.”

  Anung and Turtle watched Fisher run from one lake to the next one, telling more lies to Walleye and then telling more lies to Northern Pike. The fish were each getting angrier and angrier. Both of them swam in hard small circles they were so angry.

  Fisher told Walleye that Northern Pike wanted to fight him. That Northern Pike was waiting for him in the middle of the channel that connected the two lakes. Then he told Northern Pike that Walleye was waiting there to fight him.

  The fish swam to the middle of the channel and as soon as they saw each other they attacked and began to fight. They slashed and bit at each other with their sharp teeth. They were very angry and they fought a long time, biting each other over and over. Soon there was so much blood in the water they were fighting in a red swirling cloud of blood.