Anung's Journey

by Carl Nordgren

  Anung beat his father’s drum and sang of his village to the people around him. When Turtle translated for them, the Wyandot told him they would remember his song and would forever consider the Anishinaabe to be their brothers.

  Then it was time for the Wyandot to leave their village with their beloved dead, and with the tools and blankets and other treasures their souls would need in the next world.

  Turtle explained to Anung that the Wyandot would travel to the Land of the Night. This is where Wyandot from all of the villages gather once every ten years to bury their dead villagers in a common burial ceremony. Together they prepare them for their journey along the Path of Souls. Turtle told him that the Wyandot believe that this unity in the next world creates harmony in this one. It is hard to fight with someone whose mother is buried alongside your own.

  The Wyandot left Anung alone in the village as they traveled to the West of Ninggabi’ anong. When they were gone Anung left the village on his true path East to find the greatest chief and tell him of all the wonderful creations of the Great Spirit he had found on his journey.

  The First Snow Arrives

  Every morning Anung headed East to the first sun. It was getting colder every day and now Turtle was asleep for the winter, wrapped in a fox fur nestled in the bottom of Anung’s pouch.

  The first snow dusted the ground. Anung was sad he did not have the coat with the full beaver vest and the buffalo robe. He had very little food left, and he was finding less and less each day. His hunger was growing again.

  He traveled through forests thick with branches and brush. When the snow fell so hard he could not see, he found a place protected from the worst of the wind and waited so he would not lose his course. When the snow stopped he put on his snowshoes to walk over the drifts that were half as tall as he.

  To stay his true course he crawled through a thicket of thorn bushes he could not see his way around. The thicket was so deep it took him two days to crawl through it and he had to make a bed in the middle of it where he slept very little.

  The thorns tore his skin in many places. When he finally crawled out he built a fire and did not travel for two days so he could rest and his wounds would heal. He rubbed Bashkodejibik and Giizhikaandagoons to clean his wounds. The Wyandot had given him this sage and cedar for healing.

  The snow fell hard while Anung rested.

  As the sun was going down the second day, a shadow shape walked between the trees through the windblown snow. It was approaching the clearing where Anung was sitting next to his fire. This shape was big. Not tall enough to be Windigo, but very big. Anung wondered who this man might be.

  He saw it was not a man. It was Old Makwa, the black bear, and he was looking for a dry cave for his long winter sleep for it was Biboon’s time now. Makwa disappeared into the forests ahead.

  Anung slept huddled at his fire. He woke many times to add more wood to keep the flame strong to keep him warm.

  The next morning he entered the forests again, headed on his true course East, looking for the greatest chief to tell him of his village.

  It snowed every day.

  Sun was so ashamed he could not bring more heat to the world and so he came later every morning and left earlier each day. It was always cold and it was dark much of the time. The snow was deep.

  Anung had no food. It was hard work staying warm at night. He was tired from his long journey and he was sleeping very little. It was hard work to lift his snowshoes through the heavy snow. He was afraid he was not strong enough to make his path through the snow.

  He very cold and he grew weaker all the time.

  When all he could think about was the gnawing pain in his stomach and the cold that froze his body, that was the moment Windigo chose to jump from behind a tree to try to snatch up Anung. When Anung saw Windigo coming he turned and gathered all of the energy he had left to run through the snow. Because Windigo was a monster of great size he was slowed by the many trees it had to run around, but because Windigo was as fast as the wind and as powerful as a storm, he could run very fast and he could break through the branches and smaller trees. So Windigo came closer and closer as Anung struggled to run.

  Windigo ran so fast the blood splattered from his huge clawed feet and with each step he stained the snow red.

  Anung’s fear gave him new strength and drove him to run as fast as he could, but Windigo was faster and soon the terrible cannibal was just behind Anung, reaching out his long arms with his massive claws to grab him. Anung could smell his horrible breath and was so afraid.

  That is when Anung saw a hole under a ledge at the bottom of a ridge. With his last burst of energy he dove into the hole just as a snow covered branch blocked Windigo’s view of Anung’s escape and he rushed past, and then howled his anger when he realized he had lost Anung.

  Anung found it was dry under the ledge, and the hole led deep into the ground under the ridge. Anung waited until he was sure Windigo had passed, then called down into the hole to tell anyone inside that Anung, an Anishinaabe on a long journey, was coming in and that he promised peace to all he might find. Then he crawled down into the hole.

  His body was shivering from the cold so he pulled the pine boughs he had found at the mouth of the hole over on top of him. He had never been so hungry. He had never been so tired. And soon he fell into a deep sleep.

  Anung slept a long time.

  He had many dreams.

  His first dream was of Windigo, chasing him through the snow, coming closer and closer until Anung was snatched away, rescued by his Mother.

  In his next dream his Mother had the kind touch of White Cloud, one of the women of Anung’s village.

  Then he dreamed his Mother had the long soft black hair of Tall Woman, another woman of his village who had cared for Anung.

  In another dream his Mother had the warmth of the kind old Nokomis.

  In one of his dreams his Mother touched his face. When she did she discovered Anung was hungry and she picked him up and put him to her breast. Anung was very hungry so he drank deeply.

  Anung was weak so he drank often.

  The milk Anung drank tasted of fully ripened blueberries.

  The milk tasted of eggs from the partridge nest. He tasted the freshness of the young trout trapped in the cool headwaters of a stream.

  He licked his lips when he tasted the golden sweetness of honey in his Mother’s milk.

  In his dreams his Mother never left him. She kept Anung sleeping next to her day after day, night after night.

  Her body was warm and soft.

  Whenever he was hungry she fed him.

  He slept to the beat of her heart that soon became the only sound he knew. But then there was another heartbeat and Anung dreamt a child was born. This child wanted his share from his Mother. Anung had never lain next to his Mother so he pushed this baby aside.

  His Mother cuffed Anung, then brought him to one breast and the baby to the other and Anung understood this baby was his brother and dreamt they slept side by side in this way for many nights.

  In his next dream Anung was traveling through the heavens. There was no land to be seen, just stars all around him. One star was calling out to him but Anung thought this was his home now, here next to his Mother, so he did not answer the call.

  In his last dream the long cold winter nights had passed and he was stronger and again he was traveling through the forests with Turtle to find the greatest chief of all the people.

  When Anung awoke from his final dream he was not hungry anymore. He was not tired. He felt his strength had returned, and he was ready to continue his journey.

  He crawled up to the mouth of the cave. It was dark outside. He sat just inside the mouth of the cave until the sun rose in the East so he could mark his true course.

  He stood to look out at the new world of Zigwaan. The snow was melted where Sun was brightest. New green and yellow and purple buds were shooting from branches and soil.

  The first birds began to
sing.

  Then there was a noise from behind him, deep down in the hole. It was coming closer, and Anung could see something moving up from the darkness. He stood aside as Mother Bear crawled from the cave, followed by a newborn cub. As Mother Bear shuffled past, Anung bowed to her and he gave her his thanks.

  Mother Bear told him to travel carefully.

  The bear cub called Anung Big Brother. Anung called the bear cub Little Brother. Mother Bear led Little Brother into the forest.

  Anung pinched some Asemaa from his pouch and sprinkled it at the mouth of the cave as he thanked Gitche Manitou for keeping him safe through the harshest days of the winter.

  Then he thanked Memekwesiw, Spirit Boss of the Bears, for feeding him.

  The Waters that

  Stretch the Sky

  Anung and Turtle traveled towards the land of the first sun for many days as Zigwaan’s warmth brought the forest back to life.

  It became easier to find food now.

  He traveled many days next to the Great River the Odawa told of in their stories. It was much wider than the greatest river Anung had ever seen. It was filled with fish in the shallows. He easily speared one for his evening meal.

  He found fresh roots and greens everywhere he looked.

  Bird nests were filled with eggs. He never took more than one from a nest.

  There was a ledge or hollowed tree every night to stay dry and warm.

  The sun was big and bright every morning.

  After many days of easy travel Anung came upon a path in the forest that followed his course. He followed it for a short time until he came to a clearing where many people were resting. They were each dressed in different styles of clothes, they each had different hair styles and dressings. Turtle told him they were from many different tribes.

  After such a long journey Anung wondered if these people were a sign he was near the great village the Odawa had visited, where he would find the greatest chief of all the First Nations people.

  Most of these people were speaking in the Iroquois tongue. Some spoke an Algonquian language.

  Most of the travelers were men. But there were women as well.

  Turtle translated what these people said to Anung.

  From the people who gathered there Anung learned that this path led through the forests to a village bigger than any ever seen. It was built on the shore of the great salt lake that stretches the sky. This village was Owasco. All these people were traveling to this village because of the stories being told of the momentous days soon to come when wonderful events would happen there.

  Anung joined the people as they gathered their possessions and continued on to the Owasco village.

  The people on the path told Anung about the dream this chief had when he was a boy. In his dream he was saw four young men traveling through forests and over tall mountains and across mighty rivers, traveling great distances from their homes, each one alone, each one called to his journey, each coming to this place where the great chief’s own dream showed him he was to build this village to prepare for the four young men’s arrival.

  The first young man had arrived at the great chief’s village when the days were still filled with the sun’s warmth. That story quickly spread far and wide. The second young man entered the village the same day the winter snows began to fall. The third to arrive came to the village cold and hungry in the middle of a terrible snow storm.

  As soon as the snows began to melt, the great chief sent messengers to all of the camps and villages as far as his messengers could travel to tell everyone that two more of the young men from his dream had arrived. Now he was inviting all of the people to come to his village for the celebration that would occur when the forth young man arrived.

  After Anung heard these stories he told these people of his dream and of his journey.

  He told them of the mothers and fathers of his village who had cared for him and everyone agreed they had taught him well, for he had traveled alone a great distance.

  He told these people it was his vision’s quest that brought him to this path leading to this village to find the greatest chief of all the First Nations people.

  The people who walked with Anung on this path were honored to finish their trip with him for they knew he must be the fourth young man from the great chief’s dreams.

  Traveling with Anung was an Odawa trader. He had spent many years traveling from village to village and he found there were some stories that all the First Nations people tell. He told one of these stories as they continued along the path through the forests.

  “Nanabush was born of a woman. But the father of Nanabush? Ah gee, everyone said his father was Ninggabi’ anong, the Spirit of the Western Mountains. It was soon after Nanabush was born this his mother died. Most said her death was an accident. But there were some who said she was killed by Ninggabi’ anong and said so when it was safe to say it.

  “Nanabush was raised by his grandfather and grandmother. When he asked them about his father and about what had happened with his mother, his grandmother would turn away and say nothing and his grandfather told him he must grow to be a man before he would understand.

  “As Nanabush grew to be a young man all the people could see he possessed powers far greater than the other men of his village. That is when they knew he was a man and a spirit. That is when his grandmother told Nanabush that his father had killed his mother and that he was living in the West behind the tallest mountains.

  “Nokomis warned Nanabush that though his powers were great among men, his father’s powers were far greater. That did not frighten Nanabush. He was a young man who had never tasted defeat at the hands of another in games or battle. He announced to all the people of his village that he would find his father and get revenge for his mother’s death.

  “He traveled for many moons. When he came to the tallest mountains he grew tired and camped for the night.

  “He heard a voice call his name. ‘Nanabush’, said the voice, ‘beware of your father Ninggabi’ anong. He knows you are here and he is coming to destroy you with his mighty powers. To protect yourself you must collect flints from the mountains behind you. Collect many pieces. Then sharpen them carefully. Fill up your pouch with all the flints you can find. Tie one sharpened flint around your neck. Flint is the one weapon your father fears.’

  “In the tree above him Nanabush saw Woodpecker. It was this bird who had delivered his warning. The next day as the sun rose Nanabush set out to do as Woodpecker directed.

  “Nanabush was sharpening the flints he had spent the morning gathering when suddenly his father appeared in his camp. Nanabush had grown big and strong but his father was bigger and stronger.

  “They sat on the ground and talked all that day. The sun went down and still they talked. The moon rose and fell and they sat there in that place and talked. Only as the night was ending did Nanabush tell his father he had come to avenge his mother’s death.

  “To hear his son speak these words made his father sad. He said to his son, ‘Yes, my son, I am glad to see you have grown to be such a strong man. I can see that. But I am stronger than you. You can see that. You may be able to hurt me, but you cannot defeat me. You must know there is nothing you can do that will restore your mother’s life.’

  “Nanabush got up from the ground at this place by the mountains and told his father what he said was true, but he would fight him at this place the next day.

  “The next morning they met for battle. Ninggabi’ anong shot his arrows at Nanabush so fast the next one was cocked at his bow while the first was still flying through the air. Nanabush threw his flints so hard at his father that the wind changed its course.

  “They fought all day in this fashion. At the end of the day all the arrows had been shot and were splintered and all the flints had been thrown and were broken. There was no advantage.

  “In the dark they found each other and wrestled on the ground where they sat together and talked the day before. First Nanabush wa
s winning. Then his father was getting the best of Nanabush.

  “When it appeared the father would defeat the son, that is when Nanabush removed the flint from around his neck and cut Ninggabi’ anong on his head. Ninggabi’ anong roared in pain and his hold on his son weakened. He stopped fighting.

  “Ninggabi’ anong said to his son, ‘You are as strong as I am. I cannot defeat you. And you cannot defeat me. This means there must be peace between us. I will live here in my mountains. You return to your village and teach all the people the right ways to live in their lands. In this way you will know the love your mother never gave to you.’

  “Then his father gave Nanabush a beautiful bone pipe, carved from an antler, inscribed with all of his wisdoms. He told Nanabush to carry this pipe with him back to his people. It was to be his symbol of peace. He must teach the people of all the villages and clans to bring the ceremonies of the peace pipe to all of their gatherings.”

  As the story ended Anung could see faint smoke in the distance. The path led to the place where the smoke was rising above the trees. The path led through the forest that began to thin out half way up a long gentle slope of a hill.

  As he neared the top of the hill Anung heard a sound he had never heard before. It was a sound made of every sound he had ever heard. It frightened him but it excited him as well.

  When he crested the hill this sound grew so large and loud that it filled the sky and echoed back down on him and it stopped Anung in his tracks. Then he saw all at once the most wonderful sights he had ever seen and all of it was so suddenly amazing that he had to sit down hard, right there on the hilltop.

  He placed Turtle on the ground next to him and then forgot him for he did not know how to look at so many things at once and he was confused by the sight of it all so he did not stand again for a long time. There was so much to see Anung sat there planted in the ground like a bush for most of the rest of the day. Many travelers passed by on the path that led down the hill across the broad plain on to the village and they wondered who he was as he sat still and quiet and studied all there was laid out before him.