Anishinaabe Dreamcatcher

Anishinaabe can describe various Indigenous peoples in North America. It can also mean the language group shared by the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi peoples. Ojibwe, on the other hand, refers to a specific Anishinaabe nation. Anishinaabeg is the plural form of Anishinaabe and consequently, refers to many Anishinaabe people. The Gifts of the Seven Grandfathers The Seven Grandfather Words by Helen Roy Fuhst Give Thanks Prayer Grandfather Prayer Bring Us Peace Prayer How Do We Talk About Suicide? Jibwaa Gi’wiisinimin (Before We Eat) We All Thank Them All Prayer Cards (from the Landbody Conference) Making an Offering Miigwech Prayer (Thank You Prayer) Namewin (Prayer).

Ojibwe Waasa-Inaabidaa—PBS Documentary Featuring The History And Culture Of The Anishinaabe-Ojibwe People Of The Great Lakes (United States-focused).

Aug 07, 2020 A Symbolic and Historical View of Dream Catcher Meaning We can thank the Anishinaabe for the original dream catcher meaning. Also known as the Ojibwe, the Anishinaabe are one of the First Nations of Canada. These are amazingly resourceful and vibrant people who established impressive traditionsincluding powerful symbolic connection with Nature. An ancient chippewa tradition, The Chippewa (Ojibwa) believe that night is full of both good and bad dreams. The Dream Catcher has been made for many generat. The dreamcatcher has its origins in the Native American Culture. It is believed that the Anishinabe people were the first to create it. The Anishinabe are Native American tribes who originally lived at the border of the North-Central United States and Southern Canada.

- Kyla Jardin

Cultural exchange is a core component of the program at UVic's English Language Centre. A simple request for 'something more'—suggested by the Department of Education in the state of Veracruz, Mexico—created what has become an invaluable opportunity for Indigenous-international collaboration and dynamic learning at UVic.

The UVic English Language Centre (ELC) is entering its fourth year of collaboration with COVEICyDET, a government branch of education in the Mexican state of Veracruz on the southwestern coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

Anishinaabe

Thirty COVEICyDET students in four years

Pattern

COVEICyDET supports projects focusing on scientific inquiry and technological advances. Each year, the program helps women from Indigenous communities who are preparing to enter a master’s degree program by sponsoring their language studies abroad.

Since 2016, the ELC at UVic has welcomed a total of 30 students through this transformative learning opportunity.

Enhancing the international student experience

Last September, when the (former) head of COVEICyDET’s division of technology, Godofredo Gonzalez, was preparing a new group of students to study at the ELC, he inquired about enhancing the experience of these students while they visited UVic.

Godofredo himself had visited UVic with previous program participants, so he already had a strong sense of UVic’s resourceful cultural and academic community. But for many of the scholarship students from Mexico, it would be their first time travelling internationally, and Godofredo was keen to maximize their experience at our university.

When Godofredo asked, 'What else can these women do at UVic?' sparks flew in my mind. The Division of Continuing Studies' leadership in Indigenous programming combined with the objectives for community engagement expressed in UVic’s Indigenous Plan (2017-2022) and International Plan (2017-2022) made it clear that we were in a position to collaborate with campus colleagues to offer a very special complement to the intensive English program these students would be attending.
International Recruitment Coordinator Kyla Jardin, the ELC’s primary liaison with COVEICyDET

After a few phone calls, the international education department in UVic’s Division of Continuing Studies took the lead on program enhancements and worked with Carmen Rodriguez de France—an Indigenous education specialist at UVic who is originally from Monterrey, Mexico—to facilitate an arts-based workshop for the COVEICyDET group, exploring the history between Indigenous people of this region and the university.

Finding commonalities and differences in art

Rodriguez de France, an assistant professor in UVic’s Department of Indigenous Education, describes the impact of her experience facilitating workshops with this group during their four weeks of studying on campus.

As part of their activities, I led an arts-based tour of UVic where they learned about traditional and contemporary Indigenous artists while visiting various places on campus. The women were able to appreciate commonalities and differences between Indigenous art from Mexico and Canada in art forms and expressions but as significantly, we discussed the importance of having Indigenous people represented and present on campus as a demonstration of our shared responsibility to building better futures.
UVic Assistant Professor Carmen Rodriguez de France, who organized the arts-based tour

Sharing meaning of the Anishinaabe dreamcatcher

Following the tour, another impactful point of engagement at UVic was a two-hour experiential workshop at First Peoples House. This workshop was facilitated by Kirsten Mikkelsen, a program coordinator for the Foundations of Indigenous Fine Arts (FIFA) and Certificate in Aboriginal Language Revitalization Certificate (CALR) offered by UVic’s Department of Linguistics and the Division of Continuing Studies in partnership with the En’owkin Centre.

During the workshop, it was wonderful to work in collaboration with the women from COVEICyDET sharing meaning of the Anishinaabe dreamcatcher, which comes from my lineage and people, while Hector Vazquez translated and the women engaged in creating dreamcatcher to bring home with them. Further critical discussion incurred around the impact of globalization, commercialization of Indigenous ways of knowing and arts through decolonizing interchanges. There was also much good spirited laughter as everyone engaged in this international collaborative Indigenous resurgent workshop.
Kirsten Mikkelsen, a program coordinator in UVic’s Division of Continuing Studies who organized the workshop at First Peoples House

A visit to the museum led by a UVic alumna

Off campus, the COVEICyDET group visited the Royal BC Museum where Lucy Bell, Sdaahl Ḵ’awaas, a member of the Haida Nation—now the head of the museum’s First Nations Department and Repatriation Program, a UVic graduate (Indigenous Education) and a 2018 UVic Distinguished alumna—guided the COVEICyDET students through the Living Languages Exhibit and facilitated an Indigenous language revitalization workshop.

A Mexican PhD student from UVic, Hector Vazquez, provided translation for the group during the museum visit.

He noted a strong cultural connection and impact felt among the participants.

During our tour of the First Nations section of the museum, it was interesting that they shared their experiences about different objects that they saw, saying that some of them were really similar to objects that they have seen back home. At the end of the tour I had the chance to talk with some of them, and they all agreed that to attend UVic was a very significant experience in their lives. One of the most important ideas that they shared was that they have the chance to meet people from different countries and cultures.
Hector Vazquez, UVic PhD student from Mexico

By adding an Indigenous dimension to the existing ELC program, COVEICyDET is another exciting example of vital impact, creative and collaborative programming, and community engagement at UVic.

Find out more

Anishinabe dreamcatcher

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In this story

Dreamcatcher

The Culture And Language Of The Minnesota Ojibwe: An Introduction

Keywords: international, Indigenous, languages and linguistics, Mexico, world cultures, partnerships, English Language Centre

People: Godofredo Gonzalez, Kyla Jardin, Carmen Rodriguez de France, Kirsten Mikkelsen, Hector Vazquez

Dreamcatchers are pervasive in Native American culture, and can be found in many parts of the Southwestern and Western United States. For those who are looking for a tattoo that combines mysticism with positivity, look no further than dreamcatcher.




Dreamcatcher Tattoo Designs

There is no one style of dreamcatcher – the objects themselves are often decorated with different patterns and symbols, and embellished using feathers, beads, or other significant artifacts. However, certain elements are found in traditional dreamcatcher designs, including:

  • A rounded shape, typically a hoop
  • A woven “web” with a central hole
  • Feathers, beads, gems, and other items decorating the piece

What Does the Dreamcatcher Tattoo Mean?

Dreamcatchers are Native American in origin, and are believed to be protectors of people as they sleep, hence the name. Legend has it that a “Spider Woman” used to travel around the Anishinabe (Chippewa) tribe, weaving protective webs over newborn infants. Her web was said to help ensure that they had pleasant dreams, blocking the bad ones out.

As the tribe continued to grow in numbers, the women started to help out the Spider Woman by creating their own dreamcatchers, mimicking the web she would weave over babies.

The standard elements of the dreamcatcher each have their own meaning:

  • Round shape: The circle is an important shape in many cultures, and often represents the cyclical nature of life and the infiniteness of the universe.
  • Woven web: As mentioned, the web is a way to “catch” any bad dreams, and the central hole in it allows the good ones to travel through to the person.
  • Feathers: Crucial symbols in Native American culture, feathers often represent air and flight, but depending on the type of bird they come from, can be even more specific in what they symbolize. For example, owls are typically related to the idea of wisdom; therefore, an owl and dreamcatcher would promote increasing the wisdom of the protected person, while simultaneously blocking negative energy.
  • Gems: Coming from deep in the earth, gemstones are often representative of the “Creator,” the chief deity, or of the four directions/elements of life.

Symbolism of Dreamcatcher Tattoos and Meaning of Tattoo Variations

Dreamcatchers are all about balancing a person’s energy: removing the negativity, and increasing the positivity while the person sleeps. As a tattoo, they can be a protective force during the night and during the day, and can be presented in a number of different variations. Just like with dreams, this kind of tattoo allows positivity to enter the user’s energy, while removing the negative.

One thing that is in common of most dreamcatcher tattoos is that no matter the style, the items used for decoration are those that come from nature. Some people like to tailor the specific feathers they use, while others may prefer to use leaves or other organic materials to build up the dreamcatcher design.

The shape and patterns of the net is also an area of the dreamcatcher tattoo that can be customized to your tastes. Some people like to put a heart design in the center of the net, representing opening up to positive love energy. On the other hand, some people like to create an intricate mandala design, full of geometric shapes and different colors.

That being said, while dreamcatcher tattoos can be tailored to different styles and patterns, many people prefer to follow the Native American tradition when designing their tattoos. Because these objects are so important to the Native American culture, many consider it as a show of respect and honor to maintain the original form.

Best Tattoo Placements

Dreamcatchers themselves are typically hung over the bed or a door, and so placement on the body is also important in a related way. Many people prefer to place dreamcatchers on back of the arm or shoulder, or towards the top part of the torso, such as near the neck. Dreamcatchers are particularly popular tattoos for women, who like to wear them on foot, on thigh, or even on side of the torso.

The Message Dreamcatcher Tattoos Convey Is…

Protect yourself from negative energy while opening yourself up to the positive.

If You Wear a Dreamcatcher Tattoo, You Are Likely to Be…

Inspired by the mystical or the spiritual; someone who associates with the protective symbolism of the dreamcatcher, Native American culture, or one who looks to infuse life with positive energy.

Reasons to Choose a Dreamcatcher Tattoo

Dreamcatchers can be a reminder to rid yourself of negativity, and to replace it with positivity. They can guide the wearer to stop getting bogged down in the bad aspects of life, instead focusing on ways to bring in the good, balancing their energy.

See Full List On Religion.wikia.org

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