The through-lines I found to be fitting for my project this year were:
1. Idolatry-Discerning - As Christians we do not believe in any idols or gods except for the one, true God. The god that the Aboriginals praise is different from ours, and throughout this project I have learned that Aboriginal spirituality is quite real. This could become an idol to some and could result in straying away from God.
2. Beauty-Creating - Dream catchers have always been so incredibly beautiful to me and the fact that I learned how to make them is pretty cool. I created something beautiful and unique, all while having fun doing it. Although Aboriginal spirituality contradicts Christianity, I think that creating thirst reflects God.
3. Order-Discovering - Throughout this project I learned quite a bit about not only Aboriginal spirituality, but also more about Christianity and my own faith. I learned about God's order with his creation and design and how things of this work.
Monday, January 19, 2015
How to Make a Dream Catcher
In this blog post I will be going through the step-by-step process of how to make a dream catcher and I will show pictures of how mine turned out.
First, you're going to need a metal hoop to use as the main part of the dream catcher. This is what the web is weaved to. I got my hoop from Michael's, but the smaller hoops I used were some old bracelets I found at Value Village.
You're going to take the hoop, and glue an end of your faux leather string to the hoop. I used a hot glue gun for this to make sure it actually stayed in place. Then, you're going to begin wrapping the string around the hoop, making sure there's no space between the string. This way you won't be able to see the metal underneath. You're going to do this all the way around the hoop.
Once you've reached the end, you're simply going to the glue the other end to the hoop, cutting off any extra string.
After your hoop is finished, you begin the weaving. This part I found to be tricky because you have to do the spacing between the loops just right or your web might not have the circle centered. You are going to take your wax string and tie a knot onto the hoop. Make sure it's nice and tight.
Once the knot is tied, you're going to bring the string over to the next part of the hoop, about an inch from the knot. You're going to wrap the string around the hoop and then repeat this step all around the hoop.
Once you reach the knot, you want to repeat the previous step, but this time looping the string through the middle of the loop you made. Make sure it's centered and always pull tight, otherwise the web could collapse on itself. Continue doing this until you cannot for the string through the loops any longer.
I tried to put some beads on mine to see what it would look like. I think I would use much smaller beads next time because they were a little bit tricky to fit on the loops. One of my beads also broke once I got close to the end.
Eventually you will get to the point where you can no longer fit the string through the loops. At this point, tie a knot in the string and cut off the extra.
This is what your dreamcatcher will eventually look like. If you want a different pattern, try spacing the loops closer together or farther apart. Next you can add feathers or other little trinkets to hang from the bottom of the catcher.
I added feathers using some wire, which wasn't too easy to bend on it's own resulting in the use of pliers, as well as wire cutters.
Finally, you're going to add a loop of string to the top of your dream catcher so you can hang it. I used the wax string for this.
This is what my dreamcatcher ended up looking like! Now that I know the basics I can't wait to try some different patterns, use different sized hoops and experiment with beads and strings.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Interpreting Dreams
Religion is a large part of the Aborignial culture, but most of the focus was more on individual spiritual growth, rather than it being a corporate activity. The Ojibwe people were focused on gaining insight through dreams and visions. There were many ceremonies dedicated to acquiring and interpreting dreams such as fasting, vision quests, initiation, rite of passage ceremony, the Shake Tent Ceremony, the Sunrise Ceremony and Pow Wow ceremonies. Each of these hold religious significance. These ceremonies include different spiritual symbols such as the eagle.
The Ojibwe people used items such as dream catchers, to emphasize the importance of dreams. They also had a 'dreamer' set in place. A dreamer is a person, also considered a tribal visionary, who had access to important dreams. Often these dreams were prophetic and used to foretell some oncoming danger.
The ceremony that I am most interested in is the sweat lodge ceremony. Sweat lodges are a dome-shaped structure made of natural materials that helped in bringing dreams, as well as healing. In dream sweat lodges, water is poured over hit rocks to produce steam and all the doors are closed off (similar to a sauna). The ritual was said to enhance the occurrence of dreams. Some common practices associated with sweat lodges include;
1. Training - before someone can lead a lodge they much be fully trained and go through many intensive years of practice. One of the requirements of a lodge leader is that you must be able to speak fluently in the indigenous language of that culture and understand how to conduct the ceremony safely. The role is granted by the Elders, so it isn't self-designated.
2. Orientation - Placement and orientation of the lodge within its environment are often considered to facilitate the ceremony's connection with the spirit world. The door may be facing a sacred fire to connect more with the spirit world.
3. Construction - The lodge is built with care and respect for the environment and for the materials being used. Many traditions construct the lodge in complete silence, some play a drum, and other traditions even fast during construction.
4. Clothing - Participants usually wear a simple garment such as shorts or a loose dress.
5. Support - In many traditions, one or more people will stand outside the sweat lodges to protect the ceremony, assist the participants and generally make sure everything runs smoothly.
6. Darkness - Many traditions consider it important that sweats are done in complete darkness.
I have been in a sweat lodge, not while the ceremony is going though. It smells absolutely horrible and it is quite dark inside because they drop heavy cloths over all entrances, completely closing off any possible daylight. It was interesting to see, but it was quite hot in there.
One thing that I found interesting about sweat lodges is that quite a number of people have actually died from these ceremonies. If done incorrectly, these ceremonies are very dangerous. There have been reports of lodge-related deaths resulting from overexposure to heat, dehydration, smoke inhalation, or improper lodge construction leading to suffocation. If rocks are used, it is important not the use river rocks because rocks with air pockets or excessive moisture could crack and possibly explode in the fire when hit by the water that is poured on top of them.
The Ojibwe people used items such as dream catchers, to emphasize the importance of dreams. They also had a 'dreamer' set in place. A dreamer is a person, also considered a tribal visionary, who had access to important dreams. Often these dreams were prophetic and used to foretell some oncoming danger.
The ceremony that I am most interested in is the sweat lodge ceremony. Sweat lodges are a dome-shaped structure made of natural materials that helped in bringing dreams, as well as healing. In dream sweat lodges, water is poured over hit rocks to produce steam and all the doors are closed off (similar to a sauna). The ritual was said to enhance the occurrence of dreams. Some common practices associated with sweat lodges include;
1. Training - before someone can lead a lodge they much be fully trained and go through many intensive years of practice. One of the requirements of a lodge leader is that you must be able to speak fluently in the indigenous language of that culture and understand how to conduct the ceremony safely. The role is granted by the Elders, so it isn't self-designated.
2. Orientation - Placement and orientation of the lodge within its environment are often considered to facilitate the ceremony's connection with the spirit world. The door may be facing a sacred fire to connect more with the spirit world.
3. Construction - The lodge is built with care and respect for the environment and for the materials being used. Many traditions construct the lodge in complete silence, some play a drum, and other traditions even fast during construction.
4. Clothing - Participants usually wear a simple garment such as shorts or a loose dress.
5. Support - In many traditions, one or more people will stand outside the sweat lodges to protect the ceremony, assist the participants and generally make sure everything runs smoothly.
6. Darkness - Many traditions consider it important that sweats are done in complete darkness.
I have been in a sweat lodge, not while the ceremony is going though. It smells absolutely horrible and it is quite dark inside because they drop heavy cloths over all entrances, completely closing off any possible daylight. It was interesting to see, but it was quite hot in there.
One thing that I found interesting about sweat lodges is that quite a number of people have actually died from these ceremonies. If done incorrectly, these ceremonies are very dangerous. There have been reports of lodge-related deaths resulting from overexposure to heat, dehydration, smoke inhalation, or improper lodge construction leading to suffocation. If rocks are used, it is important not the use river rocks because rocks with air pockets or excessive moisture could crack and possibly explode in the fire when hit by the water that is poured on top of them.
History of the Dream Catcher
Dream catchers were first created by the Ojibwe people to teach natural wisdom. It is also said that the dream catcher holds the destiny of the future. They believe that nature is a profound teacher, so they created the dream catchers out of twigs, sinew, and feathers. Dream catchers were originally woven by grandparents to newborn children and hung above their cradle board (or crib) to give the infants peaceful dreams. Nowadays, dream catchers are made for people of all ages.
Good dreams are seen as clear and they know the way to the dreamer, passing easily through the hole centered in the dream catcher. Once the good dreams have passed through the dream catcher they descend through the feathers. Because eagles are seen as being messengers, the Ojibwe people like to use eagle feathers at the bottom of the dream catcher to symbolize that your good dreams are being sent to you. The slightest movement of the feathers indicate the passage of a good dream. Bad dreams are seen as confusing and are easily confused, not knowing a clear path to the dreamer. They cannot find their way through the web and are trapped there until the sun rises and evaporates them.
The story of the dream catcher is that long ago, an old spiritual leader was on a mountain and had a vision. In this vision, Iktomi, the searcher of wisdom, appeared in the form of a spider. Iktomi spoke to the leader in a sacred language. As he spoke, the spider picked up the elder's willow hoop which had feathers, horsehair, beads and offerings on it and began to spin a web. He spoke to the elder about the cycles of life, how we begin our life as infants, move on through childhood and on to adulthood. Finally we become old where we must be taken care of as infants, completeing the cycle.
Iktomi continued to spin his web, speaking about how in each time of life there are many forces, some good and some bad. If you listen to the good forces, they will steer you in the right direction. But, if you listen to the bad forces, they will steer you in the wrong direction and may hurt you. These forces can help or interfere with the harmony of nature.
When Iktomi finished speaking he handed the web over to the leader and said, the web is a perfect circle with a hole in the center. Use the web to help your people reach their goals, making good use of their ideas, dreams and visions. If you believe in the great spirit, the web will filter your good ideas and the bad ones will be trapped and will not pass through.
The elder passed on his vision onto the people and now many Aborginial people have a dream catcher above their bed, sifting their dreams and visions. The good will pass through the centre hole to the sleeping person while the bad are trapped in the web until the morning light, where they evaporate.
Good dreams are seen as clear and they know the way to the dreamer, passing easily through the hole centered in the dream catcher. Once the good dreams have passed through the dream catcher they descend through the feathers. Because eagles are seen as being messengers, the Ojibwe people like to use eagle feathers at the bottom of the dream catcher to symbolize that your good dreams are being sent to you. The slightest movement of the feathers indicate the passage of a good dream. Bad dreams are seen as confusing and are easily confused, not knowing a clear path to the dreamer. They cannot find their way through the web and are trapped there until the sun rises and evaporates them.
The story of the dream catcher is that long ago, an old spiritual leader was on a mountain and had a vision. In this vision, Iktomi, the searcher of wisdom, appeared in the form of a spider. Iktomi spoke to the leader in a sacred language. As he spoke, the spider picked up the elder's willow hoop which had feathers, horsehair, beads and offerings on it and began to spin a web. He spoke to the elder about the cycles of life, how we begin our life as infants, move on through childhood and on to adulthood. Finally we become old where we must be taken care of as infants, completeing the cycle.
Iktomi continued to spin his web, speaking about how in each time of life there are many forces, some good and some bad. If you listen to the good forces, they will steer you in the right direction. But, if you listen to the bad forces, they will steer you in the wrong direction and may hurt you. These forces can help or interfere with the harmony of nature.
When Iktomi finished speaking he handed the web over to the leader and said, the web is a perfect circle with a hole in the center. Use the web to help your people reach their goals, making good use of their ideas, dreams and visions. If you believe in the great spirit, the web will filter your good ideas and the bad ones will be trapped and will not pass through.
The elder passed on his vision onto the people and now many Aborginial people have a dream catcher above their bed, sifting their dreams and visions. The good will pass through the centre hole to the sleeping person while the bad are trapped in the web until the morning light, where they evaporate.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Ojibwe Religion
When it comes to Ojibwe religion, their beliefs influenced their view of the world around them as well as their view of themselves. Ojibwe people believed that they are another element of nature and they are equal to the Earth. Their respect for animals and plants are held very high because of this. Their people wanted to live in harmony with nature and everything on Earth. They saw their existence as intertwined with that of the rest of the earth, so they were quite thankful for the provisions and food from the Earth.
“To the early Native people, education was a part of everyday life. Their books were the rocks, the rivers and lakes, the trees and roots, the sun, the moon and the stars. It was from these elements that they fashioned their material culture. Creative life was in everything. One loved nature and nature loved in return. The people believed in only one Supreme Being, The Creator, whose mighty power governs and directs the beginning and end of all things.”
-Harold Flett
The Ojibwe people's beliefs centered around the belief of Gitchie Manitou, meaning "Great Spirit" and is the "Master of All That Exists." Consequently, Christian missionaries often used to say the term Gichi-ojichaag to refer to the Christian idea of a Holy Spirit.
The belief in the spirituality of all things caused the Ojibwe people to treat everything with spiritual importance, such as the eagle. The eagle was seen as the "prayer carrier" and messenger. It was believed to carry the prayers of the Ojibwe people to the Creator, or Gitchie Manitou. Because of the spiritual significance of the eagle, one was to offer a prayer with tobacco in their hand whenever they saw an eagle.
The Ojibwe people are very big on individual spiritual growth, so they believe one of the ways to do this is by interpreting dreams. They use certain objects to emphasize the importance of dreams, such as the dream catcher. The dream catcher is an object that is used to catch bad dreams, and let the good filter through. Because the eagle is such a spiritual significance and considered to be the "prayer carrier," the Ojibwe people would decorate their dream catchers with eagle feathers for the good dreams to travel through. I will be explaining more about the dream catcher in another blog post.
“To the early Native people, education was a part of everyday life. Their books were the rocks, the rivers and lakes, the trees and roots, the sun, the moon and the stars. It was from these elements that they fashioned their material culture. Creative life was in everything. One loved nature and nature loved in return. The people believed in only one Supreme Being, The Creator, whose mighty power governs and directs the beginning and end of all things.”
-Harold Flett
The Ojibwe people's beliefs centered around the belief of Gitchie Manitou, meaning "Great Spirit" and is the "Master of All That Exists." Consequently, Christian missionaries often used to say the term Gichi-ojichaag to refer to the Christian idea of a Holy Spirit.
The belief in the spirituality of all things caused the Ojibwe people to treat everything with spiritual importance, such as the eagle. The eagle was seen as the "prayer carrier" and messenger. It was believed to carry the prayers of the Ojibwe people to the Creator, or Gitchie Manitou. Because of the spiritual significance of the eagle, one was to offer a prayer with tobacco in their hand whenever they saw an eagle.
The Ojibwe people are very big on individual spiritual growth, so they believe one of the ways to do this is by interpreting dreams. They use certain objects to emphasize the importance of dreams, such as the dream catcher. The dream catcher is an object that is used to catch bad dreams, and let the good filter through. Because the eagle is such a spiritual significance and considered to be the "prayer carrier," the Ojibwe people would decorate their dream catchers with eagle feathers for the good dreams to travel through. I will be explaining more about the dream catcher in another blog post.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Introduction
This year for my Passion Project I was thinking about doing archery, but because of the cold weather I unfortunately could not be outside for longer than 20 minutes without my fingers risking frostbite. On that note, I've taken a completely different turn and have decided to learn about Aboriginal spirituality and learn to make dream catchers. I am specifically researching the Ojibwa band.
I have chosen this topic for my Passion Project because I have always had a profound interest in Aboriginal creation stories and their way of life. I have specifically chosen the Ojibwe people because on my dad's side I am part Ojibwe and because they were the ones who first created the dream catcher. I want to learn to make a dream catcher because I have always found them quite beautiful and interesting. Also, my mom does not like them so this gives me an excuse to bring one into our home.
My mentor for this project will be my dad because we are Ojibwe on his side and he has a greater understanding for their culture. He also has always liked to make things out of leather, so I will be getting his help for creating the dream catchers.
I'm excited to share my learning experience and put my craft skills to the test!
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