Following the Ancestor’s Steps

By Sam Zimmerman

It is such a magical mandioo (spirit), the maang (loon); a doodem (clan) animal of the Ojibwe representing spiritual leadership with its haunting song traveling across the waters of Gitchi Gami (Lake Superior). I saw niizh (two) maang diving recently and surfacing closer and closer to where I was sitting on the shore with my morning makademashkikiwaaboo (coffee). I wanted to capture the gwanaaj (beauty) of it surfacing during the mookise giizis (rising sun).

The phases of the moon represent the passing of time reflecting the generations of those who have enjoyed its song. The middle full moon is the Miin Giizis (berry moon) of July.

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