All about the ancient tribes
Chippewa women wore long dresses with removable sleeves. Chippewa men wore breechcloths and leggings. Everybody wore moccasins on their feet and cloaks or ponchos in bad weather. Later, the Chippewas adapted European costume such as cloth blouses and jackets, decorating them with fancy beadwork.
Before the Ojibwa began to trade with Europeans and Americans, they wore clothing made from animal hides, primarily from tanned deerskin. The women wore deerskin dresses, leggings, moccasins, and petticoats made of woven nettle or thistle fibers. The men wore leggings, breechcloths, and moccasins.
The Chippewa today are of mixed blood, mostly Native, French and English. Many live on reservations in Canada and the United States (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana and North Dakota).
What food did the Chippewa tribe eat? The food of the Chippewa Northeast Woodland people were fish and small game including squirrel, deer, raccoon, bear and beaver. The food of the Chippewa people who inhabited the Great Plains region was predominantly buffalo but also they also hunted deer, bear and wild turkey.
The Ojibwe (said to mean “Puckered Moccasin People”), also known as the Chippewa, are a group of Algonquian-speaking bands who amalgamated as a tribe in the 1600’s. They were primarily hunters and fishermen, as the climate of the UP was too cool for farming.
The Sioux were by far their biggest enemy. For 130 years, the Ojibwe and Sioux battled contiuously until the Treaty of 1825, when the two tribes were separated. The Sioux recieved what is now southern Minnesota, while the Ojibwe recieved most of northern Minnesota (see map on main page for details).
Religion. The Ojibwa religion was mainly self centered and focused on the belief in power received from spirits during visions and dreams. Some of the forces and spirits in Ojibwa belief were benign and not feared, such as Sun, Moon, Four Winds, Thunder and Lightning.
As you probably already know, there is no word for “ goodbye ” in Ojibwe. About the closest word would be, according to some friends of mine, “Minawaa giga-waabamin,” which means, I’ll see you again.
The Aniwaya, or Wolf Clan, has been known throughout time to be the largest clan. During the time of the Peace Chief and War Chief government setting, the War Chief would come from this clan. Wolves are known as protectors. Historically, the Wolf Clan was the largest and most important among the Cherokee.
There are seven original clans: Crane, Loon, Bear, Fish, Marten, Deer and Bird.
The Ojibwe call themselves ” Anishinaabeg,” which means the “True People” or the “Original People.” Other Indians and Europeans called them “Ojibwe” or “Chippewa,” which meant “puckered up,” probably because the Ojibwe traditionally wore moccasins with a puckered seam across the top.
Wawa takes its name from the Ojibwe word for “wild goose”, wewe. Wawa was defined as wild goose in The Song of Hiawatha.
Wabanquot (from the Ojibwe Waabaanakwad: White Cloud) was born at Gull Lake, Minnesota, around 1830. He succeeded to the office of chief of the Ojibwa at the death of his father, Waubojeeg, one of the principal chiefs for the Gull Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa.
Ojibwe people usually did a good job of harvesting the things they needed without using them all. They took only enough fish and other animals— grouse, deer, rabbits, moose, elk, and caribou—to feed their families. Imagine hunting and fishing to keep your family from going hungry. Ojibwe people worked hard to survive.