Midewiwin Eastern Door Chief speaks on creation
By Sharon Weatherall
“This teaching is about the red colour and the red road. Our interest and what we are supposed to do is know our own story – that’s what we are looking for today,” Dr. Jim Dumont told an attentive group in Midland Ontario last week when he shared the creation story during a two day teaching.
Chief of the Eastern Doorway of the Three Fires Midewiwin Lodge, Dr. Dumont is 5th Degree in his Midewiwin learning. The Midewiwin or the ‘Grand Medicine Society’ is a secretive religion of some indigenous peoples of the Maritimes, New England and the Great Lakes of North America.
The story of the creation starts at the “Beginning of the Beginning” when there was only darkness.
“It is a long story and if we knew as much as we used to know it would be even longer,” said Dumont.
“We have an opportunity to fill in those places.”
Dumont explained that humans were created from the earth by the creator in four colours red, white, yellow and black. During the two day teaching he spoke about the story of the red human which relates to the Anishinabe story of creation and how the story has been handed down orally over the years from grandmother to grandchild. The first teachings were recorded as a scroll on the earth and eventually they were written down on birch bark. They are still told orally to this day in the Midewiwin Lodge.
The Anishinabe road on earth is from east to west. The spirit (or creator) is looking from the centre.
“When we are born on earth we come through the Eastern Doorway and when we are finished we walk out the Western Doorway and everything we do is related to this east to west,” said Dumont.
“When we are looking back it is always towards the east. All your attention should be on your own road to raise your children that way. ”
Dumont touched on the Anishinabe language indicating that in most cases the majority of people do not know the language however it is positive to say there are many who are still learning.
“It should be our every effort to learn the language,” said Dumont.
“It is said that in the Midewiwin Lodge we have the oldest and longest story. As long as we keep the teachings alive we keep the language in its fullest.”
The two day teaching was hosted at the Midland Cultural Centre and sponsored by the Georgian Bay Native Women’s Association (GBNWA), Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle and the County of Simcoe Best Start Planning.
Kathy St. Amant – Program co-ordinator for the GBNWA explained the event represented a seven day teaching condensed into two days.
“All creation stories are beautiful and during this two day teaching we are learning about the red colour – our First Nation Creation Story,” said St. Amant inviting everyone present to open their hearts to the importance and the beauty of the story.
“We are very excited to have Jim Dumont come and share his knowledge and wisdom with our Anishinabe community.”
Those attending came from Barrie area, Chimnissing, Parry Sound and farther.