Thursday, June 22, 2006

M'Chigeeng

More by accident than by design, I celebrated the end of my first year as a blogger away from the internet. Églantine and I are just back from a five-day art experience on Manitoulin Island which is the home of seven different aboriginal reserves on islands in Lake Huron. Last Sunday we spent our morning in M'Chigeeng, one of the villages on Ojibwe land. We were treated to a demonstration of drumming and dancing by some of the Medicine Star Drummers. The so-called "calendar boy" in the following photos demonstrated several dances that he uses in Pow Wow competitions. He has on the special regalia which he uses for the dances.





Here is one of my "artistic" shots of him in action. (More art from our course will follow in the next few days.)

9 comments:

Endment said...

We have been privileged to watch some of these fantastic dancers! Your photos caught so much of the essence of dance.

kerrdelune said...

The island, haven't been there in years, and how this brings back memories of the place - thank you!

threecollie said...

Congratulations on your year of blogging. Yours is one of my very favorites. Love these photos

Ontario Wanderer said...

Endment, thanks!

Kerrdelune, I had not been on Manitoulin for years either and had never really spent any time there. It is well worth the visit.

ThreeCollie, thank you! I have enjoyed reading your blog too and have been recalling some of the farm life I left so far behind.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful time at Manitoulin. I haven't been there yet, but have been told that there are some very interesting insects there! (-:
Congratulations on a year of blogging.

Ontario Wanderer said...

Hi Bev,
We saw few insects on our trip but then that was not our main objective. We do have some good Luna Moth photos which we are putting up on our Flickr sites.

Pam in Tucson said...

Wonderful! We attend dances whenever we can. I love the spirit of the dance you captured in the last photo.

I echo threecollie's congrats. I visit and enjoy your blog regularly.

Anonymous said...

Re: M'chigeeng. You referrered to Matthew's outfit as "costume". Wrong, we Anishnaabe refer to it as regalia. Costumes are for Halloween!!!! Miigwech

Ontario Wanderer said...

Oops! Sorry about using the wrong word.

On the other hand, my dictionary says that "costume" is "1 a style of fashion of dress, esp. that of a particular place, time, nationality, or class. 2 an ensemble of unusual or period clothes worn at Halloween . . . 3 clothing for a particular activity . . . 4 a theatrical performer's clothes for a part" so I think that meanings 1, 3, & 4 would fit the sense that I wanted. Nevertheless, I shall edit the original to "regalia" so it is more correct and less offensive.

Thanks for the comment!