Namebini Giizis Sucker Moon (February)
February 22, 2021
"Namebini Giizis is the spawning time of the fish known as Namebin, the Sucker. The male and female suckers, swim up river in huge numbers, which make them easy game for people. They can be caught with hooks, nets, or spears." This is an occurrence is something that the Ojibwe had seen important enough to name the month or moon after. In other geographic areas in Anishanabewaking (Aninishanabeg territory) the moon is also called Makwa Gwekishing Giizis (bear turning over moon). This is when the female black bear births her children.
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Biboon (winter)
October 20, 2020
biijipon (snow coming) Biboon (winter) is comin the season is changing to winter time.
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Dagwaagin or Fall time
September 29, 2020
With manoominike-giizis or September ending we are welcoming in binaakwe-giizis or October. I have noticed quite a change in folate. Also the squirrels are more active in my area. What have you noticed?
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Large-flowered Beardtongue
August 29, 2019
While riding my bike along the Paul Bunyan Bike path I had to stop to examine this peculiar flower. Little did I know that a cute little butterfly would wiggle out of the stunning large, tubular flower. Although I wasn't able to identify what type of butterfly was sipping on the flowers nectar, I was able to identify the plant as Large-flower beardtongue.
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Monarch larva on milkweed
Monarchs are fascinating insects in the order Lepidoptera. These amazing critters are known for their long migration routes and distinct orange and black wing color. After hatching, larvae (caterpillars) such as the one in this picture will go through five instars - which means they shed their skin five times!
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Poison Ivy
I went on a walk near campus and saw there was a lot of poison ivy on the tree line. It was a little area thjat had little poison ivy plants all over. I was thinking of all the times I had gotton poison ivy. I want to know why is it sort of red? Why is it poisonous?
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unusually large hazel brush
The other day when I went out to gather hazel brush for our yearly water spirit raft offering the hazel brush was larger then usual, 13ft tall to be approximate, The problem with this is that the stick's are supposed to sink so that the offerings can go to the water spirits, if they are to thick the buoyancy will keep them afloat if we do not take the thick part then it dies and may not grow back and it is wasteful, To that end I will find a use for the thicker sticks perhaps a pointer stick for moccasin games.
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Trying Wild Edibles and Exploring Spearhead Lake By: Nevaeh Day
While trying wild edibles it was a new experience and it was exciting. I tried what was called a Lemonade Ant and a small plant close to the ground, heart shaped and also lemonade tasting called Oxalis stricta also known as woodsorrel among many other edibles. Our group also had the opportunity to learn about medicinals and got a chance to canoe whether it was their first time or not. My group had a hard time at first and then we got used to it I've been canoeing several times but I'm not sure if my partners had. It was a great experience either way. We also got to try edibles from the lake and learn about waterbugs! There was a canoe that tipped over! It had me worried at first, good thing we all had life jackets. This camp was a great experience for me!
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