The Chippewa Way of Life by Cole

                Have you even heard of the Chippewa football team from Central Michigan? Well, they were actually named for the Chippewa tribe.  The other word for the Chippewa is Ojibwa. The Chippewa were known for their way of life, housing, food, and religion. The Chippewa were one of the most interesting tribe I have ever heard of.

                First of all, the Chippewa way of life was similar to other Native American tribes. Legend has it that the Ojibwa came from the Great Lakes or northeast. Long ago the Chippewa spoke the language of Algonquin. Legend also has it that the Ojibwa got wealthy buy selling beaver fur. The Chippewa also had to deal with harsh weather. The Chippewa in the winter hunted deer, bear, and beaver in the winter for warmth. In the spring they reunited friends and family at the Sugar Bush camp. The Chippewa collected 500 to 600 pounds of maple syrup a year. The Chippewa also had an interesting family. People in a tribe or clan could not marry in that same tribe or clan band.

                Equally important to the Chippewa was their type of housing. The Chippewa lived in a house called a wigwam. The wigwam is a hut made of bark, poles, and sticks. It also had a hole at the top so smoke could escape from the wigwam. The door usually had a cloth made of deer skin. That wigwam was made of poles, bark, blanket, and bulrush.

Third , the Chippewa were known for their food. One of the foods they ate was deer at night by lakes. The next food is maple syrup. They got the maple syrup from different maple trees around them. The next food is wild rice. They got the wild rice from plants in the water of rivers. The next food is berries. They got the berries from bushes, and trees. The other things they ate and hunted were two are bear, and beaver.

   Lastly, the Chippewa had a interesting religious beliefs and a ceremony. The ceremony they had was a naming ceremony for newborns. What they would do is the parents get to pick a person to name their child. The person who is picked to name the baby has to pick a family member's or friend's name. They also had to get to know the child. What they wore for their ceremonies was a long bright colored dress with a lot of colors. For religion, they believed that Gitch-Manito was the spirit that made rock, fire, wind, and water. From these elements the spirit created Earth, sun, and everything else.  They thought that everything living had a spirit except rocks.

     The Chippewa are still living today in Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, and Ontario. They still carry on many of the traditions such as religion beliefs and preparing food. Family life has changed some but that remain close. I enjoyed the Chippewa and their way of life and some traditions are still alive today. The Chippewa were known for their way of life, housing, food, and religion. The Chippewa were the most interesting tribe I have ever heard of.