WALTER “PORKY” WHITE (b. 1919), whose Indian name is Gegwe-dakamigishkang (Prancing Horse), is, like his nephew Hartley, a prominent leader in recent efforts to revitalize the Ojibwe language and culture at Leech Lake. Even as an octogenarian and having endured a recent stroke, he travels tirelessly throughout the United States and Canada to teach, lead, and participate in traditional Ojibwe religious ceremonies, pow-wows, and educational forums.
Like most people of his generation at Sugar Point, Porky grew up immersed in the Ojibwe language and culture. Yet, even at a very young age he exhibited unique qualities that foreshadowed his current role as a spiritual leader among the Ojibwe. Porky constantly sought the company of his namesake—a Civil War veteran and widely respected elder. The fact that Porky is old enough to have known veterans of the Civil War is remarkable enough. However, the fact that even as boy he actively sought their company is even more impressive. His namesake was called Gaag, meaning Porcupine, and they spent so much time together that people called them “Old Man Porcupine” and “Little Porky.”
Porky was fortunate in that he was able to attend day school at Sugar Point rather than boarding school, as did most of his peers. He certainly seemed to benefit both culturally and emotionally from the experience. In addition to a great deal of serious learning, however, Porky knew how to have fun. He was an impressive pow-wow singer and frequently traveled to camp, sing, and dance.
Porky was eager to test his manhood in other ways as well. When America plunged into World War II, he enlisted in the United States army. For Porky and many of his contemporaries, military service was an extension of old warrior traditions and a subject of great pride.
Upon returning home, he continued to travel, sing, and dance. He began a more earnest effort to settle down and find work as well. He worked at a car wash and other odd jobs on the reservation and in Minneapolis, where he eventually settled for a good share of his adult life. In the late 1960s, the American Indian Movement began to fight for Indian-controlled education of Indian youth. The Red School House sprang up in Minneapolis, and Porky served there for twenty years as a teacher, advisor, and cultural coordinator.
In his retirement, Porky lives with his wife in Rosemount, Minnesota, and travels extensively to provide his services as an advisor and practitioner of Ojibwe religious ceremonies. He is a regular figure at Leech Lake pow-wows, language camps, and educational forums. The battle for Ojibwe language and culture continues to sustain him.
Gegwe-dakamigishkang Gaagiigido
[1] Boozhoo. Gegwe-dakamigishkang indizhinikaaz. Maang indoodem. Niiwing azhigwa nimidew. Gaa-zagaskwaajiimekaag indoonjibaa. Imbaabaa, Baadwewidang, gii-midewi. Gii-oshkaabewisiwi imaa midewing, gii-wiidookawaad iniw akiwenziiyan midewing. Gii-oshkaabewisiwi dibishkoo mii go gaye niin noongom ezhi-anokiiyaan. Indooshkaabewisiw. Gabe-zhigwa imbi-gikenimigoo ji-gikendamaan o’ow akeyaa midewiwin. Aanishinaa, o’ow niibing, niibing azhigwa indizhichige o’ow isa izhichigeyaan, wiidookawag sa niijanishinaabe gagwejimid gegoo akeyaa waa-gikendang o’ow isa akeyaa midewiwin.
[2] Inashke o’ow midewing gaawiin awiiya gidaa-bagidinaasii ji-gikendang. Giimoodad. Gaawiin gaye awiiya, anooj awiiya, gidaa-inaasii weweni eta go ji-bizindaman gegoo, ezhi-gikenimigooyan weweni ji-gikendaman ezhi-atemagak o’ow isa akeyaa, o’ow midewiwin.
[3] Naa dewe’iganan ingii-miinigoog ingiw bwaanag. Naa a’aw opwaagan, mii gii-miinigooyaan igaye. Naa opwaagan ingii-miinigoo. Naa awiiya gwiiwizensiwi-dewe’igan imbimiwinaa. Mii azhigwa ishwaaso-niibinagak bimiwinag a’aw gwiiwizens. A’aw opwaagan mii azhigwa ashi-niiyo-biboonagak zhigwa bimiwinag indoopwaagan. Aa bwaan abezhig, niijakiwenzii, ingii-miinig iniw opwaaganan. Mii gaa-izhitwaad niijakiwenzii ji-miinaasig awiiya opwaaganan ji-aabaji’aad giishpin misawendang gegoo biidinamawaad ji-aabaji’aad. Mii gii-pi-ikidod niijakiwenzii. Gaawiin ingii-adaawesii a’aw indoopwaagan. Ingii-pi-miinig niijakiwenzii iniw opwaaganan.
[4] A’aw niijakiwenzii ingii-pi-mawidisig ji-miizhid gashkibidaagan. Mii sa gii-paakaakonamaan i’iw gashkibidaagan, mii imaa waabamag a’aw opwaagan abid. Mii imaa ezhi-ikidod a’aw akiwenzii, “Mii moozhag eni-aabaji’ad a’aw gidoopwaagan, oon ji-inaakonigeyan, mii i’iw wenji-miinigooyan.” Mii gii-pi-igoowaad niizh bwaanag, ininiwag wiijikiweg. Bezhig opwaaganan gaa-miizhid, gii-nibo. Amos Owen gii-izhinikaazo a’aw inini gii-miizhid iniw, iniw opwaaganan. Naa Amos Crooks ani-bi-miinigoo iniw indoopwaaganan bemiwinagig, moozhag gaye niin aabaji’ag. Indanama’etawaa ya’aw isa anishinaabe, inaakonigeyaan sa. Indoopwaagan zoongizi. Indoopwaagan mashkawizii. Aangodinong aakoziiwigamigong bi-gaganoonigooyaan, gaganoonag anishinaabe ayaakozid, wenzaamined. Indaabaakawi’aa a’aw anishinaabe aakozid. Bi-giiwe. Gaawiin geyaabi imaa aakoziiwigamigong ayaasii.
[5] Mii ezhi-mashkawiziid indoopwaagan bi-gaganoonigooyaan ji-gaganoondamawag niijanishinaabe. Mii go niso-giizhig, maagizhaa gaye niiyo-giizhig, mii i’iw, mii bi-giiwed a’aw anishinaabe gaa-chi-aakozid.
[6] Mii sa i’iw ezhi-apiitenimag indoopwaagan. Gaawiin awiiya bakaan indaa-awi-ayaasii aaniindi indoopwaaganan, mii ingoji ezhi-ayaawaanen. Mii go moozhag bimiwinag indoopwaagan. Gaawiin ingikendanziin apii waa-kaganoonigooyaan ji-gaganoonag niijanishinaabe dibi go wenjibaagwen. Mii go wii-wiidookawag niijanishinaabe moozhag.
[7] Aanishinaa mii i’iw gaa-igooyaan, gaye niin sa eni-anokiiyaan ji-wiidookawag sa niijanishinaabe gegoo wii-nanaandawi’ag. Gaawiin mashkiki niin indayaanziin. Mii eta go indoopwaagan haa aabaji’ag gaganoondamawag.
[8] Aa niijanishinaabe gaye wiin sa aakozid maazhendang, gaganoonag sa manidoo ji-wiidookawaad sa niijanishinaaben ji-miinaad mashkawiziiwin ji-biinitood sa iniw odinendamowinan, naa obimaadiziwin igaye. Mii gaye niin noongom eni-anokiitawag sa niijanishinaabe wiidookawag dibi go anoozhid ji-izhaayaan naadamawag, wiidookawag. Mii go gaye wiidookawiwaad niijanishinaabeg dibi go waa-izhichigewaanen, maagizhaa gaye wii-madoodoowaad, maagizhaa gaye wii-wiidookawaawaad sa iniw gwiiwizensidewe’iganan. Mii i’iw ezhi-onapinag gwiiwizensidewe’igan niin sa naadamawag niijanishinaabe dibi go wenjibaagwen.
[9] Mii weweni go anishinaabe ge-baatayiinod mino-anishinaabe-bimaadizid; bebakaan gidoonjibaamin, bwaanag, maagizhaa gaye asinii-bwaan, maagizhaa gaye midewanishinaabe, maagizhaa gaye omanoominii-anishinaabe. Mii go moozhag waa-wiidookawagwaa dibi go gaganoozhiwaagwen dibi ji-naadamawagwaa, ji-wiidookawiwaad igaye ji-gikinawaabiwaad, booch ezhaayaan akeyaa babaamaadiziyaan gaye niin sa ji-wiidookawag sa niijanishinaabe. Namanj igo akeyaa waa-izhichigewaanen.
[10] Indizhichige akina gegoo akiwenziiyag izhichigewaad. Aangodinong gaye niwiidigemaag. Naa gaye nimiinaag odizhinikaazowiniwaan. Naa indabwezotawaag bi-inigaaziwaad. Naa o’ow gaye nimaajaa’aag anishinaabeg, gaa-nibojig. Niwiidookawaa ezhi-gagwejimid anishinaabe sa akeyaa weweni ji-maajaanid odinawemaaganan gaa-nibonid. Niwiindamawaa ojichaagwan sa akeyaa gaye ji-maada’adood sa o’ow miikana gaye wiin sa ishkwaa-giizhichigaademagak sa o’ow bimaadiziwin omaa akiing.
Gaagoons Indigoo
[1] Eh niyawe’e, Gaag-akiwenzii gaa-izhinikaazoban, gii-kete-anishinaabew; a’aw akiwenzii, Civil War ogichidaa. Mii sa go apane oodenaang gaa-izhaad. Mii gaa-izhaad oodenaang, niyawe’e gaa-izhid, “Ambe baa-wiiji’ishin.” Ingii-kwiiwizensiw ow apii.
[2] Mii sa gaye anishinaabeg gaa-inaabinikaazowaad. Niyawe’e Gaag-akiwenzii gii-kaaginaagozi, mii gaye niin sa gaa-izhinaagoziyaan gaagoons, mii sa gaa-inendamowaad ingiw bemaadizijig waabamiyangidwaa. Miinawaa sa gaye chimookomaanag waabamiyangidwaa bimoseyaang ezhi-ikidowaad, “There goes Old Man Porcupine, and there goes Little Porky.” Mii sa go wenji-maaji-izhinikaazoyaan Porky, maaji-igooyaan Gaagoons. Mii iw.
Dibiki-giizisong
[1] Gii-pi-gwiiwizensiwiyaan, gaawiin aapiji odaabaanag gii-ayaasiiwag. Mii eta go bebezhigooganzhiig, anishinaabe-bebezhigooganzhiig, gii-ayaawaad. Aaniish sa aabiding imbaabaayiban gaa-izhid, “Noongom igo bebezhigooganzhiig niibowa ayaawag,” ikido. “Naagaj,” ikido, “niibowa odaabaanag da-ayaawag, waasamoowidaabaanag da-ayaawag,” ikido. “Niibowa ingiw odaabaanag wii-taniwaad,” ikido. “Igo gaye ingiw ishkode-odaabaanag, mii sa go wii-pi-dagoshinowaad,” ikido. “Mii go gaye ji-baatayiinowaad ingiw ishkodedaabaanag,” gii-ikido. “Inashke mii gaye ge-niibowagiziwaad iwidi akeyaa wenjibaayaan. Gaawiin geyaabi mashkodedaabaan da-bimibizosii.”
[2] “Igaye naa,” gaa-izhid, “ani-ayaamagadoon bemisemagakin, niibowa gaye da-ani-ayaamagadoon niwii-ikido. Niibowa gaye da-aawadaasoowidaabaaniwiwag,” ikido. “Maagizhaa gaawiin gidoodamendanziin,” ikido. “Mii dash igaye babaamendamaan. Mii go gaye,” gaa-ikidod a’aw akiwenziiwiban, “ingoding waa-izhi-onendamowaad wayaabishkiwejig,” ikido, “ji-gagwe-izhaawaad iwidi dibiki-giizisong,” ikido. Mii gaye izhiwebak i’iw: gii-izhaawaad sa go dibiki-giizisong. Gii-onwaachige indedeban; daa-waabandang i’iw isa waa-inagamigak niigaan akeyaa.
[3] Bagami-ayaamagad gaa-ikidod. Inashke izhiwebak sa noongom. Mii gaawiin geyaabi bebezhigooganzhiiyan sa odayaawaasiin anishinaabe sa go. Bangii eta go ayaawaad bebezhigooganzhiig. Niibowa odaabaanag ayaawag. Mii go gaye ingiw ishkodedaabaanag, mii i’iw niibowa gaye izhi-ayaawaad. Niibowa dash wiin bemisemagakin ayaamagadoon. Indedeban gaa-waabandang o’ow i’iw apii gaa-pimaadiziban.
Niibaa-giizhig
[1] Niibaa-giizhig, mii akiwenzii akina gegoo gikinoo’amawid, mii o’ow geyaabi aangodinong oon mawidisag, oon gagwe jimag weweni dinowa waa-kikendamaan, maagizhaa gaye gegoo booch igo moozhag gikinoo’amawid akiwenzii gegoo.
[2] Gaawiin aapiji baa-naazikaagesii a’aw akiwenzii. Nichi-apiitenimaa a’aw akiwenzii kina gegoo izhi-gikinoo’amawid. Mii go gaye noomaya gii-mawidisag iwidi aakoziwigamigong ji-gagwejimag ji-bi-wiidookawiyangid. “Haaw. Gidaa-wiidookoon,” ingii-ig akiwenzii, Niibaa-giizhig.
[3] Mii sa gaa-inag, “Aaniish mii sa go aawiyan gichi-akiwenzii. Mii azhigwa zhaangasimidana ashi niizho-biboonagiziyan. Gidaa-anweb. Gego aapiji geyaabi izhichigeken o’ow anooj babaa-izhaayan moozhag giishpin gisinaamagak agwajiing. Mii wenji-aakoziyan, wakewajiyan, ge-dakamanji’oyan. Gidaa-kiizhooshin. Gidaa-anweb.”
Ogii-izhinaazhishkawaan Bwaanan
[1] Inashke gaa-izhiwebak mewinzha, chi-mewinzha. Oon, iwidi akeyaa waabanong gii-onjibaawaad ingiw anishinaabeg. Mii iwidi akeyaa gaa-izhinaazhishkawaad bwaanan ningaabi’anong.
[2] Niibowa gii-ayaawag omaa ingiw bwaanag. Aanish, anishinaabeg iwidi gii-pi-izhaawaad Bawatigong akeyaa, mii iwidi ishkwaa, ji-pi-gabeshiwaad Moningwanekaaning. Mii iwidi gaa-inendamowaad ji-nandawaabandamowaad i’iw wiisiniwin nibiikaang etemagak, mii manoomin. Manoomin ogii-izhinikaadaanaawaa. Mii imaa gii-mikamowaad o’ow manoomin. Mii sa omaa akeyaa, anooj igo omaa akeyaa gii-pi-izhaawaad.
[3] Niibowa bwaanag omaa gii-taawag. Miish igo gii-maajinizhikawaawaad iwidi mashkodeng. Mashkodeng gii-izhinaazhikawaad iniw bwaanan, akina. Miish akina imaa Minisooding gii-nagadamowaad mitigokaag, aanjigoziwaad.
[4] Mii sa naagaj, mii i’iw gaa-izhi-zagaswe’idiwaad ingiw bwaanag, ingiw anishinaabeg igaye. Gaawiin geyaabi wii-miigaadisiiwag, wiijikiwendiwaad.
Aabaji’ Gidasemaa
[1] Chi-mewinzha gaawiin aapiji opwaaganag gii-ayaasiiwag. Gaawiin igaye asemaa aapiji ogii-aabaji’aasiiwaawaan. Mii eta go ko chi-anishinaabeg gaa-aabaji’aawaad asemaan. Gii-kwiiwizensiwiyaan, mii gaawiin asemaan gii-sagaswaanaasiiwaawaan anishinaabeg. Mii dibishkoo go asabikeshiinyan gaa-tebibidawigod ingiw anishinaabeg. Mii go gaye niibowa go anishinaabeg wenji-aakoziwaad. Mii iw niibowa ingiw anishinaabeg wenji-nibowaad. Gaye naa, inashke go naa gegaa gii-panaadenimigooyaang akina gegoo.
[2] Shke sa noongom baatayiino ya’aw asemaa zagaswaanigod. Mii i’iw wenji-maaji-noojimod a’aw anishinaabe. Amanj igo dash waa-inakamigak niigaan akeyaa. Mii go ayaamagak niibowa bizhikinaagoowan, o’ow gebaabwegaadegin-wiisiniwin igaye. Noongom ziinzibaakwadodaapineminzhigwan niibowa ayaamagadoon, enh ishkodewaaboo gaye.
Gegwe-dakamigishkang Speaks
[1] Hello. My name is Gegwe-dakamigishkang. I am of the Loon Clan. I’ve been through the medicine dance four times. I’m from Leech Lake. My father, Baadwewidang, was grand medicine. He was [a] messenger there in the medicine dance, helping those old men in the dance. He was a messenger just like I am today in my work. I’m a messenger. All the time now I have come to be known to know things about the medicine dance. Well now, this summer, in the summer I do this, doing things, helping my fellow Indian in what he asks me of what he wants to know about the mide way of doing things.
[2] And regarding the medicine dance, you can’t let every person know about it. It is secret. You can’t tell people, different people, the things you’ve heard there until you are recognized as knowledgeable about what has been put in the medicine dance.
[3] And the Sioux gave me a drum. And I was given a pipe too. I was given that pipe. And I carry one of the Little Boy Water Drums. It is eight summers now that I have been carrying that Little Boy. And I’ve been carrying this pipe for fourteen winters. This one Sioux guy, my fellow elder, he gave me that pipe. My fellow elder believed that a pipe shouldn’t just be given to someone to use if he simply wanted to be handed one to use. That’s what that old man said. I didn’t buy that pipe. That pipe was given to me by my fellow elder.
[4] That old man came to visit me to give me a pipe bag. When I opened that bag up, I saw the pipe sitting right there. Right there that old man said, “You will use this pipe all the time to make [important] decisions, that’s why it’s given to you.” That’s what those two Sioux guys were told by their colleagues. The one who gave me the pipe passed away. The one that gave me the pipe was named Amos Owen. And Amos Crooks gave me the pipe I carry, the one I always use myself. I pray for the Indian people and deliberate on things. My pipe is strong. My pipe is powerful. Sometimes at the hospitals I am spoken to, and I talk to the Indian people who are sick or very ill. I revive the sick Indian. He goes home. He doesn’t have to be in the hospital any more.
[5] That’s how strong my pipe is when I’m asked to talk for my fellow Indian. In three or maybe four days, then the Indian that was so sick can go home.
[6] That’s why I hold my pipe in such high regard. I can’t be anywhere without my pipe, wherever I happen to be. So I carry my pipe with me all the time. I don’t know when I might be asked to talk to my fellow Indian, wherever he’s from. This is how I help the Indian people all the time.
[7] Well now, as I get called upon, working myself to help my fellow Indian in things, I do Indian doctoring. I don’t use medicine myself. I only use my pipe and talk for [the people].
[8] When my fellow Indian is sick, bad off, I talk to the spirit to help my fellow Indian to give him strength to clean his thoughts, and his life too. Today I work for the Indian people, working to help him in whatever he commissions me, to go there to assist him, to help him. That’s how the Indians help me in what I do as well, maybe when they have a sweat lodge ceremony, maybe when they want to help with the Little Boy Water Drum. When I tie down the Little Boy Water Drum myself, I help my fellow Indian, wherever he’s from.
[9] The Indians leading the good life are numerous; we’re from all different places, Sioux, and maybe Assiniboin, and maybe mide Indians, and maybe the Menomini Indians too. All the time I help all those who might ask me to help them, and for them to help me, learning through observation, as I really do travel around to help my fellow Indian. I don’t even know where I might be doing things.
[10] I do everything elders do. Sometimes I perform marriage ceremonies for people. And I give them Indian names. I put them through [the] sweat lodge ceremony to acquire humility. I also send off Indians, the ones who’ve passed on. I help the Indian when he asks me this way, for his departing relative to leave in a good way after he dies. I tell his soul the way to follow this road and what will happen when his life is finished here on earth.
I’m Called Porky
[1] Yes, my namesake, who was called Old Man Porcupine, was a real old-timer; that old man was a Civil War veteran. He was always going to town. When he went to town, my namesake told me, “Come keep me company.” I was a little boy at this time.
[2] And the Indians stared. My namesake, Old Man Porcupine, looked like a porcupine, and I looked like a little porcupine myself, at least that’s what those people thought when they saw us. And the white people who saw us walking said, “There goes Old Man Porcupine, and there goes Little Porky.” And that’s how I got the name Porky and started being called Gaagoons. That’s it.
On the Moon
[1] When I was a little boy, there weren’t many cars. There were only horses, Indian ponies. Well one time my father told me, “Toady there are a lot of horses,” he says. “Later on,” he says, “there are going to be a lot of cars, a lot of gasoline [-powered] automobiles,” he says. “There’s going to be a lot of fancy cars,” he says. “And those trains, they’ll come here too,” he says. “And there will be a lot of those trains too,” he said. “There will really be a lot of them over there where I am from. The ox carts won’t be driven any more.”
[2] “Also,” he said, “I want to say that there will come to be a lot of airplanes. And there will be a lot of tractor-trailers too.” he says. “Maybe you don’t think about the consequences of this,” he says. “But I worry about it. And also,” that old man said, “sometime the white people are going to get it in their heads,” he says, “to try to go to the moon,” he says. And that’s what happened: they went to the moon. My father had premonitions; he could see what was going to happen in the future.
[3] What he said has come to be. Look what’s happening today. The Indian no longer has horses. There are only a few ponies. There are many automobiles. And the trains, well there really are a lot of them. There are also a lot of airplanes. My father saw all of this while he was still alive.
Niibaa-giizhig
[1] Niibaa-giizhig, that’s the old man who taught me everything, and there are still times I visit him, to ask him properly about the things I want to know, and for sure that old man is always teaching me something.
[2] That old man can’t get around much any more. And I hold him in such high regard for having taught everything to me. Recently I was visiting him at the hospital to ask him to come and help us. “All right. I’ll help you,” the old man told me, Niibaa-giizhig.
[3] I told him, “Well you are a big elder. You’re already ninety-two years old. You should rest. You shouldn’t go around doing all kinds of things if it’s cold outside. That’s why you’re sick, why you can’t take the cold and you get a chill. You should keep yourself warm. You should rest.”
They Chased Off the Sioux
[1] Look at what happened in the past, a long time ago. The Indians came from over there toward the east. And they chased those Sioux out there to the west.
[2] There used to be a lot of Sioux here. Well, the Indians came toward Sault Ste. Marie, and, afterwards, they established villages at Madeline Island. Over there they were thinking of where to search for the food that was put in the water, that is [to say] the wild rice. They called it manoomin. And that’s where they found this rice. So over this way, this is where they came.
[3] A lot of Sioux lived here. Then they chased them out to the prairies. They routed the Sioux out to the prairies, all of them. They [were forced] to move and abandon the forests there in Minnesota.
[4] But later on, they had a [pipe] ceremony, the Sioux and Chippewa too. They didn’t fight any more, [and] made friends.
Use Your Tobacco
[1] Long ago there weren’t too many pipes. And they didn’t use tobacco much either. Only the elders used tobacco. When I was a boy, the Indians didn’t smoke tobacco. It was just like a spider had caught the Indians. And that’s why so many of the Indians were sick. And that’s why so many of the Indians died. And we almost lost our faith in everything.
[2] Today a lot of this tobacco is smoked. That’s why the Indian is starting to heal. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. There are lots of commodities and canned foods too. Today there’s a lot of sugar diabetes, yes, and alcohol.