Wabunowin facts for kids

The Wabunowin (also called the "Dawn Society") is a special group among the Anishinaabe people. This includes groups like the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi. They mostly live in the Great Lakes area of North America. The Wabunowin is a private spiritual group, much like the Midewiwin. To join, you need to go through an initiation.

Long ago, some writers confused the Wabunowin with the Midewiwin. But the Wabunowin is different. It can have two or four levels, depending on the specific lodge (group). The famous poem The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow mentioned this society.

Sadly, in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the United States government put Wabunowin members in places for mental health care. Because of this, the Wabunowin went hidden for a long time. They have only started to come back into the open in recent years. Many of their ceremonies are kept secret, but one known ceremony is the Fire Dance.

For about 15 years now, the Waabanowin have been re-establishing themselves. You can find active groups in places like Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Indiana, and Michigan.

What Does the Name Mean?

The word for "dawn" or "east" in the Ojibwe language is waaban. People who practice the Wabunowin are called Waabanow (or Waabanowag for many people). Their practices are known as the Waabano.

Unlike some other groups, the name Waabano doesn't change based on if someone is a man or a woman. The word waaban also sounds like another word that means "they see them." This helps show that the Waabanoog are seen as people who have visions or special insights.

Where Did It Come From?

There are different stories about how the Waabanowin began. Some old writings say it started in the late 1800s. But the members themselves, who pass down stories by talking, say it started many centuries ago. Their oral traditions say the society formed soon after the world was created.

Stories Passed Down

The elders (wise leaders) of the Waabanowin say their group's teachings come from Nanabozho. Nanabozho is a very important figure in Anishinaabe stories. Stories about Nanabozho are used in the ceremonies and lessons of the Society.

A Waabanowin lodge usually has fewer than 25 people, but sometimes up to 300. Only one or two elders are needed to lead the ceremonies. This is different from the Midewiwin, which needs several elders. This means Waabanowin ceremonies could have happened in the smaller villages where the Anishinaabe lived before Europeans arrived.

What They Believe

The Waabanowin have beliefs that some people call 'animist'. This means they believe that spirits (called Manidoog) are in all living things. These are spirits, not gods.

The main goal for a Waabanow is to live a life that is balanced with everything around them and with all of creation. They don't try to do only good things and no bad.

The elders in the Waabano guide people who come to the lodge. They don't tell people what to believe or do. Instead, the Waabanow guides them using the stories and traditions of the lodge. There are no strict rules or absolute truths. Each person has their own path to follow and their own things to learn. This is because what one person needs to learn is different from another.

They don't try to get people to join their beliefs. They believe that people will find their way to the traditions if it's meant to be. The lodge believes that everyone is put on Earth to learn certain things. If a person doesn't learn their life's purpose, they will come back to this world again. If they do learn their lesson, they will move on to the next world and lesson.

Ceremonies

The lodge has several ceremonies that are similar to other medicine traditions of the Anishinaabe people. They also have ceremonies that are special to the Dawn Society. Many people want to know more about these ceremonies. However, they are not written down. The traditions of the society do not allow them to be written. If you want to learn more, it's suggested that you find a Waabanowin group and learn directly from the lodge and its elders. Here is a basic look at some of their ceremonies.

Solstice and Equinox Ceremonies

On the solstices (longest and shortest days) and equinoxes (equal day and night), the lodge performs ceremonies. These ceremonies start at dusk and end at dawn. Each ceremony is different. The winter ceremony is the most important one for the lodge. All lodge ceremonies begin with a cleansing in a Madoodiswan (sweat lodge). After the sweat, the ceremony starts at dusk and continues until dawn.

Minookamin (Spring Equinox)

The Spring Equinox was the start of the new year for the Waabanowin. This is different from the Midewiwin, whose new year began in Winter. Minookamin (Late Spring) was a time to celebrate. It happened just after the Maple camps. During the Spring Ceremony, they focus on the Waabanong Manidoo (Spirit of the East), who is seen as a Grandfather.

Niibin (Summer Solstice)

The Summer Solstice is a time when many villages or groups gather. This ceremony lasts for four days. It is more about teaching and spending time together. It is usually the largest Waabanowin ceremony in terms of how many people attend. The ceremony starts at dusk with the lighting of the Mishi-ishkode, which is a sacred fire.

Dagwaagin (Autumn)

Like the Spring ceremony, the dagwaagin (Autumn) ceremony happened just before the Wild rice camps.

Biboon (Winter)

Traditionally, the Anishinaabe people only told certain stories during biboon (winter). This was because the underwater Manidoo (spirits) rested during that time. Because of this, the Waabanowin would tell the Nanabozho and creation stories as part of the winter ceremonies. The ceremony was a time for teaching and for praying for healing for people and for aki (Earth). It was during this time that the fire dance was performed as part of the ceremony.

Ziigwan (Winter Solstice)

The Winter Solstice is the most important of all the Waabanowin ceremonies. It is a time for healing Aki (Earth) and for personal healing. The traditional ceremony involves performing a Madoodiswan (sweat lodge) at dusk for two days. Then, on the solstice itself, the sweat ends at dusk. The ceremonies, including the fire dance, continue throughout the longest night of the year. At dawn, the ceremony finishes. The men come out of a Madoodiswan again. They then do two more sweats over the next two days.

Personal Healing

The Waabanowin are known as spiritual healers. They perform a ceremony to help bring a person's spirit and body back into balance, which helps them heal. In Waabanowin teachings, sickness that cannot be cured by herbs and medicines is caused by things in a person's life that are out of balance with creation. These healing ceremonies can be done when needed. They are also part of the Solstice ceremonies.