BAND MEMBER SHARES STORIES AND TEACHINGS WITH URBAN AREA FAMILIES
By Aabawaagiizhigookwe, Toya Stewart Downey
On a recent unseasonably warm December evening, students, families, and staff in the Hopkins School District’s American Indian Education program gathered to share a meal, talk about the program highlights, and participate in a fun craft that was filled with cultural significance.
The craft of making birch bark canoe (jiiman) ornaments was taught by Band member Benji Sam, who earlier this year opened up Bizhiki Creations, LLC, with his wife, Candace. Bizhiki means buffalo in Ojibwe, and their goal is to bring light to traditional crafting and teaching.
“We’re about preservation, crafting, storytelling, bringing historical knowledge to the next generations, and sharing knowledge about harvesting natural materials and utilizing natural materials in a healthy way,” Sam said.
Before the activity began, Sam shared stories about his life growing up, and many teachings from his Elders and family — all of which grounded him in the culture. He also talked about the traditional uses of birch bark and why it is so important to Indigenous people.
“The inner bark of birch trees could be ground into flour; that’s one way they had bread,” he said. “Birch bark is a medicine that was shown and given to us as people to collect water and even boil maple sap, as we used that until the cast iron was brought to this region. Our main form of travel was with birch bark canoes that helped us be a nomadic tribe.”
The craft night in Hopkins saw the largest turnout the program has seen so far, with 73 people in attendance, said Annie Faue, Red Lake Band of Chippewa, the district’s American Indian Education Coordinator.
“Ben Sam came to mind for this lesson because he has been working with birch bark and is a great teacher,” Faue said, who is Sam’s older sister. “I knew he would be able to connect with our audience and provide a teaching experience that was both fun and informative.
“He comes from a long line of Ojibwe crafters and a family that practices traditional teachings,” she added. “He believes in handing down those teachings and he can share a craft and provide scientific knowledge behind the process.”
Sam told the group that the single piece of birch bark used for the craft night was gathered this past summer, together, with Faue. The bark, which was later cut into 110 pieces, was intended to be used to make baskets and canoes. But instead, Sam shared this piece with the Hopkins group to learn with together. He added that the leftover scraps would be used to supplement other projects in the future.
Sam said he will continue to share the “gifts that Mother Earth has given us,” and the event in the Hopkins district allowed him and his wife to share one of their many passions with the world.
Jojo Battles, who has two daughters in the Hopkins district and serves as a leader in the American Indian Parent Advisory Committee, said she “absolutely loved the evening learning about birch bark.”
“After the loss of my Native grandmother, I felt a great loss and connection to my Native culture,” said Battles, whose mom is a Fond du Lac enrollee. “The opportunities presented by the Hopkins Indian Education help me to reconnect. It supports me in sharing that part of myself with my kids, and gives me hope that Native traditions and teachings can live on.”
That is exactly what Sam is hoping will happen through his business and the teachings he shares.
“I spent a lot of time around my grandma, Betty Kegg, and I got to see the quality of work and what it looks like from someone who is regionally and nationally known for high-quality art,” he said. “In some ways, we’ve lost touch with craftsmanship to some degree.
“I’ve seen a lot of art work, particularly birch bark work, in gift shops around the state, and I’ve noticed that it’s built in a non-traditional way. I’ve noticed that things are created cheaply or are superficial and commercialized and that they are charging a lot of money for it.
“There is a difference in the quality from what I grew up around,” he added. “I hope to be able to share that birch bark is a material that was a medicine that was given to us to work with and not necessarily something that should be commercialized.”
Sam said a big goal he has in this venture is to create an online marketplace for Native artists to share their crafts and artwork. He wants to celebrate Native artistry that is created by Native people who don't have the access or knowledge to use technology to share their story.
For more information about the work Sam and his wife are doing, follow them on Facebook at Bizhiki Creations. And for more information about more creative events like these in the future, join and follow your local Indian Education programs and parent committees to join the fun.
