Tributes to Obizaan
OBIZAAN, Lee Staples - Obituary
Aazhoomog gii-ondaadizi a'aw Obi zaan Maadaginzod Binaakwii-giizis, Ashi-zhaangaswi niimidana ashi naanan gikinoonowin naash gii-ishk waa-ayaa Onaabani-giizis ingod waasogonagizid Niishtana niishtana ashi-naanan gikinoonowin imaa endaad. A'aw Ajidawaashiik we Nancy Churchill-Staples naa August Staples Sr., mii iniw owawiinge-gitiziiman. Ogii-nitaawigi'igoon idash Nazhike wigaabawiikwe Sophia Churchill-Benjamin naash Ogimaawab John Benjamin, mii iniw ogitiziiman.
Izhi-mikwendaagozi a'aw Obizaam a'aw Maakawaadizid, gii-kanawendamaage iniw gimishoomisinaan, gii-midewi'iwe, gii-wiiyawen'enkaage nebowa, odayaawaan awashime naanwaak iniw owiiyawen'enyan, gii-gikinoo'amaage gidinwewininaan, gii-maajaa'iwe, ogii-ozhibii'aan nebowa da-gikinoo'amaagozinid anishinaaben niigaan, niswi iniw mazina'iganan, biinish nebowa ogii-ozhibii'aanan imaa anooj babaamaajimo-mazina'iganing, biinish gaye gii-o-naad amaaged aaniin go apii gaa-kagwejimind wenjida gii-ase maakawind. Moozhag ogii-kagaanzomaan anishinaaben da-mino-bimaadizinid, da-minawaanagozinid, weweni da-doo dawaad iniw wiij'anishinaabeman biinish gaye da-nanda-mi kamonid wenji-asigonid iniw manidoon omaa akiing. Gego aanizhiitangen. Weweni bizindaw. Gii-nibwaakaa.
Oga-nagishikawaan iniw odinawemaaganan gaa-minji nawezid, iniw ogitiziiman, ozigosiban, owiij'aya'aan Waabish kigaabawiikwe Mrs. Joe (Delphine) Shabaiash naa Enabiitang Bernard Benjamin, nebowa iniw odinawemaaganan biinish gaye nebowa iniw owiiyawen'enyan.
Ogii-waangoomaan Ombishkebines, Waasegiizhigookwe, Niizhwaasanangookwe, Bimise Jiigibiig Ikwe, biinish gaye iniw oniijaanisiwaan. Mii iniw enawemaajin. Ozaagi'aan ga kina iniw owiiyawen'enyan igaye.
Da-nanaa'inigaazo Maadanokii-giizhigak Niizhwaasogo nagizid Onaabani-giizis iwidi Odaawaa-zaaga'iganiing, imaa gaa-taad Biidaabanookwe, the late Saxon St. Germaine res idence.
Owii-mikwaamaan iniw wesadawendamonijin, nebowa iniw odinawemaaganan gayat gii-aanjikiiwan. Geget da-mi nawaanigozi a'aw Obizaan dagoshimoonod. Oga-waawaa bamaan iniw odinawemaaganan gaa-minjinawezid gewiin. Mikwendan ogii-kiizhiikaan nebowa gaa-onji-asind megwaa gii-pibizhaagiid omaa akiing, mii aangwaamasidog da-anwebi. Geget aanoodizi da-maada'adood.
"Mikwendan ingoding giga-waabamininim miinawaa." Obi zaan
Floral arrangements made by Austin Lake Greenhouse in Webster, Wisc.
THINGS I LEARNED FROM HIM
By Baabiitaw
• Do your tobacco everyday. No one is more exceptional than anyone else when it comes to spiritual growth. Grow your relationship with those Manidoog and you can expect guidance from them. Be open to them. Don’t be blocked by negativity.
• Don’t talk back to parents, adults, Elders.
• Anishinaabe was given a series of ceremonies from birth to death.
• Our language is a gift from those Manidoog. They gave us this life and this sound and we were cheated out of our language and our lifeways by the systems in which we live. No one is stopping us from being Anishinaabe except for American/ Chi-mookomaan standards and beliefs that our knowledge is inferior. Take them off the pedestal.
• Take pride in your cooking. Don’t make a 5-minute meal for a feast.
• Listen when adults or Elders are speaking — do not interrupt them.
• Forgive and let things go. Physically distance yourself from harmful people.
• Your home should be your sanctuary so you can re charge. Don’t tolerate nonsense in your home.
• Ceremonies are about people’s lives and livelihoods. They are complex procedures, intricate talks, and at times emotionally delicate. Don’t complicate it further with your foolishness, meanness, or selfishness.
• Your negativity is your responsibility. Bottom line. Placing blame is not a solution.
• Anishinaabe Spirit — above all, it is our job to nurture that within.
• Ceremony changes your spirit. Participate often and safely.
• There is no “Bad Medicine” anymore. People don’t know how to do that like they did a long time ago. When you believe in that, you give your power away. Your mind is so powerful that you can cause your own suffering by giving your attention and power to a negative person or situation.
• Never keep children from their parents (foster care or divorce). The amount of effort that a parent puts in to keep their children from their other parent is the amount of resentment they can expect from their child(ren) when they come into adulthood.
• Children (and adults) deserve to have their Anishinaabe name.
• Never too late to be named.
• Grief and love are equally strong and related forces that have the power to change your spirit.
• You’re talking to those Manidoog, so don’t be half-hearted in your understanding or practice. Know your work inside and out.
• Also, if you make a mistake, there is a Manidoo who corrects it.
• Mii gii-ayaaman waa-ayaman. You got what you wanted (applies to good and bad).
• Explosive behavior is telling you something. Look inward. Find a person you trust and vent.
• You’ll never be White no matter how hard you try. So, stop rejecting your Anishinaabe life.
• Folks will desperately attempt the execution of a ceremony to convince people around them that they are important. Dedication to your craft is necessary for authenticity and integrity. Those Manidoog always know.
• The snow is alive. The Aadizookaanag are alive (winter stories).
• There’s a Manidoo in the water. All water. Act accordingly.
• You are enough. You are worthy. Don’t let anyone keep you from enjoying yourself or your ceremonies.
• How you take care of your pipe is how you take care of your life.
• Lust makes you crazy. Be friends first.
• Sexuality and/or sexual preference is a sliding scale. Homophobia says more about the person expressing hate than it does about the two-spirit individual. The Creator doesn’t make mistakes.
• Smudging is basic and it works. Those plants we use to smudge came from the Manidoog in the earth. They are as powerful as we need them to be.
• Mii go izhi-naangitaawaad ingiw Manidoog awiya biindiged gegishkang i’iw minikwewin imaa niimi’idi wigamigong. Those Manidoog vanish from the Dance hall when someone enters cloaked in alcohol. At that point, we are there just going through the motions. The Dance should be over.
• Those Manidoog decide all natural things.
• Gaawiin gegoo obwaaniwitoosiinaawaa ingiw Mani doog giishpin inendamowaad wii-ni-izhichigewaad. There’s nothing those Manidoog are incapable of if they so choose.
• Those Old People always talked humorously. Talking nasty is socially acceptable — there is no sin (like Chi-mookomaan people), no swear words …but please… don’t creep people out. Read the room.
• Question: What kind of things do I put in my Mide-bundle?
• Answer: Whatever you think your life is worth.
• Blankets make our world go round. Do your best when making them.
• Bring your cooking when expected — especially to a funeral. All Drum Members are responsible for bringing their own kettle. That’s what they agreed to when they accepted tobacco to sit for that Manidoo.
• We must host visitors and behave in a welcoming way. Do not disrespect the guests by eating before them.
• I wonder what those Manidoog think when they see Anishinaabe at a ceremony all looking down at their phones not focused on the Drum or what's actually happening? Turn off your phones.
• Feed your kids before you take them to the Dance Hall so they don’t look all hungry and run to the table before visitors, elderly, and handicapped relatives.
• Stay helpful and be useful.
• Feed, and love babies well.
• Take care of your body.
• You were not put on this Earth to waste away on drugs and alcohol. Everyone has a purpose. Our job is to pursue it and work at it while we are here.
• Anything you can do for yourself, do it (walking, chores).
• Ceremonies are Spring and Fall (ML). Fun powwows are in the Summer. Do not schedule leisurely events on Big Drum dates (Obizaan, Amik, Panji, Kaadaak).
• Sing a few songs on Friday nights. • Men do not decide anything that has to do with womanhood, and it is the responsibilities of mothers, aunties, gramma’s and wenh’enhs to teach young ladies necessary lifestyle, self-care, and generational self-respect-related teachings.
• No matter the pain that one suffers, you’re going to be okay. We as Anishinaabe have endured significant loss, devastating hardship, illness, and all types of pain. Our ceremonies (by way of the Manidoog) assist in the repair of these pains. They did not put us here on Earth without an abundance of help.
CARRYING THE TEACHINGS FORWARD
By Nazhike, Mille Lacs Band Member
As Anishinaabe, we are taught that life moves in cycles. Our ancestors walked this land long before us, carrying the language, ceremonies, and teachings that make us who we are. When a strong cultural leader leaves this world, the grief is deep, but their essence remains. Their voice is still in the words we speak, their lessons live in the stories we share, and their presence continues in the ceremonies they taught us to carry.
Obizaan dedicated his life to serving our people, sharing knowledge, and ensuring that Anishinaabemowin and our ways remain strong. Now, it is our responsibility to continue what he and others worked so hard to preserve. Their passing is not an ending — it is a call to action. They did not carry the language and teachings alone; they prepared others to continue the work, to speak the words, and to teach the next generation.
It is easy, in times of grief, to feel the weight of loss, to wonder how we will move forward without those who led the way. But our ancestors did not survive by dwelling in sorrow. They moved forward because they understood that our ways do not belong to one person, but to the people. The strength of our teachings is that they live not in a single leader, but in the hearts of all who learn them.
To ensure that our language and customs continue, we must speak Anishinaabemowin every day, however much you know — in our homes, with our children, in our gatherings. Language is not just words; it is our worldview, our way of understanding creation, our connection to the Manidoog. Every conversation in the language, no matter how small, is an act of preservation.
We must also live our teachings, not just remember them. The lessons of our ancestors are meant to be practiced, not just spoken about. We honor those who have passed by carrying out their work, by holding ceremonies, by gathering as a community, and by ensuring that no one is left to walk alone in grief.
There is strength in knowing that we do not carry this responsibility alone. Look around — there are others who were taught, others who listened, others who are ready to teach. We must support one another, encourage one another, and continue learning together. Our cultural leaders did not work alone, and neither must we.
The grief of losing Obizaan, and others who have changed worlds, is heavy, but it is also a reminder of what we have been given. They left us with knowledge, with language, with a path forward. It is now our turn to step up, to ensure that what they taught does not fade but grows stronger for the next generation.
Even in loss, there is hope. Even in grief, there is purpose. Our teachings did not leave with them. They remain with us, in our words, in our songs, in our ceremonies, and in the voices of those who will come after us. We are still here. We are still speaking. And we will continue.
Miigwech.
JOE’S THOUGHTS - TRIBUTE TO MY DEAR FRIEND OBIZAAN
GAA-TIBAAJIMOD (told by) JOE NAYQUONABE SR., WAABISHKIBINES GAA-TIBAAJIMOTAWAAJIN (transcribed by) JAMES CLARK, OZAAWAANAKWAD
This month I would like do a tribute to a dear friend of mine. These are the experiences and memories I have of the late Lee Obizaan Stapes. Early on, him and I didn’t see eye to eye, due to my time in Milwaukee around the non-Indigenous people who didn’t care for certain groups of people. In our early years we drank a lot, and sad to say some of those thoughts came out when I wasn’t sober and drinking with him.
Even as we grew older, I still had troubles, we would see each other every once in a while, and there was something missing in our talks. I just didn’t feel like he was my “equal” and I had a hard time shaking that due to what I had learned and witnessed in Milwaukee. Even after I was hired by the Band, I was still drinking and it took some time working together in formal spaces for my thoughts to change. I think he saw the suffering I was going through from the war. War is a terrible thing; you see a lot of tragedy, families torn apart, friends leave this earth, and innocents caught in the crossfire. I believe Obizaan saw the emotional and physical pain I was going through, and I believe he was trying to help me and get me back on the right path.
Maybe I was a little hesitant at first but at times I could see what he was doing, and he was actively trying to help me. Earlier in one of our articles we talked about Rita; she was doing similar things. Pushing me to get back on the right path, and there was another lady from East Lake, Julie Shingobe, who all were helping me try and let go of the tough things. The war things.
Here were three people doing what they could to help his wounded warrior, to almost keep my sanity. It was not a good path I was on, but they saw that once I got help, I could be a benefit for the community. Whether that was for reasons related to language, culture, community, or even all of it combined. I think all three of them were heading towards a common goal, and that was to return to the drums. With that, I was back on the right path. I didn’t need the doctor’s medication or my own medication in a bottle.
When people see me head over to the Ceremonial Dances, I head over to thank those drums for my life. I feel like I can thank the Creator for everything we’ve been given and those who are in our lives. Cause without those three people. I don’t know if I’d be here. In Wisconsin when they sing the wounded warrior song, I get up and dance. Many in our dance halls understand that war is a horror, and after I’m done dancing, I will speak for why I dance to that song.
I believe Julie and Obizaan were the reasons I was put on drums that were outside of District I. To get me out to the danc es and ignite that passion. When Rita passed away, Obizaan came to her service and stayed the whole time. I knew how he felt about the church. When he arrived and shook my hand, I thought he only came to give our family his condolences. I mentioned to him that if he was leaving quick that we were going to have a lunch at Eddy’s to which he replied “nope I am staying.” He sat through the whole service. Again, I believe that he could see the pain I was going through similar to the pain decades earlier.
Once we buried her and before we headed to Eddy’s he pulled me aside and said, “Joe, we’ll wash you up for the grief.” I told him we didn’t have a bundle and she wasn’t Anishinaabe.
He replied, “No worries, we’ll do it anyway.” That washing up helped tremendously, as said in previous articles, I for a split second lost my faith after she passed. Wondering why Creator would take such an amazing woman. Obizaan pulled me back from the edge and kept my faith strong. The help he did for me during that time — priceless. And again, when I lost my brother. Again, we gave Obizaan the bundle. To my knowledge, I was the last one they washed up before his passing. He could see the pain for a third time that I was going through.
Sometimes I wish I could take back those years that I dis agreed with him. When I look back at our conversations, I believe he was trying to help me and teach me. I would talk to him sometimes. I saw the work he was doing in the community and I could see that he was getting worn out. Sometimes I would look at him and tell him “anwebin” (rest up). And he would look back at me and say, “I got lots to do yet.” That takes a lot out on our body, I always think he put people before him, that he couldn’t rest because the community needed him. I saw one time where he skipped medication so that it didn’t cause an inconvenience; this was at Mide. I could see his legs start to balloon up. I asked, “Did you take your water pill?” He replied, “No. I would have to go to the bathroom a lot.” He didn’t want to inconvenience people.
I know sometimes he did get blunt with people, but some times people need to hear that. I will forever be grateful for him for what he's done for me. He probably saved my life — probably why I am still here. I can never do what he's done but I will do as much as he taught me. The one thing we have in common is that we both have worked with people suffering from additions and alcohol. He taught me the spiritual side too, in order to sober up we need our mind, body, and spirit. I will be forever grateful for him for getting me back on the spiritual side — that is probably what I was missing in my recovery. And yes, I cried when I heard of his passing. I felt a deep pain. I will miss my old friend but yeah, I will meet him again. He is probably up there now having a good time, probably helping them guys up there. Probably my family members came up to him and said “miigwech for helping Waabishkibines.”
Take care my old friend until we meet again. Miigwech for everything you did for me, and a lot of other people that you helped. I am grateful for being a small part of your life. I will try and carry on a small part of your teachings.
