BEMIDJI 鈥� Shaynowishkung, commonly known as Chief Bemidji, was a charismatic 19th-century Anishinaabe leader who bridged the gap between two colliding cultures 鈥� settlers and Native Americans.
Born sometime in the 1830s, Shaynowishkung was a leader by the time colonizers began traveling north. These colonizers nicknamed Shaynowishkung "Chief Bemidji" when they mistook the lake's name, Bemijigamaag, as his own. He passed away in 1904 as a beloved leader; the emerging Bemidji, a village at the time, recognized his effort and held a celebration to honor him.
ADVERTISEMENT
Now, a Shaynowishkung statue, which overlooks Lake Bemidji within Library Park, serves as a constant reminder of his dedication to the land that he called home.
And on Saturday, his statue and legacy were honored during a 10th anniversary ceremony.
Mariah Ortiz, whose Ojibwe name is Niigaanikwe (woman who leads), is Shaynowishkung's seventh-generation granddaughter. She lived up to her namesake and led the ceremony with an Ojibwe prayer. Ortiz then discussed Shaynowishkung's legacy and explained the Seven Generations principle, an Anishinaabe philosophy that teaches people to think of their footprint seven generations into the future.
Shaynowishkung embodied this principle and aligned with the seven grandfathers' teachings, which preach the importance of humility, bravery, honesty, wisdom, truth, respect and love.
"I come from a strong line," Ortiz said. "I just want to talk about my grandfather: he was the peacemaker of the settlers. He always opened his arms, and he lived through a great era with the treaties and allotment. He always was respectful and he wanted peace between the settlers. He always was opening and welcoming to them."
The event was extra special to Ortiz as it served as her first public speaking appearance. But more importantly, her daughter, Rahmya, begins a new string of seven generations.
Ojibwe Nation singer Jeremy Clark played a drum song to conclude the ceremony at the park.
ADVERTISEMENT
Following, the crowd of attendees split, with some taking a guided walk to see Shaynowishkung's historic home site near The Coffee District, east of the Mississippi River between Lake Bemidji and Lake Irving. The rest of the crowd stuck around, taking photos with the statue, chatting and enjoying the weather.
The attendees later reconvened at the Beltrami County History Center for a second presentation from the statue's sculptor, Gareth Curtiss.
Curtiss earned the honor of sculpting the statue in 2015 after entering a contest. He felt a deep connection to Shaynowishkung immediately.
"I've done over 60 statutes all over there; this is the first time there's been a 10th anniversary on any of them," Curtiss joked. "I was provided with a very old photo (of Shaynowishkung), that photo is still right on the wall in my living room; I don't have pictures of anybody else in there.
"I felt a special connection here, special connection to you. He is a remarkable man. I see him as a bridge between two different cultures and he had a lovely heart as a man of peace. I was drawn to that."
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe elder, activist and former Cass Lake mayor Elaine Fleming also spoke during the presentation. She began by detailing how her connection with the historical society formed.
"Ten years ago, I got involved with this committee, and they wanted to raise the money to put up the statue of Shaynowishkung to honor him," Fleming said. "And so I thought that was pretty groovy. I'm so glad that I came in here; I'm grateful for a chance to share some of our history.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Working with this committee has taught me something really important. It is about that interconnectedness and how important it is to be a peacemaker, that we need to respect each other and we need to know each other. To understand each other's culture and history takes work."
Fleming then detailed Shaynowishkung's life, legacy and the struggle that he led, with connection to the area's rich settler-Native American history.
"He fought for his land ... in his peaceful way," Fleming remarked. "We are doing awesome things, the Ojibwe people. People like Emily (Thabes) and Carolyn (Jacobs) and the committee, all these people make me so glad that we're traveling this road together. We have a long way to go and I'm glad to be here with you today, traveling."
The entire event was planned by the and the Bemidji Statue Committee, in partnership with the Bemidji Parks and Recreation Department.
Emily Thabes, the BCHS Director, was pleased with how the program went.
"I think it was a learning opportunity for folks," Thabes said, "but also a way that we could all come together as a community to honor Shaynowishkung. I think the message that he raised, peace and bringing community together, is one that we should continue to try to work toward.
"We were really fortunate that Mariah was available to give a prayer and that Jeremy was available to sing ... It turned out to be a good day."
ADVERTISEMENT
