The Wabunowin (also spelled Wabanowin, Wabenowin, and Wabunohwin; ''Waabanoowin'' or ''Waabanowiwin'' in the "double-vowel" spelling) is the "Dawn Society", also sometime improperly called the "Magical Dawn Society", a distinct

Anishinaabeg The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawatomi, ...

society of visionaries, practiced among the

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabeg (adjectival: Anishinaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples present in the Great Lakes region of Canada and the United States. They include the Ojibwe (including Saulteaux and Oji-Cree), Odawa, Potawatomi, ...

g peoples, consisting of the

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

/ Nipissing, Ojibwa/Chippewa/

Saulteaux The Saulteaux (pronounced , or in imitation of the French pronunciation , also written Salteaux, Saulteau and other variants), otherwise known as the Plains Ojibwe, are a First Nations band government in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Al ...

Mississaugas The Mississauga are a subtribe of the Anishinaabe-speaking First Nations peoples located in southern Ontario, Canada. They are closely related to the Ojibwe. The name "Mississauga" comes from the Anishinaabe word ''Misi-zaagiing'', meaning "hose ...

Odawa The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ), said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, commonly known as the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They ha ...

Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...

and

Oji-cree The Oji-Cree are a First Nation in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba, residing in a narrow band extending from the Missinaibi River region in Northeastern Ontario at the east to Lake Winnipeg at the west. The Oji-Cree people are des ...

, located primarily in the Great Lakes region of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. Like the ''

Midewiwin The Midewiwin (in syllabics: , also spelled ''Midewin'' and ''Medewiwin'') or the Grand Medicine Society is a secretive religion of some of the indigenous peoples of the Maritimes, New England and Great Lakes regions in North America. Its prac ...

'', the Wabunowin is a secretive

animistic Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, hum ...

religion, requiring an initiation, thus early non-indigenous writers lumped the information on the Wabunowin with the Midewiwin. But unlike the ''Mide'', the ''Waabano'' have sometimes two levels, and sometimes four. This variation is dependent on the particular lodge. This society was mentioned in ''

The Song of Hiawatha ''The Song of Hiawatha'' is an 1855 epic poem in trochaic tetrameter by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which features Native American characters. The epic relates the fictional adventures of an Ojibwe warrior named Hiawatha and the tragedy of his l ...

'' by

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (February 27, 1807 – March 24, 1882) was an American poet and educator. His original works include "Paul Revere's Ride", ''The Song of Hiawatha'', and ''Evangeline''. He was the first American to completely transl ...

who used informational materials made available from

Henry Schoolcraft Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (March 28, 1793 – December 10, 1864) was an American geographer, geologist, and ethnology, ethnologist, noted for his early studies of Native Americans in the United States, Native American cultures, as well as for his 1 ...

to compose the epic poem. The Dawn Society members were systematically imprisoned in

mental hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociati ...

s by the United States government in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Because of this persecution, the Wabunowin went underground and have just begun to reemerge in the last decade. While many of the ceremonies and traditions are closely guarded, one that is known is the Fire Dance. The Waabanowin have been coming out from underground and re-establishing themselves for about 15 years now. There are active lodges in Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, Indiana and Michigan.

Name

The word for "dawn" or "east" in the

Anishinaabe language Ojibwe , also known as Ojibwa , Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of North America of the Algonquian lan ...

is ''waaban''. Its practitioners are called ''Waabanow'' (plural: ''Waabanowag'') and the practices of ''Waabanowin'' referred to as the ''Waabano'' (often transcribed as "Waubuno"). Unlike the ''mide'' where gender-specific references could be made for its practitioners, ''Waabano'' do not. Though of differing etymology, culturally, ''waaban'' is associated with ''owaabi'aan'' ( syncoped as ''waabhaan''), "they see them", from ''waabi′'', "to see SOMEBODY". This word association reinforces the idea of the ''Waabanoog'' as being visionaries.

Origin

There are differing stories about the origins of the ''Waabanowin''. Many writings put them as a late 19th-century origin, but the members with their oral traditions place the origin many centuries ago. The oral traditions of the lodge put the formation of the society happening shortly after creation.

Oral tradition

The ''Waabanowin'' elders trace the origins of the lodge or society to the original teachings of

Nanabozho In Anishinaabe ''aadizookaan'' (traditional storytelling), particularly among the Ojibwe, Nanabozho (in syllabics: , ), also known as Nanabush, is a spirit, and figures prominently in their storytelling, including the story of the world's creat ...

. The stories of Nanabozho are used in the ceremonies and teachings of the Society. Further, the ''Waabanowin'' lodge, usually with less than 25 participants, but as many as 300, only needed one or two elders to perform the ceremonies, unlike the ''

'' which required several. This would allow the ''Waabanowin'' ceremonies to have existed in the much smaller settlements that the Anishinaabeg lived before contact with Europe.

Beliefs

The ''Waabanowin'' have a basic set of beliefs that anthropologists call 'animist.' In many ways this is correct but in some ways it is not. They do not believe in a multitude of deities in every living thing, There are ''

Manidoo Manitou (), akin to the Iroquois ''orenda'', is the spiritual and fundamental life force among Algonquian groups in the Native American theology. It is omnipresent and manifests everywhere: organisms, the environment, events, etc. ''Aasha ...

g'' in all living things and these are spirits but not deities. It is the goal of ''Waabanow'' to live a life in balance with everything around them and with all of creation. They do not try to do only good and no bad. The elders in the ''Waabano'' guide those who come to the lodge. It is not their way to dictate a what a person believes, or does. The ''Waabanow'' points the person in the correct direction using the stories and traditions of the lodge. There is no dogma or absolutes. Each person has their own path to walk and their own things to learn because what one person has to learn is different from another, they cannot have absolutes. There is no effort to convert people to the beliefs of the lodge. People will find their way to the traditions or they will not. It is the belief of the lodge is that every person is placed on this earth to learn certain things. Each person has different things to learn. If the individual does not learn his or her individual life purpose lesson, then that individual will come back to this world again; if the individual does learn his or her life purpose lesson, then the individual will move on to the next world and lesson.

Ceremonies

The lodge has several ceremonies they share in common with the other medicine traditions of the Anishinaabe people. They also have ceremonies that are specific to the Dawn Society. While many would like to know more the actual ceremonies are not written down and traditions of the society prohibit the writing or the ceremonies. For these that want to know more it is recommended that they seek out a ''Waabanowin'' and learn from the lodge and elders directly. What follows is a basic overview of the ceremonies.

Solstice/equinox ceremonies

On the solstice and equinox the lodge performs a set of ceremonies that begin at dusk and end at dawn. Each of the ceremonies differ, with the winter ceremony being the highest ceremony of the lodge. All of the lodge ceremonies begin with a purification done through a ''Madoodiswan'' (

sweat lodge A sweat lodge is a low profile hut, typically dome-shaped or oblong, and made with natural materials. The structure is the ''lodge'', and the ceremony performed within the structure may be called by some cultures a purification ceremony or simply ...

). After the sweat the ceremony begins at dusk and goes until dawn.

Minookamin

The Spring Equinox was the beginning of the new year to the ''Waabanowin'', unlike the dominant ''Midewiwin'' whose new year began in Winter. ''Minookamin'' (Late Spring) was a time to celebrate and fell just after the

Maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...

camps. During the Spring Ceremony the focus is on the ''Waabanong

'' (Spirit of the East), the Grandfather.

Niibin

The Summer Solstice is a time of gathering of many villages or bands. The ceremony goes for 4 days and is more of a time of teaching and fellowship. It is normally the largest of the ''Waabanowin'' ceremonies in the number of people. The ceremony starts at dusk with the lighting of the ''Mishi-ishkode'' or sacred fire.

Dagwaagin

Like the Spring the ''dagwaagin'' (Autumn) ceremony fell just before the

Wild rice Wild rice, also called manoomin, Canada rice, Indian rice, or water oats, is any of four species of grasses that form the genus ''Zizania'', and the grain that can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both ...

camps.

Biboon

Traditionally the Anishinaabe peoples only told certain traditions during ''biboon'' (winter). This was because the underwater ''Manidoo'' hibernated at that time. Because of this the ''Waabanowin'' would recount the ''Nanabozho'' and creation stories as a part of the winter ceremonies. The Ceremony was a teaching time and a prayer for healing of individuals and ''aki'' (Earth). It was at this time that the fire dance was done as a part of the ceremony.

Ziigwan

Winter Solstice is the most important of all of the ''Waabanowin'' ceremonies. It is the time of healing for ''Aki'' (Earth) and for personal healing. The traditional ceremony calls for ''Madoodiswan'' to be performed at dusk for two days, then again on the solstice with the sweat ending at dusk. The ceremonies including the fire dance go on throughout the longest night of the year. At dawn the ceremony is finished and the men come out a ''Madoodiswan'' again. They then sweat twice more for the following two days.

Personal Healing

The ''Waabanowin'' are known as spiritual healers. There is a ceremony they perform to bring the person's spirit and body back into alignment thus healing them. In ''Waabanowin'' teachings sickness that cannot be cured by the herbs and medicines of the herbal healers are caused those things in a persons life that are out of balance with creation. These can and are performed as needed but are also part of the Solstice ceremonies.

References

{{Reflist Anishinaabe culture Native American religion