Sunday July 8, 2001
PAINTED ROCKS
An old time Anishinabe travels to the lake to go on a vision quest. He or she is out there by himself or herself fasting for days and days. The vision comes.
He is told to record his or life time on the rocks. Ingredients for the sacred old red paint is passed down to certain people. This old mix of plants has an unknown age lifespan. Once the paint is on the rocks, the paint will stay on for hundreds and hundreds of years. Modern day scientists and scholars are baffled.
There are designs on the rocks that are recognizable and some are unrecognizable.
Some have the medicine man with a buffalo horn cap. Some have the old water serpent that live in our waters. Some have the old time lion. Some have the various levels of life and after life. Some tell of what will be happening to this land. Some will tell about the visitors and what will happen to them. Some have the various animals spirit helpers of the person with the vision. Some have the spirit helper of the Anishinabe people.
These old painted rocks are a message for future generations. Many do not know what they mean. The answer would lie in a vision quest. The meaning of these pictured rocks would come to light in the future, as prophecied. They are of great importance.
My modern day people still travel to these places. We are taught to offer our tobacco, cloth and food to this places. The spirit still lives there and we must honor them with these gifts. They will watch over us for as long as the spirit lives.
On Lake of the Woods, we have many, many painted rocks. Some are openly discussed and the public are aware of their locations. Many rocks are painted and are only known to the area Ojibway.
It is a shame that some of the public ones are marked up and painted over with regular modern day paint. This form of destruction is uncalled for and totally disrespectful to the water spirits and the future spirits that dwell there. We can only wish that the evil people who disrespect the sacred old time paintings will be spared by the spirit that watched them paint over them. Their offering of that modern day paint probably has been already answered, it was their offering and they shall receive their thoughts many times over.
These paintings are found all over Canada. Along the water and on the granite rock. They are found all over Ontario, Manitoba and the northern Great Lakes States.
We are an old people. We have a history. We knew that the destructive culture would come and we had to find a way to keep our culture and sacredness alive. Painting on the rocks was one way.
The spirit still lives and will continue to live.
These are sacred places and must be cherished and protected. Only those who are chosen will be shown the location of the very sacred. The common public painted rocks are just a tip of the ice berg and that is all that will be shown to the people.
We must hold these places in secret. They do tell a story of the times we live in NOW.
Only a very select few will have the gift to continue painting for the spirits and the unseen future generations.
Our spirit speaks through us in many ways. We are an ancient people. We have evolved as a people so much that we will be called upon to help save this earth from destruction. Our teachings will be heard.
Long ago, many tribes had books and records. These are burned and important information went with them. Books are here today, and these modern day books will burn as easily as the Anishinabe books and sacred old scrolls have burned 500 years ago. We will see the information of today's society go up in smoke, a incredible loss of information, along with their history.
But should we stoop to their level and tippy toe to scratch the snakes belly?
The Anishinabe will still read from the rocks and dreams. They cannot be burned.
Honor the grandfathers and they shall honor you. Read the rocks. If you have something to say or the spirit speaks to you to paint..... then go paint your vision on the rocks for the unborn to read. Do not leave your name.
Watch the rocks come alive in these important days.