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Mary Annette Pember A winter mind turns to summer and thoughts of Gitchee Gumee, big sea water (Lake Superior), home of many Manidoo (spirits).

The Cincinnati gray winter sky outside my window has caused me to dream about summer up home and forced me to quit writing a dang good paying article. This sky has made me call my godmother Cleo up on the Lac Courte Oreilles rez and begin to  make our plans for niibin (summer) ceremonies.
Oooooh, there is so much preparation to do and the more we talk the more excited I get!

Someone has posted a link on my facebook wall to a lovely video featuring Anishinabe author and poet Jim Northrup from the Fond du Lac rez up in Minnesota reciting his poem about niibin (summer). After viewing it I am completely unable to focus on my work at hand and get a little disgusted about my lot in life here in Cincinnati.

The earth here appears to be far away gouged and hacked up as it is by Walmarts, strip malls and all these tiny fenced yards. For me, earth seems closer and real up north in the woods.

For a moment, the seemingly complete lack of wildness becomes almost overwhelming.  I begin to lament a destiny that has brought me here to suburbia. Just as my pity party reaches a peak,  a big hawk dives into my little yard.  KeKe, the hawk is here, he is wild.. Immune to the suburban trappings and knickknacks, he is hunting as he was meant to do. I am humbled and return to my writing.