3 August 2016, Wednesday
We are up with the sun, having slept well. I do recall having awakened once to the call “who cooks for you?” We dispose of our Tin Pan Galley leftovers for breakfast and prepare to drive to Petroglyphs Provincial Park. The predominant bird calls this morning are a nearby peowee and occasional distant loons.
Petroglyphs Provincial Park is about an hour’s drive south. We find the park entrance and drive a 3 km gravel road to the parking area for the visitor center. No photos are allowed of the petroglyphs as this is a sacred site for the Anishnaabe (Ojibwe) people. No cell phones are allowed either, much to our delight.
The museum at the visitor center explains some of the Ojibwe spiritual beliefs. There is a spherical medicine wheel at the entrance and the path through the museum explains the importance of the cardinal directions. East is for birth and creation, learning and exploring. South is for adulthood, living what you have learned, an example is the deer who shares everything it has, even its life. West is late life, wisdom and death. North completes the cycle and represents meditation and the wait for rebirth.
I learn gnebig is Ojibwe for serpent or snake. Thunderbird is the protector of earth. Thunderbird’s eyes flash lightning, the beat of Thunderbird’s wings cause thunder. The wind is from the rush of its passing. The fog is Thunderbird’s clothing. A particularly dense fog means Thunderbird was in that spot fighting evil spirits. I learned that we leave behind our breath as we travel through the world, and the earth remembers our passing.
The canoe represents community, travel and knowledge. The name Canada comes from the now lost Laurentian Algonkian dialect. The original word was kanata meaning settlement. More about snakes: they were considered evil by some and the enemy of people, but the petroglyphs of snakes are often shown emerging from cracks in the rock. They are considered guardians of springs and sometimes were allies of shamans.
One is not truly an adult until one has had a vision. Then you must follow that vision. Once a year you must fast and consider your life and whether you are still following your vision. If not, you must redirect your path. (Sound familiar anyone?)
The rock upon which the petroglyphs were carved is now entirely enclosed in a pavilion to protect it from further weathering. The rock itself is crystalline marble. Outside the building is a sign written in English, French and Ojibwe explaining that these petroglyphs were carved 900-1400 years ago. On the whole this has been a fascinating visit!
We return to Silent Lake. We have time to read parts of our new book about Ojibwe heritage. I sucessfully create a wifi hot spot and upload two days worth of blog. I also finally get the ipod nano talking to Jazz. Just in case…I try starting the Subaru – it starts fine. After dinner we spend time on the lakeshore. This time we leave before MTO, “mosquito take-off” for the uninitiated.