The second annual Ojibwe Winter Games happened at UMD on February 17. The event brought the campus and greater communities together to eat, learn and play.
The event occurred at UMD’s Bagley Nature Center and was organized by the American Indian Learning Resource Center (AILRC). About 120 people attended, including a group of third-grade students from Washington Elementary in Cloquet.
Wayne Valliere of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Lawrence Mann of the Forest County Potawatomi shared their knowledge of traditional winter games and gave instruction outside at Rock Pond. People were encouraged to try their hand at gooniikaa-ginebig (snow snake), dakobijigan-minawaa zhiimaagan (hoop and spear) and apaginaatig (atlatl or spear-thrower).
The inaugural event in 2022 was held outside UMD’s Chester Park building. This year’s location at Bagley allowed for an indoor gathering space for attendees to experience additional cultural games and activities.
Inside the Bagley classroom, attendees ate lunch and watched trapping demos from Christina Dzwonkowski and Gale Smith, conservation wardens from Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission. They also learned about the moccasin game from Jerry Ojibway from Fond du Lac’s 13 Moons cultural education program. Ojibway was part of UMD’s Anishinaabe Club in the 1970s. The Minnesota Conservation Corps was on hand to provide hot drinks and snacks throughout the day.
Iris Carufel, assistant director of the AILRC, was excited to expand the event this year with the help of others. “I am thrilled that so many campus departments and community organizations worked together to expand our winter event,” says Carufel. “I think events like this are important at UMD to highlight American Indian people, culture and history to celebrate that our people are still here. We are a living people group and we are happy to share cultural activities with both native and non-native peoples.
Feature photo at top of apaginaatig (atlatl or spear-thrower game) by Alex Messenger.