http://giantstombtrading.com/2017/07/09/legend-giants-tomb-kitchikewana-2/
Legend of the Giants Tomb and Kitchekewana
This legend- that you read from the link – is a very intergral part of the
Georgian Bay Area, where I live .
It is both a Sacred and Social location .
I look out right into Giants Tomb Island — you can see the photo of the
artist Clayton Samuel King- a local Ojibway Resident who has done this
painting of Ketchikewana lying on the ground , against the most famous and
gorgeous of the Georgian Bay Sunset , that this area is known for .
Clayton is a well known artist and a Pow Wow Dancer in my community , and I
took this photo at the local Pow wow .
The Island – is his body- that the birds and animals covered with rocks and
tree branches and soil .
You can clearly see the Head, Neck, Chest Abdomen and Legs on the outline
of the island .
I have seen this island in all its sunsets , sunrises, seasons, storms,
tornados, colors and glory that are mostly breathtakingly beautiful and
sometimes fearful, when a storm, blizzard is roaring towards me .– like the
one I experienced on the 4th of April this year .
The most thrilling — is to see lightening in the night over the island –
when I turn off all the lights, sit in my cozy dark home, and watch the
Light Show !
You can see the Island in the Sun- sunrise and sunset, rainbow over it,
glorious fall colors , the most ethereal being the sight of Giants Tomb on
the Partial Solar Eclipse Day- last year – aug 21 .
It was sooooo eeeerie …. and the water was sooo quiet and calm … it
was truly a moment with The Great Spirit ….
During the summer it attracts many boaters for day trips, weekends etc .
80% of the island is owned by Awenda park — Ontario Provincial Park —
that is near my home , where I sometimes volunteer for many projects- bird
calls , butterflies count day , and share my photos with the park Naturalist
who uses them for teaching purposes .
Last year, I had a park summer student who billeted with me for months of
July and Aug .
The other 20% of the island is privately owned .
There is a lovely monument made to Honor Kitchekewana in my small town of
Penetanguishene , on a waterfront park ., as you can see in two photos .
It is a place of Honor in my community .
Though I have lived in front of Kitchikawana and looked at his Sacred
Being for the past 30 yrs, it was only two yrs ago that I had actual chance
to visit the island, and I was sooo happy that finally I made it there after
looking at for 28 yrs !
So, I did a simple “Home Coming Ceremony ” on the shores- you can see my
Drum – the design painted is Sunset on Giants Tomb- a photo I took some 13
yrs ago , and my native friend made the drum and painted it for me .
In the photo is my drum, drum bag with a Pacific Coast Salish motif with
buttons – a traditional Pacific Coast form of Art ( Raven Steals The
Light ) , small birch bark/ Sweetgrass / porcupine quill and bead Medicine
box containing Sacred Tobacco, Cedar, Sweetgrass , Sage, that is used in
All First Nations Ceremonies .
The Pauva Shell- is used to burn the Medicines- its Smoke goes Up. Up. Up.
to The Great Spirit .
The Sweetgrass Ring- I made it using the Sweetgrass I grow at home with
Medicine Bundles tied to it , and it was later hung on an Oak tree in the
island .
Ketchikawana— is my constant companion in this life, and perhaps in the
next …
Blessings to All– and I hope you enjoyed reading about my Friend-
Kitchikewana .
Eagledeepthie
Thanks Deepthie
For relating the legend of the Kichikewana, the remnants of the Huron dynasty..IT is amazing to know that behind the calm, beautiful,island with sandy beaches lies a Violent Past
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Thank you Rani for the response .
Yes- ” violent past ‘ — you refer to is something that happened a long time ago- between the Huron- Wendat and Iroquois people between them selve, and later when the French came along- it was ” Divided and Conqour ” philosophy with ‘imported diseases like Small Pox , and efforts to ‘Harvest Souls ‘ in the name of Christianity , that made things even worse .
A few years ago- ( 2015 aug ) we had a huge weekend Celebration of 500 years since French Arrival of
Samuel de Champlain etc etc , with the descendants of the original Huron Wendat People from Quebec came and we had a very nice weekend with many cultural activities , and I was invited by one of the Mohawk- Iroquois family here, to walk with them, under the Mohawk Banner , as The Grandmother – on the parade down the Main Street .
I was proud that they invited me to be The Grandmother for the Parade, but at the same time quite nervous as I am not Indegenous Canadian or Metis , but this family was quite insistent that I be The Grandmother for the Parade !
Later people told me, ‘ Mary — you fitted it real well with the Huron- Wendat and Mohawk people ‘ !!
All Nations in the World have had thier ‘ Violent Past ‘ not that it is any better now, when you see what is going on in the world …
We in Huron Country-have put this behind us and we live in harmony – All Races, All Creeds , All Religions with mutual Respect for each others’ belief systems .
T his is what Canada is All About .
By the way- I live off one of the little side roads on the 22 km long road called Champlain Rd- that skirts the bay .
‘
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Thanks Deepthie.Very interesting.The place name and the warrior’s name sounds like some of our Local Maori names.Do you remember our famous Soprano who sang at Prince Charles and Diana’s wedding.? Her name was Kiri Te Kanawa.!
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Thank you Eddie for your response .
Yes- I do remember Kiri Te Kanawa — her lovely voice and I think I still have a CD of her opera songs .
The Maori people were closely connected with the West Coast Native people of Canada and USA and I have visited ancient sites with stone carvings in Bella Coola, British Columbia, where the images are almost identical to the Maori images .
I will send some of these pics to you later .
It is very likely that the Maori- and other ancient Pacific Islanders did travel in rafts — like the Kontiki- made of Balsa wood .
Infact the guy who made the sea voyage – did visit Bella Coola back in the 50’s I think., and you can look up ‘” Kontiki’ on google for more info .
A movie was made out of this epic voyage and I saw it in Colombo- back in the 50 ‘s – and this is what sparked my imagination on the Maori and other Pacific Ancient Cultures- and folks in British Columbia and rest of North and South America .
Once I came to Canada, in the early 70’s ‘the penny dropped ‘ in my head ,and there was no turning back- I just had to know all about , ” Who were The Original People ‘ etc .
I am a lot wiser for having followed my instincts !
Penetanguishene- means ” Place of the Great White Sands “– and now, Sand and Gravel
Aggregate Business is BIG business here and a very controversial one at that — more about this later, after the big weekend Gathering of The Nations in my town.
A nasty Ice Storm is predicted for Saturday- but, We The People — will be there for the Sunrise Ceremony followed by Water Ceremony , storm or no storm !
There you are Eddie- you asked for Giants Tomb and now, you have it All !!
Enjoy — eagleD
.
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Hi Eddie — the name of the explorer- Thor Heyerdahl– Norwegian –
Kon – Tiki- name of Inca Sun God .
The Maori Tikki– the famous image of the Warrior face with big eyes, and tongue protruding out , is also referred to as Tikki– same idea I guess .
Amazing- how all these names sound the same .
After all – We are All One .
eagled
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Thanks Deepthie.Thanks for your pics of the B.Coola petroglyphs too..The Bella Coola petroglyphs situated on the pacific rim, indicate a strong connection between the Indian tribes and people in the Pacific islands, including the Maori of New Zealand.A genome wide study should confirm.Interestingly most of the indigenous people and the Pacific islanders suffer from the same spectrum of disease, probably related to the “thrifty gene” hypothesis.By the way, what is the population in Penetanguishine? Eddie.
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HI Eddie ,’ thanks for you interest in my neck of the woods, half a world away !
Penetanguishene- The Place of The Great White Sands- has a population of about 9- 10, 000 people and it swells up a lot during the summer as it is a Georgian Bay waterfront community, very popular summer vacation area .
I live in the adjacent town- – again, water front, on the Georgian Bay.– called Tiny Township
Lots of info on google, for any one who wants to read more about it .
Small town, with small people , with lots of BIG things happening , in the Tiny Town !and I love living here .
Thanks to all, for participating in the Giants Tomb Story .
eagleD
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Thanks Deepthie. Interesting little town indeed.! Tiny,named after the little dog (owner,wife of one Mr Maitland). The Maitlands seem to be cropping up all over the world.I presume you are fluent in French to communicate with the French speaking neighbours.The beaches are quite sandy just like the sandy beaches of tropical islands but this is on the fresh water lake.!.Eddie.
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Eddie- you are a voracious google reader !
Yes- Tiny and Flos- are two townships next to each other named after the two dogs of some big boss’s wife, of the olden days, that robbed the land off the First Nations !
I dont speak French – but know more words and songs in Ojibwa than in French .
Not even my children who had ALL their schooling in Ontario know how to speak it .
As for the sandy beaches- now that climate change is in full swing, the water levels in the Great Lakes have risen by about 4 ft in the past 5 yrs, and most of us have lost the ‘sandy beaches ‘ , and I am up to my knees in areas , that was once ‘sandy beach ‘ 25 yrs ago .
If and when the snow melts on the lake , ( will it ever go away ?? !!! ) I will take some pics and send you .
T hanks for your interest in my neck of the woods .
Good Wishes — for the Winter coming your way — and I saw a huge storm out in Auckland, on the TV Weather Channel the other day .
eagleD
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