Night Flying Woman: An Ojibway Narrative

Ni-bo-wi-se-gwe (Night Flying Woman) was born to Outstanding and Round Earth after they had been married for three years. She was their only child, and they rejoiced at her birth. Consistent with the traditions of the Ojibway, the baby’s parents and grandparents asked the elderly storyteller A-wa-sa-si to honor her with “a name, a song, and an animal” (14). A-wa-sa-si meditated in the forest and chose the name Ni-bo-wi-se-gwe or Night Flying Woman, because the baby had been born during an eclipse. Given the length of the name, the baby was also called Oona for her first laugh. The name was unveiled at a ceremony and celebrated with a feast.

Oona’s early years were happy ones. Much like other Ojibway children, she spent her days strapped to a cradle board where she could watch her family at work and play. This experience also taught her restraint. If she cried, her lips would be pinched to teach her silence. This lesson “was a matter of survival, especially if there were enemies in the forest” (16). When Oona was five, a do-daim—a clansman from the east—visited her village. He warned the village of the presence of a large number of white strangers. The strangers asked the clansman’s tribe and several others to mark a paper (a treaty) and stay within a restricted area.