What are some Ojibwe beliefs about the physical world?
The Ojibwe People have always honored the physical world: the sun, the earth, the moon, and the stars, as well as other natural wonders, such as lightning and thunder. The most important of these are the sun and the earth. The sun, which is often referred to as “Father Sun,” is typically associated with the male and fatherhood. Similarly, the female and motherhood are associated with “Mother Earth.” Ojibwe traditional beliefs teach us that just as men and women are very different, so are the sun and the earth. To put it very simply, the sun puts life into all things and the earth sustains all life. As always in the Ojibwe tradition, all natural beings are intertwined, so whether you are talking about the man and the woman, or the sun and the earth, it is important to remember that one cannot give or sustain life without the other. The Ojibwe believe that the natural elements and the human experience are also interconnected. Take for example the daily occurrence of dawn and dusk. Each d
