Everything about Menominee totally explained
Some placenames use other spellings, see also Menomonee and Menomonie.
The
Menominee (also spelled
Menomini; known as
Mamaceqtaw, "the people" in their
own language) are a
nation of
Native Americans living in
Wisconsin but originating in the upper peninsula of
Michigan. The name "Menominee" comes from the
Ojibwe name
manoominii, meaning "
wild rice people", as wild rice is one of their most important traditional
staples.
The tribe has a reservation which is conterminous both with
Menominee County, Wisconsin and with the town of
Menominee, Wisconsin. They operate a number of gambling facilities and speak the
Menominee language. (There is also the
Menominee River in the region, which flows into the
Bay of Green Bay, and the city of
Menominee, Michigan is located at the mouth of the river.)
History
The tribe formerly lived in what is now upper Michigan around
Mackinac.
John Reed Swanton records in his
The Indian Tribes of North America under the "Wisconsin" section listing "Menominee" a band named "Misi'nimäk Kimiko Wini'niwuk, "Michilimackinac People," near the old fort at Mackinac, Mich." Father
Frederic Baraga in his dictionary records "
Mishinimakinago; pl.
-g.—This name is given to some strange Indians, (according to the sayings of the Otchipwes,) who are rowing through the woods, and who are sometimes heard shooting, but never seen. And from this word, the name of the village of
Mackinac, or
Michillimackinac, is derived." After selling their lands to the U.S. government through seven treaties from 1821 to 1848, they were moved to their present reservation. Although their customs are quite similar to those of the
Chippewa (Ojibwa), their language has a closer affinity to those of the
Fox and
Kickapoo tribes.
An
Eastern Woodlands tribe, the Menominee belong to the
Algonquian language branch of North America. They were known as "folles avoines" (wild or foolish oats) by the early French. The Menominees formerly subsisted on a wide variety of plants and animals, with wild rice and
sturgeon being two of the most important foods; feasts are still held annually at which each of these is served. The five principal Menominee clans are the Bear, the Eagle, the Wolf, the Crane, and the Moose.
Culture
Menominee
mythology is rich with ethical meaning and interrelated in complex ways with the sacred literature of Native American people.
The Menominee believed that the
earth was separating the upper and lower worlds. The upper world represented good and the lower world represented evil. These two worlds were divided into several layers, the furthest being the most powerful. The
sun was at the highest level in the upper world, followed by the
Thunderbird and the Morning Star; the
Golden Eagles (symbols of war); and other birds led by the
Bald Eagle. The first level below the earth in the lower world was occupied by the
Horned Serpent. The next level was the home of the White Deer, which contributed to the origins of the Medicine Dance. The next level was the Underwater Panther. The lowest level was ruled by the Great White Bear.
The Menominee used
dreaming as a way of connecting with a
guardian spirit in order to gain power. During
puberty, both boys and girls would
fast for days, living in a small isolated
wigwam.
Shamans would then interpret their dreams of spirits in animal form and would inform the youngster what responsibilities he or she owed to the guardian spirit.
Current tribal activities
The Menominee have a
community college called the
College of the Menominee Nation.
The tribe also owns and operates a
Las Vegas style
casino,
bingo and
hotel that has been in operation since
June 5,
1987. Approximately 79 percent of the Menominee Casino-Bingo-Hotel's 500 employees are of Native American descent or are spouses of Native Americans.
Notable Menominees
Further Information
Get more info on 'Menominee'.
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