An Announcement....

Folks:

Today we are going to take the time to say farewell to a grand old lady,
an elder from the Huron Potawatomi Tribe, Ruth Ann Chivis, effectionately known to many of us as Edwegizhgokwe.
Many of you know her from the on line classes which she loved dearly.
She was active in her home community on the Pine Creek Potawatomi Reservation near Athens, MI, doing a host of activities nearly all the time.
I had the privilege of naming her as Edwegizhgokwe and she carried that name well with such joy and zest. She was also a great "support singer" often backing up the men from the community and others. She had a high clear voice and taught many young women many things about being a Neshnabe kwe and mentored many younger folks.

Edwegizhgokwe went home last night about 10:30 PM EST, according to her son in law, Arthur Zapata, who called me to inform me. I had journeyed to Kalamazoo, MI to go and pray for her while she was in the hospital there. Mamogosnan decided it was time to bring her home....guess he needed another "spirit lady" to sing around the drum up there. Others call them angels, we knew her simply as Edwegizhgokwe.

We will miss her, as her accustomed place in our on line classes will be empty now, and that will leave a big hole among us. She embraced her language and her culture and loved her family dearly.
Think well of her as she will be singing for all of us among the star nations now....put some semau down for her family. I shall be journeying there to her home reserve to conduct her funeral on Sunday. I believe her funeral will be on Monday though.

We say "bama mine iw pi emwajesnoyak zhi ednesyen".

Nin se Neaseno....