Early Ojibwe Summer-Niibin
Marianna Ayala
Games/Activities
In the Summer they played a lot of games including lacrosse. Lacrosse was very popular back then and it is very popular now too. Lacrosse is a game that people liked to play and it was played on a large open field, often with spectators. All players carried a stick with a pouch at the end. They used those sticks to catch and throw a leather ball. The team that put the most balls through its opponent's goalposts won the game.
Crops
Summer was also when women would tend and plant the crops, especially corn which they called mandaamin. They also grew pumpkins, squash and potatoes. During the summer the forests were filled with fruits like strawberries, juneberries, rasberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes cranberries, and blueberries.