Early Ojibwe by: Abdi Hassan
Summer or in Ojibwe nibbin
Ojibwe Lacrosse
They played games—especially what is now known as lacrosse. Lacrosse was a popular team sport. Both men and women had teams. It was played on a large open field, often with spectators. All players carried sticks with a pouch on 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.
Where they lived and planting crops and gathering wild foods.
Their summer homes were usually located near rivers or lakes. Summer was also the time when women planted and tended crops—especially corn, which they called mandaamin (MUN-dah-min). They also raised pumpkins, squash, and potatoes. When the women weren’t tending their gardens, they turned their attention to wild foods, especially fruits. During the summer, the forests were rich with strawberries, juneberries, raspberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, cranberries, and blueberries.