Ojibwe Culture

Carmen Gopher, a second generation Loud Thunder singer.

Ojibwe Culture

Glen Eagleman Jr. sings with Loud Thunder singers Glenn Gopher, and Blair Gopher. The music of the Loud Thunder Singers is rare; one will have to experience their music live. The group does not do CDs.

Ojibwe Singers in Action

The lead singer of the Loud Thunder Singers for over 35 years, Glenn Gopher, (blue shirt, white cap)-resides in Great Falls. He is a lynchpin for the survival of Ojibwe cultural traditions. The art of ceremonial singing is all encompassing; he has spent his lifetime on his craft. His is a central role in the Ojibwe round dance culture. His work started as a powwow singer as a youth in his late teens. He sings occasionally in the sun dance lodges in north central Montana.

The sun dance songs of the Ojibwe led to the cultural survival of area tribes--these songs carry the contemporary sun dance tradition in Montana. Though few tribes ackowledge the contributions of the Ojibwe, who are landless people--it is through their sacrifice to hold on to cultural knowledge at all costs--that enable the sun dance culture in Montana today. This is an unbroken chain of traditional knowledge; the Ojibwe fought off efforts to eradicate their culture. They were forced to forego the security of land/reservation and the benefits of recognition to keep their cultural knowledge safe from extermination.

(Pictured: Frank "Frank P.L." Hess (Cree), Kyle Spearson (Ojibwe), Glenn Eagleman Jr. (Oji-Cree), Glenn Gopher(Ojibwe))

Ojibwe Culture

Ojibwe Round Dance: A Resurrected Culture

The Great Falls Ojibwe round dances originated from those that left the Great Lakes region post 1864; and likely was brought over by the lineal descendants of the Rocky Boy Band of Chippewa and the descendants of the Businause Dodaim; subclan Migisew (Bald Eagle clan) Ojibwe.

The Hill 57 round dances were held in the area during the years of the Great Depression in tipis and houses on "the Hill" outside of Great Falls. Ojibwe leader Robert Gopher stated the families there would hold the round dances; the mature men of the tribe would sing the round dance songs; they would serve baloney sandwiches--all they had to feast on during the difficult years of the Great Depression.

During the 1950s to the early 1980s--the Round Dance was not actively practiced. Robert Gopher and his family restored the cultural tradition in 1983 and have sponsored these ceremonies since that time; on at least an annual basis. The Gopher family round dances have become a community fixture in Great Falls. They are always held during the first weekend of October. These annual events are held at the Family Living Building, Montana ExpoPark--the county fairgrounds just down the road from historic Hill 57.

2nd Annual Ojibwe Unity Walk Scheduled May 29, 2010

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

2nd Annual Chippewa Unity Walk & Round Dance

May 29th, 2010

Family Living Building, Montana Expo Park, Great Falls, Montana.
Federal Recognition for Montana’s Chippewa Nations

9am

Unity Walk to Hill 57

12noon

Memorial Feast for Tony Deserley and Manius Daniels

5:00pm.

Round Dance

6:00pm.

Honor Dance and recognition for the newly elected Little Shell Tribal Council.
Give-away for Richard Parenteau, Retirement, 21 years of service U.S. Army

7:30pm.

Memorial Give-away for Tony Deserley and Manius Daniels, Sponsored by The Daniels Family of Great Falls.

9:00pm.

Campaign Rally for Melinda Gopher, Ojibwe, Congressional Candidate for US House of Representatives

11:00pm. Round Dance Commences.

Event is free & open to the public, for more information please call: 231-7577 or 761-4871 or 403-5212. Sponsored by the local Native American Community.

2009 1st Annual Ojibwe Unity Walk

This sign was carried by Ojibwe protesters in 2009 to historic Hill 57, to speak for the 225 bands that are due recognition.

2009 1st Annual Ojibwe Unity Walk

This sign protests the Office of Federal Recognition, federal recognition process. The OFA has denied the Little Shell band petition for recognition. The process subjects the 225 or so bands to a never-ending bureaucratic nightmare; often denying the tribe's existence as a sovereign body. These 225 bands exist across 47 states.