Winter 2008, Nimkii Benishii – Wednesday Traditional Teachings, Department of Indigenous Studies, Trent University, Peterborough, ON

3. naagdowenman nishnaaben, 'The
Protector of Mankind'
Early Education: Childhood Stories
• The thunderbird is killing all the serpents
below and on the earth.
• The thunderbirds are cleansing the earth.

4. Ten Blocks

5. • "This is how, in our ancient scrolls, the
literature of nimkii bnenhshii, the
Thunderbird, is assembled. This is also to
remind you that although our scrolls are
drawn in a manner like this, the power of
knowledge is not in the form of squares and
straight lines. The power of knowledge is in
the Circle".

9. • nine units of the symbol represent the eras of
gaabizhinaagookii mzinaakwin, the 'Geological Time
Chart'.
• "Piiwaabmad zhaangswi mziinaabiigan nimkii
bnenhshii waabanoong nake danaabe..", "when you
see the Nine Figuration Thunderbird, he will be looking
in an east direction..". "According to our ancient Circle
of the Four Directions, the cardinal point of the East
represents 'The Beginning'. In this form, the
Thunderbird represents the Geological Time Chart
alone, that is to say, the Calendar is not included

12. • The tenth unit represents giiso mzinigan, the
'Calendar’.
• Mdaaswi mziinaabiigan nimkii bnenhshii, the
'Ten Figuration Symbol' which is the full design of
the Thunderbird, faces to the left, which is west.
Again, according to our traditional
understanding, the cardinal point of the West
represents 'The Spiritual World'. Because our
present time is known tobe within the time of
'The Spiritual World',