Ojibwe elder June Blue-Binesii-Ikwe of the White Earth Nation says, “In-endaam-pindig-ode,” meaning “I think with my heart.” These words are important to June because they are the teachings of her “Anishinabe Peoples.” The Ojibwe are a part of the Anishinabe and are designated to be their spiritual people.
June is a cultural guide to the Volunteers and Outreach Team. In addition to being an Ojibwe elder, she is a grandmother and third generation veteran. “Women are considered sacred in my culture because we have a sacred vessel for carrying and bearing children,” says June. “Men and women in our culture have always been equal because we need to be sure our culture is carried on. The men take care of the fire, and the women carry the children and pray for the water. We have always believed in the power of praying for the water.”
Volunteer ambassador
As a volunteer ambassador, June has opened doors to a better understanding of Medicare benefits, how to apply for them and how to access other resources and services that help older Minnesotans live independently. June had to ask for permission from White Earth Nation elders to do this, and because she is Ojibwe, others trust her in this role.
Trust is imperative to Native American people, and it doesn’t come easy. For Trellis staff members to be welcomed into the community, they had to earn the respect of the elders. June coached them on how to do that: encouraging them to bring gifts, as people do when entering a Native American home. “Jetta Wiedemeier Bower (volunteer and outreach manager for Trellis) has attended sweat lodges and gatherings to get to know the elders,” says June. “Finding a common thread of humanity, honoring other cultures and being willing to collaborate with people on a more intimate level is important. You can’t just come into a community and take; you must also give.” June taught Trellis staff members how to honor and respect her people and as a result, a door has been opened for her people to get the support that Trellis and the Senior LinkAge Line can provide.
A lifetime of building bridges
Building bridges between mainstream systems and indigenous people is June’s life work. She is the American Indian cultural coordinator at the University of Minnesota, teaching spiritual culture and ceremony in the community and working to create a healing center. As an employee of the U of M, she was invited by the East Side Elders, the Elder’s Lodge and Saint Catherine University to share teachings. June says, “I can’t control how people think and feel, but I can educate, share and love. Being an elder is not a privilege: it’s a responsibility.”
Through June’s work, U of M students and Trellis employees have participated in Native American ceremonies. “We all come together because we need to bring our culture back. I feel that preserving Native American culture is important, as it is for other cultures. Know and believe in your culture because culture is a cure.”
Native Americans make up just 1% of the U.S. population now, June says. “As a grandma, I have to speak up, knowing our people are dying. When someone says something that makes me angry, I don’t put it on that person; I think about what I’m going to do about it. I hope mainstream culture realizes that we’re all in this together. The White Earth Nation has a great partnership with Trellis. We’re working together and we continue to learn from each other and as a result, more people are being supported.” June is happy that Trellis assists elders. “They’re helping people navigate systems like insurance and applying for Medicare, among other things. It’s amazing to see the elders get this support. Working with Trellis is building bridges. They bring our knowledge and feelings back to Trellis and it reverberates a feeling of our culture being mainstream. Indigenous people have not faded away. We’re still here and still strong.” June encourages people to connect with other cultures and to not shut down. “Be open to the joy of being around people of other cultures.”
