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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Words 615<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>The Many Roads to America<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Martha Fisher glanced at her niece Lisa, who was supposed to be doing her homework. Lisa sat across the kitchen table with a sheet of lined notebook paper before her. Lisa twisted a pencil in her fingers, but didn’t seem to have written anything on the sheet. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> “What’s wrong Lisa?” Martha asked. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> “I don’t know what to write,” answered Lisa. “My teacher said to write about where our family names came from. She said that people came from places like Italy, Germany, Ireland or Scotland and we can guess where our ancestors came from by our family names. I don’t know where my father’s family got the name of Swan.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> “” Great grandmother Ruth said that our people didn’t use family names before they were forced to sign treaties.” Mused Martha. “she said that when our band was brought to this reservation to join the Potawatomi and Ottawa, they made everyone choose a white name for their families to write them down for the lists of the members of each band and clan group. When I was in the fifth grade like you, I asked her what she knew about why we are called Fisher. She said it was because there was a French-Canadian trapper who was married to her grandmother. He said they could use his name. It started with a V. but the agency man misunderstood and wrote it Fisher. Perhaps your father’s family was from the Swan Creek band and decided to use the English word for swan. I think that some scientists believe that our people came across a land bridge that used to stretch from Russia to Alaska. They moved down from the north and when the border between Canada and Michigan was drawn, some of our people ended up on both sides of the lines they drew on maps. I remember we used the same book when I was in the fifth grade like you. I wish they wouldn’t use that book, because it doesn’t really tell much about history before all of the white African or Chinese people came here.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> “Lisa giggled, “Do you know what Ryan’s first grade classmates asked him when they learned he was Indian? They wanted to know if his parents wore feathers and warpaint, like in the movies!” He told them that his father wore an army uniform but his mama did paint her face and wore feathers on Sundays. He thought they were talking about her makeup and her Sunday hat with the feathers on it.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> “Oh dear! I’ll let papa know that he needs to take the boys and you to some of the tribal gatherings to learn about the dances and ceremonies. I know that mama wants us to learn how the white people live and think, but we also need to know who we are. Our ways are different, but they are the cup the Great Mystery made for us. Next time I go to visit my Grandma Minnie, come with me and she can teach you some of the stories and ways that you should know.” Martha replied.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Lisa bent her head to begin telling the story of how names are given among the Chippewa. She knew that she was called first-born-daughter until great grandmother Minnie told her mother, Mary Swan, that her true name was spring blossom. Lisa Swan was her paper government name. It didn’t tell who she was in her heart or spirit. Summer was coming, and she would have more time to listen to Grandpa and other elders as they shared the things, they knew about how to be a good person, part of her family, clan and people. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>