Traditional Fire Teachings with Zhaawnong

The video opens with a young man smiling at the camera; he has long dark hair pulled back into a low bun and is wearing a dark blue polo shirt while sitting on a shiny green metal chair. The backdrop is a rough wooden fence with a section of siding in green. We then cut to a medium shot of the forest floor and to a man in the forest walking past the camera.

He wears a white T-shirt with an Anishinaabe inscription across the front, and khaki shorts; the forest has tall trees with bright green leaves. Next, we are back to the young man in his polo shirt in front of the wooden wall. He sits in the chair and speaks in another language that is displayed with English subtitles and then repeats himself in English; he tells us his name is Zhaawnong.

We are then taken back to the forest and a close-up of a tree trunk is presented with a cross mark carved in it, following a shot of a fallen piece of birch bark being handled. Zhaawnong is back in the forest demonstrating birch bark as tinder.

Back at the wooden wall, Zhaawnongspeaks again about climate change. The video provides a short vignette of rotting mossy wood and mushrooms growing. He continues to walk into the forest, and then wades in a clear stream with a companion. We are shown a still shot of water lilies floating on a pond and then small, blue flowers in the forest.

There is a close-up of Zhaawnong with small flowers above his ear, and then a picture of the clear water and sand. He describes Anishinaabe culture. Zhaawnong is back in the forest showing how to properly extract Chaga. The brown chaga fungus is used to start a fire. The narrator is now using paper to assist the fire; he kneels in the grass and shows the fire being built.

Back in front of the wooden wall, Zhaawnong speaks of a misconception, and how the Anishinaabe people see fire. He shows a smoldering piece of chaga and presents an abalone shell with chaga in it. Zhaawnong explains that they are going to offer their medicines to the fire to carry their thoughts to the spirit world.

The young man is collecting moss, grass, and birch bark for tinder. He kneels by a small fire and blows on it. Zhaawnongs peaks of the work that it takes to create a fire and to bring that fire to their community. He continues to kneel by the fire while putting more wood on it.

Now, Zhaawnong is walking in a town; he is in front of a large colorful mural and is engaged in discussion with a woman. The camera pans the mural and we see colorful caricatures of animals. We are taken back to the forest and Zhaawnong fills his hands with water in a small stream.

He looks at the camera with a smile. Zhaawnong’s goal is to create workshops to bring people together.