The Singing Scoutmaster: First Union and the Gifts of the Four Directions, The

When the world was young, Anishnabe found himself alone on Earth. The Creator spoke to him, saying, "You must give everything a name." So, Anishnabe began his journey, traveling through the forests, across rivers, and over mountains, accompanied only by a wolf who walked silently at his side. Together, they named every plant, tree, bird, and creature. But as they named the world, Anishnabe realized that each being had a mate—except for him. He was alone.

The loneliness grew in Anishnabe's heart, and he longed for a companion. He wandered until he reached the shores of the Great Lakes, staring out over the vast waters. As he searched for meaning, he heard a beautiful song drifting across the waves. It was a woman's voice, singing softly, and the words told of a home being made just for him. Captivated by the song and the voice, Anishnabe fell in love with it.

For days, Anishnabe listened to the song, and it filled his heart with hope and joy. He learned how to cross the water and journeyed toward the voice. Eventually, he came upon a lodge facing west. There, he saw a beautiful woman and her father, the Firekeeper. The woman's eyes were bright, and Anishnabe knew at once that she was the one he had been searching for.

This was the first union, the joining of Anishnabe and the Firekeeper's Daughter. Their union set the roles of men and women in marriage, and they lived together in love and harmony. In time, they had four sons, each blessed with strength and wisdom. When they grew into men, each son set out to explore one of the four directions of the Earth.

The eldest son traveled north, where the cold winds blew and snow covered the ground. His journey was long and difficult, but he learned that when the snow melted, it cleansed Mother Earth, preparing her for new life. Because of the snow, the color of the North is white. In the North, he met and married the daughter of the Spirit of the North, who gifted him sweetgrass, the first gift of Mother Earth. Sweetgrass is kept in a braid, like a mother's hair, and it carries the essence of the North.

The second son went east, following the light of the rising sun. There, he learned that fire is the essence of life and gained deep knowledge of the Creator. He married the daughter of the Spirit of the East and was given the gift of tobacco, a sacred plant used in prayer to communicate with the Creator. The color for the East is yellow, the color of the dawn's first light.

The third son journeyed south, where the air was warm and gentle. The South is the woman's direction, the place from which life springs. Red is the color of the South, the color of life's blood. There, he met and married the daughter of the Spirit of the South, who gifted him cedar. Cedar is used to cleanse and purify the home, preparing it for the nourishment of food and family.

The youngest son traveled west, toward the mountains where the sun sets. He learned that the West represents the circle of life and its cycles, from birth to death and back again. The color for the West is black, for the darkness that comes with the setting sun. He married the daughter of the Spirit of the West, who gave him sage, a strong purifier used to keep illness and evil away.

From that day on, these four sacred plants—sweetgrass, tobacco, cedar, and sage—became the gifts of the Four Directions, each with its own power and purpose. To this day, the Potawatomi and other tribes burn cedar and sage and fan the smoke upwards with an eagle feather. They do this to honor the eagle, who once saved the people when the Creator considered destroying them. The eagle spoke to the Creator, saying that there were still good people on the Earth, faithful to the Creator's teachings.

Now, every morning, the eagle soars high into the sky, searching for the smoke of cedar and sage rising from the lodges of the people. Fanning the smoke with the eagle feather is a reminder that the eagle delivers the message to the Creator: the people are still here, and they still believe. And so, the story of Anishnabe, the Firekeeper's Daughter, and their sons lives on, a story of love, journey, and the sacred gifts of the Four Directions.