Some of my favorite memories are sitting around with imbaabaa (my dad) and nimishoomeyag (my uncles) listening to different versions of how family mooz (moose) hunting trips actually happened. There is nothing better than waking up in Gichi-onigamiing (Grand Portage) with family having makademashkikiwaaboo (coffee) and chili, and then loading up the trucks and heading out to find a mooz (moose) on a gisinaa (cold) binaakwe-giizis mookise (October morning).
One story that stands out from the others is when imbaabaa (my dad) and nimishomenh (my uncle) had found a naabe-mooz (bull moose) up past Taylor Lake in Cook County. The naabe-mooz (bull moose) was standing in the ziibiins (stream). A couple cousins showed up to encourage nimishomenh (my uncle) to take the shot. Imbaabaa (my dad) was using other ‘language’ to tell nimishomenh (my uncle) to not take the shot. There is nothing fun about pulling a mooz (moose) out of nibi (water). Nimishomenh (my uncle) took the shot and the mooz (moose) went down. Our cousins took off and other cousins showed up to tie ropes around the mooz (moose) to pull him from the stream.
This story has had many of us in my family laughing for years. To honor nimishomenh (my uncle) and the niibin mooz (water moose), I painted this mooz (moose).
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