JJ Murphy – In just a few hours I will be leaving behind my computer, cell phone and every other gadget not intended for use in the wild. In the 21st Century this is a radical move. Most hikers are blogging from their campsites. In my pursuit of learning the Ojibway language, which is in danger of going extinct if younger people do not pass it on, I’m going to two places I’ve never visited. Wausausking and Alderville First Nations (both in Ontario, Canada), are opening their pow wow grounds to folks interested in participating in a language immersion program. After being rained out last month, I’ll finally get my camping trip. These are remote areas without a lot of amenities. I’ll be swimming in the lake when I want to clean up. I’ll be sleeping in my camping hammock and learning just how successful I am at making dehydrated food.
My quest to learn Ojibway really started by accident with a book that was donated to the Occupy Wall Street Library. Little did I know that this Ojibway language book would have been burned had it not been in my custody. Read on….