It's September, so it's not cold.
It's so good not be wrapped in pounds of clothing.I take almost an hour to commute from Grand Marais, to the community center on my hometown Grand Portage.
Only a few miles shy of the Canadian Border, in the easternmost point of Minnesota on the Arrowhead is a small community called Grand Portage and it's loaded with Native American history and natural beauty.
I'm just a 17 year old girl that happens to live there. There are not a lot of kids.
My name is Ziigwan, that means Spring, but everyone call me Zig. Expect my mom when she's mad.
My mom works at the community center here, a teacher at the Oshki Ogimaag Charter School.
Unfortunately I could only attend that school until 6th grade.
After that, I started to live with my grandparents in Grand Marais during winter months, because it's too cold for me to commute that many miles to school every day.
Over 40 miles and one hour trip.
It's too much when the temperature is almost zero. Right?My mom is white and was originally from Grand Marais. When she started working in Grand Portage she met my father and the rest is history.
They name me Ziigwan because I was born in March 20th, the beginning of spring.
I still got to live home 'till mid November, after that, travelling home after 4:30 pm is just a countdown to darkness. Or darkness itself.
And after my birthday I come back home too. Starts to be warmer and there's more daylight.
Of course, my parents visit almost every weekend when I am not home, I'll be too homesick to survive otherwise.
Today was the first day of school and the stranger thing happened on bus back to Grand Portage.
My long lost friend, King Thunderbird returned and is now attending Cook County High School.
I noticed because he was on the same school bus as me.
As, we were the only seniors at the bus for the last 15 minutes.There are just fifty senior students at my school, so it's hard to go unnoticed.
"Ogi." I say.
Nothing. Maybe it's just not him.
"Ogi!" I try louder.
He turns his head. Surprised expression on his face.
"Ziig?" He asks doubtful.
I smile wide.
"When did you returned?" I ask smiling and getting up.
"Wait there. I'll come to you."
I sit. He's right, I'm in heels. I'll probably fall.
"Oh my gosh. Are you okay?" I asked again. I'm like starstrucked. He's bigger, taller... Wow.
This was my best friend through kindergarten and all the way until 6th grade.
After that my mom told me he moved to Canada because, you know, he comes from THE original family and they move him there because 'Cook High is too white'.Which I kind of get...
"If I'm okay? You should have seen his face!" he smirks.
"What?"
"Oh... You not asking about the fight..." He murmured.
"What have you done?" I make a face so he knows he got to diss.
"Stupid Cole Cook..." He tells me.
"Yeah. He's an ass. " I agree "What happened?"
"Basketball tryouts."
Oh... Yeah. Cole Cook is the team captain.
"You didn't make it?" I ask concerned.
"Oh I made it... "
"He tried to hit you?" I demand "Or did he say a typical racist thing that set you off?"
"The second. No one saw. It was in the boys locker room. He tried to swing back but he fell flat on his face. Stupid brat!" He's trying to control himself but I see he's annoyed.
"Well. Anniin to you too dear friend. Care to acknowledge me?" I say pretending to be mad.
"NanaBooZhoo, Ziigwan. You're older!" He laughs.
"You're huge. Shut up." I blush, rolling my eyes.
"You know, no one calls me Ogi. Just you." He states.
"Why? That is not you name? Ogimaa? Ah? Right?" I ask teasing him.
"No. It's not, besides everyone calls me King. You know that. Only my grandma calls me Myeengun and the Elders too."
"Come on. I was a child. It sounded great to me... O-G-I."
"You're still annoying." He cried.
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AN
The young man in the picture is how I imagine that Ogimaa looks like.
Ziigwan Woods calls King Thunderbird by many names.
His name is also Ogimaa Binesi, that means King Thunderbird. He is also called Myeengun, meaning little wolf.Thanks for reading!
RM
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The Wild King 🐾👑🐺 [On Hold]
Werewolf"They're both dead." King states. "Let's wait at front until the Sheriff arrives." I'm a 17 years old Chippewa descendent, a high school senior from Grand Portage, Minnesota. First day of school I'm going back home and see someone on the School Bus...