MILLE LACS, Minn. – Santee Dakota spiritual leaders presented a horse to Ojibwe spiritual leaders from the Mille Lacs Tribe in northern Minnesota April 18 at the conclusion of a lengthy Ojibwe drum ceremony held to commemorate an armistice arranged between them more than 130 years earlier.

The historic meeting was the first gathering between the old warring tribes since the 19th century. Arvol Looking Horse and Chris Leith, Lakota and Dakota Oyate leaders, led the young pony, accompanied by a Dakota honor song to assembled Ojibwe drum keepers in the parking lot of the Mille Lacs ceremonial center and spoke eloquently in Dakota about the significance of the gift; it’s the highest honor given by their tribe.

“It is the custom of our people that we bless this occasion with this pipe and that we look upon this time as one in which we bring our people back together,” Looking Horse said.

Leith offered the pipe to the four directions and then to Ojibwe drum keepers Joyce Shingobe and Lynda Mitchell. Amik Smallwood, drum keeper and spokesman for the Ojibwe ceremonial drum societies, took the Dakota pipe and presented it to all of the Mille Lacs drum keepers. Smallwood addressed them in Ojibwe.

“This is a most important day for us; a day that we have long awaited. We welcome our relatives from the West, who came to us over 100 years ago with a sacred drum. We must honor the forgotten woman, the one who brought (this drum) over here.”

Photo by Rick St. Germaine Amik Smallwood (right with pipe) smokes the Dakota pipe of peace just presented to him by Chris Leith (left in headdress).  Ojibwe drum keepers Joyce Shingobe and Lynda Mitchell (to Smallwood’s left) were handed the halter of the horse as a spiritual gift from the Dakota.