Carly McIntosh: Native name brings me closer to Mother Earth

Being placed in between two native elders, I was close to being given my own traditional spirit name. Cloth in the colors of red and green were placed close to my chest with a peace pipe located in the centre of the material. The red cloth represented a woman and the green cloth represented Mother Earth. In front of me sage was placed in an abalone seashell and lit to slowly cleanse the air surrounding us. The elders positioned a prayer blanket over me and tucked me in. The male elder started drumming on the little drum known as the Little Boy. While he was drumming he was praying to the grandmothers and grandfathers to help uncover a traditional spirit name for me. The way he was praying to all our grandmothers and grandfathers was beautiful, even emotional. As he was drumming he let fall a few of his own tears, I believe it was because he felt the pain due to my health. In time I noticed the elder start to gently tap my back with a rattle, then the female elder placed the eagle feather fan in my hands. I had a lot to hold at that time. He had to pray three times till he was given a traditional aboriginal name for me. It was silent for a moment and then he said that I had been given the name Mikinaak Iskwew, meaning Turtle Woman. The elder said when he was tapping my back with the rattle my back lit up, and that is when he received the name from our Grandmothers and Grandfathers.

When I became Turtle Woman I was told to say in each direction; Grandmothers and Grandfathers of the North doorway, I am Turtle Woman. Miigwech.