Johnny (Way-sa-quo-nabe) Smith

Most of you know that this world we live in is rough out there. There are a lot of people who will hurt and harm you. You watch out for them. Stay away from alcohol and drugs. Do not join a gang. Don’t be lazy and just watch TV. Stay in school because without education you can’t get a job anywhere. The more education you have, the more earning power you have.

Johnny (Way-sa-quo-nabe) Smith

My name is Johnny Smith. I’m a Red Lake Chippewa Indian from Red Lake, Minnesota. I graduated from high school when I was 23 years old. I had quit school and tried to get a job, but was too dumb, so I went back and got a diploma. I’ve gone to many different schools to learn a lot of different skills. I have learned to be an accountant, barber, teacher, draftsman, counselor and a business administrator. I learned the importance of education from my second grade teacher.

I speak the Chippewa language. There aren’t many people left who speak the Ojibwa language. I travel all over the United States and sing and dance at a lot of Pow Wows. I have learned much about all the different cultures and can understand many of their languages. No language is hard to learn if you put your mind into it.

My Ojibwa name is Way-sa-quo-nabe. It means Yellow Feather. We had a big naming ceremony. It was time to carry another name. My first name used to be Little Man. They brought out a horse and a rifle and brought gifts. They gave me this name and said now you carry this name. You have to carry on my ways and my teachings. I’ve tried my best to follow.

I got my name Johnny Smith when the government came in to count us up. They keep track of you if you are Indian. When they asked my name, I said Way-sa-quonabe. They could not say it or spell it so they gave me a name. I am named after my great grandfather, John Smith.

I went to a mission school. They taught their own religion. They expected us to talk in English. If we didn’t know the English word, they hit us. They would pull our hair. They were mean and cruel to us back then. We didn’t know their ways and rules and they beat that into us. They wanted to convert us into Christians. They called us pagans because they thought we had no spirit. They didn’t understand that we have a whole way of living.

My grandparents raised me. I had a better learning situation with my grand folks. I didn’t feel threatened and didn’t feel lost in the home of my grand folks. My uncles taught me how to cure people through Indian medicines. They taught me some songs. They taught me the old ways, the spiritual ways of the old people.

I live for singing and dance day after day, even though kids my age that were the same as me made fun of me when I was young. I didn’t care about that. I knew what I did was good because I felt it in here. I have been dancing and singing for 62 years. It has always been important to me to learn the honoring songs and the background and culture of the Ojibwa.

I am a teacher at Oh-Day-Aki School. I teach American Indian history and American Indian singing and dancing. I was talked into being a teacher even though I didn’t want to do it. I went back another year and then got my teaching license. The reason I stay there is all those little kids grew on me even though I could have other jobs and make more money. It is rewarding to watch young people and see them learn.

My spirituality works like this: when I go back home, I take my hand drum with me and go out in the woods and sing praising songs. I sing honor songs that praise our creators for what they give us. I honor people who do extraordinary things. A traditional life to me is just doing the things I learned. Being respectful of all things. Treating people kindly. Doing the things I learned that mean something to me in my heart.