James E. Whipple was born 71 years ago this March. His Indian name is Ahh-Zho-Gawh-Nabe which means crossing eagles feathers. Jimmy was born and raised on the 83 acres where he now lives. His parents were George Whipple who died in 1952 and his mother was Margaret Day. His house sits on a point overlooking the Narrows and its four wild rice beds, and is called Bear Trap Point. Also, right in front of his place, in the Narrows, is an old river bed that will run up to 15 ft. deep that holds some good fish. Most of the Narrows is only 3 to 5 ft. deep so when boating you need to follow the buoys to get through the weeds.
Jimmy grew up with four brothers, three are still living. He started school in a small one room building up where the Chippewa Bible Church is now located. That's just off the Oak Point Road fairly close to Welsh Lake. Jimmy then attended school in Cass Lake for 9 to 10 years. He got his GED in 1980. He and his family have properties located on Ottertail Point, Upper and Lower Sucker Lakes and on Stoney Point on Leech Lake by Whipolt where his father grew up. Jimmy has been married three times and has two kids.
Jimmy remembers helping to make maple sugar when he was growing up. He would gather firewood for the big fires and would collect sap to be boiled down. Cedar flutes would be used to plug the trees and the sap would be collected in birch bard baskets called we-goob. His family would harvest maple sugar up on Little Hardwood.
Jimmy said he was born with a gift to be a medicine man. He realized he had these gifts when he was two years old. He uses parts of cedar trees as his medicine. He likes to keep his medical powers low key.
Jimmy has worked various jobs over the years. He was a seasonal labor foreman for 13 years for the Forest Service. He was a logger for a number of years for the Wittners south of Cass Lake.
My walking partners, Dennis and Ray, and I got to know Jimmy on our morning walks. We would see Jimmy driving to town every morning and he would stop and we would exchange daily greetings. I saw Jimmy at about 8:00 am this morning going to town, he said he needed to see the tribal chairman. Jimmy is very sociable and goes to town for his mail and conduct his daily business usually every day.
Jimmy grew up with four brothers, three are still living. He started school in a small one room building up where the Chippewa Bible Church is now located. That's just off the Oak Point Road fairly close to Welsh Lake. Jimmy then attended school in Cass Lake for 9 to 10 years. He got his GED in 1980. He and his family have properties located on Ottertail Point, Upper and Lower Sucker Lakes and on Stoney Point on Leech Lake by Whipolt where his father grew up. Jimmy has been married three times and has two kids.
Jimmy remembers helping to make maple sugar when he was growing up. He would gather firewood for the big fires and would collect sap to be boiled down. Cedar flutes would be used to plug the trees and the sap would be collected in birch bard baskets called we-goob. His family would harvest maple sugar up on Little Hardwood.
Jimmy said he was born with a gift to be a medicine man. He realized he had these gifts when he was two years old. He uses parts of cedar trees as his medicine. He likes to keep his medical powers low key.
Jimmy has worked various jobs over the years. He was a seasonal labor foreman for 13 years for the Forest Service. He was a logger for a number of years for the Wittners south of Cass Lake.
My walking partners, Dennis and Ray, and I got to know Jimmy on our morning walks. We would see Jimmy driving to town every morning and he would stop and we would exchange daily greetings. I saw Jimmy at about 8:00 am this morning going to town, he said he needed to see the tribal chairman. Jimmy is very sociable and goes to town for his mail and conduct his daily business usually every day.
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