And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: "Journey to the beyond' BY JODI RAVE Lincoln Journal Star http://www.journalstar.com/stories/neb/stox (produced here in entirety for those without web access) WINNEBAGO -- In a cedar-scented wake that started Monday night and met the sunrise Tuesday, scores of friends and family shared memories of the 103-year-old woman they called a "blessing." Thunder Rumbling Woman's simple coffin rested on the gym floor at the Blackhawk Community Center, waiting for burial -- and passage to the other side. "It's the Winnebago tradition to prepare the spirit for the journey to the beyond," said Barry Blackhawk, who was raised by the oldest member of the Winnebago Tribe. "We nourish the spirit because we feel she's here until we release her." Minnie Grey Wolf Littlebear, whose Indian name was Thunder Rumbling Woman, died Sunday. She was the oldest descendant of Chief Little Priest, one of the tribe's most respected warriors. Blackhawk was among some 150 relatives gathered at the community center Monday for a wake in the tradition of the Native American Church. More than 400 people filled the center in this northeast Nebraska town for the funeral Tuesday afternoon. Tribal members said the last funeral to touch so many was that of Reuben Snake, a former tribal chairman and American Indian religious freedom icon, who died in June 1993. Tuesday's turnout was an expression of native people's strong belief in the extended family, said Esther Russell, also raised by "Grandma." In 58 years of marriage, Littlebear gave birth to but one child, who died in infancy. That didn't matter. She still left behind 337 grandchildren -- including three great-great-great-grandchildren. In the Indian way -- without the requirement of blood ties -- Littlebear built a family. "She raised me from the time I was 2 years old," Russell said. She wanted a simple funeral -- no fancy coffins. "She said, "I'm old. I'm tired. I want my body to disintegrate as soon as possible,'" Russell said. They honored her wishes. Her pressed-wood coffin -- draped in a Pendleton blanket -- was placed in a black clapboard wagon drawn by two paints. Her departure from this world resembled her entrance. She was born in a wigwam in July 1895 on the Winnebago Reservation. Her family said she had little use for material possessions. "She would rather give than to receive," Russell said. During Monday's wake, burning cedar filled the community center -- the only building large enough for the gathering -- during prayer and songs. Throughout the evening, relatives from the Four Directions told story after story, recalling Littlebear's smile, humor and their favorite memories. "She was a mother to all of us," said George Hindsley Jr., of Black River Falls, Wis. When visiting, "she would bring herself over like a blessing." Said Elizabeth White: "She encouraged me to be a praying woman. I thank her for that." Many expressed sadness that a woman who held them in her prayers was now gone, but they were grateful they knew her. "You blessed these people on this reservation," Hindsley prayed. "You let her live this long." &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&