Wiigwaasabak

A wiigwaasabak (in Anishinaabe syllabics: ᐐᒀᓴᐸᒃ, plural: wiigwaasabakoon ᐐᒀᓴᐸᑰᓐ) is a birch bark scroll, on which the Anishinaabe peoples of North America, including the Ojibweg, wrote with a written language composed of complex geometrical patterns and shapes, perhaps tied to Hand Talk.

When used specifically for Midewiwin ceremonial use, these scrolls are called mide-wiigwaas (in syllabics: ᒥᑌᐐᒀᔅ). These enabled the memorization of complex ideas, and passing along history and stories to succeeding generations. Several such scrolls are in museums, including one on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC.

Copper and slate may have also been used, along with hides, pottery, and other artifacts. Some archaeologists are presently trying to determine the exact origins, dates, and locations of their use. Many scrolls were hidden away in caves and man-made pits.

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