THE FIRST SNOWFALL. Oral storytelling plays an important role in the respect and responsibility of the Ojibwe people of the Chippewa Valley. Winter – especially after the first snow has fallen – is a time to share creation stories and pass down cultural ways of knowing. Marge Hebbring, a respected elder of the Lac Courte Oreilles band of Ojibwe, will share stories of her nation next January at the Chippewa Area History Center.

Marge Hebbring, a respected Ojibwe elder of the Lac Courte Oreilles band, will share some
stories of the Ojibwe nation – in the oral storytelling tradition – from 11am-12pm on Saturday, January 17 in 2026 at the Chippewa Area History Center (12 Bridgewater Ave., Chippewa Falls).

Oral storytelling plays a crucial role in the continuity of the Ojibwe people, Marge shared. In the Ojibwe culture, winter – especially after the first snow has fallen – is the time to tell creation stories, pass down cultural ways of knowing and explanations for the world today. It is a sacred time.

Winter is a quiet time, and a time for reflection. The snow protects the ground, the lakes are frozen, and many animals are hibernating – as the storytellers wish to respect the animal spirits and not offend them. Stories can be told around the fire and in close community, away from the hustle and bustle happening in the other seasons of the year.

Marge Hebbring, an elder of the Lac Courte Oreilles band of Ojibwe, pictured above. (Photo by Barbara Arnold)

Marge has become known for her family ancestry, having descended from Michel Cadotte and Madeline Equaysayway for whom Madeline Island is named. She keeps her Indigenous heritage alive by sharing Ojibwe culture, language, and stories through community offerings. She often will tell her nation's creation stories in the English language, while also introducing those attending to the Ojibwe language.

The stories Marge will share at the Chippewa Area History Center day will depend on what is happening in the natural world at that time. Stories, such as: Why does the birch tree have stripes? Why do fawns have spots? Why do rabbits and bobcats have short tails? Why do loons have red eyes? Why do porcupines have quills? Or even the story of the very first snow.

A key character in Ojibwe storytelling is Nanaboozhoo, or Wenebojo, who is known as the first Ojibwe man, Marge said. He is a trickster and a spiritual entity who is a shape-shifter. Another character is Asibikaashi, or Spider Woman. She is the creator of dream catchers and protects infants by catching bad dreams in her webs.

These oral traditions, in addition to creation myths of Turtle Island and the roles of animals, aim to share lessons about the values of reciprocity and history of Indigenous peoples – with the Chippewa Valley region acting as sacred space for the Ojibwe nation and Marge's ancestry.

To learn more about Marge Hebbring's storytelling event with the Chippewa Area History Center on January 17, 2026, visit chippewaareahistorycenter.org.