Nanaadawegaming
The Ojibwe Spirit Horse Initiative
Nanaadawegaming proudly supports the Ojibwe Spirit Horse Breeding Program at Grace Equestrian Center through the acquisition of colt Semma, contributing to the preservation and diversification of this rare and culturally significant breed.
The Ojibwe Spirit Horses are honored and highly respected among the Anishnawbe.
They are revered as sacred animals symbolizing spiritual strength, resilience, and connection to the land. Anishnawbe Elders spoke of the Spirit Horses that freely roamed turtle island long before colonization. They are also known as the Lac La Croix Spirit Ponies where they were known to live among the Anishnawbe. By the late 1970's this breed almost went extinct by no fault of their own.
By 1977, the population of Ojibwe Spirit Horses had fallen to a critical low of just six animals, the result of extermination efforts conducted by the Canadian government. The last viable breeding stallion had been shot, the remaining male was too old to sire offspring, and only four mares survived. Considered a public nuisance, the horses had been targeted for destruction. In response, the Anishnawbe people of the Lac La Croix First Nation devised a plan to save the remaining mares. Acting in secrecy, they transported the horses across the lake to a First Nation community in Minnesota, ensuring the survival of this culturally significant and endangered lineage.
In the efforts to repopulate the Ojibwe Spirit Horses, they bred the four mares with Spanish Mustangs which are a smaller horse and resemble the breed.
Today, they remain endangered with only approximately two hundred known worldwide. It is now known that the Ojibwe Spirit Horses are a unique breed with its own distinct DNA and there are ongoing efforts to preserve them and refine their bloodlines.
Nanaadawegaming is proud to support these initiatives through an ongoing partnership with Ojibwe Horse Bimaadizi (OHB), which includes the acquisition of the colt Semma and two mares from Edmonton, Alberta. Through this collaboration, we are contributing to the preservation and revitalization of this rare and culturally significant breed. There is now a total of seven Ojibway Spirit Horses within the local area.
Whenever appropriate, Nanaadawegaming also incorporates these horses into its Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) and Indigenous land-based healing programs, fostering cultural connection, wellness, and wholistic healing for individuals, families, and communities.
