Johnson’s Tales: Recent Episodes
AmandaJean
Welcome to Johnson’s Tales. Professor Gary Johnson was one in a million and how he memorized hundreds of oral stories is a feat only known to him. His life was cut far to short as he was called home in May 2021. Oral traditions are the life blood of our community and that blood will only flow if we speak the words that came before us. Gary impacted the lives of thousands and his well lived life deserves to be honored. His words, should continue to flow, and they will do just that.
Gary Johnson was an incredible teacher and mentor to all that walked through his classroom. He did the best he could to help his students inside and outside of the college campus
Gary would often say, “The woods and the water can take a lot of your pain. There are spirits there that can help if you seek it out.”
The Ojibwe cherish the Megis Shell as the Sacred Shell through which the Creator blew his breath.
Welcome back friends! It’s time for another tale! The earth was once covered with endless winter. A winter so cold and snowy that the animals had to come up with a plan to get some help from the creator
One of the things that I always admired about Gary is that he never shied away when it came to the hard stuff, and I do not mean beverages. He always handled the topic of racisms with such grace and humility. He listened first and answered second. Gary was biracial and he had a soft spot for his students that dealt with the same things he did. He wanted to create a better community for all of us and he knew educating the community was key . He broke the topic down into easy to digest concepts and he did it in such away that it lit a fire in your soul. You walked away wanting to be better and to do better for Natives. *Although the language in this episode is harsh, the Johnson’s Tales team felt it was necessary to keep Gary’s words as is. He experienced racism on a daily basis and put in the work to try and change the narrative.
Fall in Wisconsin's north woods means hunting season is upon us and every hunter has a tale to tell, including our friend Gary.
A wise man always packs a lunch, those who are not wise go hungry. *Although the language in this episode is harsh, the Johnson’s Tales team felt it was necessary to keep Gary’s words as is. He experienced racism on a daily basis and put in the work to try and change the narrative.
It seems that when we least expect it life serves us up a lesson and its often with a side of humor. Remember to always carry matches + a lighter when going out into the wintery woods. And remember that sometimes an open bar can lead one to tumble into the wrong bed, no one wants to tussle with a stranger only to end up sleeping in a bathroom.
Its all fun and games until the buffalo chase you off the ice. Same goes for when you loose your dad's rope to a "wild" pony.
Sometimes being a school principal isn't all that its cracked up to be. Especially when you get a call at 2:30AM from the sheriffs office telling you there was a break in.
Gary Johnson was the founder and director of the First Nations Center at the University of Wisconsin Superior where he developed the first nations studies minor. Gary taught many of his classes including the Ojibway Culture Class, without a syllabus, books, and tests. If you showed up and if you showed up and participated, then you passed.
Obstacles, we’ve all faced them. Sometimes an obstacle is in our own mind and other times it’s a human standing in the way of our destiny. Gary knew that he wanted to be a teacher and when one supervisor stood in his way, he found another path to make that dream come true.
This podcast is a labor of love to persevere the stories of the myth, the man, the legend that was Gary Johnson. Gary was larger than life and he wasn’t afraid to tell you how he really felt. He was a father first and an educator second. If you crossed his path he claimed you as his own, whether you liked it or not. Gary thrived in the class room and enjoyed teaching those around him. He upheld the traditions of the past as he put one foot forward in the hopes of a better day. I was lucky enough to be one of his claimed and his mentorship that grew into a friendship was truly a gift. So come along as I let his words flow through the airwaves, because you my friend are in for a Johnson’s tale.