Johnson’s Tales

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.

Red on the outside white on the inside

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.