Wiigwaasabak

To form a scroll, pieces of inscribed bark are stitched together using wadab (cedar or spruce roots).

To prevent unrolling, the scroll is lashed, then placed in a cylindrically-shaped wiigwaasi-makak (birch bark box) for safe-keeping.

[citation needed] The Ojibwa peoples of the Great Lakes region historically used birch bark to keep records for instructional and guidance purposes.

There is some secrecy involved to keep the scrolls safe, to interpret them correctly, and to wait until there is more respect for this ancient language system.

[citation needed] There are many claims made by elders and indigenous teachers that humans have existed in North America before the last ice age,[citation needed] and ancient ways of writing and other ancient skills and artifacts may provide some clues to the migration patterns and history of North American and South American peoples.

[citation needed] Twentieth century archaeology has confirmed that Native Americans have been using birch bark scrolls for over 400 years.

In 1965 the archaeologist Kenneth Kidd reported on two finds of "trimmed and fashioned pieces of birch bark on which have been scratched figures of animals, birds, men, legendary creatures, and esoteric symbols" in the Head-of-the-Lakes region of Ontario.