Walking My Ancestors’ Path: Upcoming Book, Exhibit Reflect Appreciation of Animal Spirits

Walking My Ancestors’ Path by Sam Zimmerman/Zhaawanoogiizhik, Ojibwe, commemorates animal spirits through a compilation of paintings and stories. Mill City Museum in Minneapolis will host the book’s launch and exhibit opening on Thursday, Oct. 22. 

By Hannah Loub, Digital Editor

Published in September 2026, the book is inspired by a productive and reflective period of Zimmerman’s life after returning to the North Shore of Minnesota and reconnecting with family. Following the release of his first book, Following My Spirit Home in 2022, Walking My Ancestors’ Path is a continuation of Zimmerman’s appreciation of the Northland and the spirits that inhabit it. 

Alongside the seasonally arranged acrylic paintings of animal spirits and bright flora are stories, many of which are retold in Ojibwemowin by educator and language specialist Manidoo Ma’iingan. 

The accompanying exhibit, Walking My Ancestors’ Path: The Art and Stories of Sam Zimmerman / Zhaawanoogiizhik, will be on display at the Mill City Museum’s Mill Commons until March 2027. 

The book launch is free and open to the public. Zimmerman will give a talk and hold a book signing. For more information and to RSVP, click here. To purchase the book, click here.