Welcome to Gitchegumi Media. I’m thrilled you’re here. Since this is my first blog post, I figured there’s no better place to begin than with the name itself. What is Gitchegumi, and why did I choose it? Well, long story short, it’s a part of a song lyric from one of the first songs I ever learned to play and sing fully from memory. The song is Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot.
I grew up in a suburban town in Minnesota where my father had been active in the folk revival movement of the 50’s. As such, I was exposed to a lot of the great folk revival artists as a child. Pete Seager, Mustard’s Retreat, Bob Dylan. I learned to gravitate toward songs with stories that were grounded in familiar locations. When my brother played guitar for a
modern musical which told the story of this wreck, my family was obliged to attend. I became fascinated with the story, and learned of Gordon Lightfoot’s classic telling of it. The fact that the story takes place on Lake Superior, the shores of which I had been camping on many times in my youth, was what captured my attention. The opening line “The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they call Gitchegumi” was what set the word in my mind. The lake that never gives up her dead.
In 2004, I was attending The Boston Conservatory, studying Classical Guitar Performance. That same year, a little-known video game publisher named Blizzard Entertainment released what would eventually become one of the most popular games of all time: World of Warcraft. My friend and I were so excited about it that we skipped class the day the closed beta went live, refreshing the invite page non-stop in the hope that we’d get in. Our recklessness was rewarded when we both landed beta access. I downloaded the game (as quickly as a 2004 internet connection would allow) and logged in the moment it finished.
One of the playable races immediately caught my attention: the Tauren. Ever since I had discovered them in Warcraft III, I had been drawn to their naturalistic character and tribal themes. So when I created my first character, a Tauren hunter, I needed to give him a name. I thought back to a lyric that had always stuck with me from The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald: “The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down of the big lake they call Gitchegumi.” That word had always felt powerful to me; mysterious, wild, and deeply connected to nature. It was the perfect name. I typed it in and hit enter.
In my first few hours of exploring the Tauren starting zone, I had an encounter that sealed the deal. Another player ran up to me and typed, “Wow, the lake that never gives up her dead?! Nice!” Then they ran off to continue their adventure. That brief interaction was all it took. From that moment forward, I knew Gitchegumi would be my online identity. And all these years later, it still is.
So, there you have it, the origin story of Gitchegumi as an online identity rooted in memory, music, and myth. I hope you enjoyed my little story. Look for more content to arrive here. It won’t all be life stories. This blog will explore everything from tech and media to reflections from my YouTube channels, Gitchegumi Gaming and Hope Nuggets. Whether you’re here for personal stories or practical insights, I hope you’ll stick around.
And until next time, keep your head above water!
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