On this episode of Ojibwe Stories: Gaganoonididaa, host Erik Redix has a conversation with Dan Jones about his life growing up in Ontario, his family, and the practices of traditional storytelling.
1/19 Ojibwe Stories: Gaganoonididaa
Dan Jones is from the Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation in Ontario and is an Anishinaabemowin ("Ojibwe language") teacher at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College in Cloquet, Minnesota.
Ojibwe Stories: Gaganoonididaa is produced by KUMD and the Department of American Indian Studies at UMD, with funding provided in part by the UMD College of Education and Human Service Professions, and by The Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
Ojibwe language-related content in this episode:
Ahaaw, boozhoo. Niin Gaagigebines. Omaa indayaa. Ningii-biindaakoonigoo biindigeyaan omaa noongom nidazhinidiz miinawaa dash maagizhaa ge ji-wiindamaageyaan bezhig ikidowin gemaa aadizookaan ji-aadizookeyaan omaa noongom. Miinawaa dash giga-wiindamawininim ezhi-giizhigak noongom. Noongom niiyo-giizhigad. Bijiinaago gii-aabitoose. Waabang dash da-naano-giizhigad waabang. Noongom aaniin izhinikaazo a’a iye giizis gaa-agoojid? Izhinikaazo Gichi-manidoo-giizis. Aanind miinawaa ikidowaad Manidoo-giizis.
Bizaan igo bijiniizh igo minoseyag gemaa Gichi-manidoo-giizis gemaa Manidoo-giizis. Mii ezhinikaazod a’aw noongom giizis. Miinawaa dash ashi-naano-gonagizi a’aw giizis noongom. Gegaa go niizho-diba’iganek. Ningii-bimibiz omaa. Zhebaa ningii-kinoomaage. Ningikinoo’amaage iwedi Nagaajiwanaang gabe-gikendaasowigamig izhinikaade. Mewinzha dash ingii-dindanokii iwedi geyaabi go nindanokii. Anooj igo ashi-ishwaaso-biboon ningii-kinoo’amaage iwedi. Gabeyi’ii sa go.
Nikinoo’amaage nikinoo’amawaag indinawemaaganag, gikinoo’amaaganag ji-gagwe-aabajitoowaad anishinaabemowin. Ninkinoo’amawaa ji-gagwe-gaagiigidowaad miinawaa dash ji-ozhibii’igewaad. Mii dash apane go ezhichigeyaan kinoo’amaageyaan. Gaye dash nooj igo niiyo-bibooning ingii-maajitaamin ezhinikaadeg “Anishinaabe Language Quiz Bowl” izhinikaade. Gaawiin niiyo-biboon ishwaaso-biboon ingii-maajitaamin. Idash nigaagiigid imaa ji-dazhindamaan ezhiwebak imaa anishinaabe-akiing ezhichigewaad, nitaa-agindaasowaad, miinawaa ji-gikendamowaad iye ezhi-giizhigak, miinawaa dash ezhinikaazowaad endaso-giizhigak, ezhinikaazowaad noongom giizis.
Miinawaa dash ji-dazhindamad iye ezhi-giizhigak enaginzod. Miinawaa dash ji-dazhindamowaad enendamowaad. Mii dash aanind gii-bii-izhaawaad imaa Wisconsin. Wiinawaa dash wiinawaa gii-bakinaagewag iwedi. Ingii-minochigemin. Gabeyi’ii ingii-kinoo’amaage iwedi ayaayaan. Niizhoode gaye wiin. Ogikinoo’amaage iwidi ezhinikaadeg University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Gaawiin dash geyaabi anokiisii. Ogii-ishkwaa-anokii.
Miinawaa dash… gaawiin. Noongom idash apane go giishpin awiiya wii-ayaad gegoo ji-wiidookawangid iye anishinaabe izhitwaawin. Mii iye mii odazhiikaan iye anishinaabe-izhitwaawin. Niibowa awiiya ogii-gagwejimigoon ji-miinid anishinaabe-wiinzowin. Mii dash ezhichiged ji-anishinaabe-wiinikaazod. Gidaa-biindaakoonaa Pebaamibines. Mii ezhinikaazod. Ishkwaa-kinoo’amaaged miinawaa dash apane go noongom ezhichiged. Ingii-wiindamaw ji-wiidookawid idash geyaabi niin indanokii. Idash ingoding indoojaanimiz.
Apane go gikinoo’amaageyaan indoojaanimiz. Wiin dash gaawiin geyaabi anokiisii. Mii wenji-izhichiged. Gaawiin geyaabi anokiisii. Ahaaw dash indoonjiimin iwedi Nigigoonsiminikaaning izhinikaade ishkoniganing. Mii iwidi ondaadiziyaang. Ishwaachiwag ingii-ayaamin iye. Niiwin? Gaawiin. Niizh indayaawaag nisaye. Niizh nisayeg. Miinawaa dash niizh injiimensag. Bezhig nimise. Miinawaa dash ishwaachiwag niinawind omaa. Niswi gii-nibowag. Gaawiin geyaabi omaa ayaasiiwag.
Miinawaa dash nindedeban mewinzha wiin ogii-maajaa. Miinawaa dash geyaabi go bimaadizi nimaamaa. Apane go kina awiiya ogagwejimaan ji-wiidookawid. Owiidookawaag ji-anishinaabemowaad giishpin gii-gagwejimaa gete-anishinaabe. Mii awe bezhig nimaamaa. Ogimaawigwanebiik gemaa Ogimaakwebiik izhinikaazo anishinaabemong. Idash Nancy Jones izhinikaazo zhaaganaashiimong. Maagizhaa awiiya ogikenimaan ezhinikaazod. Apane go wiidookaage wiidookawaad aanind ji-gagwe-anishinaabemowaad.
Mii dash o’apii aapichi ominwendaan gii-wiidookawiged ji-aabajitoowaad anishinaabemowin ji-wiidookawaad gakina wiiya. Noongom idash apane go ezhichiged. Nindayaawaa bezhig niwiiw. Biitwegiizhigook izhinikaazo. Wiin kinoo’amaage iwedi kinoo’amaagewigamigong endaayaan besho iwedi Nigigoonsiminikaaning. Kinoo’amaage gaa-agaashiiwaad maagizhaa ge kindergarten ezhinikaazowaad. Ogikinoo’amawaa ji-anishinaabemowaad.
Nimaamaa ishkwaa-anokiid. Mii ezhichiged noongom niwiiw. Nimaamaa idash ogii-ishkwaa-anokii, ogii-biindige niwiiw. Miinawaa dash wiin kinoo’amaage. Kinoo’amaage anishinaabemowin. Nooj igo niizh, niizhtana biboon ogii-kinoo’amaage nimaamaa iwedi. Mine Centre School izhinikaade. Noongom idash niwiiw kinoo’amaage. Nimaamaa kido ogii-kinoo’amawaa oniijaanisan, miinawaa dash ogii-kinoo’amawaa noozhisag, miinawaa dash aanikoobijiganag. Ogii-kinoo’amawaag her children, she taught for 20 years, she taught her children, her grandchildren, and when she retired, great-grandchildren, aanikoobijiganag.
Idash gaawiin geyaabi dash anokiisii. Miinawaa dash nindayaawaag niizh ningozisag. Miinawaa Jason miinawaa Travis izhinikaazowag ningozisag zhaaganaashiimong. Anishinaabemong izhinikaazowaad… ogii-ayaawaa niizh gaawiin dash geyaabi aabajitoosiinaawaan. Memawishkawiigaabaw noozhis gaa-ziikizid. Noozhis gaa-ziikizid. The one whose the oldest. Mii gwayak. Miinawaa dash Travis, Manidoowaabi. Odayaawaan niiwin oniijaanisag. Oniijaanisag gwiiwizensiwag.
Gaawiin odayawaanziin odaanis. Gaawiin. Gaawiin odaanis. Odayawaan Devon gaa-ziikizid. Wiin dash Jaylen, Jaylen izhinikaazo Niigaanetang. Gaawiin Niigaanetang, gaawiin. Jaylen izhinikaazo… a‘aw gaawiin niminjimendanziin Torren izhinikaazo Giigidobines. Miinawaa dash Brayden, Brayden izhinikaazo Makadegaabaw. Makadegaabaw gaye Awesiinh o Giigidobines.
Aweseyogiigidobines izhinikaazo Devon. Jaylen, Aaniin dagiin ezhinikaazod noozhis? “Ambe omaa…Niigaanetang.” Baamaapii inga-minjimendamaan. Nindaanis, Carmen izhinikaazo. Odayaawaan niizh noozhisag… gaawiin, oniijaanisag. Niizh odayawaan. Bezhig izhinikaazo Niigaanetang. Mii awe ezhinikaazod, Niigaanetang. Miinawaa dash odaanisan izhinikaazo… bekaa, bekaa… Niigaanetang, Leland izhinikaazo zhaaganaashiimong. Miinawaa dash Carmen odaanisan izhinikaazo Miskobinesiik.
Miskobinesiik zhaaganaashiimong izhinikaazo Avery. Avery Morgan Jones. Mii ezhinikaazowaad noozhisag. Geyaabi bezhig indayawaa a’a nindaanis. Shawna izhinikaazo. Gaawiin dash mashi odayaawaasiig oniijaanisag. Miinawaa dash Jason, gaawiin ge mashi odayawaasiig oniijaanisag.