On this episode of Ojibwe Stories: Gaganoonididaa we visit with Patricia Ningewance from the Ojibwe community of Lac Seul in Ontario. She is an Ojibwe Language Instructor at the University of Manitoba, and is the author of Speaking Gookom's Language and other books on Ojibwe language education.
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:
Boozhoo. Waabibizhikiikwe indizhinikaaz, makwa indoodem. Bizhigokaan izhinikaade gaa-onjibaayaan.
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Gii-agaashiiwiyaan ayi’iing kiiwedinong gaa - aanish ingii-izhi-ombi’igoo gii-biboong ayi’ii kinoo’amaadiiwigamigong gii-izhaa ayi’iing oodenaang. Aabiding eta ayi’iing anishnaabe-kinoo’amaadiiwigamigong ingii-izhaa. Gii-nitaa-dadibaajimo idash nimaamaayiban. Ayi’ii gii-nitaa-aadizooke. Nookoom igaye gii-zhaaganaashiimo. Gaan dash wiin ingii-shaaganaashiimonotaagosiinaan endaayaang ayi’iing eta oodenaang eta gii-izhaad. Indede dash ayi’iing gii-bagidawaa gii-niibininig. Niinawind dash ingii-mawinzomin. Akina ayi’ii gichi-aya’aag ikwewag gaye abinoojiinyag ingii-mawinzomin.
Wiibakong nimaajii’aamin gigizhebaawagak anooj igo gii-naano-diba’iganeyaak ayi’ii ingoding niiyo-diba’iganeyaak ingii-goshkozimin. Ayi’ii nimaaji’atoomin idash ingodwaaswi giizhiseg ayi’ii geyaabi gii-takaya’aag. Mii dash gabe-zhebaa ayi’ii nimawinzomin biinish gii-naawakweg. Biinish gii-niizho-diba’iganeyaak ingibichiimin imbi-giiwemin onzaam e-gizhideg. Mii dash go ezhi-bagizowaang nibiing. Gidikidom ina iye, “bagizo?”
Mmmm geget.
Eya’ akina ishkoniganing imbagizomin gii-abinoojiiwiyaang.
Zaaga’iganing?
Uh-huh
Oo geget
Ingii-bikaagomin nibi wawiinge bizaan igo ayi’ii gigii-kwaaba’aan nibi da-minikweyin gaa-pi-chi-bikaagamig, noongom idash gaawiin. Giishpin kiiwedinong ezhi-toodaman giga-aakoz. Giga-onji-aakoz nibiing. Wiinaagamin.
We used to work all day and then stop at 2 o’clock and we’d come home and then we’d swim for the rest of the day. The water was so clean that you could dip your cup in there and drink from the lake, and you can’t do that anymore.
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Bizhiw ogii-nagwaanaawaan bizhiwan mii dash gaa-zhi-bakwanaad nimaamaa. Gii-amwaanaan bizhiw taabishkoo waabooz gii-ipogozi. Mii dash nishiimenh ayi’iing nibewining abi awe bizhiw. Gego odaminogekeg indigoomin. Manaaji’ik a’a bizhiw. Ingii-waabamaanaan idash iwedi a’a bizhiw, owe ingii-kichi-webinaanaan. “Gego idash, manaaji’ik idash,” gii-igooyaangiban
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Ingoji go gii…. odashi-niizho-biboon ayaan ayi’iing ingii-taamin ayi’iing noopimayiing bagwajayi’iing indede ayi’iing gii-giishka’aakwe. Gakina idash niibowa, ingii-paatayiinomin e-gii-taayaang imaa ayi’iing Grassy Bay gii-izhinikaade. Mii dash go gabe-giizhik niinawind gii-abinoojiiwiyaang ingii-odaminomin igo. Gaawin gegoo ingii-ayaasiimin ayi’iin odaminowaaganan ayi’iing ataawewigamigong ji-onjiiging niinawind eta go ingii-ozhitoomin ayi’ii gii-odaminokeyaang ayi’ii mitigoon ayi’ii asiniinsag.
Oodenaang ingii-ozhitoomin aya’aa ge ingii-wiinaanaanig imaa gaa-taawaad ayi’ii “a family” taabishkoo ingii-ozhi’aanaanig. “Aaniin ezhinikaazowaad? Aaniin enakamigiziwaad?” endaso-giizhik. Gabe-giizhik iko ayi’ii ingii-odaminomin, biinish miinawaa Annie Waabang gaa-zhi-mino-pakaan inakamigan inakamigiziwag. Ingii-chiikendaamin. Gaawiin wiikaa ayi’ii TV ingii-kanawaabandanziimin. Gaawiin. Geget mazina’igan, mii eta niinawind.
Gaawiin ge gii-minikwesiiwag aya’aag niniigiigoog.
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Noongom wiiba gizhep ingii-onishkaa ayi’iing dash ingoji go gii-naano-diba’iganeyaak ingii-goshkoz. Ingii-maajii-ozhiitaa omaa ji-bi-izhaayaan. Ayi’ii. Mii dash ingoji go nishwaaso-diba’iganeyaak ingii-maajaamin. Ayi’iing imaa gii-biindigeyaang omaa akiing, gichi-mookomaan-akiing, awedi gaa-anokiid imaa ikwe, customs officer, ogagwejimigoon, “Aandi ezhaayan,” indig. “ayi’iing Fond du Lac,” indinaa. “Aaniin dash wenji-izhaayan,” indinaa, indig. “Ginando-anokii ina?” “Gaawiin,” indinaa, “nimichi-mawadishiwe.” Ingii-kiiwanim. Ginisidotaan? Ingii-kiiwanim.
Ayi’ii giishpin nando-anokii ikidoyaambaan, indaa-gii-kichi-gagwejimig ingii-inendaan. Aabiding giizhisenaaban ayi’ii nando-anokii ayikidowaan gaa-zhi-biindiginigoowaan imaa miziwe-aki-waabanjigaade ayi’ii nimashkimodan. Gaawiin ingikendanziin aaniin gaa-gii-onji-doodamawaad onzaam nando-anokii e-giigidowaan. Mii dash gaa-gii-onji-ikidowaan, “nando-mawadishiwe,” ingii-ikid. “Ninando-adaawe.”
Mii dash gii-minwaadizi awe ikwe gaa-gii-gaganoonag gii-gizhewaadizi ganabach ji-anokaan- anokiiyin, anokiiwin ayaayan,” indig. “Ingikinoo’amaage anishinaabemowin,” indinaa. Gii-jiikendam. Ingii-minwendam. “Awenen awe,” indig. “Noozhis aanish niwiijiiwaa. Noozhis awe,” indinaa. “Aaniin dash giin wenji-gikinoo’amaagosiwan noongom,” odigoon. “Gaawiin. Aazha niin ayi’ii university indayaa,” gii-ikido, “gaa memwech ayi’ii ji-izhaayaan ayi’ii kinamaadiiwigamigong,” odinaan, “aazha ingii-kiizhitoon baamaa miinawaa ayi’ii ashki-akiiwang”
Ginwenzh ingii-pimibizomin anooj igo niizhwaaso-diba’igan. Ayi’iing aandatakiin ondaas nake Bemidji ingii-naawakwe-wiisinimin ayi’iing wiisiniiwigamigong. Mii dash omaa gii-niiyo-diba’iganeyaak ingii-tagoshinomin gii-ge-gagwe-mikaagoo.
