The most common name for the last month of summer in Anishinaabewakiing is Manoominike-giizis. Manoomin is the precious grain favored by Anishinaabeg, harvested across the region, and mentioned in stories as the reason for migrating west. Some of the words in this song focus on the practice of harvesting manoomin out on the zaagi’iganing (lake) by knocking the rice into the canoe with arm-length bawa’iganaakoog (cedar poles) and then taking it to shore to parch and then winnow in nooshkaachinaaganan (shallow birch baskets). Manoomin is the rice itself. By adding “ike” the word becomes the act of gathering the rice. The song is also about bapakine (the grasshopper) who jumps onto the manoominashkoon (ripe stalks of grain) and onto the asemaa (sacred tobacco) offered in thanks to creation for the gift of manoomin.

Perhaps most importantly, the song with four stanzas, reminds of the way we are a bit like grasshopper, moving through the seasons of the year and the seasons of our life, hopefully with a bit of tobacco in our hands and a prayer in our hearts ready to offer thanks for all we have around us. Asemaa biinzod niniijiminaanan niwii-biindaakoozhaanaanig.

Students of Ojibwe will notice when bapakine jumps in different ways:

gwaashkwanin – the directive to one being to simply jump
gwaashkwanodan – the directive to one being to jump onto something inanimate
gwaashkwanodaw – the directive to one being to jump onto someone else or something classified as animate
gwaashkwanig – the directive to multiple beings to jump

And looking happens in different directions by paying attention to what is added before and after the base verb which means to look in a searching way. Some students might want to practice changing these phrases to say: I search for him or her, you search for it, we all search for them etc. . .

ni+nandawaabam+aanaanig
we (but not you) are looking for them

ni+nandawaabanda+amin
we (but not you) are looking for something

Students interested in science and philosophy might want to think about the way grasshoppers live only one year, or full set of seasons, leaving eggs in the earth to emerge and continue the cycle after they are gone. Like the grasshopper, many of us may not see beyond the seasons we are living in but how we live our lives now will impact those who come after us.

This song has an activity sheet highlighting some of the words used and the process of manoominike – gathering wild rice. Teachers, you can hand out the worksheet and the included QR code links to the answer sheet.

Manoominike-giizis 1

1)
Gwaashkwanin bapakine.
Jump grasshopper.

Aniibiishing bapagone’an.
Make holes in the leaves.

Bawa’iganaakoog
Knockers

ninandawaabamaanaanig
we are looking for

azhigwa Manoominike-giizis.
already it is August.

2)
Gwaashkwanodan bapakine,
Jump on them grasshopper,

manoominashkoon zaagi’iganing
the rice stalks are in the lake.

Nooshkaachinaaganan
Winnowing baskets

ninandawaabandaamin
we are looking for

azhigwa Manoominike-giizis.
already it is August.

3)
Gwaashkwanodaw bapakine,
Jump on it grasshopper,

asemaa biinzod nininjiiminaanan.
the tobacco in our hands.

Jiigibiig besho manoomin
At the shore near the rice

niwii-biindaakoozhaanaanig
we will offer it

azhigwa Manoominike-giizis.
already it is August.

4)
Gwaashkwanig bapakineg
Jump grasshoppers

ge-waawanooyeg manoominikeyaang.
as you lay eggs we will harvest rice.

Giwii-maamawi-biziskendaamin
Together we will remember well

ezhi-naajimiijimeyang
the way we gathered food

gizhaanimak Manoominike-giizis.
in the warm heat of August.