Jason Adair has drawn beautiful images of some of the animals important in Ojibwe culture. Children and adults can study the pages, learn what each animal does and have conversations about how we all have images, ideas and stories inside of us – some we let out and some we hold inside for a while. We encourage you to learn the verbs associated with our animal relatives and study Adair’s inspiring Woodland style. Gimiigwechiwigoo Jason, gaa-giizhenindaman! We thank you Jason, for what you have created!

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1. Migiziiwag ishpaashiwag wanakong.
Eagles fly high above the trees.

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2. Ma’iinganag okwiinowag.
Wolves travel in packs.

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3. Waawaashkeshkiiwag babaagwashkwaniwag gitigaaning.
Deer leap through grassy fields.

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4. Makwag omashkawiziwag gaye giigookewaad.
Bears are strong and like to fish.

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5. Amikoog ozaagitoonaawaa zinigwamaawaad wanagekwan.
Beavers love to chew on bark.

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6. Omakakiig de-babaagwashkwaniwag waasa.
Frogs can hop far.

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7. Maangwag inawewag dibishkoo nagamowaad.
Loons make a sound like singing.

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8. Mikinaakoog daawag akiing gaye nibing.
Turtles live on land and in water.

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9. Moozoog emikwaaniwanewag.
Moose grow giant antlers.

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10 Nenookasiwag ominikwaadaanaawaa waabigwaniiwaaboo.
Hummingbirds drink nectar.

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11 Memengwaag memewaangeniwag.
Butterflies flutter.

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12 Animikiig manidoowiziwag.
Thunderbirds are supernatural.

In Cook County Schools and Great Expectations Charter School in Grand Marais, Minnesota, students have been reading Gidagindaasomin! We All Count! by Jason Adair. Jason is Ojibwe from Etobicoke, Ontario and explains he was inspired by the art of Norval Morrisseau. The book offers an introduction to numbers, beings of the northland, Woodland art, and how to say something is a particular color.

Because the word for counting and reading is the same in Ojibwe, Jason’s book teaches important lessons about the three ways to say this word:

agindaaso – to count or read
agindan – to count or read something (in the inanimate category)
agim – to count or read someone (or something in the animate category)

We All Count Statements

Gidagindaasomin miinawaa apiitenindizoyang.
We all count and take pride in who we are.

Gidagimaanaanig giijinaanig miinawaa gidinewemaaganinaanig.
We all count all our friends and all our relatives.

Gidagindanaawaa gakina gegoo waabandamang.
We all count everything we see.

Apii nanda-gikendamang mii dash waabamigooyang miinawaa noondamigooyang.
When we learn to count we are seen and we are heard.

We encourage everyone to find the book at NativeNorthwest.com, or wherever you buy your books and try reading it in Ojibwe with the text below! Play or download the audio as the Ojibwe sentences are read.

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1
Bezhig maamakaadendaagozi oginiiwaa-animikii bapawaangenid.
One magical pink thunderbird flapping its wings.

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2
Niizh migiziwag namadabiwag ozaawaa-mitigong.
Two bald eagles sitting in brown trees.

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3
Niswi ashagewag owaabandaanaawaan zhiibingo-wajiwan.
Three herons looking at the grey mountains.

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4
Niiwin maangoonsag babaamaa’ogowag gichi-waanzhibiing.
Four little loons floating in a big pond.

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Naanan misko-nenookaasiwag giiwitaasewag besho misko-waabigwanan ateg.
Five red hummingbirds fly around near red flowers.

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6
Ningodwaaswi bemaadizijig ayaawag ozaawaamiin-jiimaan.
Six people in an orange canoe.

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Niizhwaaswi miiniwaa-giigoonhyag bagizowag zaaga’iganing.
Seven purple fish swimming in a lake.

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Nishwaaswi bagwaji-ma’iinganag waawoono’aawaan ozhaawaashko-dibiki-giizisoon.
Eight wild wolves howl at the blue moon.

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Zhaangaswi nikaag o’ozhimaawaan ozaawaa-giizisoon.
Nine geese flying past a yellow sun.

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10
Midaaswi ozhaawaashko-omagakiig zhoomiwaadiziwag gwaashkwaniwaad.
Ten green joyous frogs jumping.