Spring is a season of celebration, a time of sap running, snow melting, life emerging from dens and food beginning to grow again. One of the names for spring, “ziigwan,” is related to the verb “ziiga’anjige” (to pour) and the other, “minookamin,” relates to land being fertile. Because many of our Ojibwe students celebrate Spring and Easter we’ve created some cards to cut out and share the joy of the season according to the traditions in your family and community.

Note: The Ojibwe word for Easter, “Baak-giizhigad” comes from the French word for Easter which is “Pâques” which is related to the Latin word “pascha,” the Greek πάσχα (páskha), and the Hebrew word פסחא (peseach). The English word, “Easter” is actually a reference to the Teutonic, Phoenician, Bablylonian and German goddesses of spring and fertility Eastre, Astarte, Ishtar and Oster.

The following phrases are part of an effort to encourage use of Ojibwe around town, outside of class with friends and family. In Grand Marais, Minnesota, the Java Moose (Makademashkikiwaaboo Mooz) is a favorite place to chat, catch up on the news and get a cup of black medicine water (or something more fun and fancy).

We encourage you to pair up, practice the phrases and come to Grand Marais or take the language to a makademashkikiwaaboogamig (cafe) near you!

Here is a practice exercise you can do to practice your Anishinaabemowin. Cashiers and customers can talk through each of the 4 steps below to make a conversation. It can be fun to roll a die to choose the menu item.

Akawe onaakonan:
First decide about this:

Cafe-39 Who is Cashier
Awenen awid Wedaawed?
Who is the cashier/trader?

Cafe-40 Who is Customer
Awenen awid Gaashpinadood?
Who is the customer/buyer?

Miidash idan waa-minikwaadaman.
Then say (what) you will drink.

1. Greeting
Wedaawed (Cashier) offers a greeting
Gaashpinadood (Customer) returns the greeting

2. Order (this can extend with several modifications about size, temperature, and so forth)
Wedaawed (Cashier) asks what is wanted
Gaashpinadood (Customer) answers + modifications

3. Cost
Gaashpinadood (Customer) asks how much it costs
Wedaawed (Cashier) answers the cost

4. Leaving
Wedaawed (Cashier) says don’t spill or enjoy
Gaashpinadood (Customer) says thanks for goodbye

Thanksgiving-0

Mino-Miigwechwigiizhigad (Happy Thanksgiving Day)

We can see the word “miigwe” (to give something) in the word “miigiwechiwi” (to give something to someone) so as we give thanks, we are recognizing there is something we have been given.

One of many wonderful things about Anishinaabe people is the tendency to see any one idea from multiple viewpoints. You may hear different stories about the same word and they may all be correct, or at least connected to old ideas in different ways. It is important to honor the ways fluent speakers see the language coming together.

As the year grows more quiet and the season of dagwaagin (fall) comes to a close, we gather to share our harvest and remember the ancestors who came before us and made our lives possible.

Because in the United States we are all given time off from school and work to think about the season and our shared history, here are some sentences and word lists to help you talk about the way you spend the day. There is also an activity for classrooms or language nests.

There are many ways to talk about giving, appreciating, and thanking others. All of them begin with identifying what is happening, who is doing it, and what relationships are being noted. Because Anishinaabe culture is not monolithic you will find that different Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi communities and people use different words for great spirit, creator, etc which are reflected below.

Before a meal it is important to remember the ancestors and relatives not with us. In some places a ghost plate is made by placing a very small amount of each item on the menu on a plate and setting it out in a special place. Then someone (or everyone) gives thanks, elders are served and everyone shares a meal together as a way of celebrating life and the cycle of another year.

Throughout planning and enjoying a feast, you have to keep in mind whether each food falls into the “o’o” / “maanda” or “wa’aw” / “maaba” category. Sometimes these categories are called “inanimate” and “animate” but they are not always logical and sometimes surprise us. You will notice in the lists below that a few words such as bakwezhigan (bread) and bread-related words are in both lists because people in different places came to see it differently. It can be helpful to simply learn the categories without worrying too much.

Inanimate Food

Animate Food

In Ojibwe, the word for pie is often cited as one of the longest possible words and it can indeed become quite long as all the features of pies are described. The two words below are common examples, but you may wish to challenge yourself by describing the pies on your own table.

Thanksgiving-4-1 miinan-baashkiminasigani-biitoosijigani-bakwezhigan – blueberry pie

Thanksgiving-4-2 ozaawagoosimanan-baashkiminasigani-biitoosijigani-bakwezhigan – pumpkin pie

Thanksgiving-4-3 wiishkobi-bakwezhigans – little sweet bread, used for many desserts: cookie, muffin, etc. . .\

*In class students can work on just saying the foods as singular, plural and sorting them into the right categories. Once students know the categories, they can move on to the phrases about cooking and tasting these foods.

Thanksgiving-5-1 minopogwad – something in the inanimate o’o / maanda category tastes good.
Thanksgiving-5-2 minopogozi – something in the animate wa’aw / maaba category tastes good.
Thanksgiving-5-3 Minopagwazi bakwezhigan. – It tastes good the bread.
Thanksgiving-5-4 Minopagwad mizisewiiyaas. – It tastes good the turkey.

After learning the food words, it can be fun to learn the words to set the table and share a harvest meal.

Table Things

Read the sentences below and see if you can translate them. Open the toggle to reveal the translation and see if you were correct.

Here are some phrases, a word list, and a story to translate about Halloween, a holiday with roots in many traditions around the world.

Younger children may simply find it fun to learn the way to say “trick or treat” and “thank you.”

Halloween Trick or Treat
Trick or Treat?
Gidaa-giibaazomin gemaa miinishin gegoo?
(Should I trick you or will you give me something?)

Halloween Thank You
Thank you (for giving me something)
Gimiigwechiwi’in gegoo gaa-miizhiyan!
(I thank you for giving me something!)

Most importantly, ayaangwamizin (be safe) and minwendaagozin (have fun)!

Advanced students of all ages might enjoy learning to talk about their costumes. The first step is to know whether you are pretending to be someone else (like Spiderman or Princess Elsa) OR something that is an object (a piece of candy or a pumpkin).

The best way to know which category you are in is to look up the word in the dictionary. The dictionary will tell you if it is an “na” (animate noun) or “ni” (inanimate noun). So be careful if you are dressing as an apple or a cookie! These are both considered animate in many areas!

Then build your statement with izhinaagwi (to dress up as someone or something considered animate) or izhinaagotoon (to dress up as something) at the center and the pieces of language you need to say “I” or “you” or “they” and “doing it now” or “doing it in the past” or “doing it in the future.”

Examples:

Learn the words in this Word List to help you translate the story below and to play Taase’ong Bingo!

After you have reviewed the word list, see if you can read the story below. Check your translation by opening the toggle.

Taase’ong Story

Miziwe akiing bemaadizijig omikwenimaawaan o’anikoobijiganiwaabaniin dagwaaging.

Ani ishkwaaj-giizhigad Binaakwe-giizis jibwaa Gashkadino-giizis maajtamigak bemaadizijig izhikonayewaad mii dash aanzinaago’idizowaad ji-gaazootawaawaad apii jiibayan mawadishigoowaad.

Gimiizhaanaanig ziinzibaakwadoonsan mewadishijig.

Giwaasakonebidoonaawaan.

Ozaawagoosimaning gimazinikodaanaawaan

Gidakonaashkawaanaanig majimanidoog, wiindigoog gaye Baagak.

Noongom gibabaa-izhaamin idamang “gidaa-giibaazomin gemaa miinishin gegoo.”

Mii dash idamang “gimiigwechiwi’in gegoo gaa-miizhiyan!”

The students of Cook County Independent School District 166 and Great Expectations Charter School say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America each week. In 2024 they learned to say the pledge in Ojibwemowin.

To acknowledge their shared history with the nearest Ojibwe nation they have also learned to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of Gichi-Onigaming: Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Although the US pledge uses the word “God” and the Grand Portage pledge uses the word “manidoo” these pledges are intended to confirm political unity and both nations have people who practice a wide variety of religious traditions. The citizens of both nations stand together in affirming tolerance and freedom of choice.

Their hope is that together they remain committed to stewardship of both communities and the land and water of the place they call home. They may also inspire other communities to learn about the flag of a nearby nation and build networks of respect across many lands.

In 2021 Grand Portage Band Member Mary Ann (Ma’iinganikwe’iban) Gagnon, the former director of the Grand Portage Museum at the Old Log School explained that Gordon M. LeGarde, a member of the Grand Portage Band, created the original seal of the Grand Portage flag.

There are four symbols in the seal: a turtle, an arrow, a caribou, and a pipe.

• The turtle represents “Turtle Island,” which is the center of the universe for the Anishinaabe.
• The arrow represents hunting for subsistence and for the survival of the Grand Portage people.
• The caribou represents the caribou clan, of which many Grand Portage band members are members.
• The pipe is a sacred emblem of peace and ceremonies.
• The white lines between the images represent the Four Directions.

The colors of the flag have meaning as well.

• Green – The color green represents the land and forest.
• Blue – The color blue represents Lake Superior, water and sky.
• White – White represents the moon.
• Yellow – The yellow represents the sun.

The four circles of the image represent the circle of life, and the four directions.

Grand Portage Pledge

Waawiindamaadiwin Gichi-Onigaming Gikiwe’on
Pledge to the Flag of Grand Portage

Ninisidawaabandaan Gichi-Onigaming gikiwe’on
(I recognize the Grand Portage flag.)

Ninisidawaabamaag ongow manidoog, oniijaanisag
(I recognize the spirits, the children)

miinawaa Anishinaabe ji-minwaabiwizid.
(and Anishinaabe values.)

Gakina manidoog gaa-zhawenimiyangidwaa.
(All of the spirits have shown us compassion.)

Niibowa zhimaaganag gaa-miigaazowaad ji-mino-ayaayang omaa akiing.
(Many veterans have fought for us to be well here in this place on earth.)

First translated by Kalvin Ottertail for the Ojibwe class in Cook County during the 2004 – 2005 school year.

US Pledge

Waawiindimaadiwin Gichimookomaan-aki Gikiwe’on
Pledge to the Flag of the United States of America

Niwaawiindamawaag Gichimookomaan-aki Wegimaawijig.
(I pledge allegience to the flag of the United State of America.)

Nizaagitoon gidakiminaan.
(I love our nation.)

Nimanaaji’endaan gidakiminaan.
(I respect our nation.)

Bezhigwan gidakiminaan.
(Our one united nation.)

Gakina awiiya ginandagikendaamin debwewin.
(Everyone seeks the truth.)

Gakina awiiya ginandagikendaamin gwayako-dibaakonigewin miinawaa maamawi-mino-bimaadiziyang omaa.
(Everyone seeks justice and to all live well together.)

We would like to note this version is similar, but not exactly the same as the Ojibwe Pledge of Allegiance recited by students in Hayward, Wisconsin before the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Governing Board with their teacher, Valerie Barber, in May of 2011. Gimiigwechiwigoom.

Across the globe, Indigenous communities are respected as some of the best stewards of the environment. This is certainly true in Gichi-Onigaming where the Grand Portage Lake Superior Band of Chippewa protects shared natural resources through the Grand Portage Trust Lands Agency. With five departments and the support of their elected leadership they work each day to protect the air, land, water, plants and animals.

To read more about their work and see their Guiding Principles related to climate adaptation visit their website https://www.grandportageband.com/tribal-land-resources/

To think about the concepts of climate stewardship in Anishinaabemowin, refer to the list below:

Trustlands Departments

Grand Portage Trust Lands Agency – Gichi-Onigaming Akiin Gezhaadangig (Grand Portage land guardians)

Grand Portage Natural Resources Management – Bagwaaji-inaadiziwinan Ganawendaagwadoon (natural life being cared for)

Department of Forestry – Mitigwakiin Izhi-Ganawendaagwadoon (department of woodlands being protected)

Departments of Biology and Environment – Aanike-bemaadizijig Izhi-Nandagikendaan (department of studying the connectedness of living systems)

Conservation Law Enforcement Department – Izhi-Bamendaagwadoon Ganawendamowin (department of paying attention to conservation)

The Roads and Realty Department – Miikanan miinawaa Diba’igaadewan Akiin (roads and property)

In recent years people have used “land acknowledgements” to recognize the rights and history of the places where they currently live and work. Vallen Cook, the current leader of Grand Portage Trust Lands Agency, has taken this practice one step farther by asking Margaret Noodin for a poem to share the beauty of his home when he goes visiting. The following poem was written for him and we hope it inspires everyone to write or find a poem about the place that sustains you, the place that loves you, the place you honor and care for each day.

Gidanamikooninim

Gidanamikooninim
I greet each of you

apii babaami-ayaayaan
when I travel

biidaajimoyaan
bearing stories of

babiikwadinaabikaag
mineral mountains

manidoo-giizhikans
a small sacred cedar

bagwanaabik
a basalt circle of absence

gaye giiwedin-anang.
and a star that can lead one home.

Indonjiba Gichi-Onigaming
I come from the portage place

besho Gichi-gaaming
beside the great inland sea

ishpaa-gakaamikijiwan
where high falls

ezhi-zaagidawejiwang
openly flow into

omiimi-ziibing mikwendang.
a river that remembers.

Gimaada’oozhin ezhi-gaaskanazowaad
I share with you the whispers of

zesegaandagoog, mina’igoog, zhingobiig
black spruces, white spruces, balsams

miinawaa biisaandago-zhingwaakoog
and white pines

izhi-nagamtawaawaad
alive and singing to

moozoog, migiziwag
moose, eagles

ginoozheg miinawaa ogaag
pikes and walleyes

gikendaamowaad gakina
who know we all

wii-waabandamang giizhigong
see in the same sky

nasaab jiibayag niimi’idiwag.
the same dance of souls.

Here are words and phrases for talking about St. Patrick’s Day.

The passage below is a translated excerpt from a prayer attributed to St. Patrick who wisely recognized the connection between the people of Éireann and the natural world around them.

St Patrick-18
Nimbazigwi noongom
I arise today, through

St Patrick-19
Ge-mashkawaag giizhig
The strength of heaven,

St Patrick-20
Ge-waasizod giizis
The light of the sun,

St Patrick-21
Ge-waasaabikizod dibiki-giizis
The radiance of the moon,

St Patrick-22
Ge-miikawaadak ishkode
The splendor of fire,

St Patrick-23
Ge-gizhiiwaaseseg
The speed of lightning,

St Patrick-24
Ge-gizhiiyaanimak
The swiftness of wind,

St Patrick-25
Ge-dimiig chi-gaming
The depth of the sea,

St Patrick-26
Ge-zoongang aki
The stability of the earth,

St Patrick-27
Ge-mashkawiziwaad asiniig.
The firmness of rock.

This set of words is for any group of Ojibwe-speaking people meeting together to make decisions. It was requested by the tribal council of Gichi-Onigaming: The Lake Superior Band of Chippewa who are working toward using more Ojibwemowin in their nation. Many groups, including sovereign nations, use common meeting formats to work within their own and with other nations’ governments. While Robert’s Rules of Order were created in America by a former Army captain in the early 1800s, they were based on systems of democracy that date back to the earliest gatherings of humans. In the United States, it is a well-documented fact that the Iroquois Confederacy inspired George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and other founders as they wrote the Constitution.

Image of the Great Peace of Montreal Treaty of 1701 signed using clan symbols.

In the Great Lakes region, the Confederacy of the Three Fires worked together as a large group and in small local communities, to “onaakonige” (to make decisions) using the language broadly referred to as Anishinaabemowin and locally spoken as Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi.

The Ogimaag (leaders) of Ojibwe nations have a long history of clan systems and structures which are at the core of traditional governance and could be the basis of constitutional revision. Today over 140 Anishinaabe sovereign nations are recognized by the U.S. and Canadian governments. In the U.S. they conduct legislative business based on their individual constitutions. In Canada they pass Band Council Resolutions in relation to the Indian Act which serves as their constitution.

Using Anishinaabemowin instead of English allows people to access the full range of beliefs and behaviors connected to the concept of mino-bimaadizi (the act of living well). For example, the words “onaakonige” and “inaakonige” can encompass many nuances of understanding as they move through the four types of verbs – those that happen inherently, those that are done by someone or a group, and those that are based on a relationship with something or someone. As these actions become final they can even become nouns while still retaining clear connections to the act of making the decision.

Meeting in Odanah, WI at the 1869 annuity payment (picture taken by Charles Zimmerman).

Words for Council Meetings-1

• Onaakonigaade – it has been decided
• Inaakonigaade – something specific has been decided
• Onaakonige – the act of someone making a decision
• Inaakonige – the act of someone making a specific decision
• Onaakonan – someone making a decision about something
• Inaakonan – someone making a specific decision about something
• Onaakon – someone making a decision about someone
• Inaakon – someone making a specific decision about someone
• Onaakonigewin – a decison
• Inaakonigewin – a specific decision

Words for Council Meetings-2

• Ogimaa – Chair
• Wezhibii’iged – Writer / Secretary
• Zhooniyaawegindang – Treasurer
• Dezhindangig – Ones who are discussing
• Wenaakonangig – Ones who are deciding

Words for Council Meetings-3

Gakina awiiya gida-manaadendimin omaa.
We should all respect each other here.

Da-wenda-nisidawendagwad gakina awiiya de-gagiigidod endaso jibwaa awiiya gagiigidod ako-niizhing.
Everyone has the right to participate in discussion if they wish, before anyone may speak a second time.

Gakina awiiya da-gikendaan gakina ezhiwebag apane.
Everyone has the right to know what is going on at all times.

Mii eta zezikaa gichi-inendagwadoon daa wenji-wanishkwemigooyang.
Only urgent matters may interrupt a speaker.

Be-bezhigwan inendagwag da-dazhindaagwag.
Only one thing (motion) can be discussed at a time.

Words for Council Meetings-4

Words for Council Meetings-5

• Zhooniyaakewin – Financial Update
• Giwii-diba’amawaanaanig daa-diba’amawangidwaa – Payments for Approval

Words for Council Meetings-6

• Mitigo-maawanji’idiwigamig – log building
• Oshki-maawanji’idiwigamig– community center
• Gichi-ogimaawigamig – council building

This is a simple game to be played by all ages. Words below are written to tell a group of students to move around from one place to another and help the whole group gabenaage (win).

The instructions below are age appropriate for toddlers who are just beginning to understand the importance of relational success.

• It is helpful to know telling a group to do something (using a vai) add “g” to the action word.
• To tell one student to do something (using a vai) add “n” to the action word.
• To tell a group of students to do something in relation to you, such as “listen to me” (a vta) add “shig” to the word.
• To tell a student to do something in relation to you, such as “listen to me” (a vta) add “shin” to the word.

To begin the game, draw one circle on the ground to show where all students need to be touching at the start. Draw a second circle on the ground to show where students need to go during the game. You could substitute a tree, a wall, or a specific teacher as the start and end.

Play the game by having one person call out one word at a time to tell students to “bimibizo” (go) or “ishkwaataa” (stop).

Help the students learn the meaning of each word and how to say it themselves by repeating what they are doing.
Students “bakinaage” (win) when they all reach the new circle together. They can be encouraged to help each other along the way.

Depending on age, teachers could as students the following questions:

What do you think “-bizo” means?
Can you count the steps you took?
Who did you help?
Who helped you?
Did a good breakfast give you strength to play?

Stop Go 1

ishkwaataa(g) – stop / hold still
bimibizo(g) – go
gizhiibizo(g) – go fast
babejibizo(g) – go slowly
azhebizo(g) – go back, go backwards
biimskobizo(g) – go spinning

Stop Go 2

azhegizhiibizo(g) – go back fast
azhebabejibizo(g) – go back slow
gizhiibiimskobizo(g) – go spinning fast
babejibiimskobizo(g) – go spinning slowly

Use these words for students learning body parts and counting:

Stop Go 3

bezhigogaadebizo(g) – move on one leg
niizhogaadebizo(g) – move on 2 legs
nisogaadebizo(g) – move on 3 legs
niiyogaadebizo(g) – move on 4 legs
aanjigaade(g) – switch legs
aazhozidebizo(g) – cross foot moving
bimoode(g) – crawl on your hands and knees
bi-giigdiiyebi(g) – scoot on your butt here

Other words and phrases for use throughout the day:

Stop Go 4

Ayaangwaamizi(g) – You all be careful
Debwe(n) – You be honest
Wenipanad – it is easy
Zanagad – it is difficult
Aanikoogaabawi(g) – You all stand up in connection (line up)
Bazigwii(g) – You all get up
Aambe niijiiwag – Come here on friends
Omaa bi-izhaa(g) – You all come here
Bi-maawanji’idig omaa – You all come and gather here
Gego gaagiigidokegon – You don’t talk
Awenen zhigwa ayekozid? – Who is already tired?
Aaniindi ezhaayan? – Where are you going?
Aaniin ezhichigeyan? – What are you doing?
Naagaanzid gidaaw – One who is leading, you are
Onizhishin – It is good / Good job / Nice work etc. . .

Stop Go 5

Aabitoojizh(ishin) (vta) – Give me a hug
Aanikeshkaw(ishin) (vta) – Follow me
Bizindaw(ishin) (vta) – Listen to me
Waabam(ishin) (vta) – Look at me

The Stop Go Game was created by Ojibwe.net in partnership with these contributors. Miigwech for your partnership.