Wheels on the bus

1.
Ditibiniganag gichi-odaabaaning ditibisewag
The wheels on the bus go around (and around)

ditibisewag, ditibisewag.
around (and around), around (and around).

Ditibiniganag gichi-odaabaaning ditibisewag
The wheels on the bus go around (and around)

miziwe-oodenang.
all over town.

2.
Ishkwaandeman gichi-odaabaaning baakinigaadewan
The doors on the bus open (and close)

gibaakogaadewa, baakinigaadewan.
(open) and close, open (and close).

Ishkwaandeman gichi-odaabaaning baakinigaadewan
The doors on the bus open (and close)

miziwe-oodenang.
all through the town.

3.
Gaashkaashkaa’iganan gichi-odaabaaning gaashkaashkaa’igaadewan
The wipers on the bus go swish (swish, swish)

gaashkaashkaa’igaadewan, gaashkaashkaa’igaadewan.
swish (swish, swish), swish (swish, swish).

Gaashkaashkaa’iganan gichi-odaabaaning gaashkaashkaa’igaadewan
The wipers on the bus go swish (swish, swish)

miziwe-oodenang.
all through the town.

4.
Madwejigan gichi-odaabaaning gichi-madwemagad
The horn on the bus makes a very big sound

gichi-madwemagad, gichi-madwemagad.
a very big sound, a very big sound.

Madwejigan gichi-odaabaaning gichi-madwemagad
The horn on the bus makes a very big sound

miziwe-oodenang.
all through the town.

5.
Oniijaanisag gichi-odaabaaning namadabiwag
The children on the bus, they sit down

niibawiwag, namadabiwag.
they stand up, they sit down.

Oniijaanisag gichi-odaabaaning namadabiwag
The children on the bus, they sit down

miziwe-oodenang.
all through the town.

Robin Song

Misko-kaakigan opichi
Red-breasted robin

Aandeg bababaamise
Crow flying round

Gegiinkoonzhe nisaagwaashkwani
Nuthatch hopping down the tree

Gijigijiganeshiinh . . .shiinh. . . shiinh
Chickadee . . .dee. . .dee

Gijigijiganeshiinh . . .shiinh. . . shiinh
Chickadee . . .dee. . .dee

Kaaw. . .kaaw. . .kaaw
Caw. . .caw. . .caw

Kaaw. . .kaaw. . .kaaw
Caw. . .caw. . .caw

The phrase “giga-waabamin” is one of the most common phrases in Ojibwe communities. It is often one of the few phrases everyone knows and can be used as a place to start learning so that you are ready to greet neighbors who use it and ancestors who spoke Ojibwe.

Below are some words to study and know before learning the simple little song shared by Amanda Barras and her 3rd Grade Class in Grand Marais, Minnesota.

Children sing it together and begin learning how the pieces of the language come together often without even talking much about grammar. We hope you find it fun to learn!

Giga-waabamin
waabam : to see someone
gi + (a doing word) + in : me to you
ga- : in the future

Nakweshkodaadiyang
nakweshkodaadi : to meet each other
-yang : all of us

Bagosendamaan
bagosendan : to hope for something
-maan : I

Mino-ayaayan
mino- : a little part added to many words to mean good
ayaa : to be somewhere or be a certain way
-yan : you

The first recording of students singing this song after learning it.

I’ll See You Again

Several months after making the first recording the class wanted to update the page with a version where there is clearly and proudly no need for teacher support. 

Giga

Giga-waabamin
(Good-bye / I will see you)

Biinish nakweshkodaadiyang
(Until we meet again)

Bagosendamaan mino-ayaayan
(I hope you have a happy day)

Giga-waabamin
(Good-bye / I will see you)

Asabikeshiinh (The Little Bitty Spider) is an old children’s song commonly sung to babies and toddlers with gestures as they learn to put words with fine-motor movements. Start with fingers and hands in the shape of a spider and going up, then coming down when the rain begins to sprinkle. Then stand and raise your arms as the sunshine dries off the rain and end with the same spider fingers going back up again. Ojibwe language lessons based on the song can focus on the notion of a net “asab” being made, “asabike” as the name for a spider, “asabikeshiinh” (little net maker). The song also includes several key environmental words children will know for learning more science later.

Andrea Wilkerson with her daughter, Raelyn, wearing some fine asabikeshiinh hats! 

Asabikeshiihn

Asabikeshiinh gii-akwaandawe
The little bitty spider did climb up

Gii-gimiwan gaa-izhi-bangishing
It did rain and she went down

Giizis ogii-baasaan gakina nibi
The sun came out and dried up all the water

Miinawaa asabikeshiinh neyaab gii-akwaandawe
And the little bitty spider went back to climbing up

This is the Basabaagise or Bounce Back song. It reminds us even when we are struggling the earth still turns, the sun and moon still hang in the sky, and sometimes the answers to big questions come from the most unlikely places. It also reminds us that in Ojibwe, stones can be animate and hold stories of our past. Some say the first storyteller was a stone.

This song was inspired from the Dakonaninjingwaan (To Fall Asleep Holding Hands) Book. This children’s book is about the gift of relationships and resilience. Readers follow Waabooz the Otter as she looks for her mother, sings a song to help her be strong (this song!) and asks for help from her woodland friends.

The book was written by Fionnan Noori, designed by Shannon Noori, translated by Margaret Noodin, and illustrated by Dolly Peltier.

Sung by Fionna Noori and Margaret Noodin

Dakonaninjingwaan Song

Asiniins, asiniins wiiji-ayaawishin
Little stone, little stone stay with me

bagwaashkwanin giizhigaateng
jump in the sunlight

bagwaashkwanin giizhigaateng
jump in the moonlight

Asiniins, asiniins waawiindamawishin
Little stone, little stone tell me

gaa-ezhi-gizhenindaagwag
how it was created

o’ow waawiyaawigamig
this world

Aaniin Ezhiwebak Agwajiing (What’s the Weather)

In every early childhood classroom the day begins with calendar which also includes “what’s the weather?” This was originally translated from the traditional kindergarten song sung to the tune of My Darling Clementine. When it was finished, the melody was shifted to fit with the Anishinaabe words. This melody which can easily include drumming brings the ongoing question of what is happening outside into the language classroom.

Aaniin Ezhiwebak Agwajiing

Aaniin ezhiwebak agwajiing, aaniin ezhiwebak agwajiing,
What’s the weather, what’s the weather, what’s the weather like outside?

Gidibaajimotawimin abinoojiinyag, ezhiwebak agwajiing.
You tell just us children, what’s the weather like?

Waaseyaan ina?
Is it bright?

Ningwaanakwad ina?
Is it cloudy?

Gimiwan ina noongom?
Is it rainy out today?

Zoogipon ina?
Is it snowy?

Noongom noodin ina?
Today Is it windy?

Aaniin ezhiwebak agwajiing?
What’s the weather outside?