This song was created for all the students in Cook County who study Ojibwemowin. From Preschool to High School the song is sung in the community to celebrate student success.

Students of the language will notice this song contains several different types of verbs. The first two lines are simply the word “Maamakaadendaagwad” which means “it is amazing.” This what we call a Verb Type 1. The same word appears in the last line as a Verb Type 2 to tell the graduating group of students that they are all amazing.

There is another example of a Verb Type 2 in Line 3 when the verb “minochige” is used which means “to do good.”

There is also an example of a Verb Type 4 in Line 4 when the group of singers tells the group of graduates “gidapiitenimigoom” which means “we are all proud of all of you.”

Teachers helping students to learn to sing the song for one another might enjoy writing out the parts of the words (prefixes, root verbs, etc.,) on separate sheets of paper or cards and then helping them reconstruct the lines. One fun change students can make is to remove the one final “m” in the last 3 lines if the group is singing the song to just one person.

To learn more about the Verb Types go to: https://ojibwe.net/lessons/beginner/introduction-to-verbs/

We invite anyone that wants to celebrate a graduation to use this song and create your own version that feels right. Ojibwe language is for everyone!