Introducing Sherman Alexie
The following introduction was written by Stacie Sheldon to introduce Sherman Alexie at Eastern Michigan University in December, 2007. It was translated by Howard Kimewon and Margaret Noodin and was read by Stacie Sheldon.
| Sherman Alexie | Anishinaabe aawe | miinwaa | wiidigemaagane | miinwaa | minowsaa dibinoojiiman. |
| Sherman Alexie | is an Indian* | and | a husband | and | he is raising his kids. |
| Sherman Alexie is an Indian and a husband and a father raising his kids. | |||||
| Aapichigwaa | nitaa | aadisooke. |
| Really | the best | he tells stories. |
| He is a gifted storyteller. | ||
| Niibina | dibaadaan | manadendamowin | miinwaa | Anishinaabeg | ezhi kchi’nenendiwaad. |
| Many things | he tells about | sadness | and | Anishinaabe people | how they love each other. |
| There are lessons about grief and love and reflecting back on one’s self in his stories. | |||||
| Anishinaabe | dibaajimod | batiinag | baapwin | giishpin gego | sidaa’endamowin | batiinag. |
| That Indian | he tells about | lots | of laughter | if something | grief | very much. |
| There is so much to laugh about in his work even when telling us something heart-breaking. | ||||||
| Kaa | gwa aapchi | wengwamizisii | e-kidod wi | Anishinaabe aawed | maampii | Chimookimankiing. |
| No | really | he is not careful (when) | he speaks about it | Indian to be | here | in America. |
| He could really hold back, play it safe and speak very carefully about being an Indian in this country, | ||||||
| kido | gwa wa | kidod |
| he says | really | talks |
| but he speaks his mind | ||
| onjidaa | gwa | pane | pisdaagozi |
| on purpose | really | always | he provokes |
| on purpose, he provokes people | |||
| miinaash | bekan | wii | enendamowaad |
| and | differently | will | they think |
| and challenges them to think in a new way. | |||
He once said, “It’s my job to beat the crap out of the world.”
| We would translate that as, | ||||||
| “Mii | maampi | getkamig | gaa | enji-sigoyaanh | wii | ba pogijikaazyaanh.” |
| So | here | on earth | will | during my life | will | I make a disturbance. |
| “I was put here on earth to stir things up.” | ||||||
* Note: Until he introduces himself as a member of another specific tribe, we see Mr. Alexie as one of us, as Anishinaabe, which means, “the original people.”