Tiginaagan (Cradleboards)
The following lesson was written by Howard Kimewon and Margaret Noodin to enrich a cradleboard making workshop at the 15th Annual Language and Culture Camp in Manistee, Michigan led by Judy Pamp.
For this project you can listen/download the complete audio or listen to each section as you go along. Reading by Christy Bieber
Complete audio: Cradleboard
1. | Pane gwa | gii bi objikaaznaa’an | tiginaaganan | Anishinaabeg. |
Always | (past) used | wooden constructed things | Anishinaabe people. | |
The people have always used cradleboards. |
2. | Bebkaan | igo | gonemaa | daa | ezhi | naagaadoon | nindan | tiginaaganan. |
They are different | really | maybe | was | how | they are built | these | cradleboards. | |
The cradleboards are all unique. |
3. | Mii | maanda | gaa | ezhichigeyaad | Anishinaabeg | gii | bi kooganaawaad | binoojiins. |
So | then this | was | did | Anishinaabeg | did | they raised | babies. | |
This is what the native people did when they raised a baby. |
4. | Tiginaaganing | maaba | binoojiins | gii | moowejigaazo. |
In the wooden constructed | this | baby | did get | carried around by someone. | |
In the cradle they carried the baby around. |
5. | Mii | geye | wii | noondaan | waaamdaan | miinwaa | geye wii | gikendaan | aapichi | zaagikchigaazod. |
And | then | to hear things, | to see things | and to | know it | very | to be loved. | |||
This also was done so babies would see things, hear things and learn while being loved by someone. |
6. | Mii | maanda gaa | bi ezhi ayaawaad | gii | bi | bimaadiziwaad. |
Then | this | how they were | here | they lived. | ||
This is the way they lived. |
7. | Niibinaa | mshkwiiziwin | binoojiins | giindenaan | tiganaaganing | enji | gaanawenjigaazod. |
Lots of | strength | baby | received | in the wooden constructed | while in a place | being cared for by them. | |
The baby grew strong in the cradle while being cared for in the cradle. |
8. | Kina goya | gii | giikamegwaan | neyen | shkiniigishan. |
Everyone | (pst) | they are all advising | this | young man. | |
Everyone advised the young man. |
9. | Tigoonsan | gii | zhoobadibenaan. |
Sticks | were | bent by them. | |
They bent sticks. |
10. | Wii | zhitoowaad | tiganaagan. |
To | make it | wooden constructed thing. | |
To make a cradleboard. |
11. | Naanagoodinong | geye | wiigwas | gii | objikaaznaa’aa | ni | boon. |
Sometimes | also | birchbark | did | they use | there | in winter. | |
We sometimes used birchbark to make the cradleboard especially in the winter. |
12. | Wiigobiish | gii | objikaaznaa’aa | maanda | tiginaagan | wii | shkiwaadamowaad. |
Bass wood | did | they use | this | wooden constructed thing | to | sew it. | |
They used bass wood to sew the cradleboard. |
13. | Kaa goya | psagakwan | kwaa | gii | gaawaasiian | Anishinaabeg. |
Nobody | boards | (emphasis) | did | to not have them | Anishinaabeg. | |
A long time ago they did not have boards. |
14. | Mii maanda | gaa | ezhi | zhitoowad | maanda | tiginaagan. |
So then | was | the way | they build | this | wooden constructed thing. | |
This is the way they built this cradleboard. |
15. | Moonjigeshkweganoon | gii | naabiinoon | tiginaaganing. |
The back straps | were | connected | on the wooden constructed thing. | |
The back straps were connected to the cradleboard. |
16. | Speming | gii | temigad | tiginaaganing. |
On top | was | it located | on the wooden constructed thing. | |
It was located on top of the wooden constructed thing. |
17. | Dabaashish | gii | temigad | wi | binoojiin | ezhizideshing. |
Below | was | located | that | baby | where the feet go. | |
The footboard is located on the bottom. |
18. | Gii | maamwi | minidoomiinsgewag | gondag | kwewag. |
Did | together | they beaded | those | women. | |
These women beaded together. |
19. | Giinwaa | enswa | enigizwaad | maaba | danis | geye | gaagwan | aapichigwa | gii | kchi | nenmaan. |
Us | in | they are related | this | daughter | also | porcupine | really | did | a lot | like it. | |
All of us in the family of my daughter really liked the porcupine a lot. |
20. | Mii | neyen | ndanis | kaa | nendang | wii | bzingwaachigaaznid | gaagwan | waabooansing |
So | that one | my daughter | did | want | to | sew a design | of a porcupine | on the small blanket. | |
So my daughter wanted to sew a design of a porcupine on the small blanket. |
21. | Jibwa | disagwaa’aan | maaba | ankobijigans | mii | gii | zhitooyang | tiginaagan. |
Before | she arrived | this | grand-baby | then | did | we make | a wooden constructed thing. | |
Before the grandbaby arrived we made a cradleboard. |
22. | Dayna | goweta | gii | dibamigonaa | maanda | weweni | wii | zhitooyang | tiginaagan. |
Dayna | just | did | watched us | then | carefully | to | we build | the wooden constructed thing. | |
Dana watched us carefully build a cradleboard. |
23. | Pii dash | e-disigwaang | Anastasia | gii tene | geye | kwesans | waa | enjigawenmin. |
When then | to arrive | Anastasia | was it be there | also | the little girl | to | where we care for her. | |
When Anastasia arrived it was there to care for her. |
24. | Shkwaang | pane | nabe | Anastasia | waamdang | gaa | bi | zhewebedenig | Dayna | epichii | niimid |
Behind | always | look | Anastasia | look | to | what happened in the past | Dayna | while | dancing. | ||
As Dayna is dancing forward Anastacia is looking back at the past. |