Photos from Stephanie Lindstom’s 1st grade classroom at Grand Marais, Minnesota.

The song adaptation is by Sheila Feay-Shaw

Sung by Sheila Feay-Shaw, Angela Uitz, Maurina Paradise, and Margaret Noodin

This song is based on Angel Band, a traditional children’s counting song based on an African American spiritual from the 1800’s. This version has been adapted to have Anishinaabemowin lyrics and help teach how to say something inanimate is located somewhere (ate) or something animate is located somewhere (ayaa); how to add an ending to say something is small (ens); and the numbers one through ten.

This song teaches students how to count animate objects which is different than counting inanimate objects. For beginning Ojibwe speakers it is important to learn to categorize nouns this way. Animate nouns always become plural with -ag at the end. You will notice the number comes after the “to be” verb and the noun comes at the very end.

Apples

Bezhig ayaa, niizh ayaawag, niswi ayaawag mishiiminensag,
There is one, there are two, there are three little apples,

Niiwin ayaawag, naanan ayaawag, ingodwaaswi ayaawag mishiinimensag.
There are four, there are five, there are six little apples,

Niizhwaaswi ayaawag, nishwaaswi ayaawag, zhaangaswi ayaawag mishiiminensag,
There are seven, there are eight, there are nine little apples,

Midaaswi ayaawag mishiiminensag mitigong.
There are ten little apples on the tree.

Midaaswi ayaawag, zhaangaaswi ayaawag, nishwaaswi ayaawag mishiiminensag,
There are ten, there are nine, there are eight little apples,

Niizhwaaswi ayaawag, ingodwaaswi ayaawag, naanan ayaawag mishiiminensag,
There are seven, there are six, there are five little apples,

Niiwin ayaawag, niswi ayaawag, niizh ayaawag mishiiminensag,
There are four, there are three, there are two little apples,

Bezhig ayaa mishiiminensag mitigong.
There is one little apple on the tree.