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

Song adaptation 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.

The 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. Inanimate nouns always become plural with -an at the end. You will notice the number comes after the “to be” verb and the noun comes at the very end.

Pumpkins

Bezhig ate, niizh atenoon, niswi atenoon ozaawikosimaanensan,
There is one, there are two, there are three little pumpkins,

Niiwin atenoon, naanan atenoon, ingodwaaswi atenoon ozaawikosimaanensan.
There are four, there are five, there are six little pumpkins,

Niizhwaaswi atenoon, nishwaaswi atenoon, zhaangaswi atenoon ozaawikosimaanensan,
There are seven, there are eight, there are nine little pumpkins,

Midaaswi atenoon ozaawikosimaanensan kitiganing.
There are ten little pumpkins in the field.

Midaaswi atenoon, zhaangaaswi atenoon, nishwaaswi atenoon ozaawikosimaanensan,
There are ten, there are nine, there are eight little pumpkins,

Niizhwaaswi atenoon, ingodwaaswi atenoon, naanan atenoon ozaawikosimaanensan,
There are seven, there are six, there are five little pumpkins,

Niiwin atenoon, niswi atenoon, niizh atenoon ozaawikosimaanensan,
There are four, there are three, there are two little pumpkins,

Bezhig ate ozaawikosimaanens kitiganing.
There is one little pumpkin in the field.