Mii Maanda Nokiiwin-odenoo (This is Motor City)
Gaa kido Eminem. What Eminem said. Before there was America there were Anishinaabeg in Detroit. As a people always thinking about identity and place, we really enjoyed the message in the Chrysler 200 video saying, “This is who we are. This is what we do.” Please note that some of the sentences are written in two different ways. Neither way is the “right” way – both ways are right.
Watch the video and then listen to each sentence individually or as one complete recording.
Complete audio: Motor-City
The Video
Motor-City-1
1. |
Mii |
maamwaanji |
mshkookwaneg |
shkode |
mii ezhi |
aapiji |
ganaajwan |
biiwaabik. |
|
This |
a certain one |
it is strong |
fire |
the way it happens |
very |
best looking |
steel. |
|
The hottest fires make the strongest steel. |
Motor-City-2
2. |
Wikijitoodaan |
Detroit |
ji |
ganajawan |
odenoo. |
|
Keep it |
Detroit |
to |
be beautiful |
the town. |
|
Keep Detroit beautiful. |
2. |
Minowaabminaaktoon |
Detroit. |
|
Make it look good |
Detroit. |
|
Keep Detroit beautiful. |
Motor-City-3
3. |
Mii ge niinwi, |
maanda |
enaajimigiziyaang. |
|
This is ours |
this |
the way we are talked about. |
|
That’s our story. |
3. |
Mii wi |
dinaajimowininaa. |
|
This is |
the story told about us. |
|
That’s our story. |
Motor-City-4
4. |
Mii |
n’aawyaang |
/ Mii e-aawyaang. |
|
This is |
our identity. |
/ This is who we are. |
|
That’s who we are. |
Motor-City-5
5. |
Detroit |
n’gii |
ezhimjidwenaa wenjishing. |
|
Detroit |
we did |
order it from the best/good. |
|
Imported from Detroit. |
Motor-City-6
6. |
Mii |
maanda |
nokiiwin-odenoo. |
|
Then |
this |
motor town. |
|
This is the Motor City. |
Motor-City-7
7. |
Mii |
maanda |
ezhchigeyaang. |
|
Then |
this |
all of us do. |
|
This is what we do. |
Motor-City-8
8. |
Chitwaaziwin |
bi |
enjibaamigag |
miinwaa |
waa |
miigweying. |
|
Luxury |
here |
it comes from |
then |
is |
given to all of us. |
|
Luxury is as much about where it’s from as who it’s for. |
8. |
Chitwaaziwin |
naasap |
aawan |
eshtamaagaazowaad. |
|
Luxury |
the same |
is |
what is made for them. |
|
Luxury is as much about where it’s from as who it’s for. |