Ezhi-waanimazinbiiganankewag: The Way They Write Circular Images

MARGARET NOORI University of Michigan

“Ezhi-waani mazinbiiganankewag—The Way They Write Circular Images” began with a paper titled, “Mazinbii’igan G’daa-dibaadadaanaa—Talking about Pictures: A Lesson Plan With a Perspective on Pro¿ciency,” which was a workshop at the 13th Annual Anishinaabemowin-Teg Language Con- ference in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan in 2007. The workshop was based on the need for teachers and students in Anishinaabemowin learning communi- ties to address two important issues. First, teaching must include a shared de¿nition of pro¿ciency divided into several levels. There must be a way to mark the capacity of teachers and the progress of students. Second, when- ever possible, lessons should reÀect the aesthetic values of the Anishinaabe community so that students increase their knowledge of culturally relevant topics as well as their capacity to formulate their own descriptions and of Anishinaabe subjects. This essay provides one approach to standards and course content, but it is the work of only one team. Many other individuals and teams teaching throughout Anishinaabe-akiing will have other models and ideas. At the University of Michigan, the original team of teachers consisted of both ¿rst- and second-language speakers. Irving “Hap” McCue, Howard Kimewon, and I all contributed to the lesson plans, biography of , and classroom sentences. McCue, in his seventies at the time of the project, was a ¿rst-language speaker from Curve Lake Nation and an instructor at the University of Michigan for over 30 years. His exposure to literacy and Algonquian linguistics was considerable, yet he never took the lead in creating curriculum. Kimewon, in his ¿fties at the time of the project, is a ¿rst-language speaker from Wikwemikong Unceded First Nation. He worked on this project during his ¿rst year of teaching when orthographic and linguistic ideas were something he had only recently begun to study. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, I was in my forties at the time

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and am a second-language speaker af¿liated with the Grand Portage Band of Chippewa Indians and Metis community of Quebec. Although I hold a PhD in linguistics, I am the younger, female speaker of western origin, which contrasts sharply with the biography and role of the other members of the team. Errors of grammar and orthography should be considered mine primarily due to my lack of exposure to various eastern forms and my own lack of practice in teaching which improves continually. In this paper, I have attempted to use the Fiero double vowel spelling system, which is the system we teach in class. Also, it should be noted that early on in our teaching partnership we agreed to “write everything.” There were many instances when both Hap and I would add internal and initial vowels which Howard acknowledged “were there in his thinking.” We all agreed to write the full standard version of as many words as possible because these let- ters often “reappear” when words are combined and conjugated, or when a student meets other speakers. We recognize that this is contrary to the careful attempts of others to preserve variation, but as teachers focused on revitalization we felt strongly that the lingua franca or shared standard should be the focus of our efforts. Others can preserve and deconstruct the sociolinguistic history of differences between dialects. We have been work- ing to build consensus around contemporary communication in a register that can span multiple communities. The ¿rst topic of this essay is the search for a shared de¿nition of pro¿ciency divided into several levels. Work has been done in many indi- vidual Anishinaabe communities, but not yet by a State Board of Education in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or North Dakota, where the language is spoken. At the post-secondary level, several programs have been created, but they have used individual rubrics, if any, for grading and assessment. In Ontario, a resource guide was created to serve as “a supporting docu- ment for the teaching of language patterns” in and Cree (Ministry of Education, 2002). This document offers excellent guidelines for core content that can lead to pro¿ciency, but is rarely referenced in the United States. With no reigning precedent, the University of Michigan instructors chose to use generic pro¿ciency models provided by the American Council of Foreign Language Teachers (ACTFL). Although the very name of the organization fosters colonial racism by de¿ning all languages other than

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English as “foreign,” Anishinaabemowin language instructors can still ben- e¿t from use of the standards and descriptions provided by ACTFL. Not only does this indicate that the indigenous languages can, and should, be held to the same standards as all other languages, the objective descrip- tions of learning outcomes leads to an assessment of language skill that is not overshadowed by vocabulary and dialect. For instance, administrators can use this rubric when talking to applicants about their language skills, although the hiring of¿cials often do not know the language themselves. Ideally, employers might ask the applicant to submit written and oral evi- dence of the skills required for the job which could then be reviewed by one or more Àuent speakers. The ¿rst ACTFL Pro¿ciency Guidelines for Speaking were written in 1986 and were revised based on use and research in 1999. The primary aims of the guidelines are to describe speaking pro¿ciency. The authors note, “this effort reÀects a broad spectrum of experience in characterizing speaker abilities and includes a wide range of insights as a result of on- going discussions and research within the language teaching profession” (ACTFL, Speaking, 7). The Guidelines for Speaking describe ten levels based on low, mid and high performance in the novice, intermediate and advanced categories with a single superior level at the top of the hierarchy. To begin sharing standards across the state and region, the University of Michigan chose to create a simpli¿ed paraphrase of the standards. Indi- vidual instructors are encouraged to build curriculum using the full descrip- tions, but the simpli¿ed version of the guidelines are an appropriate starting place at this historical point in the revitalization of Anishinaabemowin. Students and teachers of Anishinaabemowin who use the chart are forced to reckon with the reality of the precipice upon which we are poised. How many students under 40 are in the advanced category in any community? Under 30? Under 20? Under 10? For too long, many teachers, students, and funding agencies have been satis¿ed by programs that only scratch the surface of novice-level pro¿ciency. It is time that communities are chal- lenged to move toward intermediate and advanced levels. Note the clear scaffolding of skills, making the difference between novice and advanced more pronounced.

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Novice Intermediate Advanced ‡ Relies on memorized ‡ Can recombine phrases ‡ Creates new correct phrases. correctly. phrases. ‡ Often understood only ‡ Understood by a variety ‡ Understood by most by the teacher. of teachers or speakers speakers. used to students. ‡ May pause often and ‡ Some pauses but can ‡ Rarely pauses when insert ¿rst language. complete thoughts entirely speaking and stays in in the language. the target language. ‡ Understands only ‡ ‡ Understands main ideas ‡ Understands concrete familiar words spoken about concrete topics and abstract ideas at slowly and repeated. spoken at a Àuent pace. Àuent pace with no repetition and uses context to de¿ne new words. ‡ Recognizes cultural ‡ Recognizes cultural ‡ Recognizes cultural signi¿cance of select signi¿cance of select signi¿cance of select words and phrases. words and phrases. words and phrases. ‡ Understands and uses ‡ Understands and uses culturally appropriate culturally appropriate expressions of emotion. expressions of emotion. ‡ Has clear pronun- ciation and uses culturally speci¿c patterns of sound to impact meaning.

In many areas, Anishinaabemowin is still taught without a literacy component. There are many opinions on the ef¿cacy and ef¿ciency of this approach, but it is most important that a community determine their own standards and attempt to use objective measures of progress. At the Uni- versity of Michigan, literacy is a part of the instruction during all three years of study and the ACTFL Pro¿ciency Guidelines for Writing revised in 2001 are referenced for assessment. However, due to regional variation in instruction, only the speaking standards are currently used for comparison across communities. A ¿nal set of standards connects the pro¿ciency to the content of the curriculum. With content as the second concern of this essay, these standards

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are important. The National Standards in Foreign Language Education Task Force identi¿ed “Five C’s,” or main concepts, of language education. The ¿rst concept is communication which the task force noted is “the heart of second language study, whether the communication takes place face-to-face, in writing, or across centuries through the reading of literature” (ACTFL, Foreign, p. 3). In native communities the ability to communicate is par- ticularly important because students are often bridging two worlds and are involved in many changing relationships throughout their lives. The second concept is a de¿nition of culture as represented by lan- guage. “By studying a second language,” the report says, “students gain a knowledge and understanding of the culture that uses that language and, in fact, students cannot truly master the language until they have also mas- tered the cultural contexts in which the language occurs” (Ibid.). It has long been understood that knowing the language can enhance native students’ knowledge of their own culture. However, we need not be afraid to point out, especially in mixed classrooms, that anyone now living in the Great Lakes area can bene¿t from at least minimal knowledge of the language. In fact, study of Anishinaabemowin by both native and non-native students can reduce racism and raise the self-esteem of native children. The third concept important to the teaching of a second language is that of understanding the connections that can be made by learning another language. Native students have a right to the knowledge contained in Anishi- naabemowin while other residents of the area have the responsibility to at least be aware of the language and culture. This can lead further to the fourth concept of comparison across lan- guages and cultures, a project made far more sophisticated when it includes pro¿cient use of the languages of each culture. As the report notes, “through comparison and contrast, students develop insight into the nature of lan- guage and the concept of culture and realize that there are multiple ways of viewing the world” (Ibid.). Together, these elements enable the student of languages to partici- pate in multilingual communities. The notion of community and how it is built and sustained is the ¿fth concept identi¿ed. These ¿ve “C’s”— communication, culture, connections, comparison, and community—can be summed up with one phrase: “Knowing how, when, and why to say what to whom” (Ibid.). In Ashinaabemowin we might say: Aabdeg gekino- magaazojig nsostawag gakina gaa ezhiwebag megwa Anishinaabemoyaang.

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/ The students must understand all that happens when we speak Anishi- naabemowin. We must do more than introduce grammar and vocabulary or practice phrases that are memorized. Students should become pro¿cient speakers with skills that make them better citizens of their sovereign nations as well as better citizens of the world. While grammar and vocabulary are essential tools for communication, and rubrics can help us set goals and measure our progress, only the ability to communicate in meaningful and appropriate ways with other Àuent speakers will keep the language alive. Driven by a desire to create highly relevant and highly ef¿cient cur- riculum, instructors at the University of Michigan created an art history les- son based on the work of Daphne Odjig, one of the early and iconic ¿gures in the Woodland arts movement. It began with the following biography of Odjig which can be presented to students with or without the translation, as a text, or an audio-only lesson.

Daphne Odjig Wikwemikong gii ondaadizi, 1919 gii ensa bonigak. In Wikwemikong she was born, 1919 was the year.

Omishomisan, Jonas Odjig gii miziganaaman chi ba’ipsiinin. Her grandfather, Jonas Odjig was a carver of tombstones.

Osaan, Dominic Odjig, Potawatomi gii aawe. Her father, Dominic Odjig, was Potawatomi.

Ogaashiman, Joyce Peacy, Zhaaganash gii aawe. Her mother, Joyce Peacy, was British.

Pii ogashiman gii maajanid, okomisan gii wiijigendwan. When her mother passed away, her grandmother is who she went to live with.

1945 gii ensa bonigak, Paul Somerville ogii widegeman In 1945, she married Paul Somerville

miidash bezhig gwiiwisensan gii aayaawan then they had one son

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miidash gii maajtaad mizinbiiged. and she began to paint.

Pii Paul gii shkwabimaadizi, 1960 gii ensa bonigak When Paul’s life ended in 1960

miidash gii maajtad geyabi oshme mizinbiiged. then she started to paint more.

1963 gii ensa bonigak, Chester Beavon, ogii widegeman In 1963, she married Chester Beavon

miidash gii maajtaad daawed e-mizinbiiang. and she began selling her paintings.

Ishkwa 1970, mii igo kina gii gikenjigaazod Chimookimaning, Zhaaganash-akiing, miinwaa Kchigaming. After 1970 she was known in America, England and Europe.

Ingoding Picasso ogii mawadishiwaan. One day Picasso visited her.

1973 gii ensa bonigak Daphne gii maajtaa’a gii da waabmad naadamagojin waayebmisegojin. In 1973 Daphne was looking for others to work with (to help and walk with) her

miish maanda gii maajishkadod “Professional Native Artists Incorporation” so she started the “Professional Native Artists Incorporation”

miidash ogii nokiiwaan , , Joseph Sanchez, Eddy Cobiness, miinwa . And then she worked with Jackson Beard, Carl Ray, Joseph Sanchez, Eddy Cobiness, Norval Morriseau, and Alex Janvier.

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Nongo gii gikenjigaazod Anishinaabe-Memtigwakagaade objikaazod. Today she is known for the Anishinaabe she uses.

After hearing and reading the introduction to the artist, students were asked to examine samples of her work including early and recent images. Then, together in class, students and teachers wrote sentences summarizing their impressions of the art. Along with the three instructors mentioned earlier, McCue, Kimewon, and Noori, there were students who ranged from low nov- ice to high intermediate. This means the end summary of sentences includes many levels of vocabulary, meaning, and structure. There are examples of each type of verb and grammar to be explored and explained, but there are also several “untranslatable” moments of etymological, historical, and cultural importance. For instance, it is easy to explain how we know the Àuent speaker who described one of the images thought of the subject as animate; because he used “enaazo” instead of “enaande” when talking about the color. Why the same Àuent speaker chose the term “kchidebenjige” instead of “kchimani- do” is a much more complex discussion which necessarily includes not only knowledge of Mide and Big Drum traditions, but also the changing spirituality of communities that have lived for centuries with Christian traditions. The shift from pure “manido” to a verb-based entity associated with the concept of belonging is far less translatable. Yet, these most dif¿cult translations are the heart of the matter. If learning is limited to that which can easily be ¿l- tered from one language to another, the very nuances of cultural distinction are erased. Consider the possibilities for learning and discursive exploration in the sentences written by students and teachers in class.

GENESIS, 1976 wenesh epiichaak? what time is it?

binojiins minjigonaan maaba ikwe the baby is being held by the woman

anzhenii maanda bidon ingiiwedeg kina enaazwad an angel gives them colors

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Kchidebenjige gii bidon kina The Creator gives everything

POW-WOW DANCER, 1978 inini niimi the man dances

akiinaande mazinaatesijigan the picture is earth-colored

inini ninimtawaan Mazikamigikwe the man dances for Mother Earth

“n’gaa ezhichige maanda” enendamaa maaba inini “I have to do this” the man is thinking

AFFECTION, 1978 ogii niweniman oda bazigeman he/ she is looking after his/her sweetheart

miizh bimaadizijig apchigwa zaagidog these people are really in love

waawii’ing enji-zaagiding the place of love is a circle

TOGETHER, 1979 kinomaage mindimoye she is teaching, the elder woman

odaakinomowaaan ikwesense she teaches the little girl

mii igo binajaanse she is a newborn bird

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odibizindaawaan ogashiman mish gwa maaji nagaamod she listens to her mother then starts to sing

daa sostamanaa waa ezhideweigane danisan maaba sa ikwe she is giving her daughter an understanding of the drum

LEARNING, 1980 niizh binoojiinsag nda’gikendaasowag two children are learning

aadsokaan obizindawaawaan the storyteller, they listen to him

dibaajimaanid mishomisiwan he tells a story, the grandfather

aapichii gwa maaba biinoojiiyag weweni bizinshewaad very carefully, the children are listening

aapichii gwa bizandabog they are sitting very still

IN TUNE WITH THE INFINITE, 2004 aanish minik enchiwaad maa maziniganing e-waabmadwaa? how many people in the picture do you see?

mii igo ezhinaagoziwaad nibawag they look like they are sleeping

maanda waawii’aag bimaadziwin this is a circle of life

g’maajtaamin biinojiins miidash miinwaa nimbigyin miidash mina inini maage ikwe aayaang we start out as children and then grow up and we are men and women

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gego binajtoke ezhibimaadziin nyaab g’daa biidonaa Anishinaabe- bimaadiziying don’t break the way of life, we need to bring it back the Anishinaabe way of living

Certainly, linguists could explore the range and reasons for some of the variation, even errors, in these sentences. However, for the purposes of this essay, it is important to know that the intent was to create a classroom working toward pro¿ciency on a culturally relevant subject. At no time were these taken as dictionary de¿nitions free of error and variation. These sentences are merely proof that there is value in working together and being allowed to make mistakes and speak from the heart on a relevant topic. These lessons are part of the archive of the project of Anishinaabemowin revitalization. They serve as samples for pedagogical discussions, and, most importantly, engage students in actively working toward pro¿ciency. Even- tually, lessons like these should lead not only to the production of speech, but to the production of literature and poetry, or wewenibiigewin, ikidowi- nensan, waanimazinbiiganankewinan. The following poem was written by the least-Àuent instructor, but the most experienced poet, as one example of the creative possibilities. As the author, I can attest to the fact that the lesson in class allowed me to step farther away than previously possible from the romance languages I ¿rst studied as poetry. After many years, I have begun to understand how to stretch images in active, verb-based directions and to reach for events and subjects indigenous to the Great Lakes. This is not a recreation of ancient narratives, but it is movement along a spectrum, perhaps delicately tracing the circle of tradition with shadows and echoes that may one day become part of an Anishinaabe literary renaissance.

WAANIMAZINBIIGANANKE WRITING IMAGES IN CIRCLES Maajamigad maage maajtaamigad It is leaving or it is beginning

ezhi-dibaajimoying name giizis miinwa dibikigiizis? the way we tell stories under the sun and the night sun?

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Ezhinaagwaziyaang ina n’mishomisinanig miinwa nokomisinanig? Do we look like our grandfathers and grandmothers?

Nd’shkitoomi waabmaa’angidwa ezhi waabmaa’awad Can we see them the way they saw them

anzhenii gii miinigoig kina enaandeg ziigidiwiigwaas, waasawaaskone, miskopskidoskine biinojinsing? the angels who gave us the colors of wrinkled birchbark, far lit Àowers and pink elbows of babies?

Nd’shkitoomi waabmaa’angidwa ina Can we see them the way they saw them

niizh-ochaakanag niimiiwag dibishko baapaaseog bakadewaad deakogewaad? two spirits dancing like woodpeckers hungry and knocking?

Giisphin maamwi-sagajigaaboying oshki niizhing aakiiong. If we walk together in these two new worlds

mii sa gonemaa ingoding wii depsiniying. perhaps then we will be satis¿ed.

Nd’aawmi miigisag negwikeong, migiziag mitigwaking, anongansag giizhigong. We are shells in the sand, eagles in the forest, stars in the sky.

Maajaayaang pane maajtaayaang pane. We are always leaving we are always starting.

REFERENCES

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. 1999. ACTFL pro¿ciency guidelines for speaking, revised 1999. Alexandria, Virginia: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. ———. 2001. ACTFL pro¿ciency guidelines for writing, revised 2001. Alexandria, Vir- ginia: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

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———. 2001. Standards for foreign language learning: Preparing for the 21st century. Alexandria, Virginia: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Ontario Ministry of Education. 2002. Ontario curriculum: Grades 1–12—Native lan- guages: A support document for the teaching of language patterns: Ojibwe and Cree. Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario.

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