OSHKAABEWIS NATIVE JOURNAL VOLUME 8, NUMBER 1 SPRING 2011 EDITOR ANTON TREUER OJIBWE LANGUAGE PROGRAM BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY INDIAN STUDIES PUBLICATIONS BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY S PRING 2011 V OL. 8 / N O . 1 O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL 2 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY OSHKAABEWIS NATIVE JOURNAL VOLUME 8, NUMBER 1 SPRING 2011 The Oshkaabewis Native Journal is a interdisciplinary forum for significant contributions to knowledge about the Ojibwe language. STAFF EDITOR: Anton Treuer, Bemidji State University Opinions expressed in the Oshkaabewis Native Journal are solely those of their authors and do not reflect the opinions or judgments of the staff or Bemidji State University. All proceeds from the sale of this publication are used to defray the costs of production, and to support publications in the Ojibwe language. No royalty payments will be made to individuals involved in its creation. Authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts for possible publication as articles, stories, and book reviews to the editor: Oshkaabewis Native Journal 112 American Indian Resource Center, #21 Bemidji State University 1500 Birchmont Drive NE Bemidji, MN 56601 [email protected] Subscription information is printed in the back of the journal. Cover Design, “Sky, Earth and Path of the Sun,” by Earl Otchingwanigan. ©2011 Indian Studies Publications, Bemidji State University O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL V OL. 8 / N O . 1 S PRING 2011 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY 3 This special issue of the Oshkaabewis Native Journal was made possible by a grant from the Minnesota Historical & Cultural Grants Program, funded by Minnesota taxpayers as part of the Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment. S PRING 2011 V OL. 8 / N O . 1 O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL 4 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY OSHKAABEWIS NATIVE JOURNAL VOLUME 8, NUMBER 1 SPRING 2011 CONTENTS EDITORIAL COMMENT GIDIZHI-GIIZHWEWININAAN Anton Treuer ............................9 STORIES [CD 1] MA’IINGAN [TRACK 1] George Fairbanks ...................14 GAA-DANAPININIDING [TRACK 2] Vernon Whitefeather .............16 WAABI-BINES [TRACK 3] Vernon Whitefeather .............20 ZHAANGWESHI WAABIZHESHI GAYE [TRACK 4] William Jones .........................24 O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL V OL. 8 / N O . 1 S PRING 2011 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY 5 WENJIIWAAD ANIMOSHAG [TRACK 5] William Jones .........................30 NAME WADAKANID [TRACK 6] William Jones. ........................36 ADAAWEWIN [TRACK 7] William Jones .........................38 GAA-ONJIBAAMAGAKIN EZHINAAGOZID NENABOZHO [TRACK 8] William Jones .........................40 GAA-OZHICHIGAADEG, WENJIBAAMAGAK NIBOWIN [TRACK 9] William Jones .........................43 MIZIWE ZAGASWE’INDWAA AWESIINYAG MIINAWA BIGWAJAKI IZHISIJIGAADEG [TRACK 10] William Jones .........................49 NENABOZHO WIIDIGED [TRACK 11] William Jones .........................51 MANAAJITOON ANISHINAABE-BIMAADIZIWIN [TRACK 12] Joe Chosa ................................54 ANISHINAABE GAA-NAGISHKAWAAD INIW CHIMOOKOMAANAN [TRACK 13] Charles Grolla ........................58 S PRING 2011 V OL. 8 / N O . 1 O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL 6 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY MOOZ [TRACK 14] Charles Grolla ........................62 ANIMWAANENSING [TRACK 15] Earl Otchingwanigan .............64 [CD 2] ASEMAAN ANISHINAABE APANE ODAABAJI’AAN [TRACK 1] Jessie Clark .............................70 AN ANISHINAABE PRAYER [TRACK 2] James Clark ............................74 OGIMAAWIWIN [TRACK 3] Anton Treuer ..........................76 ZAAGIDIWIN DIBAAJIMON [TRACK 4] M. DeFoe and J. Jones ...........78 INDINAWEMAAGANAG [TRACK 5] Edward Benton-Banai ...........88 GLOSSARIES MAIN GLOSSARY Anton Treuer ........................105 O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL V OL. 8 / N O . 1 S PRING 2011 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY 7 EDITORIAL COMMENT S PRING 2011 V OL. 8 / N O . 1 O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL 8 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL V OL. 8 / N O . 1 S PRING 2011 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY 9 GIDIZHI-GIIZHWEWININAAN ANTON TREUER Since I assumed the position of Editor of the Oshkaabewis Native Journal in 1995, I have seen many things change in Ojibwe country. We have lost many great speakers of our language, including some of our greatest spiritual leaders—Archie Mosay, Thomas Stillday, Albert Churchill, James Clark, and many others. These losses, and the thinning of our ranks across the region, has been heart-rending and terrifying. Yet I have also seen tremendous signs of hope as well. When I went to Waadookodaading Ojibwe Immersion School to work on assessments with their staff this past spring, a young second grader came running up to me with a copy of the monolingual younger reader book Awesiinyensag: Dibaajimowinan Ji-gikinoo’amaageng in his hand, loudly proclaiming, “Waagosh. Inashke, niminwendaan o’ow mazina’igan Awesiinyensag. Baapinendaagwad sa go.” To hear this kind of spontaneous uncoached language from a seven-year-old gives me hope. In addition to that moment serving as evidence of burgeoning oral language skills in young children, it also spoke to the emergence of a literary tradition for our originally oral language. While fluency remains our preeminent goal, literacy can help get us there, and the immersion schools are proving that. There are now Ojibwe language immersion schools across Ojibwe country in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ontario. Some have been going for ten years or more. Waadookodaading has, in addition to its Ojibwe language accomplishments, a 100% pass rate on state- mandated tests in English administered in English for ten years in a row. There are a lot of wealthy suburban schools that can’t boast a S PRING 2011 V OL. 8 / N O . 1 O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL 10 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY record like that. Recognizing that tribal language immersion produces academic achievement, many tribal leaders and communities are rallying to the ongoing efforts. I used to able to name every single book published about the Ojibwe language (and in chronological order of publication), but there are now so many hundreds of books on Ojibwe that I can’t even name them all. There is even a peer-reviewed professional press (Birchbark House) devoted to tribal language revitalization in Minnesota now. A new video titled First Speakers: Restoring the Ojibwe Language, which is available for free at Twin Cities Public Television (tpt.org), chronichiles the inspiring efforts underway to revitalize Ojibwe. It just won an Emmy Award for best regional cultural documentary. Things are changing and growing. Bemidji State University received a generous grant from the Minnesota Historical & Cultural Grants Program to support Ojibwe language revitalization. As part of that grant, we have been able to archive all back issues of the Oshkaabewis Native Journal on the Bemidji State University website for free public access. There are now thousands of pages of Ojibwe language material and around 70 hours of Ojibwe audio material archived there for your free use. A simple google search or visit to the American Indian Resource Center page on the BSU website will bring you there (http://www.bemidjistate.edu/airc/oshkaabewis/issues/). You can download audio files and drop them on your iPhone, iPod, mp3 players, or computer. It is our hope that the ease of access, technological interchange, and free cost will help encourage more people to use these resources to learn more about the language and incorporate the stories and teachings of our elders in ongoing teaching and sharing. A grassroots movement in Bemidji has now led over 120 area businesses to put up their signs bilingually in Ojibwe and English, including all of the largest employers in town such as the O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL V OL. 8 / N O . 1 S PRING 2011 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY 11 hospital and university. I’ve even heard nonnative cashiers at Target and my mechanic speak in Ojibwe to native cleintale. There is much to be proud of. The rate at which we lose speakers still eclipses the rate at which we make new ones, but we are gaining ground in some places. We are actually creating first speakers of Ojibwe in some places that have not done that in fifty years or more. And we are creating second language learners of Ojibwe in many more places as well. The immersion schools are great places for kids to learn, but also great places for second language learners to hone their skills to an entirely different level of fluency while working there. While the future vitality of Ojibwe is not certain, for the first time in my career devoted to this labor, I do feel that it is possible. I sincerely hope that the work archived on our website and available in this issue of the ONJ can help you with your efforts to participate in this ambitious, yet critically important effort. S PRING 2011 V OL. 8 / N O . 1 O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL 12 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL V OL. 8 / N O . 1 S PRING 2011 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY 13 STORIES S PRING 2011 V OL. 8 / N O . 1 O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL 14 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY MA’IINGAN * GAA-TIBAAJIMOD GEORGE FAIRBANKS GAA-ANISHINAABEWISIDOOD ANTON TREUER [1] Aaniin. Mashkawaa-binesi nindizhinikaaz. Gaa- waababiganikaag ozhinaagan nindoonjibaa. Mii i’iw ezhichigeyaang omaa—nimanoozike gaye—ezhichigeyaang. Imaa gaye a’aw ma’iingan—gii-minwenimaawan miinawaa ezhichigeyaang. Gaye miinawaa gidaa-booni’aag gakina ingiw ma’iinganag. Niinawind omaa anishinaabewin, minwenimaawi wa’aw ma’iingan. Abinoojiinyag apane niwiindamawaag gaye wiinawaa, “Booni’ a’aw ma’iingan. Mii a’aw gidoodem. Booni’ Maanoo da-babaa-ayaa omaa.” Mii o’ow gagwejiminaan gaye miinawaa omaa. Booni’ a’aw ma’iingan, ma’iinganag omaa. Miigwech. * G EORGE “JOE B USH” F AIRBANKS WAS A WIDELY RESPECTED ELDER FROM W HITE E ARTH. T HIS TEXT WAS HIS FORMAL TESTIMONY TO THE U.S. D EPARTMENT OF THE I NTERIOR IN OPPOSITION TO THE DELISTING OF THE WOLF FROM THE E NDANGERED S PECIES A CT. O SHKAABEWIS N ATIVE J OURNAL V OL. 8 / N O . 1 S PRING 2011 BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY 15 THE WOLF TOLD BY GEORGE FAIRBANKS TRANSCRIBED BY ANTON TREUER [1] Hello. My name is Strong Thunderbird.