Papers of the Fortieth Algonquian Conference: Actes du Congrès des Algonquinistes

Weweni Nd’nisidotami Ezhi-Anishinaabebiigeyaang—Carefully We Understand How We Write Anishinaabemowin

Weweni Nd’nisidotami Ezhi-Anishinaabebiigeyaang— Carefully We Understand How We Write Anishinaabemowin Margaret Noori University of Michigan Nindan ikidowinan n’gii zhibiiamaw’ag nokomisinanigba miinwaa nmishomisinanigba miinwaa nijansinanig wii bmosewaad waaban. These words I wrote for our grandmothers and grandfathers who are gone and the children who will walk tomorrow. Zaam noongo e-Anishinaabemjig dabaadaamaagwa, gii nitaam-Anishinaabebiigeyaanh . Because I am talking about those who use the Anishinaabe language today, I wrote first in Anishinaabemwin. N’gii Zhaaganaashi-biige name. Debwe-edamying ikidowinan eta name gaa Anishinaabe-biianayaanh. I wrote English below. Only the true meaning of the words to us I wrote them below. Gaawiin gii’enh minotaagwadsiinon pane. Gaawiin n’gii nokaaznasiinaa chitwaa Zhaaganaashimowin. It does not really sound good all the time. I did not use elegant English. N’bagosendam daa bishigendamiig oshme nitaa gekinomaagemiig. I am hopeful that yous will like it and lean more this way. Gishpin weweni giindaamiieg wii nsostaamiig gaawiin tesiinon enewe-gego maampii. If you read carefully, you will understand these words are more than linguistic artifacts. Mii maanda ezhi enendamoyaang Anishinaabemong. This is Anishinaabe epistemology. 346 347 WeWeNi Nd’NisidotaMi ezhi-aNishiNaabebiigeyaaNg Anishinaabe-adisookananig naadamaawiyangidwa ji-nsostaayaang wii minobimaadiziyaang . This is why Anishinaabe literature helps us understand how to live well. Boochigwa nitaa-Anishinaabemoyaang ji-nsostam Anishinaabe inaadiziwin, Niswi-Shkode-Bimaadzijig. It is necessary to speak Anishinaabemowin well to understand who we are as Anishinaabe, the People of the Three Fires. Pane n’gagwejimdizo’mi, wenesh ezhiwebag, awenen ezhchiged? Always we are asking ourselves, what is happening, who is doing? Nookaaznamnid ezhichige-ikidowinan oshme pii gego-goya-ikidowinan. We use doing words more than someone or something words. Nd’anchtoonaan ikidowinan ji-debwedibaajimawyaang. We change words to tell stories and make them true. Mii sa geyabi ezhi-enendamoyaang noongwa pii kina goya niizh-eneweyaang. This is still how we think today when everyone is bi-lingual. Nd’nsostanaa waabamayaang miinwaa enendamoyaang bebkan igo. We understand, we see, and we think differently. Mii sa ezhi-waamjige geyabi daa zhaabwitooyang pane igo. This way of seeing still is what must be saved forever. Robert Warrior gii kido: Robert Warrior has said: “Ezhi-zhibiigeying miinwaa ezhi-enendamoying pii kinomaageying wiiptan aanjisemigag. Aanawi mii maanda danewaa enendamowin gaa’iin maashi giizhichigaademagadsiinon.” “The literary and intellectual witness of Native people in education is vast and growing. Yet this is a discourse that remains distressingly underdeveloped.”1 Kina gego wewiipi-aanjitoonaan sa gwa. Everything quickly is changing very much. 1. Warrior (2003:139). 348 Margaret Noori Robert Dale Parker gii kido gaye: Robert Dale Parker says also: “Shki-Anishinaabe-biigewin gii bi dagooshin . . . Shki-Anishinaabe-biigem -jig shki-biigewaad aabdeg sa gwa.” “Indian literature seems to us to have reached a threshold . . . Indian writers of course are indeed remaking the old and forging the new. . . .”2 Mii sa gwa aanii dash kinomaageyaang Anishinaabemowin noongo. This is why we must teach the Anishinaabe language today. Niizhwak-shi-nisimdana Anishinaabe-newewinan maampii Kchimookimankiing . Two hundred and thirty Indigenous languages are spoken here in America. Geyeg ge-shkiitoojig geyabi wii giigidoowaad epiichi jaaganewag igo giinwa. Those who are able still to speak now are dying off. Shkwaa midaaswi ensa boonigag swi igo eta geyabi daa tenon Anishinaabe-newewinan. In ten years three only will be the indigenous languages spoken. Bebikaan bemaadzijig daa zhagaabwiiwag wii zhaabwiitowaad maanda Anishinaabemowin. Each person differently they are standing, making decisions to save this Anishinaabemowin. Aanind ge niinwi, nwiikajitonaa Kchikinomaagegamigong Michigan wii ankenmaageyaang maanda Anishinaabemowin. Some of us, we are trying at the University of Michigan to transfer this Anishinaabe language. Zhitooyaang maanda Anishinaabemowin miinwaa enewewin naakiniigewin. We built the Anishinaabemowin voices and understanding ways of life (language and literature program). E-shkimaadzijig nda’kinooamawananig. The young people are being taught by us. 2. Parker (2003:x). 349 WeWeni nd’nisidotami ezhi-anishinaabebiigeyaang Mii aabdeg maanda waa ezhichigeyaang Anishinaabemowin wii zhaabwitooying aabdeg g’daa zhibii’anaa miinwaa daa Anishinaabemoyaang kina gojing, ensa giizhigak. So, it is necessary this that we do it, teach the Anishinaabe language , to save it we have to write it and speak it everywhere and everyday. Maanda Anishinaabemowin Naakiniigewin Michigan gii maajtamigad midaaswi shi zhaangaaswi shi niizhwaasmidana ensa boonigag. This Anishinaabemowin Program at Michigan it started in the 1970s. Nanagodinong bimaadizijig nookaaznaawaa wi kidowin “Ojibwe” miinwaa mii sa naasap edamying. Sometimes people use the word “Ojibwe” and really it has the same meaning as Anishinaabemowin. Pane n’debwetawdizomi, aapchigwa niishiyaang...