Anishinaabe Culture & Language

Visitors are greeted at the entrance by a large banner in Anishinaabemowin.

NPS Graphic / G.M. Spoto

 

Daga Anishinaabemodaa! - Let's Speak Anishinaabemowin!

About Pronunciation

Consonants have a similar pronunciation in Anishinaabemowin as English. Vowels have the following pronunciation:

Vowel	Sounds Like
a	the “u” in sun
aa	the “a” in father
e	the “ay” in day
i	the “i” in sit
ii	the “ee” in teeth
o	the “o” in go
oo	the “oo” in tooth

Words To Use Around Grand Portage

Gichi Onigaming - Grand Portage	Minong - Isle Royale	Gichigami - Lake Superior
boozhoo - hello	miigwech - thank you	noongom - today
indizhinaakaaz - I am called	gigawaabamin miinawaa - I'll see you again	baapii - he or she laughs
bimose - he or she walks along	bimaadagaa - he or she swims along	gwaashkwani - he or she jumps
nibi - water	noodin - wind	ishkode - fire
giizhig - sky	aanakwad - cloud aanakwadoon - clouds	digow - wave digowag - waves
jiimaan - boat/canoe jiimaanan - boats/canoes	abwi - paddle abwiin - paddles	wiigwaas - birchbark
asin - stone asiniig - stones	miikana - trail miikanan - trails	zagime - mosquito zagimeg - mosquitos
mitig - tree mitigoog - trees	giizhik - a cedar tree giizhikag - cedar trees	aninaatig - a sugar maple aninaatigoog - sugar maples
amik - beaver amikwag - beavers	makwa - black bear makwag - black bears	migizi - bald eagle migiziwag - bald eagles
giigoonh - fish giigoonyag - fish plural	gayaashk - seagull gayaashkwag - seagulls	mooz - moose moozoog - moose plural

 

Maajitaan agwajiing - Go Outside

Hear some spoken language:

These recordings are courtesy of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

The Ojibwemowin audios you are hearing were provided by Ranger Damon. Damon Gezhiibideg Panek is an enrolled member of the Mississippi Band of White Earth Ojibwe and was a Park Ranger at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Before Gezhiibideg’s family “relocated” to White Earth in the 1860’s, they lived on Madeline Island and in the surrounding area. He currently lives on the Red Cliff Reservation with his family.

Boozhoo - Hello Indizhinaakaaz - I am called	Gigawaabamin miinawaa - I'll see you again Miigwech - Thank you	Noongom - Today Mewinzha - A long time ago
Aanakwad - Cloud Aanakwadoon - Clouds	Migizi - Bald eagle Migiziwag - Bald eagles	Gayaashk - Seagull Gayaashkwag - Seagulls
Giizhig - Sky	Gichigami - Lake Superior	Nibi - Water
Miikana - Trail Miikanan - Trails	Asin - Stone Asiniig - Stones	Digow - Wave Digowag - Waves
Aaniin enakamigad a'aw mikwam? - What's Happening to the Ice?	Noodin - Wind Minisan - Island	Ishkode - Fire Miijim - Food
Mitig - Tree Mitigoog - Trees	Zagime - Mosquito Zagimeg - Mosquitos	Makwa - Black bear Makwag - Black bears
Jiimaan - Boat Jiimaanan - Boats	Bimaadagaa - He or she swims along Bimose - He or she walks along	Gwaashkwani - He or she jumps Baapii - He or she laughs