New happenings in the world of Makoohns Den

Aanii Niijinkwenyaag!

I have been real busy of late, we were house hunting over last spring and summer and finally found our oshki waka’igan! We moved into the new house in September. My job has taken some topsy turvy turns and over my Christmas break, My husband got an idea for me to start a business on Etsy. So we have been working diligently to make that happen over the past month and a half. We opened the shop yesterday, I am trying to link it but word press is having a problem, so go to Etsy and search Mahoohns Den. I put in my two weeks notice at my regular job in order to pursue the business, and I am looking for other opportunities at the same time to make money to funnel into the business to make it grow. My current job ends on February 8th, so I will have more time to work on my new website as well which is focused on my art, anishinabemowin, and art blog and a blog about the new movement that began in December of 2012 – Idle No More. The other website I am still working on you can check it out at http://www.makoohnsden.com (as I said about the Etsy shop link.. the wordpress linker is broken, it won’t let me insert the link so you will have to copy the address and paste in your browser window.)
You all can watch the transformation as I improve on the design and add more content. I will be making any new posts on the language there. I will not be ridding myself of this site, I will be leaving it up, but for new language posts you will have to check out my new site. I also am teaching Basic Anishinabemowin again at Montcalm Community College in Sidney Michigan for this spring semester. If you missed my first class you are welcome to register for the spring section here http://register.asapconnected.com/Courses.aspx?CourseGroupID=2906

I also participated in an Idle No More Round Dance Flash Mob at the Rivertown Crossings Mall in Grand Rapids a few weeks ago, you can see the video on my Wabanaisee Singers Youtube channel.

So there is the short of the changes here in Makoohns Den!

Bama api

Anishinabemowin 1 / Basic Ojibwe Non credit community class at Montcalm Community College

Boozhoo,

Just thought I would put the word out that I will be teaching an introductory course on Anishinabemowin at Montcalm Community College, 2800 College Dr., Sidney, Michigan. If any of you readers out there are interested, it will be a two fun – filled hours a week for 6 weeks and the whopping cost of $49.00. What will you get for the $49 smackeroos, well you will get a more comprehensive course than I took at the University for $1500… and with history and culture thrown in for fun! We shall learn songs, watch clips of fluent elders, play games and practice dialog…. alot of dialog…. and get you started on the road to becoming an Anishinabe Language Warrior ! So here is the link to register for this fall class: http://register.asapconnected.com/Courses.aspx?CourseGroupID=2906

The class shall begin on September 11, 2012 at 6pm at the Sidney Campus. I hope to see you all there!

Bama api gi waabamin!

Boozhoo niijinkwenyaag!

Aaniin

Sorry I have been gone so long…. there has been a move… work … car accident… physical therapy and more work and family things…

So it is finally Minokami here in Michigan and a weird one at that… early hot temperatures had the plants and trees blooming early and then a freeze and snow killed some of the plants… the weather has been all over the place.

Before I begin posting oshki ikidowinan, I would like to hear from you all on what words and phrases you would like to learn about…

Leave me lists in the comments and I will check back to see what you all come up with!

Bama pii gi waabamin!

 

Dagwaagi

Boozhoo Anishinabedog miinawa Zhaagnaashidog!

Long time no blog… sorry about the wait, things have been pretty busy and will likely continue to be so. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with the posts as life whirls about.

Mitigowaakiing gwii zhaamin – We (excl) will go to the forest.

Mishiiminaaboo – apple juice / cider

Mishiiminaatig – apple tree

Mishiiminag – apples (animate)

Nanddawaawaashkeshi-giizhigad – Opening day (deer season)

Baashkizigan (an) – gun (s)

waniikewi-nini (wag) – trapper(s)

dasoonaagan(an) – trap(s)

mookmaan(an) – knife(s)

waagikomaan(an) – crooked knife(s)

Iyaabe(g) – buck(s)

Oniijaaniw(ag) – doe(s)

Gidagaakoons(ag) – fawn(s)

Waawaashkeshi-wiiyaas – deer meat

Waawaashkeshiwayaan(an) – deer hide(s)

Giiwse – S/he hunts

Baaskizige – S/he shoots

Giiyose – S/he hunts

Gewsin – Hunting

Giiyosewinini – hunter (male)

Giiyosewikwe – hunter (female)

Ditibidaabaan – truck

Gigii waabaandan ina waawaashkeshii? – Did you see the deer?

Waawaashkeshii wiiyaas – venison

Asema – tobacco

Agwajing asada asema jiigatig – Let’s put our tobacco down beside a tree

Mookman – knife

Chimookman- big knife

Tasenwang                                           Halloween

Bapakwaanaajiin (sag)                        bat(s)

Eshibiken (sag)                                       spider(s)

Jiibe (sag)                                                 skeleton(s) or ghost(s)

Mkaadewaashko gaazhag(ag )          black cat(s)

Ziisibaakidoons (an)                             candy (candies)

In the next post I will include some sentences to go along with these words, and some words about wild rice and ricing and Thanksgiving…

Bama apii Niijinkwenyag!

Aanii Niijinkwenyaag!

So, I was cleaning (dusting) before I left for the pow wow and a brass bookend fell off the shelf and on my foot! So I silently screamed… but I went to the pow wow anyways.

I headed off to the Pow Wow grounds, I got there and people were leaving, it had been sprinkling all morning. They moved the pow wow to the casino. So I followed everyone else and headed over to the casino event center. It was really packed tight, hardly room to move through the crowd. If you could squish your way down to the area set up as the arena you might be able to see the dancing. If you were back farther you could see the dancer’s heads and that is about it. It looked like not all of the vendors made it over to the casino, there were a few, alot of traders with beadwork, sage and sweetgrass, silverwork and Native Threads apparel. I got to visit with my friend Cid Bearheart, that was kewl! My other friends I couldn’t get an eyeball on, but it was pretty crowded in there. So that was a bummer. After walking around for a bit, my  foot started to really hurt and swell, so I went ahead and left early. Hopefully Peshawbestown doesn’t get rained out… because that is the next pow wow on my pow wow trail this summer.

Bama pii!

 

Giwii ezhaa Saginaw Chippewa nimi’ding!

Aanii niijinkwenyaag!

I am off to the pow wow today, hopefully it doesn’t rain

Time to see friends and family, trade and dance dance dance!

I will bring you all some stories when I get back!

Bama api

Niimii’odaa!

Aaniin Niijinkwenyag!

Here are some more words used at Niimi’iding:

Biindigeshimoong – Grand Entry

Bwaazhennagamon – Straight Song

Ikwe Nagamon – Ladies Song (Side – Step)

Gikiwe’on – Flag

Gikiwe’on Nagamon – Flag Song

Zhaabowe’ikweg – Songbirds (Women Back up Singers)

Niimii’ odaa! – Let’s Dance!

Giwii ezhaa niimi’iding ina? – Do you want to go to the pow wow?

Ehn, Niwii ezhaa niimi’ding. – Yes, I want to go to the pow wow.

Ezhaadaa niimi’iding. – Let’s go to the Pow Wow.

In case you are at the pow wow and see a Manidoominens Adawewigaamigoong – Bead Trading Store, Here are some beading words…

Giishkoda – S/he cuts with sizzors

Gshkigwaaso – S/he sews

Mazinigwaade – S/he beads

Mazinaabidoo’ige – S/he beads on a loom

Miishiiginoon – Velvet

Asabaabiins – Thread

Gashkigwaasoneyaabiin – Sewing thread

Mazinaabidoo’iganaatig – Bead loom

Naabidoo’iganan – Beading needles

Zhaaboonigaansag – Sewing needles

Manidoominensag – Beads

Biito manidoominensag – Lined beads

Besha manidoominensag – Striped beads

Zhiibwaaze manidoominensag – Transparent beads

Bagwaaniigin – Cloth

Aanish minik? – How many/ How much?

Aaniin minik enangideg owe? – How much is it?

$1.00 Bezhigwaabik

$5.00 Naanwabik

$10.00 Midaaswaabik

$15.00 Midaaswi shi naanwabik

$20.00 Niizhtana daswaabik

$100.00 Ngodwaak daswaabik

A Penny – Bezhigo biiwaabikoons

5 cents – Naano biiwaabikoons

10 centsMidaaso biiwaabikoons

50 cents Naanmidna daso biiwaabikoons

$10.55 – Midaaswaabik  naanmidna shi naanwaabikoons.

Nimbiigoshkaa! – I’m broke!

Mi sa iw!

 

 

 

 

Aaniin miinawa

Aaniin Niijiinkwenyag!

Ahau, I have finally completed catching up on all of the previous posts’ videos. Whew! Barring interruptions this week, I’m planning on upcoming posts about locatives, some updates on time, Shopping and Money. If you all want to learn anything particular, send me a message, and I will do my best at covering topics you are most interested in.

Miigwetch!

 

Dibaganik

Boozhoo Anishinabedog miinawa Zhaagnaashidog!

Long time no blog eh? Well this summer so far has turned out to be super busy, but here I am trying to catch up on my blog. Nongwa (Today) we will talk about Dibaganik – Time.

Dibagiiswan – Clock

Dibaginik – Time / Hour

Dibaganens – Minutes

Aaniish endaso dibagiiswan? – What does the clock read?

(Local: Mt. Pleasant) Aaniish e’ piichek? What hour is it?

1 o’clock – Bezhig dibaganik. – 1 hour

1:16 – Midaaswi shi ngodwaaswi dibaginens ishkwa beshig dibaganik. – 16 after 1 hour.

2:30 – Abta ishkwaa niizh dibaganik. – Half after 2 hour.

Jibwaa / Jibowaa – Before

Ishkwaa – After

Abta – Half

Besho – Close

Aanish e’ piichek?

Besho niizh dibaganik. Close to 2 hour.

For more number words, you can refer back to our number list in the “Birthday Party” post.

Today / Now – Nongwa/ Nongo

Yesterday – Bijinaago

Tomorrow – Waabang

Now for some Anishinabemowin sentence-ology:

To talk about past and future tense in a sentence you must use a prefix marker.

First off if you are talking about yourself you would use the (Ni / Nin) marker.  If you are talking about someone in the 2nd person (You) you would use the(  Gi / Giin) marker. Attached to these would be the tense marker – Wii – Future tense, Gii Past tense. There are lots more of these markers, but I am trying to keep this simple for beginners, as you continue your studies, you will find that there are many morphemes and many markers in Anishinabemowin. Please note, I am not a linguist so I am probably not using the correct linguistic terms here to explain this… check with a linguist for the correct labels. Now for a sentence to show you how you affix these markers.

Nigii ezhaa zhooniyaawigamig bijinaago. – I went to the bank yesterday.

Ni – I gii (past tense marker) ezhaa – to go  zhooniyaawigamig (money dwelling) bijinaago – yesterday.

Niwii ezhaa zhooniyaawigamig nongwa. – I am going to the bank today.

Niwii ezhaa zhooniyaawigamig waabang. – I am going to the bank tomorrow.

In this case, when talking about today and tomorrow, you are talking about something that has not happened yet, therefore you use the marker “Ni wii”.

If you have any comments or questions about “time” or how these sentences work, feel free to leave a message!

Mi sa iw.

Biimskwaaguk. Biimskwaashik Anishinabe Zhigaawin!

Swing and sway the Anishinabe way!

Nimi’iding – Dance (Literally to bend at the knee-  look at how we dance, this is a very good description!)

Note to Pow wow go-ers : Do not EVER CALL the dancer’s outfits Costumes! Refer to the outfits as outfits or regalia. This is our culture, NOT Halloween! Miigwetch. Also ask before you touch anything on a dancer or on a trader’s table, and do not take photos without asking permission first, and the proper way would be to offer the dancer tobacco:  / a tobacco tie / Loose tobacco/ or a cigarette. Miigwetch.

Jiingtamok – Gathering / Dance/ Pow Wow

Dewe’igan – Drum

Dewe’iganatig- Drumstick

Dewe’iganing – At the drum

Mishike zhiishiigan – Turtle rattle

Zhiishiigan – Rattle

Ngamwin – Song

Niimwin – Dance

Ngamo ininiwag – Male Singers

Ngamo kwewag – Female Singers

Bama api and Have fun on the Jiingtamok miikana!

Corrections  from Charles !! :

“M[i]tigoon boodaajigan – Turtle rattle”: really? Is there something that I’m not understanding here, because I read that as a “Wooden Horn”.

So I asked “How would you say turtle rattle? Mishike zhiishiigan?”

“That all depends. If you’re using a shell of a miskwaadesi as a ladle, then it is a mishiikenh-emikwaan. If the same turtle shell is used as a rattle, then yes, mishiikenh-zhiishiigwan. But a turtle shell itself is not zhiishiigwan, as that means “rattle”. The word for a shield or a turtleshell is widashwaa, so what a turtle has is a mishiikenh-widashwaa, opposed to the Romans with their Biiwaabiko-widashwaa.”