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[10] “Maagizhaa,” imbaapaagindibe’wig nimishoomis, “haa noozis, maagizhaa gaawiin niin igo indisaabandanziin.” Miish noongom waabandamaan. Ingiiwitaa. Gaawiin wiikaa wii-noondawaasii ji-gaagiigidod wiin eta go imaa gaa-tazhi-gikinoo’amaadiing. Gaawiin indinendam. Miziwe ganabaj igo gichi-anishinaabe ogikendaan igo.

[11] Miinawaa aabiding a’aw akiwenzii bezhig, ingoding dani-bimaadizing. Maagizhaa ongow gwiiwizensag, ongow abinoojiinyag gaawiin ingiw ogikendanziinaawaa. Namanj iidog. Bakiteshkamoogwaadog. Mii i’iw. Gaawiin bizindanziiwag. Mii i’iw bezhig wanitoowaad igo debwewin ji-ganawaabanji’iyaang. Owidi ishkweyaang mewinzha, namanj igo apii, mii imaa gii-maajii-izhi-noojichigaadeg o’ow gidinwewininaan miinawaa go gidanishinaabewiwininaan. Miish i’iw. Ingii-kiiwitaabii’aamin omaa noongom nawaj William Bobolink miinawaa gaye George Goggleye. Mii i’iw ishkweyaang gii-inendamaan.

[12] Aaniin iidog apii gaa-wanitooyang i’iw gidanishinaabewiwininaan igo gaye inweyang? World War II. Mii imaa. Gaa-izhinaazhikaagooyaambaan iwidi gii-o-zhimaaganishiiwiyaan abinoojiinyag eta go zhaaganaashiimowag. Omaa dash gii-maajaayaan gii-ojibwemowag niibowa go abinoojiinyag, mii go akina. Noongom dash mii eta go zhaaganaashiimowaad. Miish i’iw imaa gii-miikamaan i’iw World War II, 1940s. Mii imaa gii-wanising.

[13] Gaawiin dash wiikaa ingii-wiikwajitoosiimin. Mii go bijiinag azhigwa maagizhaa endaso-niiyo-biboonagak aapiji go wiikwajitooyang wii-kagwe-gikinoo’amawindwaa ongow niniijaanisinaanig, noozhishenyinaanig ji-ojibwemowaad, ji-gikendamowaad awenen ayaawiwaad.

[14] Inashke go gaa-ikidoyaan awasonaago: ginwenzh ingii-tazhitaa i’iw gegaa gii-izhinaajii’igooyaan i’iw ishkodewaaboo. Mii a’aw maji-manidoo ayaang i’iw minikwewin. Mii eta go gaa-onji-anokiiyaan, gii-wiikwajitooyaan miinawaa go goshkoziyaan giziibiigiisaginige-giizhigak. Mii dash i’iw, da-gagwaadagizowag ongow giniijaanisinaanig da-gagwe-mikamowaad i’iw debwewin, debweng gichi-aya’aa. Gichi-weweni, gichi-weweni go niwiikwajitoo. Gaawiin gaye indoojaanimtaasiin igo. Gaawiin gegoo niwii-pishikoshkanziin. Akina go o’ow ingagwe-gikendaan. Gaawiin gabe-ayi’iin.

[15] Mii ko gaa-wanendamaan iko wii-kaganoonag a’aw manidoo. Hey, aaniindi ge-onji-bizindawid? Biinish ingii-pi-izhibaase imaa gaa-miikawag gii-wiidookawid iwidi niin izhi-ayaayaan weweni ge-izhi-ayaayaan. Miish ezhi-wenipaning i’iw gagiibaadiziyaan.

[16] Mii gaye noondawiyeg anooj igo indikidogwen omaa keyaa. Mii i’iw mekwendamaan iniw; nimishoomis weweni minawaanigwendang gegoo wii-ani-maazhendang bijiinag wiin i’iw. “Gidaa-dibendaan. Mii eta go i’iw gibimaadiziwin igo. Weweni, mii i’iw ge-bima’adooyan minawaanigoziwin. Gego babaa-maazhendangen. Mii imaa gii-kagwejichigeg. Ingoding da-ani-bimaadiziyan booch giga-nagishkawaag. Giga-nandawenimaag ingiw manidoog. Gego dabasenimaaken a’aw giijanishinaabe. Mii go dibishkoo gaye wiin ezhi-apiitendaagozid gaye wiin.”

[17] Ahaaw. Mii i’iw minik. Haaw miigwech nimishoomis. Mii izhid iniw gibaakwa’amaan. Miigwech ge-bizindawid.

This Is a Good Way of Life

[1] Hello Indians, my relatives. I have been asked to speak so that the children can understand me, the many who are having difficulties today, suffering through things as I suffered myself.

[2] First of all I forget my Indian name. My name is Zhaawanose. It was given to me by my first namesake who named me I’ve been told. I was raised by my grandmother and my grandfather at first when I was born. So I was taken there. Things were really hard when I was a child. I heard a lot of elders talking about how tough everything was, even getting food. Today they only go to the supermarket to buy things. But not a long time ago—the men hunted. The women were good cooks and took care of the children.

[3] I want to talk about how I was made to suffer through alcoholism. Many of our children are told about this in vain, as they kill one another and maybe even kill themselves. I was thirteen years old when I first started drinking wine, that’s all. I starting my drinking habit right there. I was forty