Living Our Language_ Ojibwe Tales & Oral Histories - Anton Treuer [96]
[2] “Igaye naa,” gaa-izhid, “ani-ayaamagadoon bemisemagakin, niibowa gaye da-ani-ayaamagadoon niwii-ikido. Niibowa gaye da-aawadaasoowidaabaaniwiwag,” ikido. “Maagizhaa gaawiin gidoodamendanziin,” ikido. “Mii dash igaye babaamendamaan. Mii go gaye,” gaa-ikidod a’aw akiwenziiwiban, “ingoding waa-izhi-onendamowaad wayaabishkiwejig,” ikido, “ji-gagwe-izhaawaad iwidi dibiki-giizisong,” ikido. Mii gaye izhiwebak i’iw: gii-izhaawaad sa go dibiki-giizisong. Gii-onwaachige indedeban; daa-waabandang i’iw isa waa-inagamigak niigaan akeyaa.
[3] Bagami-ayaamagad gaa-ikidod. Inashke izhiwebak sa noongom. Mii gaawiin geyaabi bebezhigooganzhiiyan sa odayaawaasiin anishinaabe sa go. Bangii eta go ayaawaad bebezhigooganzhiig. Niibowa odaabaanag ayaawag. Mii go gaye ingiw ishkodedaabaanag, mii i’iw niibowa gaye izhi-ayaawaad. Niibowa dash wiin bemisemagakin ayaamagadoon. Indedeban gaa-waabandang o’ow i’iw apii gaa-pimaadiziban.
Niibaa-giizhig
[1] Niibaa-giizhig, mii akiwenzii akina gegoo gikinoo’amawid, mii o’ow geyaabi aangodinong oon mawidisag, oon gagwe jimag weweni dinowa waa-kikendamaan, maagizhaa gaye gegoo booch igo moozhag gikinoo’amawid akiwenzii gegoo.
[2] Gaawiin aapiji baa-naazikaagesii a’aw akiwenzii. Nichi-apiitenimaa a’aw akiwenzii kina gegoo izhi-gikinoo’amawid. Mii go gaye noomaya gii-mawidisag iwidi aakoziwigamigong ji-gagwejimag ji-bi-wiidookawiyangid. “Haaw. Gidaa-wiidookoon,” ingii-ig akiwenzii, Niibaa-giizhig.
[3] Mii sa gaa-inag, “Aaniish mii sa go aawiyan gichi-akiwenzii. Mii azhigwa zhaangasimidana ashi niizho-biboonagiziyan. Gidaa-anweb. Gego aapiji geyaabi izhichigeken o’ow anooj babaa-izhaayan moozhag giishpin gisinaamagak agwajiing. Mii wenji-aakoziyan, wakewajiyan, ge-dakamanji’oyan. Gidaa-kiizhooshin. Gidaa-anweb.”
Ogii-izhinaazhishkawaan Bwaanan
[1] Inashke gaa-izhiwebak mewinzha, chi-mewinzha. Oon, iwidi akeyaa waabanong gii-onjibaawaad ingiw anishinaabeg. Mii iwidi akeyaa gaa-izhinaazhishkawaad bwaanan ningaabi’anong.
[2] Niibowa gii-ayaawag omaa ingiw bwaanag. Aanish, anishinaabeg iwidi gii-pi-izhaawaad Bawatigong akeyaa, mii iwidi ishkwaa, ji-pi-gabeshiwaad Moningwanekaaning. Mii iwidi gaa-inendamowaad ji-nandawaabandamowaad i’iw wiisiniwin nibiikaang etemagak, mii manoomin. Manoomin ogii-izhinikaadaanaawaa. Mii imaa gii-mikamowaad o’ow manoomin. Mii sa omaa akeyaa, anooj igo omaa akeyaa gii-pi-izhaawaad.
[3] Niibowa bwaanag omaa gii-taawag. Miish igo gii-maajinizhikawaawaad iwidi mashkodeng. Mashkodeng gii-izhinaazhikawaad iniw bwaanan, akina. Miish akina imaa Minisooding gii-nagadamowaad mitigokaag, aanjigoziwaad.
[4] Mii sa naagaj, mii i’iw gaa-izhi-zagaswe’idiwaad ingiw bwaanag, ingiw anishinaabeg igaye. Gaawiin geyaabi wii-miigaadisiiwag, wiijikiwendiwaad.
Aabaji’ Gidasemaa
[1] Chi-mewinzha gaawiin aapiji opwaaganag gii-ayaasiiwag. Gaawiin igaye asemaa aapiji ogii-aabaji’aasiiwaawaan. Mii eta go ko chi-anishinaabeg gaa-aabaji’aawaad asemaan. Gii-kwiiwizensiwiyaan, mii gaawiin asemaan gii-sagaswaanaasiiwaawaan anishinaabeg. Mii dibishkoo go asabikeshiinyan gaa-tebibidawigod ingiw anishinaabeg. Mii go gaye niibowa go anishinaabeg wenji-aakoziwaad. Mii iw niibowa ingiw anishinaabeg wenji-nibowaad. Gaye naa, inashke go naa gegaa gii-panaadenimigooyaang akina gegoo.
[2] Shke sa noongom baatayiino ya’aw asemaa zagaswaanigod. Mii i’iw wenji-maaji-noojimod a’aw anishinaabe. Amanj igo dash waa-inakamigak niigaan akeyaa. Mii go ayaamagak niibowa bizhikinaagoowan, o’ow gebaabwegaadegin-wiisiniwin igaye. Noongom ziinzibaakwadodaapineminzhigwan niibowa ayaamagadoon, enh ishkodewaaboo gaye.
Gegwe-dakamigishkang Speaks
[1] Hello. My name is Gegwe-dakamigishkang. I am of the Loon Clan. I’ve been through the medicine dance four times. I’m from Leech Lake. My father, Baadwewidang, was grand medicine. He was [a] messenger there in the medicine dance, helping those old men in the dance. He was a messenger just like I am today in my work. I’m a messenger. All the time now