Indian Country

The following Ojibwemowin is the speech I read when I was in Washington D.C., it was done at the Reflecting pool near the Capital Building on December 19th, 2012. I thought it was so important I am sharing it now.

Use it or lose it I have heard about our language so I am including my Ojibwemowin reaction to the apology made by the US Government to Indians.

       
It is too bad the apology was buried in a defense appropriations bill. Dr. Rick Gresczyk gave me the Ojibwemowin words to say. I introduced myself in our language and translated what I said into English. I did not translate the reaction I had to the apology.

1.      Ingiw bekaanizijig, ingiw meyagizijig,

2.      Ingiw gichi-mookomaanag

3.      Ingiw enaakonigejig omaa Washtanong

4.      Ingiw gaa-piindigegozijig

5,      omaa Anishinaabewakiing

6,      Owii-kaagiizo mawaan gakina

7.      Anishinaaben miziwe

8.      Omaa minising endaanijin

9.      Gaa-pi-izhiwebizinid

10      Gaa-kiiwa nimawaad

11.     Gaa-nisaawaad

12.     Gaa-maji-doodawaad

13.     Gaa-iniga'aawaad

14.     Miiinawaa owii-miigwechiwenimaawaan

15.     Miinawaa odapiitenimaawaan anishiaaben

16.     Ogikendaanaawaan ono

17.     Miinawaa ikidowag ono

18.     Anishinaabeg gichi-mewinzha go

19.     Gaa-asinjig omaa o'o minising

20      ogii-tibendaanaawaa o'o aki

21.     Ogii-manaajitoonaawaa o'o aki

22.     Weweni ogii-kanawendaanaawaa o'o aki

23.     Miinawaa ogii-kizhaadaanaawaa

24.     Apegish Gichi-ogima, Obama, makade giniw,

25.     Black Eagle dazhindang o'o

26      O'o gaa-izhi-maji-doodawinjig

27.     Anishinaabeg ji-ni-noojimomagak

28.     O'o Anishinaabewaki

29.     Onizhishin o'o maajitaang

30.     Ji-wiidanokiimandiyang

31.     Miinawaa ji-wiidookodaadiyang

32.     Ji-onishishi tooyang

33.     Gibimaadiziwinaanin

34      miinawaa gidakiiminaan

35.     Anishaa sa go ganabaj

36.     Mii zhigwa ishkwaa-mawadishiweng

37.     Azhe-giiweg, giinawaa

              

I have decided to include the English translation of the speech I made. Any mistakes made in Ojibwe or English are mine alone. I would like to thank Dr. Gresczyk for his able assistance. I couldn't have done this without him.

1.      Ingiw bekaanizijig, ingiw meyagizijig,

                Those who are different, those who are strange

2.      Ingiw gichi-mookomaanag

                Those long knives

3.      Ingiw enaakonigejig omaa Washtanong

                Those who are law makers here in Washington

4.      Ingiw gaa-piindigegozijig

                Those who have moved into

5.      omaa Anishinaabewakiing

                Here in Indian Country

6.      Owii-kaagiizo mawaan gakina

                They intend to apologize to all

7.      Anishinaaben miziwe

                Indians everywhere

8.      Omaa minising endaanijin

                Who dwell on this island

9.      Gaa-pi-izhiwebizinid

                What has happened to them

10      Gaa-kiiwa nimawaad

                Who have been lied to

11.     Gaa-nisaawaad

                Who have been killed

12.     Gaa-maji-doodawaad

                Who have been treated badly

13.     Gaa-iniga'aawaad

                Who have been injured

14.     Miiinawaa owii-miigwechiwenimaawaan

                And they want to thank them

15.     Miinawaa odapiitenimaawaan anishiaaben

                And respect them the Indian people

16.     Ogikendaanaawaan ono

                They know these things

17.     Miinawaa ikidowag ono

                And say these things

18.     Anishinaabeg gichi-mewinzha go

                The Indians who, a very long time

19.     Gaa-asinjig omaa o'o minising

                Ago were put here, on this island

20      ogii-tibendaanaawaa o'o aki

                They owned this land

21.     Ogii-manaajitoonaawaa o'o aki

                They respected this land

22.     Weweni ogii-kanawendaanaawaa o'o aki

                They took care of this land carefully

23.     Miinawaa ogii-kizhaadaanaawaa

                And they defended this land

24.     Apegish Gichi-ogimaa, Obama, makade giiniw,

                I hope the President, Obama, Black Eagle,

25.     dazhindang o'o

                Talks about this:

26      O'o gaa-izhi-maji-doodawinjig

                How mistreated

27.     Anishinaabeg ji-ni-noojimomagak

                The Indians were, in order

28.     O'o Anishinaabewaki

                That this Indian country heals

29.     Onizhishin o'o maajitaang

                Its good that there's a start         

30.     Ji-wiidanokiimandiyang

                That we can work together

31.     Miinawaa ji-wiidookodaadiyang

                And help each other

32.     Ji-onishishi tooyang

                To make good

33.     Gibimaadiziwinaanin

                Our lives

34      miinawaa gidakiiminaan

                And our lands

35.     Anishaa sa go ganabaj

                Maybe this is all in vain

36.     Mii zhigwa ishkwaa-mawadishiweng

                Now visiting is over

37.     Azhe-giiweg, giinawaa

                Go back home, you all

       
The 13 Moons pow wow at the Black Bear Casino was just good. Vendor space was limited so we were lucky to snag a space in which to sell my latest book, Rez Salute.

       
My wife Patricia wanted to wear her jingle dress and dance so I hired my grandson Bimose to help me. I met friends old and new.

       
One of the oldest friends I met was Larry Monchamp. We were neighbors when I was in the 9th grade in Lincoln Junior High way back in the 50s. One of the newest was a grad student from France named Caroline Laurent.

       
I later heard there were 30 drums and 300 dancers who came to Fond du Lac's Convention Center. This was the first time a pow wow was held here and I think there will be many more to follow.

       
As my wife was taking a break after dancing in the jingle dress competition she told me to stop her from ever entering another contest.

       
The voting is done and Dave "Porky" Tiesson won. My brother Russ asked for a recount so the Sawyer election isn't over yet .

Mii iw.

       
The views expressed in this column belong to the writer alone. They are not meant to represent this newspaper, the Reservation, Fonjalackers, or Caroline Laurent. Comments and bingo packs can be sent to FdL Follies, PO Box 16, Sawyer, MN 55780-0016 email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. facebook but not Twitter.