Sault Ste. Marie, MI—True to its theme “Mshkoosidoodaa Anishinaabebemowin” (Let’s Strengthen Our Language), the 31st Anishinaabemowin Teg Language Conference was an experience of pure love, strength and family. With numerous presenters, knowledge keepers, artists, authors, and vendors it was an absolute showcase of talent and inspiration.
The Board of Directors of the Anishnaabemowin Teg language conference, along with their many volunteers, know revitalization and preservation is important because it is an essential part of the Indigenous culture. For many Indigenous communities and societies, oral history is one of the primary methods of passing on generational knowledge. This was on full display for three days with over 800 participants and included anything from literal history to songs, poems, arts, crafts, books or stories.
A historian, teacher and fluent speaker of Anishnaabemowin, Barbara Nolan provided insight into this vital tradition. She shared how she has heard stories over and over again. Not a word out of place, as she tells her story, because it has to be accurate. She shared how she began her journey to help revitalize the language, by providing opportunities for beginners. By encouraging keepers of the language to use it and share it. She gave testimony of how an oral history is being adapted to a modern era. She acknowledged, “the Anishnaabe language is living” and therefore she too has been willing to “explore technology to help revitalize and grow the next generation of speakers.”
Ms. Nolan takes great pride in having survived the attempts of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools to take her Anishnaabe language from her. However, she acknowledges the recounting the Indigenous history is not the only reason why language is an integral part of Anishnaabe culture. Another example is the rich and unique information stored in the language that pertains to the natural world.
Take for example, the direction which one travels, it is referenced to how the water flows. So, for instance if traveling to Toronto from Sault Ste. Marie, it is referenced as water moves down, ‘niissagjiwin” and in the opposite direction, travelling to Thunder Bay would be “gidaajiwin”—water moves up.
We heard many presenters talk about how today’s scientists regularly rely on and utilize Indigenous knowledge in regard to native plant species, as many Indigenous societies have developed their own ways of treating disease, or ailments, using natural substances. As educator, artist and cultural consultant Will Morin explained, “In Anishnaabemowin, the word medicine ‘mshi-ki-ki’ begins with the root element for strength ‘mshkawziiwin’ and when we walk in balance on Mother Earth, ‘Shkakimig-kwe’ we gain ‘mshkawziiwin’ and become medicine ourselves. Traditionally, many Indigenous societies have developed their own ways of treating disease, or ailments, using natural substances. Furthermore, many Indigenous societies have an intimate knowledge of their native ecosystem, often times having a vocabulary for plants that scientist have not yet identified.”
“Now language preservation is important now more than ever,” says Glen Hare, executive director of Ojibway Culture Centre located in M’Chigeeng. “Indigenous languages are being labeled as vulnerable. These numbers and statistics are highly concerning” he stated. According to Canadian stats Indigenous languages spoken being labeled as ‘severely’, critically, or definitely endangered.
There is light at the end of the tunnel, as the world becomes more digitized, more and more resources are being developed in order to teach and preserve these important languages, like Anishnaabemowin. Language teacher and author Isadore Toulouse has spent over 40 years teaching the language at all levels of education. An animated language teacher, he and Pat Osawamick have been offering a virtual Anishinaabemowin class through the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians for one hour, three days a week. Over the years the number of participants has grown and now include speakers from a variety of nationalities that have a keen interest in learning the language of one of Canada’s Indigenous nations.
Mr. Toulouse explained how the Anishnaabe language is action oriented, very descriptive and is driven by verbs. “Its not just a set of grammatical rules or a vocabulary, it’s a flash of the human spirit, a means by which the soul of a particular culture comes into the material world.” Makes one think, our language is like an old growth forest of the mind, a fine ecosystem of social, spiritual and psychological possibilities. Each language is a monument to a specific time and place, whereby the language, birth from the animals and land and whose spirit is expressed through sounds made by humans, animals and all of creation.
Ron Manitowabi presented an interesting twist on how to preserve the language and revive some of the oldest words used in the language. He shared how every Anishnaabe family was involved in trapping in some form. As Canada’s population increased, so did the demand on animal population increase, which caused decline on fur bearing animals. In 1940 the Ontario government introduced the trapline system and along with the increase in logging, the amount of land available to Anishnaabek families decreased. By 1960 the number of trapper’s declined too only a few. What was a way of life trapping for food became a wage economy to survive.
Mr. Manitowabi remembers back in the early ‘70s bringing his furs to Manitowaning to sell to the Hudson Bay fur buyer. “There use to be about 20 trappers from Wikwemikong lined up, by 1990 the number decreased to four and only two are fluent speakers. Trappers have their own vocabulary, ingenious trap designs, tools and stories that accompanied their adventures and it’s important to continue to teach our traditional way of life to the younger generations. Its not easy to trap, takes a lot of hard work,” but the benefits of being outdoors and in tune with nature is indescribable and irreplaceable for Mr. Manitowabi.
Mary Ann Corbiere has been fascinated by the process of translating the Anishnaabe language and the eloquence of its meaning into English. “While the speech of eNishinaabemjik might not have the form that English poems have on paper, it is poetic” in her view “in its own way,” she explained. In her workshop she discussed how the use of verbs and morphemes could be combined to evoke mental images that are “much more affecting than a basic verb.”
Rhonda Hopkins introduced participants to many opportunities available at Kenjgewin Teg located in M’Chigeeng First Nation. She highlighted the Early Childhood Education Anishnaabemowin (ECEA) Program designed to train individuals who aspire to work in language instruction with children. “The program brings Anishinaabe ways of knowing and doing, as valuable to the worldview.” Encompassing a cultural perspective is at the heart of the program.
The craft workshops proved to be popular, along with the Saturday night hoe down with music provide by the boys from Wiikwemkoong. In the prime of his 90th year, George Martin demonstrated his unique style of Peyote stitching, which he learned from his mother. Mr. Martin rethreaded his needle 65 years ago and hasn’t stopped teaching his beading skills with those that have the patience. Myna and Theodore Toulouse demonstrated one of the oldest crafts–the art of porcupine quilling and birch bark work. Beverly Georgina Bebamikawe Toulouse used her doll making workshop to provide an opportunity to teaching about healing, in respect to all our ancestors who attended residential schools. Patricia Osawamick gave a hands-on sewing workshop for those interested in making fleece mitts. All artisans are fluent in the language and used this time to have fun and teach words that have been utilized and practiced for generations.
Language is like the interpretive lens that reveals the crossroad of Mother Earth and the human heartbeat. Canada, pronounced “Kin-na-da,” meaning sharing whatever we had. That is what this country was built on, a fundamental feature that allows everyone entry. Multiculturalism and multilingualism is the premise to Canadian pride, and Anishnaabek and Anishinaabemowin are vital to the understanding of other divine beings of creation the animals, flyers, crawlers, the trees all of Gzhemnidoo (our Creator) creation and we have been given words, a vocabulary for all of creation.
Gloria Oshkabewisens McGregor and Martina Osawamick gifted the ‘Niizhwaaswi Gchitwaa Kinoomaadwinan’, The Seven Sacred Teachings, to workshop participants. These traditional knowledge keepers explored ‘Anishinaabe Aadziwin’–the spiritual connection to our language, identity, spiritual growth and healing.
Dr. Anton Treuer, professor and author of many books said during his final keynote, “We need to respect and support each other, not waste time arguing whose pronunciation or spelling is right or wrong, we must continue to encourage and do our best to try and use our language every chance we can. Our Indigenous languages are some of the oldest in the world, we need to promote qualified speakers, and we can qualify them ourselves—to continue and help with the growth we need” stated Treuer. “We must continue to find language advocates and support for language preservation and revitalization,” he added.
The Anishinaabemowin Revitalization Strategy throughout the Robinson Huron Treaty Territory is in its early developmental stage. Informal community engagements have begun to take place and part of this developing strategy which will include off-reserve members will become part of the consultation process intended to provide feedback on the revitalization plans. According to members of the RHT Committee, each of the 21 RHT First Nation communities are at various stages when it comes to the strength and use of the Anishnaabe language. At the heart of the RHT Anishinaabemowin Bemi Niigaanziikdaang Rivitalization Strategy will be the collective, collaboration and ownership efforts of all the 21 FN communities.
Final word goes to Liz Osawamick, president and Barbara Peltier, vice president of Anishinaabemowin Teg who wish to express on behalf of the Board of Directors, and newly elected, a huge Gchi’miigwech! To all the volunteers, conference coordinators, interpreters, master of ceremonies, entertainers and everyone who came to participant or present, “It is because of all those individuals who gave their time and energy to this gathering, it is because of you, we have be able to continue strengthening the turtle’s back and instill pride for future generations to build on.”
by Gina Gasongi Simon
