Nenaboozhoo

We were given such precious gifts that were passed down from generation to generation.
Kiinwi kii miindgomi chi miigwewinan gaa bi’migweyeng maadiziwining biinish maadiziwining.

We talk about the wigwam, the birch back canoe, the sacred wampum, the dog sled, and we are talking about all these things Nenaboozhoo gave us, how come we don't use them now?
Kiinwi gda tibaadtaa’naa wiigwaam, wiigwaas jiimaan, gchi twaa miigsaabiigan, animosh midaabaanes, miinwaa gda tibaadta’naa akina nenda Nenaboozhoo gaa miindagoying, dash aaniidash kiinwi enji aabijibkaasiisiiing nenda noongo ?

I think that the only reason we don't is that we are accustomed to the lifestyle we have now.
Niin nda nendam jida eta dash kiinwi dash owih gda naagdendaa’naa owih nikeyaa maadiziwin eyaamin nongo.

In every discipline of science all over the world, they are saying the same thing: that we are just using too much and taking too much.
Akina etek gikendaasowin akina Akiing, wiinwaa kidok naasaap: owih zaaam niibana gda aajikaas’naa miinwaa gda daapnaa’naa zaam niibana.

I think that Nenaboozhoo still has a lot to offer to our people. I think that the stories of our elders, they're very important they hold a lot of meaning.
Nda nendam Nenaboozhoo eyaabih daa’aan niibana owah miigwed kiinwi bemaadizijik. Nda nendam tibaadjimowinan kiinwi gek’kaanjik, wiinwaa gchi piitendaazowag wiinwaa daa’aanaa niibana edminingin.

Not just the stories, but my grandpa use to say, "I use to walk to Elliot Lake, I use to go to Bark Lake. We use travel there by canoe. You should do that."
Gaawiin eta tibaadjimowinan, dash Mishomis gii kida kowah, “Gii zhigaades kowah Elliot Zaagi’iganing, Gii zhaa kowah Nigyii Zaagi’iganing. Niinwi gii nizhaami maanpii jiimaaning. Kiin gda’aa zhichige owih.

Yes, let's do that. It's what the Elders say. We have to do what they say.
Enh, aambe zhichige’daa owih. Mii e’kidowad Gek’kaanjik. Kiinwi aabidek kwii zhichigemi e’kidowad.

I was at a meeting the other day and they talk about education and how to make an Anishinaabe education and curriculum.
Gii eyaa enji maamjiwedowad goding e’giizhigak miinwaa gii tibaadtaanaa’aa kendaasowin miinwaa owazhi zhichigaadek Anishinaabe akinoomaagewin miinwaa naakinegewinan.

It was a very complicated meeting, like my mind was puzzled; I couldn't understand what they were saying because it was too complicated.
Gii aawan e’zanagak gidoowinkend, dibishlo nda nendamowin gii kendaziin; gaawiin gii nsastasiin owih e’kidowad zaam gii zanagendaagwod.

You know the words were too big, and I was lost. I couldn't just get in there to do the work that was needed and I felt bad because they were fighting.
Kiin kiikendaan kidowinan zaam chaanoon, miinwaa gii nishin. Gaawiin gii digoshnisii zhe’e wii nokiiyaan en’dwendaagwag miinwaa gii maanizheyaa zaam wiinwaa miigaadok.

Finally, they said, "Can you speak? Can you say something"?
Ekpii, gii kidok, “Gda giigid na? Gda kid na gegoo?”

I said "well I don't understand the papers or all the lingo because all I have is a grade five education so I can't possibly know, but I think the highest form of education we can give our young people is on the land, and completely 100 percent immersed in the language. I think that's the highest form of education we can give our people.”
Niin gii kid, “Gaawiin niin da nsastasiin miziganan maage akina kidawinan zaam eyaamaa eta akinoomaagswin naanan kendaaswin dash gaawiin gnabaach gda kendasiin, dash niin da nendam menji shpaak nikeyaa kendaaswin kiinwi owah miinaaying e’shkiniigjik maanpii akiing. Miinwaa menji shpaak kendaaswin owah miinaaying gda bemaadizijik.”

I don't know what's stronger than that in my mind and in my heart. And I think that Nenaboozhoo gave us the blueprint.
Gaawiin gii kendasiin menji shkoomigak biinish owin etek nda nendamowining miinwaa nda adwewining. Miinwaa nda nendam Nenaboozhoo kii miingonaa naakinegewin.

I think that Nenaboozhoo gave us the road map to how to live.
Niin da nendam Nenaboohoo gii miindagonaa miikan naakinegewin owahzhi maadiziiying.

Everything is coded in those stories.
Akina gii maagibiigaade ne’end tibaadjimowin.

I think we need to know, and I think we need to bring that to life and take a risk and venture back into our forests again.
Niin da nendam kiinwin aabidek kwii kendaa’naa, miinwaa niin da nendam wii biidooying owih wii maadzim’migak miinwaa gijitoo’daa miinwaa zhaa’daa niiyaab kiinwi bemtigowaaki miinawaa.

I think the place where there is a rabbit, the pictograph there, maybe I'll go there and put some tobacco there and ask a question.
Niin da nendam goji eyaad owah waaboos, owih bsinjigan zhe’e, gnabaach ga zhaa zhe’e miinwaa ga’saa semaa zhe’e miinwaa ga kwede gegoo.

Let’s say Nenaboozhoo is in there, in that cave,
Kid’daa Nenaboozhoo eyaa zhe’e biinji, waanzh,

and if I was going to ask a question,
miinwaa giishpin niin wii kowedeyaan gegoo,

I won’t ask to live forever, I would probably ask, "What can we do as an Anishinabe people? How can Anishinaabe do the things right again, to get back to how we were? Or how would we survive in the future?"
Gaawiin ga kwedesii wii maadziiyaan apane, gnabaach ndaa kwede, “Aaniish owah zhichigeying kiinwi aawing Anishinaabe bemaadzijik? Aaniish Anishinaabe owah zhichiged gegoo wewiib miinawaa, wii nibskaabiyaan gaa aawiin? Maage owah zhi zhaabwiiying niigaan?”

I'll ask a question like that because you know what, those are big questions.
Gii kwede kwedjimowin dibishko zaam kii kendaan owih, ne’end aawnoon chi kwedewinan.

And a lot of people don't know what's happening or what the future will hold.
Miinwaa niibana bemaadzijik gaawiin gii kendasiinaa’aa e’zhiwebag maage wegnesh niigaan e’tek.

But again I think that there are things out there that can give us those answers and of course Nenaboozhoo would be one of them.
Dash miinwaa niin da nendam e’tenoon gegoo oodi owah miingowiin e’aawin’gin miinwaa aabidek Nenaboozhoo da aawah bezhig.

So with that, there are a lot more stories that I could share about Nenaboozhoo, but I’ll stop there.
Dash owih, tenoon eyaabih niibana tibaadjimowinan owih daam jowenan e’iiw Nenaboozhoo, dash niin ga boontaa zhe’e.

Thank you - Miigwetch.