Anishinaabemowin

Anishinaabemowin is the language of the Anishinaabe people.

In Anishinabek News

• May 2014: Glen Hare emphasized that Anishinaabemowin must be the primary language taught in Anishinabek Nation communities. The language is actively spoken by children in M'Chigeeng.
• December 2015: Speaking this language was found to have a calming effect on agitated dementia patients.
• March 2016: The truth of Indigenous history and law is contained within this language. Elders who speak the language remember the specific details of historical negotiations and agreements. Speaking the language is described as a way for the people to reclaim their identity and way of being.
• December 2016: Words from this language are featured on wooden signs created by Pepihchew Home Décor. Tory Fisher provided linguistic guidance to ensure the signs used vocabulary appropriate for the local territory.
• June 2017: Shirley Williams has been recognized for her academic achievements in the advancement of this language. She authored a seminal introductory textbook for the instruction of the language.
• May 2018: The language was a focus of the legal traditions sessions because of the important teachings and laws held within it. Leanna Farr emphasized that revitalizing the language is a key component of restoring Anishinabek legal traditions.
• June 2018: Elders in Nipissing First Nation grew up speaking the language as a natural part of their daily lives. Current efforts in the community aim to move language learning from formal classes back into everyday use.
• July 2018: Students at a Sturgeon Falls school sang the national anthem and performed prayers in this language. The language is taught at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Elementary School through Native as a Second Language programming.
• January 2019: The Nipissing First Nation dialect is noted for specific vowel usage that distinguishes it from the Manitoulin dialect. The language is described as being descriptive with many verbs. Efforts to protect such Indigenous languages were wrapped into a proposed federal rights framework in Canada.
• January 2019: Fort William First Nation is using innovative methods to save this language from extinction. Efforts are being made to encourage young people to speak the language on a regular basis.
• May 2019: Grand Council Chief Glen Hare expressed concern that provincial cuts would hinder the progress made in getting the language recognized in schools. The language is taught at Parry Sound High School by educators such as Johna Hupfield.
• August 2019: The book The Ojibwe: The Past and Present of the Anishinaabe was criticized for only including six words from this language. A reviewer suggested that terms like Tiginaagan should have been used alongside English equivalents in educational texts.
• August 2019: Basic vocabulary was taught to new educators in Thunder Bay to help them integrate into First Nations communities. Cecilia Person argued that preserving the language is essential to preventing the loss of culture.
• November 2019: The book Nibi Emosaawdang/The Water Walker features this language prominently alongside English. The use of the language in literature aligns with the United Nations' International Year of Indigenous Languages.
• February 2020: A 2018 socio-demographic study showed that the use of this language is declining within the Anishinabek Nation. The Anishinabek Nation Governance Agreement is seen as a tool to create laws that will help learn and use the language.
• February 2020: The North Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre planned to launch a companion program for this language alongside the Cree Language Circle. It is one of the most widely-spoken of the 60 surviving Indigenous languages in Canada.
• February 2020: Ian Campeau described the language as being developed through scientific observation over 13,000 years. The language contains instructions and definitions for places that are not present in English.
• February 2020: The book Biboon is intended to help young children learn this language through winter-themed words. The language uses a double vowel system for pronunciation.
• May 2020: The book Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country offers lessons in the language as part of its narrative of travel and growth.
• May 2020: Author Anton Treuer is a fluent speaker of the language. The book The Assassination of Hole in the Day includes notes on the language.
• May 2020: Free online classes for this language are being delivered seven days a week by Isadore Toulouse. Instruction focuses on simple commands, verbs, and sentence structures to help students converse with one another.
• July 2020: Jada McGregor-Dickens sang songs in this language as part of her cultural education during the COVID-19 lockdown.
• August 2020: The language served as a bond between Wab Kinew and Tobasonakwut during their reconciliation. The book notes that the language was lost or broken during the process of colonialism and the era of residential schools.
• August 2020: Interns at Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School created 72 wood cookies featuring plant names written in the language. Language classes are part of the programming provided by AlterEden.
• September 2020: Anishinaabemowin is used alongside English in the children's book It's a Mitig! to make language reclamation less intimidating for parents. The book It's a Mitig! uses a double-vowel pronunciation system to teach words for animals and nature.
• November 2020: The revitalization of language and culture was identified as a top priority for the Anishinabek Nation in the short and long term. The Anishinabek Nation Long-Term Strategic Plan seeks to incorporate various dialects including Odawa, Potawatomi, and Ojibwemowin.
• December 2020: The Anishinabek Nation considers this language to be endangered due to the effects of colonization. Efforts to revitalize the language include immersion programs, language nests, and the creation of the Nishnaabemdaa app.
• December 2020: A new project aims to bring this indigenous language into the digital world through interactive software. Grade six lesson plans are being developed to help students reclaim and revitalize the language.
• February 2021: Muriel Sawyer was a dedicated advocate for the preservation and revitalization of this language. The language was taught by Muriel Sawyer at Nbisiing Secondary School to help students gain a sense of identity.
• February 2021: The language will be featured in a video documenting a traditional hide-tanning camp held at Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. Learning the language was a primary goal of the cultural department when organizing the deer hide-tanning workshop.
• March 2021: A career guide for Indigenous professionals was translated into this language to serve as a learning tool.
• April 2021: The language is a central part of the tricultural mandate at Laurentian University. Courses in the language have been developed and taught at the University of Sudbury for four decades. Revitalization efforts for the language include community initiatives like those at Nimkii Aazhbikoong and Wiikwemkoong Heritage Organization.
• May 2021: The percentage of people speaking this language at home in Anishinabek Nation communities fell from 14 percent to 5 percent between 1996 and 2016. Research indicates that reaching full fluency in this language requires approximately 12,000 hours of exposure by the time a student reaches Grade 8. Barbara Nolan noted that while once considered safe, the language is now considered threatened.
• June 2021: The Near North District School Board uses this term for its language programming instead of the provincial designation of Native Second Language. The program allows Indigenous students to embrace their cultural identity while providing non-Indigenous students with an appreciation for Indigenous worldviews.
• August 2021: Barbara Nolan has spent her life working to revitalize this language through curriculum development and immersion. Cyndie Wemigwans teaches traditional crafts using this language to connect students with their culture.
• August 2021: The Michi Saagiig dialect of Anishinaabemowin will be used throughout the Canadian Canoe Museum alongside English and French. The museum is recording vocabulary related to canoes in Anishinaabemowin as part of its language-related projects.
• September 2021: Speaking Anishinaabemowin is identified as a core component of practicing sovereignty.
• October 2021: Dave Jones taught this language to Grade 9 and Grade 12 students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• November 2021: The new youth programming initiative incorporates hands-on experiences that include the use of Anishinaabemowin.
• November 2021: Gordon Waindubence stated that Anishinaabemowin is necessary for ceremonies to properly connect with ancestors. The traditional stand-up election process for the Anishinabek Nation is conducted entirely in Anishinaabemowin.
• January 2022: Barbara Nolan has dedicated fifty years to the advancement and teaching of this language. The Anishinabek Nation works toward the revitalization and protection of this language through a dedicated commissioner.
• January 2022: The language is a focus of the stand-alone Indigenous Studies program being developed at Kenjgewin Teg.
• February 2022: Alan Corbiere argued that the language will not survive unless people use it as much as they can every day. The language was the first language for many Elders who are now passing away. Alan Corbiere recorded his parents and other Elders speaking the language to preserve it.
• March 2022: Tarah-Lynn Remillard aspires to teach this language to future generations. Her mother identified her daughter's goal of teaching the language as a source of inspiration.
• March 2022: The language is described as a spirit that provides a visual and humorous perspective during storytelling. The language has various regional dialects, including those influenced by Potawatomi and Odawa on Manitoulin Island.
• April 2022: Lesa Boissoneau strives to learn and use Anishinaabemowin daily.
• April 2022: The book Amik is written in Anishinaabemowin to help children learn or reclaim their language. The text provides English translations underneath the Anishinaabemowin words.
• May 2022: Efforts are underway at Lakehead University to support the revitalization of this language and its four dialects. Chief Peter Collins noted that while his grandparents were fluent, many in Fort William First Nation lost the skill over time.
• September 2022: The language is used alongside English in Margaret Noodin's poetry to blend philosophy, science, and psychology. What the Chickadee Knows includes pronunciation guides for readers who are non-speakers of the language.
• September 2022: Children participated in a language scavenger hunt during the 2022 Youth Wellness Day Camp.
• October 2022: Laurentian University is starting up community and land-based courses to support the language. Dominic Beaudry is an advocate for the language and previously served as a language and culture facilitator.
• January 2023: The book Weweni: Poems in Anishinaabemowin and English seeks to forefront this language as a living and relevant means of communication. A pronunciation guide is provided in Margaret Noodin's work to assist readers with the cadence and sounds of the language.
• February 2023: Eli Baxter argued that this language contains the essential knowledge required to navigate the 8th Fire Prophecy.
• December 2023: A 2018 report based on 2016 census data indicated a 60 per cent decrease in the number of speakers of this language over two decades. Efforts are underway to integrate the language into everyday activities and ceremonies to make learning more natural.
• December 2023: As of December 2023, students at Algonquin Avenue Public School have been making school announcements in the language for two years. The language program at the school includes learning specific terms for fish, traditional medicines, and seasonal themes.
• January 2024: Eli Baxter argues that this language should form the basis of education for Anishinaabeg youth. The book Aki-wayn-zih: A Person as Worthy as the Earth incorporates many terms from this language to teach readers about the environment and culture.
• January 2024: The language is used in The Seven Generations and the Seven Grandfather Teachings to ground the exploration of cultural philosophy. Specific terms in the language are analyzed to reveal deep connections to the Anishinaabeg outlook on life and the world.
• January 2024: The Simcoe County District School Board is using virtual reality technology to support the revitalization and preservation of this language. The language is a core component of the virtual reality curriculum at Georgian College.
• February 2024: The book Nenookaasi Mawadishiwe: Hummingbird Visits is designed to help people learn and practice this language. Resources for learning this language, including songs and stories, are hosted by Ojibwe.net.
• March 2024: Joshua LeClair aims to eventually conduct all of his art workshops exclusively in Anishinaabemowin. The process of reclaiming Anishinaabemowin is a long-term vision of Joshua LeClair.
• April 2024: Educators met in Little Current to discuss methods for growing the use of the language within the Anishinabek Nation. The Pacific Association of First Nations Women facilitates classes for this language in Vancouver.
• April 2024: Cassandra Spade performed a prayer in the language during a session at the United Nations. Advocates are seeking stronger legal protections and increased funding for the revitalization of the language. Free classes are offered by Cassandra Spade to help retain and protect the language.
• May 2024: Anishinaabemowin was used on promotional signs at a local Chippewas of the Thames Pow Wow to identify vegetables as Gitigaanens and fruit as Maanwang.
• May 2024: The Algonquin Avenue Public School choir performed O’ Canada and Calling in the Four Directions in this language. The language is taught to students through speaking, conversational Ojibwe, and singing.
• May 2024: The Alderville First Nation trust supports projects to teach this language to younger generations. Many ancestors were previously forbidden from speaking this language.
• June 2024: The language was a primary focus of teachings by Barbara Nolan and Isadore Toulouse in June 2024. Barbara Nolan argued that fluent speakers have a responsibility to use the language at home with their families. A prayer in this language, Ojibwe Kizheb Namewaans, was shared during the Anishinaabe Giizhigad event.
• June 2024: The language is considered endangered because it is no longer the primary language spoken by Anishinabek children. As of June 2024, only 0.7 per cent of the total population is fluent in this interpretive language. Virtual tours at Conestoga College were translated into this language to connect different generations of speakers.
• December 2024: New virtual courses for this language have been launched for students across Ontario starting in 2025. The curriculum uses a toolkit of videos, digital presentations, and audio files to teach grammar and vocabulary. Instruction in the language is being revitalized through the efforts of Falcon McLeod and the Near North District School Board.
• March 2025: Speakers at the 2025 forum emphasized that the language is a sacred tie to Indigenous homelands. Heidi Whetung suggested using the language to replace modern acronyms for gender and sexual diversity.
• April 2025: Richard Assinewai described this language as sacred and essential for communicating with water spirits. The language was highlighted as a key component of the spiritual connection to the land and water.
• May 2025: The language was used during the Fort William First Nation Hide Tanning Camp through games like bingo and charades. Activities focused on using specific words related to the hide tanning process.
• August 2025: The language is being featured in a professional recording of the national anthem to promote its presence in national spaces. Educational materials are being developed alongside a recording project to teach the meaning of the lyrics in this language.
• September 2025: Instruction in this language is included in the Indigenous Studies Program – Certificate II at Kenjgewin Teg.
• October 2025: Isaac Murdoch announced that he is preparing to release a new animation produced in this language.
• November 2025: The book This is my Treaty was published in this language to support early childhood learners.
• January 2026: The game When Rivers Were Trails embeds this language to provide players with a basic vocabulary. The game includes translations for terms such as Niiji to help players learn the language.
• February 2026: The Waasakwa Children's Centre focuses on the revival and delivery of this language to young children. Educators at the centre use the Chameleon Reader to build their confidence in teaching the language.
• March 2026: Anishinaabemowin is taught to young students at Dokis First Nation as part of cultural revitalization efforts. Nathalie Wajashk-Restoule advocates for the restoration of the language to build pride and identity.
• June 2026: Barbara Nolan has worked for decades as an immersion instructor and curriculum developer to preserve this language. Educational videos have been created and shared on YouTube to make learning this language accessible to children and teachers.
• June 2026: A five-day immersive program in the language was a key component of the 7th Annual Culture Camp. Participants at the camp were encouraged to speak only this language during the event.
• July 2026: Tony DePerry conducts Sunrise Ceremonies and tells legends in this language before translating them into English. It was the primary language used by Tony DePerry and his grandfather while living on the land.
• July 2026: Nathalie Wajashk-Restoule uses social media and self-authored children's books to teach this language. The language is the focus of revitalization efforts in Dokis First Nation, where fluent speakers are scarce.
• August 2026: The language is central to the identity of Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory and is the focus of intensive revitalization efforts. An online dictionary has been created by Elders to document the language and develop new words for the modern world. Immersion programs in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory teach the language to children from birth to age seven.
• September 2026: The Anishinaabe Keeshigun gathering included a scavenger hunt designed to help participants learn vocabulary in the language. James Wilkinson highlighted the importance of the language during cultural demonstrations in Thunder Bay.
• September 2026: The language is also referred to as Ojibwe or Nishnaabemwin depending on the dialect and vowel stress. Revitalization efforts for the Nipissing dialect include the creation of a grammar book and an online dictionary.