Ka-i-zhi-taa-waach Ka-ki-no-maa-gay-wi-ga-mi-goon – Residential Schools

Nin-gee-i-zha Pelican Ka-i-zhi-taa-waach Ka-ki-no-maa-gay-wi-ga-mi-goong.

Ni-shee-mayns, ni-say-ay a-ee tush ni-mi-say-sug nin-gee o-taa-pin-ni-go-min ay-ni-pungi-shi-mooch Mee-ni-gee-sis.

Nin-gee-a-yaa-min ni-taa-way-maa-gun-ni-naan-ug  a-kee-kaang way-ti Albany Zee-bee-kaan-ing.

Ni-baa-baam-iban a-ee tush-kay ni-mi-shoo-mis-sayns-gug-iban-eeg gee-pih-baa-booshi-yaan-na-waa  Ki-chi Moo-ko-maan-akee kosh-kway-bi-chi-gay-win-ni-ni-wug ko-chi-way-ti zee-beeng.

 

Pa-gaan no-pi-meeng bi-mi-say-win-nun gee-pi-o-taa-pin-ni-go-min. A-mik. Nin-gik maa-gi-zho kaa-bas-sway-way-ma-gung bi-mis-say-win gee-poon-ee-ma-gun zee-beeng ma-gi-zho zaa-gay-gun-neeng gaa-gee-a-yaa-yaang.

Nin-gee-gon-si-gayn-daa-min chi noon-da-maang ni-tam kaa-noon-da-gong kaa-bee-shaa-ma-gung kaa-bi-mi-say-ma-gung.

 

Pay-pay-shig kaa-bi-mi-say-ma-gung gee-pa-kaan-ni-taa-goon.

A-mik kaa-bi-mi-say-ma-gung gee-pay-zhig-wan-da-gon, nin-gik kaa-bi-mi-say-ma-gung gee-ish-pah-noon-da-gon a-ee tush Norseman ka-i-zi-ni-ka-tayg kee-pah-zway-way-ma-gun kee-in-ni-taa-gon.

 

Nin-gee-ki-kayn-ni-maa-naan-nug ka-ki-na bi-mi-say-win-ni-ni-wug.

Pay-shig nin-gee-i-zhi-ni-ga-naan “Ma-ni-joosh.” Gee-bi-mi-say manzi-way ay-i-zhi-way-bung.

Ni-doo-zis-si-mug a-ee tush-kay ni-mi-shoo-mayns-si-mug  o-gee-i-zhi-ni-kaa-waan pay-zhig bi-mi-say-win-ni-ni way-way-bi-chay-ni aa-nee-sh bi-saam  gee-ka-kit-toh.

Nin-gee-meen-ni-go o-way i-zhi-ni-kaa-zo-win. Ni-waan-nayn-dum kay-go-nayn-dush?

 

Nin-gee-i-zhi-zaa-min kaa-a-ka-sing o-tay-naang Nakina, nin-gee-pooh-si-min

o-taa-baan-ning chi i-zha-yaang  Waa-ni-naa-wa-gaang a-ee tush nin-gee-pih-maa-bi-kin-ni-go-min O-bi-zhi-go-kaang Ka-i-zhi-ta-waach Ka-ki-noh-maa-gay-wi ga-mig.

Nin-gee-a yaa-min way-ti been-nish a-go-ching O-day-min-ni-gee-sis.

Nin-gee-gee-way-min pun-gee ay-ta nin-gee a-yaa-min Anishinaabaymowin ki-kayn-daa-so-win.

 

Ni-baa-baam-i-ban pay-zhi-goh kee-pee-zhaa-bun chi waa-bi-mi-zhi-yaang ay-ni-ba-a-na-may-gee-si-gong.

Ka-ween gee-to-ta-zeen meen-na-wa. Nin-gee ma-wi-min ay-gee-maa-chaa-ch.

Kay-ween-kay.

Ni-maa-maam-i-naan-i-bun ka-ween gee-pee-zha-zee, ween-gay ta-gee-ma-chayn-da-goon maa-chaach ish-poh ma-go-zay-gee-si-gun.

 

Nin-gee-in-naa-naan ni-maa-maam-i-naan-i-bun kee-baa-tish pay-shi-goh

ay-gee-a-yay-yaang kaa-zi-taa-yaang a-neesh ka-ween o-gee-ki-kayn-da-zeen a-way-nayn-ee mi-kom waa-ka-i-gun. Ka-ween aa-bi-chi o-gee-ki-kayn-da-zeen Shaa-gun-naa-shee-mo-win. Gee-ween-da-maa-gay o-way ay-ni-gi-chi-aa-yaa-yaang.

 

Ay-o-taa-min-no-yaang kaa-zo-win a-ee tush mi-kow-wi-zhin kaa-bi-kee-way-waach ni-say-ayns-im a-ee tush-kay ni-mi-sayns-sug ka-ween ma-shi ka-i-zhaa-yaan ka-ki-no-maa-gay-win-ning. Ka-ween nin-gee-ni-ta-a-gin-da-so-zee mi-daaswi Shaa-gun-naa-shee-mo-win. Ni-baa-baam-i-bun gee-a-gin-da-so. Nin-gee-i-kit ni-wee-an-da-waan-daan chi i-zhaa-yaan ka-ki-no-maa-tee-wi-gam-i-gong. Pa-gaan nin-gee-in-naa-tis.

 

A-mee-way pin-ni-maa. Paan-na-maa a-pee.

Eli Baxter

Anishinaabay Inini

 

Residential Schools

 

I went to the Pelican residential school in Lac Seul Ontario, north of Sioux Lookout.

With my brothers and sisters we were picked up in late August. We were in our ancestral lands along the Albany River. My dad and uncles would be guiding American fishermen somewhere along the river.

There would be a few types of bush planes that would pick us up. There would the beaver, an otter or the Norseman passenger plane would land on the river or lake where we would be. We would anticipate with dread the first faint sound of the approaching plane. Each plane had their distinct sound. The beaver would have a monotonous sound, the otter had a higher pitch sound and the Norseman had that deep rumbling sound.

We knew all of the bush pilots. One of them we called “The Insect.” He flew in any weather. My aunts and uncles named one pilot flapping jaw because he talked to them all the time. They gave me that name, after him. I wonder why?

We would fly to the small town of Nakina, get on a train to Sioux Lookout and then be driven to Pelican Residential School. We would stay there until next June. We would go home with a little less knowledge of the Anishinaabay language.

Our dad came to see us once at Christmas. He didn’t do that again. We cried when he left. He did too. Our mom couldn’t come, it would have been too sad to leave after the holiday.

We called our mom stupid once when we got home because she didn’t know the meaning for igloo. She hardly knew English. She told us about this when we were adults.

We would play hide and seek when my older brother and sisters came back before I went to school. I couldn’t count to ten in English. My dad counted for me. I demanded that I wanted to go to school. I was strange.

That is all for now. Later

Eli Baxter

Anishinaabay Inini