Language: Anishinaabay Thoughts
By Eli Baxter
Anishinaabay In-nayn-dum-mo-win-nun
Anishinaabay Thoughts
Boo-zhoo Anishinaabayg
Hello Anishinaabayg
Aa-zhaa meen-na-waa ta-goh-gohn.
Again it is fall.
Bin-na-goh-kee-sis a-go-chin.
The month of shedding leaves is hanging up.
Ta-ni-ta-ka-yaa.
It will get cold.
Anishinaabayg In-nayn-dum-mo-win-nun:
The Original People’s Thoughts:
Kay-goh-nayn-dush ta-wish ay-kee- sha-wa-yayg?
Why is it still hot?
Ay-i-zhi-way-bung ah-goh-cheeng an-chi-say.
The weather outside is changing.
Pah-kit-tin-ni-gay-win-nun Aki ma-manzi-zay.
Laws of the Land are going wrong.
A-zha ningi-zoh mi-kom waa-sug kee-way-ti-nong.
The ice is melting in the far north.
A-moog ni-boh-wug.
The bees are dying.
Ma-ni-jooshug a-ni-a-yaa-wug, way-ti, waa-sug kee-way-ti-nong.
Insects are appearing, over there, in the far north.
Neem-boh mi-ti-goog za-gi-zoh-wug.
Lots of trees are burning.
Aki a-ni-za-gi-tay.
The land will begin to burn.
An-dum a-keeng ween-gay a-ni-az-ka-tay.
Some of the land is getting very dry.
Kaa-ween ki-mi-won-zi-noon.
It doesn’t rain.
An-dum a-keeng ween-gay ki-chi-gi-mi-won.
Some of the land is very rainy.
Zee-beeg monzh-kaam-moon.
The rivers are flooding.
O-tay-naang monzh-kaam.
In towns there is flooding.
An-dum koh-ting kaa-ween a-pih-chi a-yaa-zee koon.
Sometimes there is hardly any snow.
Bi-boon-nong kaa-ween a-pih-chi ta-ka-yaa-zi-noon.
In the winter there is hardly any coldness.
An-dum aki az-ka-tay.
Some of the land is dry.
An-dum aki monzh-kaam.
Some of the land is flooded.
Maam-ma-kaach i-zhi-zay!
A strange thing is happening.
Ay-i-zhi-way-bung a-goh-cheeng an-chi-zay.
The weather outside is changing.
Pih-zaam a-zaa aki ki-zhi-tay.
There is too much heat on the earth.
Ka-wee o-way kee-i-zhi-say-zi-noon waysh-kuch.
This did not happen a long time ago.
Anishinaabayg o-gee-naa-ka-chi-toon-na-waa aki.
Anishinaabayg looked after the earth.
Anishinaabayg o-gee-naa-ka-chi-toon-na-waa ni-bi.
Anishinaabayg looked after the water.
Ki-ta-yaa-min Anishinaabay Pah-kit-tin-ni-gay-win-nun Aki.
We have the Anishinaabay Laws of the Land.
A-tay-won Pah-kit-tin-ni-gay-win-nun Aki been-dig Anishinaabaymo-win-ning.
The Anishinaabay Laws of the Land are in the Anishinaabay language.
Ka-ween ah-pah-chi-too-yung Anishinaabay-mo-win ka-ween ki-kayn-da-zee-min Anishinaabay Pah-kit-tin-ni-gay-win-nun.
If we don’t use the Anishinaabay language we won’t know the Anishinaabay Laws.
Meen-na-wa ah-pah-chi-to-taa Anishinaabay Pah-kit-tin-ni-gay-win-nun.
Again let us use Anishinaabay Laws.
Meen-na-wa aki ta-mino-bi-tay.
Again the earth will run smoothly.
A-tay ki-kayn-da-so-win chi a-bah-chi-to-yung ish-ko-tay aki chi za-ki-tayg ay-ta zee-gohn-nong.
There is the knowledge to use fire on the land to burn only in the spring.
Ka-ween ay-a-bah-chi-to-yung Anishinaabay-mo-win ka-ween ki-kayn-da-zee-min ki-chi-a-yaag Anishinaabayg ka-ki-kayn-dum-mo-wach ka-ki-na kay-goon chi a-yaa-yung mino-bi-ma-ti-zi-win.
When we no longer use the Anishinaabay language we no longer know the elder Anishinaabay knowledge that they have so that we can have everything of the good life.
Anishinaabay ki-kayn-da-so-win ta-wish ki-ta-yaa-min.
We still have Anishinaabay knowledge.
Ka-ween ah-pah-chi-to-yung Anishinaabay ki-kayn-da-so-win-nun mee-way ka-manzi-zay-min.
When we don’t use the Anishinaabay knowledge we will have problems.
A-zha manzi-zay-win a-ni-ta-goh-zay.
The problem is arriving.
Ween-gay ki-ta-yaa-min manzi-gee-zhi-gun.
We have really bad weather.
A-zha ki-won-i-to-min ayn-dum mash-ka-ki pah-ta-gih-chee-gun-nung.
We now are losing some medicine plants.
A-wi-yaa-shee-shug kay-ween-na-waa an-dum a-ni-maa-chaa-wug.
The animals themselves some of them are leaving.
Meen-na-wa noh-chi-to-taa Anishinaabay i-zhi-chi-gay-win chi-ki-kayn-da-mung
a-neen-ma-yaam chi to-ta-mung chi-mino-sayg aki.
Again we need to use Anishinaabay culture to know exactly what needs to be done to have healing on the earth.
A-mee-way bin-na-maa.
That is all for now.
A-say-ma a-shi a-keeng.
Put tobacco on the land.
Meen-na-wa a-pee.
Later again.
Eli Baxter
Anishinaabay Ka-ki-noh-ma-gay-win-i-ni.