Stories and Teachings from the Earth: Omaa Nindaa: "I Live Here"
- zhaawano
- Sep 20
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 9
Waagaabagaa-giizis/Waatebagaa-giizis (Leaves Turning Moon)/Mandaamin-giizis (Corn Moon)/Manoominike-giizis (Ricing Moon); September 20, 2025
This post includes phonetic transcriptions and audio recordings of the Ojibwe words
Boozhoo, aaniin, gakina awiya! Biindigeg miinawaa! Greetings & welcome back, everyone!
Today's post, the 30th episode of the "Stories and Teachings from the Earth" series, explores the verbs "ayaa" and "daa," meaning "to be in a certain place" and "to dwell somewhere," respectively. This is shared through a personal anecdote that holds special meaning for me. As part of our Nisidotam Language lessons program ("Learning Ojibwe Through Sounds"), the story's verbs and their different forms are provided with phonetic script and audio recordings.
Omaa nindayaa—I am here [oh-MAH nin-da-YAH]
Omaa nindaa—I live here [oh-MAH nin-DAH]
Nigiiwe—I return home [nee-geeh-weh]
The Anishinaabe verb "onjibaa" means "to originate from a specific place." Nindoonjibaa (or indoonjibaa or nidoonjibaa) translates to "I originate from a specific place." The components of the word are ond- (indicating origin or reason) and -baa (a suffix meaning "come"). Onjibaayaan, commonly translated as "place," can also imply the location of one's birth or the origin of one's spirit.
Onjibaa—s/he originates from a specific place [un-djih-BAH]
Nindoonjibaa—I originate from a specific place [nind-ooh-djih-BAH]
Onjibaayaan—place of a person's origin; place where a person's spirit originates [un-djih-bah-YAHN]
What could that possibly mean—a place where a person's spirit originates?
Let's delve into that further. However, let me start by sharing a brief story with you.
In the summer of 2015, my ex-partner Simone and I spent a week at Endaa-aang, a beautiful Ojibwe-operated campsite located on the shores of Michigiing (West Bay; pronounced "shih-KEEHNG"), Manitoulin Island. A friendly young woman from M'Chigeeng Nation who worked at the store there gifted me this 2.3622 x 2.3622' asiniins (pebble; pronounced a-sin-NEES) from the lake, which she had painted by hand with a memengwaa (butterfly; pronounced may-mayn-GWAH).
The camping's name, "At Our Home," is perfectly chosen; we've rarely felt more at home than we did there. It's genuinely a place where both the heart and spirit feel at home. So, now, 10 years later, whenever I look at that pretty stone with the butterfly painted on it, I feel at home.
Endaayaan, inde': My home, my heart.
"Home is where my heart is."
Omaa nindayaa [oh-MAH nin-da-YAH] is how you say "I am here." The verb "ayaa" means "she or he is in a certain place." Nindayaa omaa [nin-da-YAH oh-MAH] is also a way to say "I am here."
Ayaa describes a passive state of someone's existence and is often temporary.
When you want to say that someone dwells somewhere, you use the verb "daa" [dah]: "she or he dwells somewhere." Besho omaa daawag [peh-shoh oh-mah-dah-wuck] means "they live close by."
besho = close by
omaa = here
daawag = they live
To express that you currently reside on the Turtle Mountains reservation, you can say "Omaa dash Mikinaakwajiwing noongom nindaa."
omaa = here [oh-MAH]
dash = so, and, too, also [dush]
Mikinaakwajiwing = Place of the Turtle Mountains [mihk-kih-NAHK-kwa-CHEENG]
noongom = today, nowadays [noon-GOHM]
nindaa - I live (in some place) [nin-DAH]]
To sum up, let's take a closer look at the verb "daa" and explore its use a bit:
endaa aang (endaayaang) means "our place" or "at our home." It is a participle of the verb daa [dah] (dwells somewhere):
endaayaan—at my home [in-dah-YAHN]
Or: [een tie yawn] *
endaayan—at your (singular) home [in-DAH-yun]
Or: [een tie yun]*
endaad—at her/his home [in-DAHD]
Or: [een tutt] *
endaayaang—at our home (only mine and yours, excluding others) [in-dah-YAHNG-k]
Or: [een tie yawng] *
endaayang—at our home (mine and your and everyone else's) [in-dah-YUNG-k]
Or: [een tie yeeng] *
endaayeg—at your (plural) home [in-dah-YEHG]
Or: [een tie yake] *
endaawaad—at their home [in-dah-WAHD]
Or: [een tuh wought / een tie yah wought] *
* as articulated and phonetically transcribed by an Elder from Mikinaakwajiwing/Turtle Mountain reservation.
For additional information on pronunciation, visit the website: Ojibwe spelling and phonology.
Now, having explored the Ojibwe terms for feeling or being at home, let's take this story a level deeper by looking into the meaning of the Ojibwe term for "going home."
After all, isn't that the essence? To be at home, one must first go there, naayanh?
For the Anishinaabeg, home, in a philosophical and spiritual sense, is in the north. Similarly, the north is regarded as home in a philosophical and spiritual sense—and even in a political sense.
Let's begin by examining the concept of homecoming from a linguistic perspective.
Giiwekiiwin: "returning home." [geeh-weh-kee-win]
Giiwekiibiiyaang: "We return home." [geeh-weh-kee-bee-yawng]
When you break down giiwekiiwin, you get:
giiwe = return, go home
-aky- = land, moss; appears with medial /-e/ as -akii-
-win = a nominalizer (noun forming final)
Giiwedinong: "from, in, or to the north." [geeh-weh-tin-ong-k]
When you break down giiwedinong, you get
giiwe = return, go home (intransitive verb that indicates an active state of aliveness, commonly referred to as animate)
/d/ transforms the verb from bimaadizi (indicating an active state of aliveness) to bimaadad (indicating a passive state of aliveness, commonly but mistakenly referred to as inanimate)
/in/ (/iwin/) = a nominalizer (converting a verb into a noun)
/-ong/ = in, at, to (locative form)
Thus, giiwedinong is the locative form of the noun "giiwedin," which refers to both the north and the north wind. Giiwedin-anang, or giiwedinang, is used to refer to Polaris, the North Star. As a result, "giiwedin" is frequently interpreted as the "coming home wind," and giiwedinang is often translated as the "coming home star." But why is the north, associated with the north wind and the North Star, considered home?
The concept of Giiwekiiwin, is rooted in the principles of Anishinaabe-inaadiziwin (Anishinaabe way of being). These principles, bestowed upon us by the spirits, have evolved over generations, resulting in a rich collection of dibaajimowinan (true life stories or chronicles based on firsthand experiences); aadizookaanan (sacred stories); Anishinaabemowin (language as a way of life); and anishinaabe-izhitwaawin (our culture, teachings, customs, and history).
Giiwekiiwin, or Giiwekiibiiyaang, "We Return to Our Homeland," signifies the moment of coming back home after an extended journey. Imagine traveling to Waaban (the east), then to Zhaawan (the south) and Ebangishimog (the west), and finally returning to Giiwedin, the north. Now, let's examine "Giiwedin." Notice the "giiwe" part... the North is our home! It is a place of wisdom, where we can rest, share stories, and reflect! It's a time to look back and pass on one's life experiences to the younger generations in a meaningful way.
Let me share with you what it means to me personally.
Whenever I narrate a story, share it, or create jewelry or a painting, I experience a feeling of giiwekiiwin, coming home. By this, I mean I connect with Anishinaabe inaadiziwin [in nah diz zih-win].
Anishinaabe inaadiziwin refers to our shared way of being, which is deeply rooted in our language, our histories, and our ceremonial practices, all anchored in Anishinaabe Aki, the land that the Anishinaabeg peoples have called home for many generations.
In doing this, I am always conscious that Anishinaabemowin, the language, plays a vital role in reclaiming our land and culture. Or, as we might express it today, in "decolonizing" ourselves. Knowing, but more importantly, UNDERSTANDING the language is crucial if we want to "biskaabii" — return — or, even better, "giiwekiiwin"—a return to our homeland. This return to our homeland is intended in a metaphorical sense, not necessarily a literal one. Many Natives live in urban areas, disconnected from their original family ties, and not everyone has land to return to.
In a political sense, giiwekiiwin signifies the idea of cultural revival, opposing colonial domination, and reclaiming Anishinaabe language and culture. In this context, giiwekiiwin (also known as "biskaabiiwin": "A Return to Ourselves") focuses on cultural and economic liberation for Indigenous people, aiming for sovereignty and the right and ability to exercise self-determination. Above all, it emphasizes UNDERSTANDING how our ancestors perceived the world and recognizing that this understanding aids in reclaiming our identity, gaining control over our thoughts and emotions, and, most importantly, attaining the psychological and emotional freedom necessary to achieve mino-bimaadiziwin: Living good, healthy, and upright lives.
Giiwedin endaayaan...the North is my home! In essence, the ideas of endaayaan (my home), giiwekiiwin (the journey of returning home), and giiwedinong (heading northward) offer us emotional peace and, together, help us regain our dignity and self-respect. Equally important, they reignite our sense of hope, belonging, and wonder...
Stories & Teachings from the Earth: Wenabozho and the Teaching of the Thunder Mountain LoonStories & Teachings from the Earth: We All Come From the Same Place
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