Stories and Teachings from the Earth, part 26: Zaagi' - The Outward Nature of Love

zhaawano
May 17
9 min read

Updated: Aug 15

Waawaaskone-giizis (Flower Moon) - May 17, 2025

This blog post features audio recordings with pronunciations of Ojibwe words!

Miikana ("The Trail") painting by Zhaawano Giizhik

The teaching of "Love" is an essential virtue in Anishinaabe culture. A very old word for love is zhawenim, a verb our ancestors used to express the act of unconditionally loving someone, or having compassion for someone, or pitying someone. The literal translation of zhawenim is "pity someone in thought." The derived noun is zhawenindiwin, signifying mutual compassion, appreciation, loving-kindness, or unconditional love. Then there is the verb zaagi', which also means love someone, or treasure someone, or be attached to someone; literally: make someone put out. Zaagi', or the noun zaagi'iwewin, suggests a physical act rather than thinking of someone in a purely affectionate way, while zhawenim, or gi-zhawenimin ("I love you, I care for you") suggests a think-sense-feel act. Put differently, in the past, before the arrival of European invaders, the terms zaagi'/zaagi'iwewin/gi-zaagi'in referred to a physical act (like making love/having sex) rather than simply feeling affection for someone. However, over time, this distinction faded, and for many Anishinaabeg, the term zaagi' came to mean "love" in the most comprehensive sense.

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Pronunciation of the verb zhawenim (show loving-kindness, unconditional love for someone; have mercy, compassion for someone) [zhah-WEH-nim]

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Pronunciation of the noun zhawenindiwin (loving-kindness, mutual compassion, unconditional love) [zhaw-wayn-nin-dih-win]

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Pronunciation of gi-zhawenimin ("I love you, I care for you") [geeh-zhaw-wayn-nih-min]

To summarize:

Zhawenim means to love, pity, or have compassion for someone; it literally translates to having pity or blessing someone in thought. It is an act that involves thinking, sensing, and feeling.
Zaagi' signifies loving or treasuring someone; it literally means to make someone put out. This is a physical action. In contemporary usage, "zhawenim" and "zaagi'" are frequently used interchangeably to convey love, affection, or compassion for someone.

Let's explore the term "zaagi'" in more depth, concentrating on its spiritual importance—what does it really mean to love someone sincerely?

Let's begin by hearing the pronunciation of the word zaagi' and its related verbs. Some of the pronunciations provided by the author, both in written form and audio, are complemented by alternative pronunciations from Ojibwe Elder Jessie Cree from Mikinaakwajiwing (Turtle Mountains, North Dakota).

It is crucial to understand that the Ojibwe words in the text might not be recognized by someone from Mikinaakwajiwing. The provided pronunciations reflect how a word would sound when spoken by a person from that specific region.

Visit the website to view both spelling charts.

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Pronunciation of the verb zaagi' (love someone) [SAH-gih-h]

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Alternative (Mikinaakwajiwing/Turtle Mountains) pronunciation of the verb zaagi' (love someone) [suh GEE]

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Pronunciation of zaagi'iwe (s/he loves someone, loves people) [zah-ghee-IH-weh]

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Alternative (Mikinaakwajiwing/Turtle Mountains) pronunciation of zaagi'iwe (s/he loves someone, loves people [sug gah EE iway]

Now, let's begin by examining nizhwaaso-gikinaamaagewinan, the Seven Sacred Teachings, which serve as the cornerstone of traditional Anishinaabe spiritual practice. Also known as Grandfather or Grandmother Teachings, these lessons have been transmitted orally by elders over the centuries. Instead of being strict rules, they are guidelines or principles of character that every Anishinaabe should follow.

Nibwaakaawin (Wisdom)
Zaagi'idiwin (Zhawenjigewin) (Love)
Manaadenindiwin (Manaaji'idiwin, Gichi-inendamowin) (Respect, or Honor)
Zoongide'ewin (Aakode'ewin, Mangide'ewin) (Bravery, or Courage)
Gwayakwaadiziwin (Gwayako-bimaadiziwin) (Honesty)
Dabaadendiziwin (Dabasenimowin) (Humility)
Debwewin (Truth)

Zaagi'idiwin, which translates to Mutual Love, is the second of the Seven Grandmother/Grandfather Teachings. Zaagi’idiwin is a noun derived from the verb "zaagi'," "to love him/her." (Zaagi'idi means “to love each other; "idi" expresses reciprocity.)

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Pronunciation of the noun zaagi'idiwin (mutual love) [zah-ghee-ih-dih-win]

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Alternative (Mikinaakwajiwing/Turtle Mountains) pronunciation of zaagi'iidiwin (mutual love) [suh gee'EE tee win]

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Pronunciations of gi-zaagi'in ("I love you") [ghee-zah-ghee-IN] (Minnesota dialect)/ [kee zuh gee'in] (Mikinaakwajiwing/Turtle Mountains dialect)

"Lovers' Dance" painting by Zhaawano Giizhik

From a spiritual Anishinaabe perspective, true love is felt by understanding and loving GICHI-MANIDOO—the Great Mystery—whose breath is seen as the origin of human life. The ancestral Teachings impart that by seeking love deep within ourselves, we can genuinely and unconditionally love the Great Mystery. In turn, by loving the Great Mystery without conditions, we learn to love ourselves and, consequently, others.

Look within yourself for Love.
Love yourself, and then love others.
You cannot love another until you first
learn to love yourself.
You must understand and live the other
six Teachings before you can love.*

This idea, emphasizing the sacred essence of love, suggests that the phrases "gi-zaagi'in" and gi-zhawenimin," meaning "I love you, I care for you," should never be used casually or impulsively. It must be heartfelt, or it should not be said at all!

Up to this point, we have examined the concept of love from both a spiritual and moral perspective. Now, let's explore further into the linguistic aspects of the words "zaagi'," "zaagi'iwe," and "zaagi'idiwin." This is where it gets really intriguing!

The teaching mentioned above, which suggests that to discover true love we must search deeply within ourselves, might imply that love is an internal action. However, the literal meanings of "zaagi'iwe'" and "zaagi'idiwin" indicate otherwise.

It's important to understand that Anishinaabemowin, our language, is a verb action-based language. But action is not only conveyed through verbs; nouns, which in our language are typically derivatives of verbs, are also action-oriented. For the Anishinaabe, love is not based on an “inward feeling” but rather on an “outward action.” In other words, the act of zaagi'/zaagi'iwe is intended to be demonstrated outwardly.

Various natural phenomena illustrate this outward action. For example, the Anishinaabe word for spring is ziigwan, which literally means "pouring." Spring is the time when new life emerges from the earth as seeds of flowers and trees. When you analyze "ziigwan," you'll discover that the morpheme /ziigw/ signifies "dump, pour"; «ziigo» /ziigw-iw/ means "s/he is a pouring" while «ziigwe» /ziigw-a-iw/ means "s/he has a pouring." Thus, the derived term «ziigwan» means "(time of) pouring," which signifies "spring." Like "ziigwan," the term "zaagi" also implies a pouring quality—or emotion, if you prefer. Both ziigwan and zaagi convey an outward action of love pouring!

Today, though, humanity has increasingly moved away from nature. We've turned love into a self-focused activity, centering on our own needs and desires... I love money, I love food, I love pleasure, and so forth. We seek immediate gratification. Instead, we should adopt the selfless, outward nature of love that our language conveys, sharing our love with others, our family, and all the creatures of the earth, water, and sky. Here are some additional examples of the outward nature of zaagi', directly inspired by nature:

Zaagibagaa—leaves bud [zah-GIH-ba-GAH]