Teachings From the Language Tree, part 4: When Our Eyes Still Saw Spirit

zhaawano
47 minutes ago
13 min read

This article contains phonetic transcriptions of Ojibwe words. Refer to the phonetic chart at the end of this page for pronunciation guidance!

"Manidoo-waabiwag - They See in a Spiritual Way" Painting by Zhaawano Giizhik

"If only our eyes saw spirit instead of matter, essence instead of appearance. How different would we view the world. How different our ideals of beauty and humanity would be." — Zhaawano Giizhik

Boozhoo!

When Europeans arrived on Turtle Island and renamed it America, our ancestors had been its stewards for countless generations. They had a fundamentally different perspective on the land and life overall. The newcomers have so deeply ignored their spirits, cultures, and worldview that these aspects have been nearly erased from the awareness and consciousness of the dominant society.

As an artist and writer/storyteller, I consider it my task to help revive my ancestors' cultural heritage and the worldview of Turtle Island, no matter what it takes.

Our voices aren't broken yet, and our eyes still see. It is time we give our ancestors their spirit back. But how do we do this?

It starts with gidinwewiinaan — our language.

Let's delve into the language and focus on a few terms that have transformed our perspective of the world.

THERE WAS NO WORD FOR "SACRED" IN OUR LANGUAGE

Prior to European contact, the language of the Ojibwe Anishinaabeg was still full of meaning and spirit. Although it was a highly spiritual language, it did not have a term for "sacredness" or "holiness." The word "gitchitwaa" [gih-chee-TWAH] is a relatively new term, a neologism introduced after contact to help Christian Ojibweg describe something as sacred, meaning "s/he makes something sacred or holy." It possibly originates from the verb gichitoon, which means "s/he makes something great." It may also be a combination of gichi ("great") and izhitwaa ("living one's culture in a specific way" or "practicing a religion").

Regardless of its origins, the term "gitchitwaa" is considered foreign as it attempts to express the non-Anishinaabe idea of "making things holy." In Anishinaabe culture, the idea of "sacredness" is innate, with no necessity to make something sacred, as things are inherently sacred. Sacredness is a core element of Anishinaabe izhitwaawin (tradition)! In European Christian thought, on the other hand, "holy" implies that creatures, natural phenomena, and objects are not inherently sacred but can only be made sacred by the Church. This illustrates a crucial difference between European Christianity and Anishinaabe (Indigenous) spirituality.

"We lacked the words to describe holiness, sacredness, and similar concepts. By returning to the source where these concepts are explained, we create art, make clothing, and then perform actions that accompany our beautiful art, expressing our greatest self identity to our Grandfather, the Unknown, as we present our 'sacred' offering. We don't have a specific word for it; our actions hold meaning. Our language is the greatest art form we've created, and it remains so. It becomes intricate and elaborate when an elder tells a story. Thus, our entire life becomes the art of giving and receiving." — Inino (Swampy Cree) Elder Michel Sutherland

"PRAYER" IS A FOREIGN CONCEPT

The European missionaries who arrived uninvited to our territories attempted to eradicate the Wenabozho within us and replace it with foreign ideas such as "religion," "Creator," "Great Spirit" ("Gichi-manidoo"), "holiness" ("gitchitwaa"), and "prayer" ("anami'ewin"). Over time, these and other Christian-influenced concepts became widespread among Indigenous Peoples across the continent. Today, many Native Peoples pray to a Christian God, while others pray to a spiritual life force often referred to as "Creator" (or "Great Spirit").

The concepts of "pray" and "prayer" are fundamentally Christian. Similarly, there are no Ojibwe words that are equivalent to the English term "religion." In Ojibwemowin, there is no word for prayer except for post-contact neologisms that indicate Christian influences, often associated with ideas like "(Sun)day," "asking for," or "begging for."

The most frequently used translation for “pray” is anama'aa or anamitaagozi. The root of the verb anama'aa (or anamitaagozi) is anami, which translates to “mumble.” The gerund form of anami is anami'ewin, meaning “mumbling.” You might wonder how anami, originally meaning “mumble,” evolved to mean “pray.” Consequently, how did the Ojibwe word for Sunday, anami'e-giizhigad, come to mean “Mumble Day”? The explanation is both simple and thought-provoking: when our ancestors first heard the missionaries pray, their prayers sounded like mumbling to them…

• anami verb AN(1) (bimaadizi) intransitive : mumble 
• anami'aa verb AN(1) (bimaadizi)intransitive: mumble at one another
• anami'ewin : mumbling

Verbs that demonstrate the significant transition from traditional Ojibwe culture to a Christianized one include andojige (meaning "s/he asks for, requests, orders things"), bagwisendam or bagosenjige, which generally mean "expect," "beg," or "wish," gaganoodamaage ("intercede"), gaagiizimoke ("sermonize"), and nanaandomo ("seek help"). For the Anishinaabe, communicating with the spirit world did not inherently mean pleading for assistance or mercy. It was mainly a reciprocal interaction focused on discovering the sacred within ourselves and the (visible and invisible) world around us, rather than a one-sided appeal to a male deity in heaven for His redeeming grace and glory or pleading for His mercy. Concerns about going to either Heaven or Hell and living in fear of Fire and Brimstone were not issues our ancestors worried about before the Europeans arrived on their land.

Summarizing:

Prayer in a Christian sense:  
mumbling (anami'ewin)
asking for things (andojigewin)
begging for things (bagosenjigewin)
interceding (gaganoodamaagewin)
sermonizing (gaagiizimokewin)
seeking help (nanaandomowin)
                                        
“To pray” in an Ojibwe sense:
talk to spirit (gaganoozh manidoo)
speak with spirit (biindaakoozh manidoo)
make/gather spiritual power to conduct a ceremony (manidooke)
offer spirit a prayer with use of smoke (zagaswem manidoo)
offer a smoke of tobacco to spirit (zagaswe’ manidoo)
make an offering of tobacco (biindaakoojige)

And to label Indigenous spirituality as a "religion?"

Gaawesa, no way! In the past, there was no religion. We had a belief system, not a religion. Gigiinanda-gikendaamin mashkiki miinawaa anang nibwaakaawin, nahaaw: what we pursued was understanding the earth's medicine and the wisdom of the stars. That’s not religion, that’s spirituality.

Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are all religions. Each of these religions embraces the belief in a monotheistic creator deity. The Anishinaabe ideas of Gichi-manidoo (the Great Spirit), Gizhe-manidoo (the Benevolent Spirit), and Gichidebenjiged ("Creator, literally: Great One Who Rules)" are considered neologisms. These concepts are essentially modern and reflect a male-dominant perspective, aligning with the patriarchal, monotheistic god concept typical of the aforementioned world religions.

A DIFFERENT VIEW ON GENDER

It's essential to realize that the Judeo/Christian concept of God nearly erased the traditional Anishinaabe understanding of gender fluidity. This is particularly evident in Anishinaabe stories about Wenabozho, the most renowned aadizookaan (sacred-story protagonist) and trickster hero. In the pre-Christian era, Wenabozho's gender identity frequently shifted based on the story being told. Being a shapeshifter, Wenabozho's character was also androgynous. Although most (oral) stories depicted Wenabozho as male, the gender identity varied with the narrative, and it wasn't uncommon for Wenabozho to exhibit feminine traits depending on the context. In contemporary (written) storytelling, however, Wenabozho is still depicted as a shapeshifter but is rarely described using she/her pronouns.

"In the traditional view, the higher power wasn’t a great spirit or a creator; it was bimaadiziwin, life itself."

There is also the shift from a gender-neutral “spirit” to a male “god” or “creator.” The supreme force in post-contact Ojibwe spiritual life, Gichi-manidoo (“the Great Spirit, the Sum of all Spirit”), now often referred to as the “Creator” by the majority of Native Peoples, represents a blend of traditional Indigenous beliefs with those introduced by missionaries promoting Christianity. Prior to contact with the Mooniyaag (Europeans), there was only bimaadiziwin, life in its broadest sense, and manidoo, which can mean both spirit and mystery, a neutral, genderless quality present in all aspects of life.

The ancestors understood that everything in life and nature contained manidoo (a spirit essence). In the traditional view, the higher power wasn’t a great spirit or a creator; it was bimaadiziwin, life itself. All beings and creatures had this bimaadiziwin and manidoo. The Universe was filled with manidoowiwin (life's spirit-character), which was neutral and genderless. Instead of a male God-like spirit or “creator” overseeing the world, bimaadiziwin and bimaadiziwin manidoowiwin were perceived as a cosmic source of sacred power permeating and animating all beings, whether corporeal (natural) or incorporeal (supernatural).

"In manidookewin, ceremony, the words we use are never more important than the intentions in our hearts."

This post is intended not as criticism, but as an observation to raise awareness. It is simply something to consider. Personally, I find Gichi-manidoo to be a beautiful and entirely acceptable neologism since it refers to the totality of Mystery in the Universe. I never use Gizhe-manidoo (the Benevolent Spirit), but I see nothing wrong with it. I would not readily use "Creator" (or Gichidebenjiged, "Great One Who Rules") because of its Christian connotation of a monotheistic god concept. If I had to name "it," I tend to use the term E-miziweshkaag: "One That Sits Everywhere." Or Gaa-miziweshkaag, depending on your dialect and community. It is an omnipresent, genderless spirit essence that permeates and animates everything in the waawiyekamig, or "Round Earth" – as we call the Universe.

These are just a few examples of how language, the words we choose, shapes our perspective. Words do matter, especially when we aim to recognize the impact of 400 years of Western colonization on our original cultures and beliefs. Decolonization begins with language! However, when it comes to communicating with the spirit world, I want to stress that there is no right or wrong method, as long as our intentions are good. "Prayer" is a profoundly personal way to connect with the ancestors and the manidoog present, meaning there are no incorrect words or expressions. In manidookewin, the words we use are never more important than the intentions in our hearts.

Miigwech gibizindaw, thank you for listening.

PRONUNCIATION DICTIONARY*

anami'ewin (Christian prayer, literally: "mumbling") [ah-nah-MIH-eh-win]

anamitaagozi (pray in a Christian way) [ah-nah-mih-TAH-goh-zih]

andojige (s/he asks for, requests, orders things) [an-doh-jih-GEH]

bagosenjige (s/he asks; s/he begs; s/he prays) [bag-o-sehn-jih-GEH]

bagwisendam (s/he expects; s/he wishes; s/he prays) [bag-wih-sehn-tam]

bimaadiziwin (life) [bim-MAH-dih-zih-win]

biindaakoojige (s/he speaks; s/he makes an offering of tobacco) [been-dah-KOOJ-ih-GEH]

biindaakoozh manidoo (speak with spirit; offer tobacco to the spirits) [been-dah-KOOZH mah-nih-TU]

boozhoo (greetings, hello) [booh-ZHOOH / POOH-shooh]

E-miziweshkaag, Gaa-miziweshkaag ("One That Sits Everywhere" [eigh-mihz-zih-weh-shkaag / gah-mihz-zih-weh-shkaag]

gaagiizimoke (sermon) [gah-geez-zim-mo-KEH]

gaawesa (no way!) [gah-weh-SA]

gaganoodamaage (intercede; pray for a thing or someone repeatedly) [gah-gah-nooh-da-mah-geh]

gaganoozh manidoo (have a conversation with spirit) [gah-gah-NOOZH mah-nih-TU]

gichi- (great-) [gih-chee]

Gichidebenjiged (great one who rules) [gih-chee-deh-behn-jih-gehd]

Gichi-Manidoo (great spirit; great mystery) [gih-chee-mah-nih-TU]

gichitoon (s/he makes something great) [gih-chee-TOOHN]

gitchitwaa (s/he makes something sacred or holy) [gih-chee-TWAH]

Gizhe-manidoo (kind spirit; God; Jesus) [gih-ZHEH-mah-nih-TU]

izhitwaa (s/he has a certain spiritual belief, practices a certain religion; s/he has such a culture, leads such a way of life) [ih-zhih-TWAH]

izhitwaawin (custom, a certain way of belief, a religion, a culture) [ih-zhih-TWAH-win]

manidoo (spirit) [mah-nih-TU] / mah-nih-DO]

manidooke (s/he has spiritual power, conducts a ceremony)[mah-nih-tu-KEH]

manidookewin (ceremony) [mah-nih-tu-KEH-win]

Manidoo-waabiwag (they see in a spiritual way) [mah-nih-tu-WAH-bih-wuck]

manidoowiwin (spiritual quality; life's spirit-character) [mah-nih-TU-wih-win]

miigwech gibizindaw (thank you for listening) [mee-GWECH gih-bih-zin-DAW]

Mooniyaag (white men; Canadians; Europeans) [mooh-nih-yahg]

nanaandomowin (seeking help, seeking healing, seeking treatment) [nah-NAHN-doh-moh-win]

waawiyekamig ("round earth"; the Universe) [wah-wih-yehk-kah-mick]

Wenabozho [weh-na-poosh-sho]

zagaswem manidoo (offer spirit a prayer with use of smoke) [zah-gas-WEHM mah-nih-TU]

zagaswe’ manidoo (offer a smoke of tobacco to spirit) [[zah-gas-WEH' mah-nih-TU]

*This phonetic dictionary employs the Fiero double vowel system for spelling, with phonetic pronunciations based on Phonetic Writing Chart #1. For details, see: NISIDOTAM SPELLING & PHONETIC CHARTS OF THE OJIBWE LANGUAGE.

See Phonetic Writing Chart #1 below: a non-standardized, general "folk-phonetics" method using brackets, which partially depends on English phonology but does not follow the IPA standard. * Words are enclosed in brackets, with individual syllables and/or morphs separated by hyphens.

"a" related sounds:

a before consonants, the "y" sound, and a glottal stop (') sound - a short, distinct, straightforward "a", akin to the "a" in British English "fashion." Examples: izhinam, "s/he has a certain dream or vision, thinks s/he sees something a certain way ([ih-zhih-NAM]). Ayaa, "s/he is in a certain state or a certain place or moves a certain way" ([a-YAH]). Nisawa'igan, "tipi" ([nih-sa-wa-IH-gun])

-a at the end of a word: the "a" is a distinct, straightforward "a" and resembles the "a" in English "blah." Example: MEEH-ka-NA (path, road, trail) - corresponding with Fiero "miikana"

ah before consonants - resembling the long "a" sound in "Khan" of Genghis Khan. Example: [aw-dih-zo-kahn] - Corresponding with Fiero "aadizookaan" (sacred story; nonhuman protagonist of a sacred story).

-wah - the "ah" in "wah" has a long, distinct, straightforward "a" sound. Example: mee-nah-WAH - Corresponds with Fiero ""miinawaa" (also; and; again)
chahg - "aw" has a long, distinct, straightforward "a" sound. Example: [(nin)-jih-CHAHG] (my spirit, my soul) - corresponding with Fiero "ninjichaag"

aw before consonants - resembling the "aw" sound in English "saw"

bay - resembling "ie" in English "pie" Example: [gee-BAY] (ghost; spirit) - corresponding with Fiero "jiibay"

gun - the "u" is similar to the "u" in "gun" - corresponding with "gan" in Fiero spelling

nun - the "u" is similar to the "u" in English "nun" - corresponding with "nan" in Fiero spelling

shun - the "u" is similar to the "u" in English "nun" - corresponding with "shan" in Fiero spelling

aw - similar to the “a” sound in English "dawn" but longer in duration

wah - the "ah" is pronounced like the extended “a” sound in the English word "pecan" - corresponding with "aa" in Fiero. Example: bawaagan [bah-WAAH-gun] - Guardian Spirit Animal; sacred pipe

uck - similar to the "uck" sound in English "luck" - corresponding with "ak" and "ag" in Fiero spelling

ock - similar to the "ag" sound in English "bag" but pronounced longer - corresponding with "aak" in Fiero spelling

wuck - similar to the "uck" sound in English "luck" - corresponding with "wag" in Fiero spelling

knock - resembling the "awk" sound in English "hawk" but pronounced longer - corresponding with "naak" in Fiero spelling. Example: mikinaak [mih-kih-knock] (snapping turtle)

"e" related sounds:

eh - like the “e” sound in English "bet"

beh/deh/geh/keh/meh/neh/seh/teh/weh/yeh - a straight "e" sound similar to the "ba" in English "baby." Examples: [ah-nih-shih-nah-BEH] - corresponding with "Anishinaabe" in Fiero script; [gih-gun-a-wish-koht-da-WEHM] (You (plural) tend the fire) - corresponding with "giganawishkodawem" in Fiero script
eh' - the "e" has a straight "e" sound similar to "ba" in English "baby"; (') indicates a glottal stop. Example: o-deh'-ih-mah (heart) - corresponding with "ode'imaa" in Fiero script
kehd - a straight "e" sound similar to the "ba" in English "baby." Example: [beh-boon-ih-kehd] - corresponding with "Bebooniked" in Fiero script

eigh - similar to the "eigh" sound in English "height"

wake - similar to English "wake" - corresponding with "weg" in Fiero script

nay - the "ay" sound is similar to the "ay" in English "bay"; corresponding with "ne" in Fiero "Binesi" (Thunderbird)

gwaytch - the "ay" is similar to the “ay” in English "bay"; corresponding with "gwech" in Fiero script
mayne - the "ay" sound is similar to the "ay" in English "bay"; corresponding with "e" in Fiero script
daym/wayn - the "ay" sounds are similar to the "ay" in English "bay"; corresponding with "e" in Fiero script
way/wayn/yay - similar to English "way"; the "ay" corresponds with "e" in Fiero. Example: [zhaw-wayn-nin-dih-win] -"zhawenindiwin" in Fiero script

eñ - the "ñ" in "eñ" is pronounced with a nasal sound, like the "n" in the French word "pain" (bread). Example: [noo-zhis-sheñ] (my grandchild) - corresponding with noozhishehn in Fiero script

"shiñ" is pronounced like the French word "chien" (dog). Example: oozhishenyan [oo-zhis-shiñ-yañ] (her/his grandchild/grandchildren)

"i" related sounds:

ih - similar to the “i” sound in English "bit"

che - similar to "ji" in English "jibberish" - corresponding with "ji" in Fiero

im - similar to the "im" sound in English "rim"

in - similar to the "in" sound in English "win"

ick - similar to the "ick" sound in English "lick" - corresponding with "ig" in Fiero "waawiyekamig" (the Universe)

ew - like the "ew" sound in English "brew"

ee- before consonants: resembling the "ee" sound in English "heed"

gee- is pronounced like English "Je" in "Jezus" - corresponding with Fiero "jii" - Example: jiibay [GEE-beigh] (spirit; soul; ghost)
eeh - like the “ee” sound in English "heed"
mee - like English "me" but pronounced longer
nee - "ee" resembles the "ee" in English "heed"
wee - like English "we"
zee - "ee" resembles the "ee" in English "heed"
chee - [tchee] corresponding with the "chi" sound in Fiero "gichi"

been - the "ee" is similar to the "ee" sound in English "keen" - corresponding with Fiero "biin" (Example:"biindigen" (welcome) [BEEN-dih-kehn])

gee - like the sound "je" in English "Jesus"- corresponding with "jii" in Fiero

geeh - The "g" is a guttural sound, corresponding with "gii" in Fiero

jeeg - the "j" is pronounced like the "j" in "Jesus" - corresponding with "jiig" in Fiero. (Example: "ojiig"(fisher marten) [o-JEEG]

jeeñ - the "j" is pronounced like the "j" in "Jesus" - corresponding with "jiinh" in Fiero. (Example: "abinoojiinh"(child) [a-bih-nooh-JEEÑ]

jih- the "j" is pronounced like the "j" in "Jesus" - corresponding with "ji" in Fiero. (Example: aanikoobijigan (ancestor) [ah-nih-kooh-bih-jih-gun]

keeh - The "k" is similar to "g" but is pronounced slightly harder, corresponding with "gii" in Fiero

neen - corresponding with "niin" in Fiero aaniin (how?; why?; greetings!)

"o" related sounds:

oh - similar to the “o” sound in English "off"

-gong - "ong" is similar to the "ong" sound in English "long." Example: Fiero "giizhigong" (in the sky)
-gonk - "onk" is similar to the "onk" sound in English "honk." Example: Fiero "giizhigong" (in the sky) - as pronounced by, among others, members of Obaashiing (Red Lake, Minnesota)

o- like the “oa” sound in English "load." Example: [oh-do-DAYM] - corresponding with the "oo" in Fiero "odoodem" (his clan)

ooh - like the “oo” sound in English "food"

tu - the "u" sound resembles the "ou" in English "you" - Example: [mah-nih-TU] - corresponding with "doo" in Fiero "manidoo" (spirit; mystery)

bow - like English "bow"- corresponding with "oo" in Fiero

Peculiarities:

eñ - a nasal ending like the sound in the French name "Jean." Corresponding with "nh" in Fiero spelling

"sh" sounds like the "sh" in English show or the “su” in English measure - corresponding with "zh" in Fiero script

Vowel + ñ: The "ñ" indicates a nasalized vowel. Examples: ñ (also written as "aanh" or "a'anh" in Fiero script), ñ (enh in Fiero script), eeñ (iinh in Fiero script), ooñ (oonh in Fiero script).

An apostrophe (') is used to express a glottal stop.

Consonants: generally pronounced similarly to English consonants.

"j" resembles the "j" sound in "Jim."

"dj" in "djaah" resembles the "j" sound in "Jim." Example: [djaah-sah-keed] - corresponding with Fiero "jaasakiid" (shaking tent seer)
"dj" in "djeez" resembles the "j" sound in "Jim" (Example: [djeezhe-kahn] - corresponding with Fiero "jiisakaan" (shaking tent)

A capital letter used for a single letter signifies a brief pause or "apnea," a sound akin to a glottal stop, which nonetheless does not disrupt the continuity of a word or sentence. For example: Ka-na-weE-ish-koh-tE-ih-WE ("S/he tends the fire over there"): the capital letters in "Ka", wE, and tE indicate an apnea (small pause in breathing)).

A syllable entirely written in capital letters means that the syllable is stressed.

For example: [ah-nih-shih-naw-BEH] (Anishinaabe).

* IPA: International Phonetic Alphabet