Teachings from the Language Tree, part 7: Where Is It That You Dwell?
- zhaawano
- Jun 5
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 7
Baashkaabigonii-giizis (Blooming Moon))/Ode’imini-giizis (Strawberry Moon) - June 5, 2026
This post includes a list of Ojibwe words and phrases from the text, accompanied by audio recordings!
Aaniin, boozhoo!
Prior to colonization, which caused many of us to lose connection with our ceremonies and the land, Anishinaabemowin, the Ojibwe language, was a language closely linked to manidoo, the spirit, and aki, the earth. A key concept was akinomaagewin: learning from the land. "Aki" means earth, and "nomaage" means to follow her guidance. To converse with aki, we needed to use the language of manidoog (spirits). The Spirit Hare named Wenabozho gave us this language by naming everything as he/she moved across the land after its recreation.
But where does Wenabozho reside now?
The expressions aaniindi endaayeg, meaning "where is it that you dwell," and nisawayi'iing akiing idash giizhigong, or "between earth and sky," in my blog stories often refer to the intersection where earthly landscapes and spiritual realms meet. These phrases highlight a recurring theme in Anishinaabe cosmology, emphasizing the deep connections between humanity, nature, and the supernatural. “Aaniindi endaayan" (where is it that you dwell) and "aaniindi endaayeg"? (Where is it that you all dwell?)” are questions that invite profound reflections and contemplations on the spiritual realm, traditional landscapes, or the link between physical and celestial worlds: that spiritual dimension where ancestors, clan totems, and the souls of the deceased reside. It is also a question posed by every seeker of answers as they smoke the pipe in supplication to manidoog, the spirits beyond. This even includes Wenabozho, who is himself a manidoo!
Allow me to share a dream I once had about Wenabozho seeking answers. I'll recount parts of it it in Ojibwe and offer a literal English translation.
Naawagaam namadabi Wenabozho. Ona'ishimaan odoopwaaganan imaa ebinid. Ishpiming odinoo'igaagenan odoopwaaganan gaa-gaagiigidod, a'aw Wenabozho. Ogaganoonaan waawiyekamig, odoopwaaganan.
At the middle of the lakeshore Wenabozho sits. He adjusts his pipe that's sitting there. He points the pipe stem toward the sky as he/she addresses the spirits, that Wenabozho. It speaks to the universe, Wenabozho's pipe.
naawagaam = at the middle of a lakeshore [nah-wa-GAHM]
namadabi = (h)she sits [na-ma-da-BIH]
ona'ishimaan = (h)she is adjusting him/her (a thing) [o-na-ish-ih-MAHN]
odoopwaaganan = his/her pipe [ot-doohp-WAH-gun-nun]
imaa = there [ih-MAH]
ebinid = 3d singular changed conjunct of the verb inabi; that sits a certain way [eh-bin-NID]
ishpiming = in the sky [ish-pih-ming-k]
odinoo'igaagenan = his thing that points [ot-dih-nooh-ih-gahg-GEH-ih-nun]
gaa-gaagiigidod = while he/she speaks (prays) [gah-gahg-geeh-gih-DUHT]
a'aw Wenabozho = that Wenabozho over there [a-AW weh-na-BOZH-zho]*
ogaganoonaan = it (he/she) speaks to, addresses [o-ga-ga-nooh-NAHN]
waawiyekamig = "the rounded earth"; the universe [wah-wih-YEH-kam-mick]
odoopwaaganan = 3d person singular possessive form of the noun opwaagan (pipe) [op-WAH-gun]
gaa-gaagiigidod = 3d person singular conjunct of the verb gaagiigido (to talk) [gah-GEEH-gih-do] [gah-gah-GEEH-gih-dut]
ogaganoonaan = 3d person singular of the verb gaganoozh [ga-ga-NOOZH] (have a conversation with) [o-ga-ga-noon-NAHN]
*It is important to note that the name "Wenabozho" can be pronounced and spelled in various ways depending on the speaker and dialect.Wenabozho ikido (Wenabozho says:)
[weh-na-BOZH-zho ick-kih-DO]
Giinawaa ayaabiitameg ishpiming
Omaa ninamadab
ninzagaswaa gaye
[geeh-na-wah a-yah-beeht-tam-mehg ish-pih-ming-k
o-MAH nin-na-ma-DAB
nin-za-gas-swah ga-YEH]
To you who abide in the skies
Here I sit
and smoke the pipe.
Manidoo! Aaniindi endaayan? Oh spirit! Where do you dwell? [mah-nih-TU ah-NEEN-dih in-DAH-yun]
Manidoo! Aaniindi dinong namadabiyan? Oh spirit! At what place do you sit? [mah-nih-TU ah-NEEN-dih in dih-NUNG na-ma-da-bih-yun]
Odaazhidemaan a'aw manidoo (He answers, that spirit):
[od-dah-zhih-dehm-ahn a-AW mah-nih-TU]
Biinjinaw nindaa, Wenabozh. Mii azhigwa biinjina temigat owii nendawaabdaman. In you I dwell, Wenabozho. Already inside you there is what you're looking for. [been-jih-NOW weh-na-bozh mee ah-zhig-WA BEEN-jih-na dum-gad o-wee nen-da-WAHB-da-MUN]
Waabanong ninamadab. In the East I sit [WAH-ban-nung nih-na-ma-DUB]
Zhaawanong ninamadab. In the South I sit [ZHAH-wan-nung nih-na-ma-DUB]
Ningaabii’anong ninamadab. In the West I sit [nin-GAH-bee a-nung-k nih-na-ma-DUB]
Giiwedinong ninamadab. In the North I sit [geeh-WEH-din-ung-k nih-na-ma-DUB]
Ishpiming giizhigong nindaa. In the sky above I dwell [ish-pih-ming-k ghee-zhig-GUNG-k nihn-DAH]
Ayindaakamig nindaa. In the earth I dwell [a-yin-DAH-ka-mick nihn-DAH]
Anaamiindim nindaa. In the water I dwell [a-NAH-meen-DIHM nihn-DAH]
Ishkodeng nindaa. In the fire I dwell [ish-ko-TENG-k nihn-DAH]
Asiniing nindaa. In the rocks I dwell [a-sin-NEENG-k nihn-DAH]
Wajiing nindaa. In the mountain I dwell [wa-JEENG-k nihn-DAH]
Niiwing inakakeyaa wenaanimak nindoonjibaa. In the winds I dwell (literally: From the direction of the four winds, I come) [nee-WINGk ih-na-ka-keh-YAH weh-na-ni-muck nin-doohn-jih-BAH]
Nisawayi'iing akiing miinawaa giizhigong nindaa ahaaw. Between earth and sky I dwell, yes. [nih-sa-wah-ya-EENGk ak-KEENG meen-na-WAH ghee-zhig-UNG-k nihn-DAH a-HAW]
Wenabozho puts his/her pipe aside, smiling. Ahaaw! The answers he/she receives from the manidoog prompts him/her to reflect. He/she thinks to him/herself: "Many strings of lives ago, when the land, shaped like a turtle's shell, resurfaced after a great flood, didn't I travel across the turtle island and name everything in nature? Geget! Certainly! As I traveled, didn't I become acquainted with everything, including the mountains, rivers, lakes, trees, plants, animals, insects, birds, and fish? Didn't I name the four spirits and the four moons that rule our existence? Geget sa! Megwaa nimbabaamaadizid, as I traveled about (the new Turtle Island), I fully engaged with each creation, experiencing multiple existences at once. I could do this because, as a shapeshifter, my supernatural abilities liberate me from the physical limits of the human body. Then, when the Sky manidoo named Giizhigookwe placed the Anishinaabeg onto the land, they were unable to express themselves with words. However, by naming everything in nature, I bestowed upon the Anishinaabeg their richly descriptive language. Haw sa! Thanks to me, Anishinaabemowin is a language of aki, the land, and of the manidoog, the spirits! Taawaa! Ha! It was I who provided the Anishinaabeg with the language of the spirits of the land, water, and sky so they can communicate directly with them!"
Wenabozho just finishes praising him/herself when he/she hears a bird's melodic chirping from a nearby tree. The song is so enchanting that even Miskwaadesiinh, the painted turtle from the bay, with its shell scutes glistening in the bright midday sun, emerges from the water to see what is happening! Annoyed by the sound that disrupted his focus, Wenabozho, watched by the old turtle matriarch and by migizi (bald eagle) soaring overhead, approaches the tree and sees a small yellow bird hopping between branches.
"This one is a Aginjibagwesi, counting the leaves of the language tree," Wenabozho says. Then, as he/she observes the bird and the tree, his/her face lits up! "Hoowah!" Wenabozho exclaims. "Notice how the color of this little bird's feathers represents not only giizis mooka'am, the sunrise in the east, but also aki inwewin, the language of the earth! Geget sa! This tree has as many leaves as there are dialects spoken across Mikinaakominis (Turtle Island)! Aginjibagwesi, the Leaf Counter,* will now symbolize Anishinaabemowin and its many dialects. From today, this little bird will remind the Anishinaabeg of the beautiful spirit language I gave them." Then, looking around and appealing to the spirits in the Universe, he/she declares: Ishke naa oo manidoog! Observe, o spirits! From this moment, as I stand before you, the color yellow embodies the spirit that sustains our beautiful language!"
Ahaaw giiwenh. Thus it came to be. This is my dream of how the Spirit Hare named Wenabozho introduced Aki Inwewin: the Anishinaabe language. Through sharing their pipes, drums, and rattles, along with their dreams, visions, and traditional storytelling, our ancestors, by learning to speak the language of the spirits, not only found common ground but also reconnected with the essence of true communication and the spirit that flows through all things they encountered on their daily journey with Earthmother... Occasionally, we need to smoke our pipes and look for the manidoog that surround us, speaking in our beautiful language while pronouncing the ritual words that they will understand...and from spring to fall, we must keep our ears open for the song of aginjibagwesiwag, the small yellow-feathered songbirds living in the trees. Each time we hear their song, it will remind us of the beauty of our language and of the importance of sharing, meaningful communication, and living and working within the principles of an omnipresent, universal order that has shaped our language, stories, and lives since we were placed upon the great Turtle Island…
Miigwech bezindawiyeg. Gego waniikekeg! Apane onizhishin miigwechiwitaagozing. Thank you all for listening. Don't forget! It is always good to give thanks.
*Aginijbagwesi (literally: leaf counter) - the American goldfinch.
ILLUSTRATIONS:
From the Manidoo series: Nisawayi'iing Akiing Miinawaa Giizhigong ("Between Earth and Sky") - 18K gold storytelling pendant featuring red coral and stones of turquoise and chrysoprase. The pendant is not for sale.
Onakweshkawaan Aginjibagwesi Wenabozho ("Wenabozho Meets the Goldfinch") - ©2026 Zhaawano Giizhik. The painting is not for sale.
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