Teachings from the Tree of Life, part 24: The Link Between Fire and Sound
- zhaawano
- Mar 10, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Sep 18
Onaabani-giizis (Snowcrust Moon), March 10, 2024
Just a thought.
It is believed in our culture that ishkode, that “first spark of the heart” called “fire” in the English language, is the sacred possession of Binesi, the Thunderbird Clan. The ishkode is the means by which sacrifice and petitions are sent to the manidoog/spirits. This makes the ishkode especially sacred, and those who own it, the Binesi Clan people, have something spiritual that is truly unrivaled. The ishkode is located in naawakamig: The bosom and center of the earth. The center is the place of control where all the cardinal points converge. Whoever controls the center, therefore, controls the cardinal points, and thus, gakina gegoo: Everything in the waawiyebii'igan/circle and everything in waawiyekamig/the round lodge/universe.
The light of the ishkode itself has the power of radiation, and thus reaches out simultaneously to all the cardinal points in relation to which it is the center. I believe that when it comes to gidinwewininaan (our language), madwewechigewin (sound-making) has a similar power as waaseyaawin/ishkode/light, since madwewechigewin also has this same property of radiation from a center in all directions.
Never underestimate the power of MADWEWECHIGEWIN, sound-making. SOUNDS are the core and essence of our language and our ceremonial practice, and therefore, of izhinamowin, our worldview. This is why the rattles and water drums are so important in our ceremonies. These spirit-instruments radiate sound equally in all directions. Both madwewechigewin and waaseyaawin lie at the core of our spirituality.
The key to understanding the language is being able to learn by initamiwin/sound-hearing. So, in a way, who controls the language through the principle of initamiwin-sound-hearing, sits in the center.
I call this: NISIDOTAN...recognizing/comprehending by sound/HEARING.
It is by returning to the center, through the principle of NISIDOTAN, that we not only LEARN the language, but also get to OWN it.
Initam - (s)he hears certain sounds, understands something heard/init+am-/: /iN-/ thus, in a certain direction, in a certain manner; /-t/ hear it
Onisidotaan - (s)he recognizes by listening
/nisidot-/: /nisidaw-/ recognize
/-t/ hear it
/o-/ /-aan/ he/sheNahaaw mii sa iw. Miigwech agindaasoyeg. OK that is all, thank you all for reading.
To read more about the topic of nisidotan (learning through sound), see: Nisidotam - Learning Ojibwe Through Sounds
LIST OF PRONUNCIATION
biinjina - inside (the body): [bin-jih-NA]
binesi - (thunder)bird: [bih-nay-SIH]
gakina gegoo - everything: [kak-ih-na-gay-GOO/kag-kih-na-GAY-go]
gidinwewininaan - our language: [gid-in-weh-wih-nih-NAHN]
initam - (s)he hears certain sounds, understands something heard: [ih-niht-TUM]
initamiwin - sound-hearing: [ih-niht-TUM-oh-win] ishkode - fire: [ish-koht-TEH]
madwewechigewin - sound-making: [mud-weh-weh-tchih-geh-win]
manidoog - spirits: [ma-nih-TU-g] ("u " resembles the “ou” sound in English "you").
maamoyaawewin - prayer: [mah-moh-YAH-weh-win] miigwech gii agindaasoyeg - thank you for reading: [mee-GWETCH-gee-ah-gin-DAH-soh-yeg
mii i'iw - thats all: [MEE-ih-IW]
naawakamig - in the middle of the earth: [NAH-wah-kah-MIK]
nisidotan - (s)he understands it, recognizes, identifies it (by hearing): [nih-sih-doh-TUN]
onisidotaan - (s)he learns/recognizes through sound: [oh-nih-sih-doh-TAHN]
waaseyaawin - light: [wah-seh-YAH-win]
waawiyebii'igan - circle: [wah-wih-yay-bee-ih-GUN]
waawiyekamig - (the Universe): [wah-wih-yay-kah-MICK]
Phonetic Writing Chart - non-standardized generic"folk-phonetics" in brackets partially using English phonology, though not according the IPA standard. * Words are placed inside brackets and individual syllables and/or morphs are hyphenated.
"a" related sounds:
a before consonants - a short, distinct, straightforward "a", as in English "blah." Example: izhinam, "s/he has a certain dream or vision, thinks s/he sees something a certain way.
-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).
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"
ah - similar to the a sound in English "father"
-wah - the "ah" in "wah" has a long, distinct, straightforward "a" sound. Example: mee-nah-WAH - Corresponds with Fiero ""miinawaa" (also; and; again)
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" in Fiero spelling
ock - similar to the "ag" sound in English "bag" but pronounced longer - corresponding with "aak" 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 - a straight "e" sound similar to the "ba" in English "baby." Example: [ah-nih-shih-nah-BEH] - corresponding with "Anishinaabe" in Fiero script
ee- before consonants: resembling the "ee" sound in English "reel"
gee- is pronounced like English "Je" in "Jezus" - corresponding with Fiero "jii" - Example: jiibay [GEE-beigh] (spirit; soul; ghost)
eigh - similar to the "eigh" sound in English "height"
wake - similar to English "wake" - corresponding with "weg" in Fiero script
ew - like the "ew" sound in English "brew"
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 - similar to English "way"; the "ay" corresponds with "e" in Fiero. Example: [zha-way-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"
im - similar to the "im" sound in English "rim"
in - similar to the "in" sound in English "win"
eeh - like the “ee” sound in English "heed"
we - like English "we"
mee - like English "me" but pronounced longer
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
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!)
wee - like English "we"
"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), iiñ (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)
Peculiarity:
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.
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