Revitalizing our Biigtigong dialect of Nishnaabemwin
• Gmakkoonsing toon hiw!
~ [You (sing.)] Put it in your bin!
• Gmakkoonsing toon we!
~ [You (sing.)] Put it in your bin!
• Gmakkoonswaang tooyok hiw!
~ [Yous] Put it in your bins!
• Gmakkoonswaang tooyok we!
~ [Yous] Put it in your bins!
• Gmakkoonsnaaning toodaa hiw!
~ Let’s put it in our bins!
• Gmakkoonsnaaning toodaa we!
~ Let’s put it in our bins!
• mkakoons
~ a bin, a small container
Chief-and-Council discuss the ongoing community efforts to reconstruct and revitalize our Biigtigong dialect of the Nishnaabe language.
Elder Stan Bouchie, at the start of the Biigtigong Language Project (Moose Camp 2013), speaking about our Nishnaabe language and identity, and about hard work and commitment.
Dan Goodchild exemplified leadership. He understood the importance of taking an active role in the well-being of our community...
Lawrence Desmoulin was a celebrated storyteller. He freely shared the meanings and teachings embedded in our Nishnaabe way of life through the telling and retelling of our sacred stories...
Moses Fisher was a strong advocate for, and practioner of, our Nishnaabe spiritual ways. In the face of calculated assaults on our Nishnaabe way of living, Moses continued to practice our traditional ways...
Much of Moses Starr's life was spent on the water. He had a profound respect for, and intimate knowledge of, Gchigam (Lake Superior) and the waterways in our Biigtigong territory...
Mike Goodchild was known to have a wonderful sense of humor. He especially enjoyed pulling pranks...
Ernest Otis, a former chief of Biigtigong, was a talented craftsman who utilized the resources from the land and the teachings passed-on to him to create beautiful artwork...
Louis Goodchild was a visionary and a man of action. The hundreds of hours he spent documenting his life story was done for his family and for the "rest of the Indians to come"...
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