Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Youth Council



Leah Michano and Sarah Jane Kellner continue to support, encourage, and empower our Biigtigong youth by facilitating the reciting of the Biigtigong Nishnaabemwin version of these words of encouragement at each Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Youth Council meeting.

In March 2019, Leah Michano emailed John Paul Montano requesting that he translate, and provide the Biigtigong dialect audio for, the English-language version of the words of encouragement. The results of this translation project are included below.




Geget go yaawyan aawin. Wiindmawshnaang gdehing eteg miinwaa enendman. Pii waandmaageyan gdehing eteg, kina weshkniigwaad gganoojgetmawaag. Pii waandmaageyan gdehing eteg, giiyaaba weshkniigwaad gbagdinaag wii-giigdowaad gewiinwaa.

Biigtigong Nishnaabeg Youth Council – Words of Encouragement


And, here are the breakdowns, section by section, of each of the three versions:


(1) Be authentic,
(2) tell us what’s in your heart,
(3) what’s on your mind.
(4) When you speak from your heart,
(5) you are speaking for your generation.
(6) When you speak from your heart,
(7) you are giving other youth permission to speak up.

⇓

(1) Geget go yaawyan aawin.
(2) Wiindmawshnaang gdehing eteg
(3) miinwaa enendman.
(4) Pii waandmaageyan gdehing eteg,
(5) kina weshkniigwaad gganoojgetmawaag.
(6) Pii waandmaageyan gdehing eteg,
(7) giiyaaba weshkniigwaad gbagdinaag wii-giigdowaad gewiinwaa.

⇓

(1) Be who you(singular) really are.
(2) [You(singular)] tell us what’s in your(singular) heart,
(3) and that which you are thinking.
(4) When you(singular) tell about that which is in your(singular) heart,
(5) you are speaking for all youth.
(6) When you(singular) tell about that which is in your(singular) heart,
(7) you are allowing other youth to speak also.