Onisidotaan:
"S/he
comprehends it by hearing."
[O-nih-sih-doh-TAHN]
Learning to speak Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) by engaging the heart rather than the mind, emphasizing sounds over grammar.
[A-nih-shih-nah-BEH]/o-jib-BWAY]
Maamawi wiiji'ididaa dazhiikamang gidinwewininaan. Binitoodaa gidinwewininaan. Gide’ aabijitoon bizindaman. [MAH-mah-WEE-jih(')ih-daw-dah-ZHEE-ka-mang-gid-in-weh-wih-NAHN. bih-nih-too-DAH-gid-in-weh-wih-NAHN. gid-dAYh-aa-bi-jih-toon-bih-zin-dah-MAN]
"Let's work together revitalizing our language. Let's decolonize our language! All you have to do is open your heart and listen...
This page is newly created and is still under development. Some links on this page are not yet functional. We are working hard to activate all buttons and provide you with our instructional videos and educational blog posts on Ojibwe language topics. Please check back soon!
What Do I learn?
What Can I Expect?
Learning Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) by concentrating on phonetics rather than grammar rules: an excellent approach to understanding how words are formed and their genuine meanings.
Communicate your thoughts freely without being refined by the strict grammar rules of foreign languages like English and French. Learning Ojibwe has never been easier!
Grammar & Word lists
Ojibwe-English
English-Ojibwe
Ojibwe Spelling & Phonetic Tables
History of
Anishinaabemowin
(the Ojibwe language)
Ojibwe Stories & Language Lessons
What's the Method About? — A Different Approach to Phonetics and Word Structure
The Nisidotam method concentrates on two areas: speech and the nearly limitless sound combinations that enhance the language, as well as word structure and syntax.
This two-pronged approach seeks to teach the language through traditional methods, preserving the unique Ojibwe sounds and word structure without adapting them to English grammar or writing systems. In doing so, we lift the "lid" from the Ojibwe language as it is often encountered in contemporary speech and writing. The main emphasis for Ojibwe speakers should be on how the language was used during the time of oral tradition, free from external cultural ideas and grammatical limitations.
Aaniin, biindigen [aah-NEEN BEEN-dih-GEHN] Hello, welcome! Our names are Jessie Cree and Zhaawano Giizhik. Our non-commercial, non-subsidized educational language project is named "Nisidotam [nih-sih-doht-TAM]," which translates to "recognize by hearing" or "understand what is said" in Ojibwe. Our intention is to share the language with you through blog posts and instructional videos that cover a wide range of language-related topics. This informal yet comprehensive approach aims to reconnect our audience with the ancient tradition where elders used storytelling as a teaching method, and the language's sounds held deep spiritual significance within the community.
Jessie is a recognized Elder and spiritual lodge keeper from Mikinaakwajiwing [mee-kee-KNOCK-kwahcheeng] (Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota) and a direct descendant of Ase-anse (Enses; Little Shell) and Miscomukquah (Miskomakwa: Red Bear). Jessie possesses deep knowledge grounded in the traditional customs and language of his People. He and I strongly believe that English grammar and syntax, with their fixed word order and Western perspective, undermine the essence of our beautiful and dynamic language. Our project challenges the numerous entrenched patterns of thought and concepts that the colonizers from Europe have imposed on our language. Therefore, we advocate for a more holistic and comprehensive learning approach focused on sounds rather than strict grammatical rules, recognizing that complete sounds and a more flexible arrangement of words or sentences can awaken an awareness of the spiritual essence inherent in the traditional language. Essentially, becoming acquainted with the ancient sounds—the way your and our ancestors articulated them—will awaken a blood memory and provide a sense of being grounded in life. It truly feels like coming home.
The Nisidotam language project emerged out of necessity and the understanding that simply learning to speak and write the language using English grammar rules is inadequate. A clear distinction between the Anishinaabe worldview and English can only be preserved by learning the language as our ancestors spoke it. To truly grasp our spiritual, cyclical connection with nature and the world, one must learn the Anishinaabe language free from the influence of linear English grammar rules. Anishinaabemowin is more a language of the heart than of the mind.
There are numerous Ojibwe sounds to learn, roughly around 100, but they can be easily mastered as we progress. It's simply about articulating the sounds throughout the alphabet.
Once learned, these sounds can be applied to any word or sentence. In essence, Ojibwe can be spoken in any way you choose, as the sound—rather than grammatical rules—determines the usage and meaning of a word.
Phonetics (speech sounds) and grammar are inherently connected. In learning proper Ojibwe, sounds do not rely on grammar, yet grammar should always rely on sounds. In Ojibwe speech, a sentence that is grammatically correct but doesn't sound right seems awkward (or may even be unintelligible) to an elder fluent in the language. For this reason, Jessie Cree and I have chosen to expand and document the roughly 100 sounds available, including six different Ojibwe dialect variations from the US and Canada. These sounds will be integrated into my future stories in both written and audio formats.
Forcing gidinwewininaan [gid-in-weh-wih-NAHN], our Indigenous languages, into the Western educational system can be harmful, as it erases the language's structure and our distinctive way of thinking. Elders and the younger generation often find it difficult to understand each other when speaking the language. It is crucial to develop teaching methods and lesson plans that emphasize speech sounds rather than rigid grammar rules. The time has come to alter the approach. Our Elders are aging, and there is no time to lose.
So, Let's return to the old language and make learning Ojibwe much simpler (and definitely more fun!). You'll discover that the simplest and quickest way to learn is by listening to gide' [gid-DAYh] (your heart), where the voices and sounds of your ancestors' spirits reside!
Aanawi Anishininaabe-izhichigeng giwanitoomin, Anishinaabe-izhitwaawinan miinawaa go anishinaabe gaa-pi-izhichigewaad mewinzha, geyaabi imaa ayaamagad. Geyaabi imaa ayaamagad i'iwe gete-anishinaabemowin.
"Although we are losing our Anishinaabe culture, the traditions of the People and the long-gone ways of our ancestors are still here. The old language is still here."
You might occasionally wonder why it's important to learn the Ojibwe language in its true form. This means the sound-focused, spiritually rich language of the past, rather than the modern version with its reverse way of speaking and writing Ojibwe, shaped by strict grammar rules? The reason, we believe, is that even if you feel detached from your ancestral traditions, learning the language in a spiritual and sound-oriented manner reconnects you with those you thought were lost. It reconnects you with the culture you thought you lost. It also ensures that you will be recognized by the gete-aya'aag [gay-tay-ah-yaa-AHK] when it's time to leave this world and return home. Remember, the ancestors are listening.
We must never underestimate the influence of madwewechigewin [mad-way-wech-chih-gay-WIN], the act of sound-making. Sounds form the foundation and essence of our language and ceremonial practices, and consequently, of izhinamowin [ih-zhi-NAM-o-WIN] , our worldview. This is also why rattles and water drums, those instruments of creation and the heart-sound, hold such significance in our ceremonies...
"My name is Jessie Cree. I am currently collaborating with Zhaawano Giizhik using a sound system taught to me by my father, Louis Cree. Together, Zhaawano and I have developed this sound method that enables you to speak the Chippewa (Ojibwe) language immediately using the Nisidotam method. When I was young, we didn't know any grammar rules, only sounds and how to hear them. There are very few sounds needed to speak the Chippewa language. I had to incorporate some additional sounds to speak: Oon ghee Cree, Kin nish tin new (Cree), Swampy Cree, Nah kah way Ojibwe, Canadian Plains Ojibwe, Minnesota Ojibwe, and Turtle Mountain Chippewa. At that time, there were no English grammar rules. It was only later that missionaries came and developed a written language for their work with the Chippewas. We are using Chuck (Charles) Fiero's double vowel method. Chuck Fiero lived just a hundred yards away from my family as he was the pastor of our church. I have included enough sounds in my method to accommodate six different dialects of Ojibwe. This sound method was developed here in the Turtle Mountains and covers most of the variations of Turtle Mountains Ojibwe."