Ningaabii’anook / Geri Howard
ojibwemowin language HISTORY / community protocols / Culture & history
Ningaabii’anook indizhinikaanigoo. Jaachaabaaning indoonjii. Awaazisii indoodem. Niwiidookaage imaa Nigaane gikinoo’amaadiiwigamigong. Ajina ingii-wiidookaage imaa Waawaashkeshii-Ziibii Ishpi-gikininoo’amaadiiwigamigong. Miinawaa imaa Nagaajiwanong Ojibwemotaadidaa Gabeshiwining. Niwiidookawaanaanig gebe-gikendaasowaad. Geyaabi indoojibwem bezhig indinawemaagan indoojibwemotaadimin apane mii wenji-minjimendamaan ojibwemoyaan. Ingii-kwiinawendaan ojibwemoyaan gaa-onji-maadanokiiyaan imaa Niigaane. Gaawiin ingii-ojibwemotawasiig niniijaanisag dibishkoo indashenige gikinoo’amawaasiwagwaa niniijaanisag. Eko-niizhing miinawaa eko-nising niwiidookawaa a’aw gekinoo’amaaged. Mii sa go iw.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF Biography
My clan is the Awaazisii (bullhead) and I am an elder in my community. I grew up in the Cha-cha-bah-ning community on the Leech Lake Reservation. I am an Ojibwe language teacher at the Niigaane immersion school, and have helped at a weekly language table at the Deer River High School.
My language stays alive because I have a relative I grew up with and we both teach the language and speak only Ojibwe with each other.
In order to speak my language I went to work helping others learn. And I do it because I never taught my children. I work with the teacher of 2nd and 3rd grade students.