12/24/2015
AANJIKIING / CHANGING WORLDS:
AN ANISHINAABE TRADITIONAL FUNERAL
Gaa-anishinaabemod: Lee Obizaan Staples
Gaa-anishinaabewibii’ang: Chato Ombishkebines Gonzalez
Mii iw gii-ni-giizhibii’amaang i’iw mazina’igan Aanjikiing/ Changing Worlds: An Anishinaabe Traditional Funeral ezhiwiinjigaadeg. Mii dash imaa i’iw mazina’iganing ani-dazhindamaan ezhi-gaagiigidod awiya maajaa’iwed.
We have finished writing the book Aanjikiing/ Changing Worlds: An Anishinaabe Traditional Funeral. In this book I am covering how to talk when you send the spirit down that path during a traditional funeral.
Ishke dash mii i’iw gaa-onji-inendamaan da-okawisijigaadeg ezhi-gaagiigidoyaan iko ani-maajaa’iweyaan, ishke ninaniizaanendaan nawaj igo da-ni-bangiiwagiziwaad giniigaaniiminaang ge-ni-gikendangig i’iw ezhi-webiniged awiya maajaa’iwed.
The reason that I have decided to write the way I talk when I do a funeral, is I have fears that there will be fewer people in our future that will know how to talk at an Anishinaabe traditional funeral.
Ishke noongom ingiw mayaajaa’iwejig gaawiin nimbi-noondanziin da-gikinoo’amawaawaad awiya ezhi-gaagiigidowaad wiinawaa maajaa’iwewaad. Indayaawaag niin eni-gikinoo’amawagig, mii dash i’iw ge-wiinawaa ge-ni-aabajitoowaapan i’iw mazina’igan da-ni-nandawaabandamowaad i’iw ani-ginjiba’igowaad i’iw gaagiigidowin. Mii i’iw mayaamaw-zanagak ani-gaagiigidod awiya.
I have not heard of any other Anishinaabe who are doing funerals to be passing those teachings onto others. I have others who I have been teaching how to talk at these funerals. This book will be available to them to reference if they should forget how the talk goes. Funerals are the hardest talk to do when it comes to ceremonies.
Azhigwa ani-maajii-agindaman o’ow mazina’igan mii i’iw nitam ge-ni-agindaman i’iw Gaa-onjikaamagak ezhiwiinjigaadeg. Gidayaangwaamimininim da-agindameg i’iw gaa-izhibii’igeyaan. Mii imaa weweni ani-waawiindamaageyaan gaa-onji-inendamaan da-okawisidooyaan omaa ezhi-gaagiigidod awiya maajaa’iwed.
When you begin reading this book, the first part that you will read about is the introduction. I encourage all of you to read what I have written in this part. It is here I do my best to explain why I have made the decision to share this information.
Ishke ishkweyaang nigii-pi-waabandaan gii-ozhibii’ang i’iw gaagiigidowin a’aw Anishinaabe. Ishke a’aw akiwenziiyiban gaa-nitawigi’id ogii-ayaanan iniw mazina’iganan gaa-miinigod inow Anishinaaben gii-ni-okawibii’igaadeg i’iw gaagiigidowin. Ishke dash omaa gaye Gaa-onjikaamagak, mii gaye omaa ani-waawiinagwaa ingiw mindimooyenyibaneg naa akiwenziiyibaneg gaa-gikinoo’amawijig ezhising i’iw gaagiigidowin ani-maajaa’iwed awiya.
I have seen this talk written down by Anishinaabe in the past. The old man that raised me had written material that was given to him by other Anishinaabe where the funeral talk was written down. In this introduction I also mention the names of those old ladies and old men of the past who had taught me how to do the talk at a funeral.
Mii gaye imaa gii-ozhibii’amaan ezhi-gaagiigidong i’iw wiisiniwin atamawaad a’aw Anishinaabe megwaa maa babaa-maawadisaadaminid o’ow aki inow odinawemaaganan azhigwa waa-ni-aanjikiinid, Babaa-maawadisaadang i’iw Aki ezhi-wiinjigaadeg. Mii imaa zagaswe’idid a’aw Anishinaabe nising endaso-onaagoshig dabwaa-abiitawind ani-wiidoopamaad inow odinawemaaganan gaa-inendaagozinid da-ni-aanjikiinid.
I have also written down the talk that goes with the feast where the spirit of the deceased is fed as he goes about and revisits the Earth before he changes worlds. It is called Pre-funeral Feasts. This is where the Anishinaabe feasts the three evenings before the wake eating with their relative that is about to change worlds.
Ani-giizhiikamaan ani-dazhindamaan i’iw, mii imaa ani-wiindamaageyaan ezhi-gaagiigidong owapii ani-abiitawind a’aw azhigwa waa-ni-aanjikiid, Abiitawind ezhiwiinjigaadeg. Mii imaa eni-wiindamaageng gaa-onjikaamagak isa gii-shawendaagozid gii-miinigoowizid ge-ni-izhaad a’aw Anishinaabe ani-gaagwiinawaabaminaagozid omaa akiing.
As I finish talking about those pre-funeral feasts, I then cover the talk that goes with the wake. This chapter is names Wake. It is here the history of this ceremony is covered, where the Anishinaabe was looked with compassion and given a place to go when they were no longer seen on this Earth.
Mii dash imaa ani-ishkwaa-wiidoopamind apii abiitawind a’aw waa-ni-aanjikiid, mii dash imaa ani-wiindamawindwaa ingiw besho enawendaasojig ge-naadamaagowaad wanitaasowaad. Mii imaa da-mikameg i’iw gaagiigidowin imaa Besho Enawendaasojig ezhiwiinjigaadeg.
After finishing the meal with the spirit of the individual at the wake, the close relatives are given information that will help them with their grief. You will find this information in Close Relatives Talk.
Azhigwa ani-maadagindaasoyan, mii imaa da-ni-agindaman i’iw gaagiigidowin ani-aabajichigaadeg azhigwa ani-maada’adood i’iw miikanens i’iw ge-ni-bima’adood i’iw apii ani-maajaa’ind awiya. Mii gaye imaa da-ni-agindaman ge-ni-izhichiged a’aw Anishinaabe azhigwa ani-ozhiitaa’aad waa-aanjikiinijin. Mii iw Azhigwa Maajaa’ind ezhiwiinjigaadeg.
As you begin your reading, you will read about the journey that the spirit of the individual takes as he goes down that path as he is sent off. It is here also that you will read about the preparations to be made to help the spirit on his journey. The section is called Funeral.
Mii dash gaye omaa ani-ozhibii’igaadeg ge-ni-izhichiged a’aw Anishinaabe azhigwa gaa-kiizhiitaad gii-pagadenimaad omaa akiing inow odinawemaaganan. Azhigwa gaa-niiwo-giizhigak mii imaa eni-dazhinjigaadeg i’iw onaagoshig wiisiniwin achigaadeg. Mii dash imaa ani-gikinoo’amaageng ezhising i’iw gaagiigidowin ani-apagizonjigaadeg i’iw wiisiniwin iwidi ayaawaad gidinawemaaganinaaanig. Mii dash i’iwapii da-ni-dagoshimoonod gaa-maajaa’ind. Mii dash o’owapii ani-wiidoopamaad dash inow odinawemaaganan gaa-odisaajin iwidi. Mii i’iw Gaa-tagoshimoonod ezhiwiinjigaadeg.
In the next chapter the instructions are given to Anishinaabe on what to do once they put their relative in the ground. After four days there is a talk that goes with the food that is offered up that evening. The talk is covered that goes with sending the food over there where our relatives are. It is at that time that the spirit has arrived over there where our people are. It is then that he shares in a meal with all of his relatives who are over there. This chapter is called Post-funeral Feast.
Mii dash i’iw ayaapii a’aw Anishinaabe gaa-ni-izhichiged ani-mikwenimaad inow odinawemaaganan iwidi eyaanijin. Ishke ingiw gaa-nitawigi’ijig gaawiin i’iw memwech azhigwa bezhig i’iw gikinoonowin gaa-pimisemagak wiisiniwin ogii-atoosiinaawaa. Mii-go apane ayaapii gii-atamawaawaad i’iw wiisiniwin. Mii dash imaa gaye ani-wiindamaageng i’iw gaagiigidowin ani-aabajichigaadeg. Mii iw Mikwenimind Awiya ezhiwiinjigaadeg.
What the Anishinaabe did was every so often they would remember their relatives over there and put food. The old people that raised me did not necessarily wait a year to pass to put food for their relatives that had passed on. They would put their food periodically remembering their relatives. It is here that the talk is covered that goes with this ceremony. This chapter is called One-year Memorial Feast.
Mii gaye imaa ishkwe-ayi’ii imaa mazina’iganing ozhibii’igaadeg gakina iniw ikidowinan omaa ani-aabajichigaadeg ani-wiindamaageng weweni awegonen endazhinjigaaadeg. Ikidowinan izhiwiinjigaade.
At the end of the book there is a glossary with all the words utilized in this book, each word used in the book is given a definition. This is called Ojibwe-English Glossary.
Mii dash omaa gidani-ayaangwaamiminim da-ni-aabajitooyeg o’ow mazina’igan da-ni-gikendameg weweni i’iw gaagiigidowin ani-aabajichigaadeg ani-maajaa’ind a’aw gidanishinaabeminaan. Gegoo debinaak ani-izhichigekegon azhigwa ani-maajaa’iweyeg. Gidaa-wii-wawiingezim. Ishke dash mii imaa ani-gagaanzominagog a’aw asemaa da-bi-miizhiyeg dabwaa-aabajitooyeg o’ow gaagiigidowin. Mii iko ingiw gidanishinaabeminaanig ishkweyaang gaa-izhichigewaad, weweni ogii-o-asemaakawaawaan inow owiij’anishinaabemiwaan da-gikinoo’amaagowaad ani-izhichiged a’aw Anishinaabe ani-asemaaked.
I am strongly encouraging you guys to use this book to learn the talk that goes with sending the spirit of our people off. Do not do not do things half-heartedly as you do these funerals. You should try to do the best you can. It is here I am also encouraging you to bring me to***co before you go on to use this information. This is what our Anishinaabe of the past did, they would respectfully bring to***co to their fellow Anishinaabe to teach them what is done in any ceremony that Anishinaabe were given.
Ishke gaye omaa niwii-wiindamaage, gaawiin nizhooniiyaakaadanziimin o’ow gaa-izhi-miinigoowiziyang anishinaabewiyang. Gaawiin omaa meshkwadoonigan inga-gashki’aasiwaanaan aano-go ginwenzh gii-tazhitaayaang gii-ozhibii’amaang o’ow mazina’igan. Mii eta-go misawendamaang a’aw Anishinaabe da-ayaangwaamizid da-ni-gikendang o’ow maajaa’iwewin da-ni-giige’ind idash a’aw Anishinaabe giniigaaniiminaang.
It is also here that I want to inform people that we are not making money off this Anishinaabe ceremony. We will not be given any royalties even though the long hours put into writing this book. It is our only wish that the Anishinaabe work hard at learning how to do these funeral and to benefit our Anishinaabe of the future.
