Anishinaabe
Anishinaabe or more properly
Anishinaabeg or
Anishinabek (which is the plural form of the word) is a self-description often used by people belonging to the
indigenous Odawa,
Ojibwe, and
Algonkin peoples of
North America, who share closely related
Algonquian languages.
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| Anishinaabe and Anishinini distribution around 1800 |
The definition of "Anishnaabeg" is
First- or
Original-People. Another possible definition refers to ideas about the good humans, or good people that are on the right road or path given to them by the
Creator.
There are many variant spellings of the Anishinaabe name, depending on the transcription scheme and also on whether the name is singular or plural. So, different spelling systems may indicate
vowel length or spell certain consonants differently (
Anishinabe,
Anicinape); meanwhile, variants ending in -
eg/ek (
Anishinaabeg,
Anishinabek) come from an
Algonquian plural, while those ending in an -
e come from an Algonquian singular.
In the eastern Ojibwe and in the Odawa, due the syncope the word experiences, the name "Anishinaabe" is realised as
Nishnaabe. The
cognate word
Neshnabé comes from
Potawatomi, a people long allied with Odawas and Ojibwes in the
Council of Three Fires. Identified as
Anishinaabe but not part of the
Council of Three Fires are the
Nipissing,
Mississaugas and
Algonquin.
The
Saulteaux people of western
Manitoba and eastern
Saskatchewan are also Anishinaabe, a sub-tribe of the Ojibwe, but they often call themselves
NakawÄ"(-k) and their form of the Anishinaabe language as
NakawÄ"mowin. Closely related to the Ojibwe and speaking a language mutually intelligible with
Anishinaabemowin (Anishinaabe language) but are not considered one of the Anishinaabeg are the
Oji-Cree (also known as "Severn Ojibwe"). Instead, their self-description is
Anishinini (plural:
Anishininiwag) and their language as
Anishininimowin.
According to their own tradition, and from recordings in
birch bark scrolls, they came from the eastern areas of North America, or
Turtle Island, and from along the east coast. According to the oral history, six great
miigis (radiant/irridescent) beings appeared to the peoples in the
Waabanakiing (Land of the Dawn, i.e. Eastern Land) to teach the peoples of the
mide way of life. However, the one of the six great
miigis beings was too spiritually powerful and killed the peoples in the
Waabanakiing. The five great
miigis beings remained to teach while the one returned into the ocean. The five great
miigis beings then established
doodem (clans) for the peoples in the east. Of these
doodem, the five original
Anishinaabe doodem were the Echoer (i.e., crane), Tender (i.e., bear), catfish, loon and marten, then these five
miigis beings returned into the ocean as well. At a later time, one of these
miigis beings appeared in a vision to relate a prophecy. The prophecy stated that if the
Anishinaabeg did not move further west, they would not be able to keep their traditional ways alive because of the many new settlements and European immigrants that would arrive soon. Their migration path would be symbolized by series of smaller
Turtle Islands confirmed with
miigis shells (i.e.,
cowry shells). After receiving assurance from the their "Allied Brothers" (i.e.,
Mi'kmaq) and "Father" (i.e.,
Abnaki) of their safety in having the
Anishinaabeg move inland, they advanced along the
Saint Lawrence River to the
Ottawa River to
Lake Nipissing, and then to the
Great Lakes. First of these smaller Turtle Islands was
Mooniyaa, which
Mooniyaang (
Montreal, Quebec) now stands. At their "third stopping place", the
Anishinaabeg divided into six divisions:
Algonquin,
Nipissing,
Mississaugas,
Ojibwe,
Odawa and
Potawatomi. While the
Odawa established their long-held cultural centre on
Manitoulin Island, the
Ojibwe established their long-held cultural centre in the
Sault Ste. Marie region of
Ontario, Canada. With expansion of trade under partnerships with the
French and later the
British, fostered by availability of
Small arms, members of the
Council of Three Fires expanded southward to the
Ohio River, southwestward along the
Illinois River, and westward along
Lake Superior,
Lake of the Woods and the northern
Great Plains.
As the Anishinaabeg moved inland, through both alliances and conquest, various other closely-related
Algonquian peoples were incorporated into the Anishinaabe Nation. These included, but not limited to, the
Noquet (originally part of the
Menomini Tribe) and
Mandwe (originally part of the
Fox). Other incorporated groups can generally be identified by the individual's
Doodem (Clan).
Migizi-doodem (Bald Eagle Clan) generally identifies those whose ancestors were Americans,
Awaazisii-doodem (Burbot Clan) as now extinct branch of
Sioux occupying the
Sault Ste. Marie region of
Lake Superior and
Ma'iingan-doodem (Wolf Clan) as
Santee Sioux. Other Anishinaabe doodem migrated out of the core Anishinaabeg groupings, such as the
Nibiinaabe-doodem (Merman Clan) that is now found as the "Water-spirit Clan" of the
Winnebagos.
Anishinaabeg peoples live as tribal governments or bands (
First Nations) in both the northern
United States and southern
Canada, chiefly around the
Great Lakes. Through
treaties and
Indian Removal of the past, some Anishinaabeg are also located in
Kansas and
Oklahoma.
A fictional Anishinaabe clan in Ontario, the
Mtigwaki, are featured in the comic strip
For Better or For Worse from 2005-2006.
*
Algonquin (Odishkwaagamii)
**
Algonquin language*
Nipissing (Omaamiwinini)
*
Mississaugas (Misi-zaagiing)
*
Ojibwa/Chippewa (Ojibwe)
**
Ojibwe language*
Saulteaux/Plains Ojibwa (NakawÄ")
*
Ottawa (Odaawaa/Odawa)
*
Potawatomi (Boodewaadamii/Bodéwadmi)
**
Potawatomi language*
Oji-Cree/Severn Ojibwa (Anishinini)
**
Anishininimowin language*
Anishinabek Nation - Union of Ontario Indians*
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians History* Warren, William W.
History of the Ojibway People. Borealis Books (St. Paul, MN: 1984).
