Gimaamaaminaan Aki (Mother Earth)

English only:

Sometimes our Mother is coloured as the earth. Our human ancestral roots connect deeply within her mycelium. Those white fibers connect all the living and dead. Inter-net(work) of earthly connections is what weaves together the underground worlds below our feet. Those symbiotic relationships start there.

In the beginning, she gifted us life-giving waters. Swelling from underneath, she gave birth to the water panthers and horned serpents. From the mountains and skies, she bore thunderers. Between these two spirits, water was shared equally. This everlasting water is her blood. It’s how she shares her life. These spirits and more safeguard her.

Sometimes, when she’s stretched too thin, volcanoes erupt. Diverging or converging with her brokenness. Hardened lava becomes fertile soil. lightning ignites the grass and forests. Wildfires reset then renew the grounds. Even with her destructiveness, she will create new life.

She recycles her body. Our mother, she’s forever changing. Her structure is vast. She is curvaceous like natural rock formations. Her valleys, canyons, and lands are carved by glacial tills and great rivers. Earthquakes adjust her bodyscape like stretch marks accommodating skin. lava flows out and builds her new body. Beautiful is her many appearances as she transforms.

Father cradles her in his arms. His gift is a blanket surrounding her. It shines bright with rainbows, lightning, and northern lights. She is supported by his atmosphere. He shields her from extraterrestrial danger. Meteorites are destroyed before harming her. Breathing life into her creation, wind causes movement on her surface. He is the colour of the sky. Grandmother and her daughter (ou r mother) dance in starry spaces. They twirl and spin and shift around. Their gravitational forces are shared. Their constant tides rise and fall. Her ocean waves, trough and crest. Eddies spiral in reverse of natural flow. The ebb and flow is her hydrous power. After their dance, our mother’s dress is coloured as moonlight shining on water.

Grandfather guides us. When he rises, he sings to her. His songs are alive. They call away the darkness of night. His healing songs radiate and warm her spirit. They teach the plants and animals how to grow. He gives life its purpose, time, and rhythms. Cyclical are his songs. His songs are bright light. He is the colour of the sun.

Ojibwemowin eta go:

Aangodinong Gimaamaaminaan wiin akiwinaanzo. Gidaanikoobijiganinaabaniig owiiyaawiwaan zagaabikesinoon waabiwasabiinsag akiing. Igiwen waabiwasabiinsag zagibinige gakina bemaadiziig jiibayag igaye. Anaamakamig waabiwasabiinsag oniibidoonan gakina gegoo. Iniwen wiiji’iding inawendiwinan maajisewan imaa. Taankiyaash, gi-gii-miinigonaan nibikaang ondaadizikeng. Baagishidanamii- akiing oniigi’aag ingiweg mishipizhiwag mishiginebigoog igaye. Onji wajiwing miinawaa giizhigong ogii-ondaadizi’aag animikiin. Nisawayi’ii igiwe niizh-manidoog maada’oonidiwag nibi. Owe kaakikejiwang- nibi omiskwi. Mii ezhi maada’oodood obimaadiziwin. Igiwe manidoog oganawenimaawaan. Angodinong ozaam ayekozid ishkode-wajiwan baashkizigewan. Daashkikaang gemaa ziposhkaang bookokamigaa. Mashkawi-miskogami ani-minokamigaa. Waasegan obiskonebidoon mashkosiikaang miinawaa mitigookaang. Ishkode jaachaagizige mii dash oshkaakamigaa. Aanawi go angwaakideg da ondaadiziike.

Aanji’idizo. Gimaamaaninaan apane ayaanjise. Michaakamigaa. Waagikamigaa dago bagwaj inaabikoog. Debasadinaagin, besaabikaagin, enakamigaagin igaye ozhi’igaadewan gichi-mikwamiigin biigwakamiga’iganag miinawaa gichi-ziibiin. Gichi-gwiingwaagin odaanjitoonaawaa owiiyaw dago ezhi-zhiibiigibijigaadenig ozhaga’ay. Miskogami zaagijiwan ozhitood owiiyaw. Onizhisinoon niibowaa inaagoziwinan aniizhi-aanzinaagozid.

Odakonaan Goosinaan. Waabooyaan ominaan gashkibizokid. Waaseyaamagad gigising nagweyaabiin, waasiganan, waawaateg igaye. Izhi naadamawind giizhigo-wiiyaw. Odashwiitawaan maji gegoon. Baashki’anang anago’igaadewan jibwaa maazhi-doodawind. Boodaanaad wiiyawing, maamaadaasin ogijayi’ii akiing. Giizhigoowaande.

Gookoomisinaan miinawaa odaanisan dazhi-niimiwag anangookaang. Gizhibaabizowag miinawaa maamakaadishimowag. Wiikobidaadiwag. Agwaayaashkaa miinawaa animaashkaa. Gichi-gaming wayaanaashkaa miinawa ayishpaashkaa. Wiikwejiwan. Ditibaashkaa mashkawijiwan. Gaa-ishkwaa-niimiwaad gimaamaaminaan ogoodaas inaandeni dago waasibiig.

Gimishomisinaan gigikino’amaagonaan. Endaso-mooka’ang onagamotawaan. Bimaadizimagadoon onagamonan. Maajinizha’igaade gashki-dibikak. Onanaandawi’amowinan giizisigewan ji giizhoozinid ojichaagwan. Gikinoo’amaagoziwag gitiganan miinawaa awesiiyag ji nitaawigiwaad. Bimaaji’iwe, eyizhiseg, maajiishkaag igaye. Ditibisewan onagamonan. Onagamonan waazakonejigewan. Giizisoowaanzo.