Monday, December 26, 2011

Anishinabe story

Legend of the Woodpecker


This is a story that was told to me a few years ago. This happened to a few men when they were out tree planting in Northern Ontario.

Mii saa giiyenh aanin ninwok maanda gaazhiwebiziwat paaktigewat gwating. Mii dash gwa nidibikaaminaagwak wiigwaaming yaawat. Kaawiin ge kego waasmowin. Niizh dash gwa gwanda ninwok noonch gwa pane mizhishkchigewok. Mii dash maaba Jim giignoonaat Jo’an. “Hey Joe” dinaan saa giiyenh Joe dash giinkwetwaan “Waa” dinaan “Giikendaan naa kego”.


“Wegnesh” kida saa giiyenh Joe.


“Gwanda binenhshiinhak enchiwat, maaba dash baapaasenh, mii maaba memaanji jinaa bemaadizit”.


“Oonh mii naa gegeti” kida saa giiyenh maaba Joe.


“Enhk” kida saa giiyenh maaba Jim.


“Aasanaa iidik gekendaasyin” dinaan saa giiyenh Joe Jiman.


“Enhk ngikendaas saa gwa” kida saa giiyenh maaba Jim.


Mii dash giiyenh giinibizaantek jinaa, mii dash giiyenh maaba bezhik kiwenhziinh giidebwe’aangidoong enjipshigiizhbikak. “Giikendaanaawaa naa kego, kaa gwa genii gibeyiing ndamaadizisii giishpin etaa ginii papakweshmitziiyaanh aasmimtigong gibegiizhik”. Giikchibashkaapiwok saa giiyenh kina Anishinaabek gaayaajik.


A group of men were in their cabin. It was getting dark and there was no electricity. A couple of these men were always telling jokes and funny stories or playing pranks on people. Jim spoke out in the dark room and said, “Hey Joe. You know what?”


“What?” Joe replied.
Jim said, “Of all the birds in the bird kingdom, the woodpecker has the shortest life span.”
“Really?” said Joe.
“Yep,” said Jim.
“Boy you must be a very smart man to know this,” said Joe.
“Yep!” said Jim, “I am a smart man.”


After a few moments of silence, an elderly man spoke out from a dark corner on the other side of the room and said, “You know, I would not live long either if all I did was beat my head upside of a tree all day long.” Everyone in the room burst out laughing. http://www.anishinaabemdaa.com/legend-3.htm







English translation...

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