#ojibway

My 3rd great Uncle Louis II

Son of:

My 3rd great Grand Father

Louis Vincent Corbine “Kijebines King Bird”

My Vision:

After offering tobacco today, I was visited by a Yellow-rumped Warbler sitting quietly in a tree. In Ojibwe understanding, small songbirds often arrive as acknowledgment. They appear when an offering has been accepted and when attention is being gently called inward. The warbler was not loud or demand notice. Its presence signaled awareness, permission, and a soft opening of the doorway between worlds. 🪶

I entered meditation my through ancient trees that arched together, forming a tunnel. A warm yellow light poured through the opening ahead. When I looked up, the sky was blue and clear, and the branches slowly disappeared. As I stepped through, the world shifted. Stars rose and night arrived without fear.

Ahead of me burned a fire. Its flames were steady, its embers alive and breathing. From the firelight appeared my ancestor, Louis II, son of my Uncle Louis Vincent Corbine II, known as the son of my Grandfather Kijebines, Kingbird. He tended the fire with a fan of feathers, not feeding the flames too strongly, only keeping the embers alive. He wore a pelt medicine outfit, a single feather on his head, and a medicine bag across his shoulder. Behind him stood a wigwam, grounded and quiet.

He approached me and placed cedar into my right hand. He spoke one word in Ojibwe. Nibaa. When I asked if there was anything he needed to tell me, he repeated the instruction clearly. Nibaa. Bizindaw. Silence. Listen. I thanked him and embraced him before walking back through the trees.

Ojibwe term Kijebines. English meaning Kingbird. Kingbird medicine represents rightful authority, protection, and discernment. The Kingbird does not act from impulse. It watches, waits, and defends only when necessary. This reflects ancestral guardianship and the responsibility of holding knowledge without misusing it.

Ojibwe term Bizindaw. English meaning "Listen" This is not casual hearing. It is spiritual listening that requires patience, humility, and presence. It is an instruction to receive rather than speak.

Ojibwe term Nibaa. English meaning "Be still" or "quiet." This refers to intentional silence. It is a discipline of the spirit that allows truth to rise on its own.

Ojibwe term Giizhik. English meaning "Cedar." Cedar is medicine for protection, grounding, and truth. Placed in the right hand, it signifies responsibility and readiness to carry teachings forward.

Ojibwe term Mashkode-bizhiki-ishkode. English meaning "Sacred fire." The fire represents ancestral continuity and living memory. The embers symbolize knowledge that must be tended carefully, not rushed or consumed.

Ojibwe term Wiigiwaam. English meaning Wigwam. The wigwam represents lineage, home, and shelter for teachings. It signifies tradition held quietly rather than displayed.

Meaning

The meaning of the experience is clear and complete. The Yellow-rumped Warbler confirmed that the offering was received and that awareness was present. The passage from day into night marked the crossing from ordinary awareness into ancestral time. The Kingbird ancestor came not to speak at length, but to instruct restraint. Silence is the doorway. Listening is the path. Wisdom arrives when ego steps aside. This was not a request for action, but a reminder of how to receive guidance correctly.

I was not given answers... because I am being taught about how answers come.

Miigwech.

I have two resolutions for 2026: I want to learn (some of) my tribe's language, Anishinaabemowin, and I want to become better at cooking by working thru the Martha Stewart's Cooking School book

Today I wanted to share a little bit of what I know so far in Anishinaabemowin. If you are familiar with the language, please be kind! I was separated from my tribe at age 9 and I live 1,000 miles away now. I only remember about 5 words from when I lived on the rez. I'm learning via YouTube videos and a printed dictionary. Some of it may look a little different because I'm from a Michigan tribe, and a lot of the teachings available are from Minnesota tribes

Anyways, here are some words and phrases

Boozhoo - hello

Aambe - come on, let's get a move on

Miigwech - thank you

Baamaapii - see you later

Makwa n'doodem - my clan is bear

Odeimin - strawberry (my middle name!)

Gaazhagensag - cats

Giigoonh - fish

Manidoons - insect

Bakade - he or she is hungry

Gtige - he or she is planting

I'm starting to learn how to put together sentences but I dont know enough words to make many

Manidoonsag gewe - Those are insects

Gaazhagensag! G'bakadem na? - Cats! Are you hungry?

Gaawiin n'bakade sii, giigoonh-ik n'gii mwaag -I am not hungry, I ate fish

Anyways, I'm going to share some off and on as a way to practice. If you're not interested, you can block my #yapping tag or my #anishinaabemowin tag

I've shot birds and trapped rabbits, I go moose hunting yearly with my family on our traditional hunting grounds. I fish there in the summer. This summer, I'll be taking my partner there for the first time.

I look forward to bringing any hypothetical kids there some day, for them to scramble over and scrape their knees on the same rocky islands I did. Too often, I take for granted the beauty of my home. Others tend to overlook it, too.

A nondescript road off the highway to a reservation with just over 500 people, a gas station, and a corner store. You have to drive a half hour up the highway to the nearest town if you want groceries.

And yet, its beauty cannot be matched, past the rez down a dirt road you'll see the powwow grounds and the mouth of the river where it turns into lake superior. Further down still, and you'll see the dunes and the beach that seem to go on forever when you're a kid.

Driftwood lines the shore bleached white by the sun, black coals in places where the fishermen got cold, or some kids got bored. Paw prints from dogs and seagull prints mark the wet sand, and if you catch the sky on the right day, you can't tell where the water ends and the sky begins.

Frog

Raven

Creating well-rounded, respectful Ojibwe characters takes a bit of research and consideration. This guide gives a quick overview of things to think about when writing Ojibwe people and incorporates some context to avoid common pitfalls. Writing any Indigenous character means approaching with care, so let’s dive in!