Description
Presented in the Ojibwe language, these delightful short stories bring to life the tales and traditions of the Ojibwe people while providing essential tools for language-learning.
Ge-ni-aabadak Giniigaaniiminaang, which means "What We Shall Make Use of in Our Future," is an Ojibwe-language collection of fictional short stories told by elders from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. It is part of a series of monolingual books produced with Aanjibimaadizing, a program of the Mille Lacs Band that means "Changing Lives." Through the Aanjibimaadizing Project, fourteen first speakers teamed with linguists, teachers, and Ojibwe language experts to create this new literature for Ojibwe language learners. Conceived and written only in Ojibwe, the stories reflect a rare authenticity as they transmit cultural values, increase vocabulary, and reinforce identity; the stories are designed to both entertain and educate. Ge-ni-aabadak Giniigaaniiminaang is intended for younger readers of Ojibwe.
Edited by Anton Treuer and Michael Sullivan Sr. Illustrated by Wesley Ballinger.
Anton Treuer, professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University, is the author of The Language Warrior's Manifesto and fourteen other books on Indigenous history and language.
Michael Sullivan is the resident linguist for the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Immersion School on the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation.
Wesley Ballinger, a Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe artist, is a community engagement coordinator for the American Indian Studies Department at the University of Minnesota. He is the illustrator of Hungry Johnny by Cheryl Minnema.