Pimachiowin Aki

World Heritage Site

Anishinaabemowin

Guided by Teachings—Carol’s Approach to Translation

If Anishinaabemowin is your first language as a baby and for the rest of your life, you will be Anishinaabe always and will be connected through the language.

For translator Carol Beaulieu, language carries a deep responsibility. Guided by the teachings she grew up with and the legacy of the late Roger Roulette, she translated Pimachiowin Aki’s Statement of Outstanding Universal Value in Anishinaabemowin. In this Q&A, Carol shares her process, the challenges and choices behind the words, and her work to preserve Anishinaabemowin for future generations

1. You translated Pimachiowin Aki’s Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) in Roman Orthograhy and Syllabics. Can you walk us through your translation process? Where did you begin, and how did you ensure accuracy and cultural integrity?

First of all, thank you for trusting me with this translation. I read the content numerous times and researched translations by the late Roger Roulette. We were close friends for many years. He was an expert in translation, transcription, reading, writing, and the linguistics of Anishinaabemowin. I wish I had taken the time to be directly mentored by him, but I did pick up things along the way which helped me complete the translation. 

This is the way I try to do it. I read the English a number of times so that I understand the message clearly because I understand one does not translate directly (word for word) but contextually. In this particular translation, I had translations that Roger had done as part of the Pimachiowin Aki project. Part of translating is to not re-invent the wheel but take what already exists and edit it for your translation. Since Anishinaabemowin is my first language and I had both parents and other family members in my life until I was 14 years old, I also believe that I think as an Anishinaabe person. We were not allowed to speak English at home.

If I am not sure about a word or context, I used to ask Roger and/or my brother but unfortunately, they are both gone so I have formed relationships with other speakers, and that has been helpful.

I think as an Anishinaabe person. We were not allowed to speak English at home.

2. When you first read the OUV statement, what stood out to you about how Pimachiowin Aki is described?

My initial thought was that it was long-winded and repetitive. I realize that is how English usually is and moved past that. I find English focuses on being verbose and not getting to the point.

I want Anishinaabemowin to survive for as long as possible.

Carol Beaulieu

3. Describe any challenges you encountered. How did you overcome them?  

In Anishinaabemowin the context is very important and this can be challenging when translating from English. Time needs to be taken to make sure you understand what context is being portrayed. You can not usually translate word for word; it would not make sense in Anishinaabemowin.

4. Can you provide a specific example of an idiomatic expression or a culturally-specific term that doesn’t have a direct translation, and how you handled it?

The sentence below gives advice and alludes to creating more tourism opportunities. This is an on-going example of the assumptions of “settlers” when it comes to Indigenous perspectives and ideology. The monetary value always creeps in as the most viable.

The management plan could be made more proactive and strengthened to address socio-economic issues by promoting diversification and support for local economies, and through the development of action plans for specific aspects such as visitor management, to ensure it is sustainable in terms of the landscape and its spiritual associations, is under the control of the communities, and offers benefits to them. 

5. Do you think the World Heritage system is compatible with Gikendaasowin (Indigenous ways of knowing/worldviews)? 

For now, it appears to be, but there is no guarantee for this compatibility in the future from everyone’s perspective.

Since Anishinaabemowin is a verb-based language, one needs to understand what the nouns are trying to do.

6. How do you stay updated with language changes, new terminology, and evolving trends?

Researching, reading, going to conferences and being involved with creating new terminology.

7. How did your upbringing and the teachings you carry influence the way you approached this translation?

I have always been grateful that my parents chose to live off reserve. My father was franchised when he was a young man, so he made his own living. In the home, we were encouraged not to use English and since I was the baby of the family, my parents spoke Anishinaabemowin all the time as well as my older siblings and close family relatives. I do not consider myself an expert translator by any means, but I do my best to capture and convey the essence of what is being said so that it is understood by as many people as possible.

8. How do you ensure that cultural nuances, as well as the meaning and tone of a message, are preserved in your translations?

I think this speaks to thinking in Anishinaabemowin first and then conveying it. In my understanding, if Anishinaabemowin is your first language as a baby and for the rest of your life, you will be Anishinaabe always and will be connected through the language. I believe this because when I went to public school and a concept came up and if I had problems grasping it, I had another way of comprehending and I was able to figure it out on my own.

Language is to be shared and discussed.

9. How do you prepare for a translation project, particularly if the subject matter is new or unfamiliar to you?

I read the whole English article as many times as I need. Since Anishinaabemowin is a verb-based language, one needs to understand what the “nouns” are trying to do. From there it should start to flow.

10. How do you handle situations where you don’t fully understand something that was said? Would you ask for clarification, or try to interpret the general meaning?

I would ask for clarification from a speaker or speakers if I was stuck.

11. In your opinion, how important is building a personal rapport with the people you are translating for, and what steps do you take to foster trust?

It is important to know what they think and that you aren’t doing this alone. Language is to be shared and discussed. There needs to be open dialogue so that everyone is comfortable with the translation. 

12. Pimachiowin Aki is a World Heritage site on the basis of UNESCO’s cultural and natural criteria. Which aspect did you feel most connected to as you translated it, and why?

I was so humbled to be a small part of this fantastic endeavor accomplished by Pimachiowin Aki, the First Nation communities, and all the individuals involved in this World Heritage site. I felt most connected and proud of the individuals and communities who were part of this achievement. They need to be celebrated and honoured for many years to come. 

I was also grateful for the translations that the late Roger Roulette left behind. His legacy continues even though he is gone. 

13. As a knowledge carrier, mother, and grandmother, how do you see this work contributing to future generations?

I only want to be titled as an Anishinaabekwe and anything I can humbly contribute, I will. I want Anishinaabemowin to survive for as long as possible. Aapiji-miigwech.

Miigwech, Carol.

Lessons in Ojibwe – Tips and Fast Facts


This is part two of a two-part interview with educator Jason Jones. Read more from Jason in our past newsletter.

1. Let’s get straight to a few fast facts about Ojibwe. There’s no F in the Ojibwe alphabet?

There’s also no Q, R, U, V or X. The alphabet has 17 consonants and seven vowels, including double vowels:

  • b, ch, d, g, h, j, k, m, n, p, s, sh, t, w, y, z, zh
  • a, aa, e, i, ii, o, oo

2.  Also, what is the ‘ called and how is it used in Ojibwe?

This is called glottal stop, a sudden stop in speech. I don’t think English language has this sound.


Omagakee’ominitik or omakakii’ominiti
(a reef where there are frogs)
Wawezhi’onan (dance capes)

Examples of the glottal stop in use

3. Ojibwe words have special categories, like animate/living and inanimate/nonliving. What is animate, what is inanimate, and how do you tell?

If you don’t understand, ask someone to pluralize the word – if it ends in G/K, it’s animate. If it ends in N, it’s inanimate after you pluralize it. Sometimes we may look too far into this concept and ask why something is considered alive or not alive. It simply has to be one or the other.

Mazina’igan (book) is inanimate. I see it. If I see a mashkikiwinini (person) or Animosh (pet), I see him or her.

When talking about mitigoog (trees), it’s him or her, not it. We see trees as animate and alive. There are spirits inside there. Asiniig (rocks) are animate. Mishoomisaabikwag (Grandfather rocks) are alive and need to be respected.

4. What about fruits and vegetables? Are they animate or inanimate?

It gets a little complicated when you talk about fruits and vegetables. Some are alive and some are not – miskominag (raspberries) are animate and miinan (blueberries) are inanimate.

Photo: Ōtake Hidehiro

5. Do you know the reason for this?

The closest I can get is that raspberries have seeds. Another interesting one is that mikwam (ice) is animate, nibi (water) is inanimate.

In Manitoba and Ontario, odaabaanan (vehicles) are inanimate. But if you go down south to Minnesota, they’re animate, odaabaanag.

It leads me down this tunnel wondering why. But Elders have told me that it’s just the way it is. It has to be one or the other. Some things have culture built into them, as to why they are animate, like when we mentioned rocks and trees.

6. How is respect is built into the language?

When we’re in a crowd, or we have the microphone, we usually have a humbling statement. I hear this often with Elders. They’ll even acknowledge everyone by saying, “Hello my relatives” because were all related; we all have the same mother – mother earth.


Boozhoo nindinawemaaganag

Mother earth

Another example is that Katakosign giizis is a month that teaches how to be respectful. In our area it’s spelled Gaa-dakoozid giizis and means February. Its literal translation is “the one that is being short, month,” in reference to the number of days in the month. But to take it one step further, we know that other cultures have this as the shortest month – our speakers named it after that because they wanted to show respect to other cultures. When we see these names of the months, we can see our speakers/ancestors recognizing other cultures, which is through respect. This is what I mean when I say “respect is built into the language.”

Also, there are no swear words in Ojibwe/Anishinaabemowin, so right off the bat there’s respect that’s built in there.

7. How do people express themselves in place of swear words?

People call each other bad words by using body part words. They’re not swear words, but probably the closest you can get to swearing. There are other words one can use as well, most of them are visual words though. Most of the time, when one says bad words to someone, it ends in laughter.  

8. Today, many people use miigwech to say thank you. But the word meant something different before. What’s the story behind this?

It’s actually two different words coming together:

  • mii – thus/that
  • gwech – sufficient

A long time ago, Anishinaabeg changed with the times. When we traded with the French, the going rate was a bundle of muskets for a pile of pelts. They were stacked up equally. However high the muskets were was how high the pelts were. When asked, “Mii,mii…gwech, gwech (Is that sufficient)?” the French people thought we said thank you, thank you …. Over time it got figured out. It’s how we came to understand each other, and it stuck.

9. You explained in Part I of our interview that culture is built into the language. They’re inseparable. Can you give us examples of what the language reflects?

a) How natural and dream worlds are perceived
The Creator is constantly trying to communicate with us. We usually put tobacco out and ask for help or guidance, then we pay attention and watch. There was this constellation my grandma told me about called “aatawaamoog.” I could see it in my head, but I couldn’t think of its English name, so I asked out loud, “What is this word in English, I forget?” The next day, I’m standing in line at Safeway and two ladies in front of me started talking about stars. I took my headphones off to listen. Then they said, “Orien’s Belt” and the lightbulb went off in my head and I got my answer. I’d recommend people to try this out – just say things out loud, then wait to see what happens. 

Photo: Ōtake Hidehiro

b) How animals and plants are understood
These are our teachers. We can learn a lot from animals and plants if we pay attention to them. They have so much love for us. When we see a shrew/mole it’s usually a bad sign that someone is going to pass away. But I see it as a good sign, like that animal knows what’s coming and is giving us the heads up, so we can say our last goodbyes to our loved ones. It also reminds us to love one another while we’re here.

Sage plant has things as well, we just have to look more closely. When it gets stepped on or bent, it stays that way until you see it the next day; it’s back to its normal erect state. It’s showing us it can repair itself, and we too have that ability. It could be as easy as telling your body soul spirit to help fix your knee or back problems and it will do its best to help. It’s the same thing with mental health – if we create that way of resetting our minds and giving things a day or two, then we can reset ourselves, much like the sage plant does when it gets stepped on. That’s what it’s trying to show us.

c) How hunting and other practices are expressed  
We see hunting a bit different than Western views. For me, I see the spirit of the deer guiding the bullet to hit the deer and not me, the hunter, shooting him. He’s giving his life so we can live and be healthy. We have to do our part and not waste the meat or talk bad about the animal. His spirit is watching us while we cut him up and he can hear us. That’s why we hear Elders constantly saying thank you or talking highly of him while skinning. 

10. In Anishinaabemowin there no words for ownership and no words for goodbye. How is this a reflection of Anishinaabe values and beliefs?

I guess there are some ownership words. Mostly with family members we see this, like father or mother – they have to belong to someone, so it’s either nindede or nimaamaa for my father or mother. The word parts are dede and maamaa but we won’t see them on their own, they have to have ownership on them. 

Some might say “giga-waabamin” or “baamaa” for goodbye but all it means is, “I will see you (in the future)” or “later.” We truly can’t say goodbye to someone because that would mean we won’t see them any longer, and this gets into death, which can’t happen in our culture. We believe that we are spirits, having a physical experience right now, but we’ll go back to spirit at some time. 

11. Anishinaabeg need language to understand the land. As a language expert for IISD, you translate research on climate change into Anishinaabemowin. What significant lesson has Anishinaabemowin taught you about the land?

The language taught me that much of what we see around us is very much alive.  Also, our language is alive and has the ability to create new words. It is growing and has room for the future, and future words/terms. It comes back to that idea of everything is energy in motion. Our language is moving forward.

12. Eighty percent of people in Pimachiowin Aki speak Anishinaabemowin. What does this mean to you at a time when Indigenous languages around the world are at risk of disappearing? 

Photo: Ōtake Hidehiro

It gives us hope. Most places aren’t as lucky as here. Some communities have lost all their language speakers. I think we’re starting to turn things around – more and more people are talking about the language now and realizing the importance of it. 

13. Here are more words used in Pimachiowin Aki. What can you tell us about them?

a) Gaagige bimosemagan (It exists and travels through eternity)

  • gaagige means for every
  • bim – goes along
  • ose – walks
  • magan turns it into intransitive verb. The thing walks along forever. 

The thing with Ojibwe is, it opens up the meaning of words to mean more than one thing, whereas English tries to narrow things down to one or two meanings. That’s why the translation means “it exists and travels through eternity.” It’s trying to get us to visualize the language and see it. That’s what those smaller word parts do. 

b) Geeminizahgeegink (the land to grow beautifully)
I see “creating an image” that looks nice when I say this word out loud. 

c) Akiiwigikendamowining (Anishinaabe land-based knowledge) 

  • akii- land/earth
  • wi – turns noun to verb
  • gikendamaw (or gikendamow) – is to know  
  • win – turns verb back into noun
  • ing- in/at/ by something

In English, it sounds simple, like knowing the animate land. But the word parts allow us to see this in action, and what we see is where a better translation comes in – we see the land being known. 

Photo: Ōtake Hidehiro

14. Where can people find your lessons to learn Ojibwe and connect to their cultural heritage?

Sayitfirst.ca has much of our books, wakingupojibwe.ca is where I’ve been putting resources. Both of these will help with language. 

Lessons in Ojibwe – Language That Comes From the Land (Part I)
Read Part I of our interview with Jason.

Lessons in Ojibwe – Language That Comes From the Land (Part I)

This is part one of a two-part interview with educator Jason Jones. Watch for more from Jason in our upcoming newsletter.

1. Jason, we want to introduce you to readers. How do you describe yourself?
I’m from Nigigoonsiminikaaning (Red Gut) First Nation in Ontario. I think the best way to describe me is an Ojibwe language nerd. I like thinking about how words are created and where they come from. I’m constantly in awe that, at one point in time, the language had to start from scratch. To see it evolve to where it is right now just amazes me.

2. How and when did you learn Ojibwe?
I’m a second language learner, and I’m still learning. I’m learning Ojibwe by putting magnets on my fridge and sliding words around with prefixes and suffixes. I find that once I learn the structure of the language, I’m able to convey what I mean in Ojibwe.

3. Ojibwe and Anishinaabemowin are often used interchangeably. Can you please explain the difference between them? 

In my ­­­­­­opinion, I think Anishinaabemowin is the general word for Indigenous language, that’s what the “mo” ending means: language or speaks. The “win” ending turns it into a noun. But overall I think Anishinaabe means Indigenous person and Ojibwe identifies the type of Indigenous person. 

4. Languages often borrow from other languages, but Ojibwe does not do this. What is the language based on?

© Janusz Wrobel

The language comes from the land. The land teaches us how things function, the actions they take, and what we see. We can almost visualize what’s happening when we’re speaking. It comes back to our teachings. We talk about energy — everything is just energy in motion. We see things as movement or constantly changing, as is life. That’s the way the language works; it’s a verb-based language and allows us to see what is being said, almost like we’re there and it triggers our memories to see it. 

Dakaanimad (the cool wind blows)

5. So Ojibwe words express a state of being?

Yes, something is always doing something or being in a still state. For example,  jaagide means it burns. The word parts are:

  • jaag – use up, exhaust, deplete
  • ide – it is heated, affected by fire (it burns)

6. Can you give us another example of a state of being, using the word sewing? Please break it down for us and explain how the word comes from the land.

Gashkigwaaso – s/he is sewing

  • gashk – to enclose
  • gwaaso – through sewing

You can visualize the word ‘sewing.’ Other words have this word part “gashk,” which means to enclose something. Everything is energy in motion. In another word with gashk, we have gashkii dibikad and it describes, night is enclosing the sky. The sky is becoming dark. 

  • gashk – enclose
  • ii – state/condition
  • dibikad – it is being night

We visualize the sky being enclosed with darkness. We’ve all seen this before. The language brings us there, like we’re experiencing that feeling again of seeing the sun go down and the sky getting darker and darker.

© Hidehiro Otake

7. Ojibwe is a highly active language compared to English. Does this make it difficult to translate?

Yes. Ojibwe is 80% verbs. English is 60% nouns. When you think in Anishinaabemowin, you think in verbs. When you think in English you think in nouns. So, one of the struggles when translating is that you want to ‘verbify’ nouns. It’s also hard to translate into English because there are three translations that happen when we go from Ojibwe to English:

  • Literal translation
  • Implied translation
  • Cultural translation

Often, when we translate from Ojibwe to English, we go right to the implied translation. We need to remember that there is a literal translation, and that’s where the word parts come in. That’s why we break down words. It helps us visualize the language.

8. Can you give us an example of the three translations?

We can see the three translations when we look at the names of months, like Waatebagaawigiizis (Leaves changing colour moon):   

  • waate – bright, through light
  • bag –  leaf
  • aa –  state or condition
  • wi – being
  • giizis – moon, month, sun  

There are many cultural teachings in the language, and many come from Nenaboozhoo (Nanabush). He was always observing everything around him. I think that’s what we do when we talk about the months in Ojibwe, we’re following his lead and observing everything around us, and these month names reinforce those teachings. 

This is what I mean when I say the culture is built inside the language. 

I think we need to recognize that the months in Ojibwe don’t match up with the 12-month calendar that we see, because ours has 13 months/13 full moons in the year. So, September is what we call Waatebagaawigiizis but that doesn’t really start until middle or later part of September. We’re still in Wild ricing month when September begins. 
 

Learn more and download the Pimachiowin Aki lunar calendar: https://pimaki.ca/the-lunar-calendar-explained/

9. Dewe’iganaatig (drumstick) is a noun in English. In Ojibwe, it’s a verb. Can you explain how the word is translated?

I guess in this form it is a noun but here are word parts in it that are verbs:

  • de – heart
  • we – sound, sounding, perform useful action
  • igan – turns verb to noun
  • aatig – organic solid wood

Its literal translation is ‘heart sounding object’ that does an action to something that’s made out of wood. When we see the word parts (above), we visualize the actions that it does, and that’s the verb part of it.

10. Ojibwe is translated by the overall meaning, not individual words.  

Yes, and the cool thing about the language is that a single word can be a whole sentence. You start with a single word and add on to it and it becomes longer and more meaningful. 

Example:

  • Manoonin (wild rice)
  • Manooninikewin (wild ricing activity, noun form)
© Colin Owens

11. So a single Ojibwe word can express a whole sentence, idea or phrase?

Yes, that’s why we have all of these First Nation signs with long words on them. I know exactly what happens in an area because of its name. Milwaukee is an example – it comes from the word ‘mino-akiing’ and somewhere through translation it got mixed up to Milwaukee, but I can hear the word parts in there: 

  • mino – good, well
  • akiing – earth, soil  

I golfed there before and this one time, and only time I hit the sand trap and the soil looked so clean. Cleanest dirt I’ve ever seen. From most of these place names, and names of communities, we can get a pretty good idea of what’s there.

12. What do the names of the four First Nations in Pimachiowin Aki tell you?

a) Mishi-baawitigong (Little Grand Rapids First Nation) 

I think this means grand rapid in my dialect because the word mishi means grand/ giant. We hear it in Mississippi river – mishiziibi.

  • mishi – giant, grand
  • ziibi – river 
  • baawitig means rapids
  • ong (the ending) means in/at/by something

b) Bawingaasi (Pauingassi First Nation)

To me, this sounds like baawigaas, meaning small/little rapids. The ending gaas means small. 

c) Miskoziibi or Miskweyaabziibi (Bloodvein River First Nation)

I like these words.

Miskoziibi (Red River)

  • misko (preverb) means red
  • ziibi is river

Miskweyaabziibi (Bloodvein River)

  • miskwe – blood
  • yaab – string-like
  • ziibi – river

d) Asatiwisipe (Poplar River First Nation)

  • azaadi is ‘poplar’ in my area
  • wi turns the noun to a verb, so being a poplar
  • sipe is derived from ziibi

When I hear it the way it’s spelled, it sounds like Oji-cree or Cree influence on it.  They tend to use the harder sounds of Ojibwe language a bit more than where I’m from, which is Rainy Lake. 

13. Many place names in Pimachiowin Aki have similar endings: ing, ang, ong, tik or kak. Why is this?

Place names usually come from what the area is known for or events that happened there. When a place name ends in a vowel with N-G at the end, it indicates in, at, on or by something.

Examples:

  • Sheepawagananing (Going through the smaller straight at Poplar Point)
  • Mangonawacheewining (The long stretch of the Poplar River with no rapids named after a loon who was having a snack)

14.  What about tik and kak?

Examples:

a) Kamitawakichiwungwipowitik (Rapids where sand washes up)

I think the ending tik is much longer than just tik. It could mean a few things, like aatik ending would mean “wood/organic solid” but in this case the ending is powitik and the word is powitik, means rapids in Oji-Cree, Cree.

b) Kamatapee’andakak (Trees grow out into the lake) 

This end is similar because the ending is actually aandak when means “tree (especially fir), bough. 

Source: https://pimaki.ca/wp-content/uploads/Poplar-River-First-Nation-Named-Places-Map.pdf

15. Where can people find your lessons to learn Ojibwe and connect to their cultural heritage?

Sayitfirst.ca has much of our books. Wakingupojibwe.ca is where I’ve been putting resources. Both of these will help with language. 

Podcast – Paul Anishinaabemo (Speaks Ojibwe)
Explore more lessons in Anishinaabemowin with mother and son Sophia and Paul Rabliauskas, recorded in Poplar River First Nation:


https://open.spotify.com/show/5EQmK24mhQmQaGEzFU9H3U
Lessons in Ojibwe – Tips and Fast Facts
Read Part II of our interview with Jason.

5 Years, 5 Moments to Celebrate

Pimachiowin Aki was inscribed on the World Heritage List on July 1, 2018 during the 42nd session of the World Heritage Committee in Manama, Bahrain. 

It has been an exciting five years since Pimachiowin Aki became Canada’s first mixed UNESCO World Heritage site. With so many incredible moments to choose from, it was difficult to decide which ones to celebrate with you today. We are humbled and proud to share these highlights:

1. Guardians Network is established

When Pimachiowin Aki launched its Guardians Network in 2018, we had no idea how quickly the program and Guardians’ capacity would grow. In addition to monitoring the lands and waters of Pimachiowin Aki, Guardians have documented and shared customary laws, recorded place names, collaborated with researchers, operated drones, spoken at conferences, conducted bird surveys and recorded bird songs, harvested food for Elders, taken youth on land-based learning trips, and more. We thank you for your care of people and places, for connecting with the land and each other, and for sharing your knowledge and skills. You have strengthened our communities and are a gift to us all.

Pimachiowin Aki Corporation was one of 28 successful applicants in Canada for the early round of funding from the Environment and Climate Change Canada Indigenous Guardians Pilot Program in 2018. The program has since secured annual funding and established the Pimachiowin Aki Guardians Fund to carry it into the future.

2. The World Visits pimaki.ca 

World Heritage status creates a tremendous opportunity to enhance understanding of Pimachiowin Aki’s cultural and natural values and share these values with the world. Since the launch of our newly designed and reprogrammed website, Pimachiowin Aki has been sharing information about The Land that Gives Life with people from around the globe. The new website has received many positive reviews, including praise for the amount and quality of information and how easy it is for people to find what they’re looking for.


The website even caught the eye of Dr. Gemma Faith, who, at the time, was a PhD researcher at Ulster University in Northern Ireland. Gemma made Pimachiowin Aki the focus of her research, which won an Outstanding PhD Thesis award. Gemma’s thesis explored how pimaki.ca communicates the unique bond that Anishinaabeg have with the land to people around the world.

3. The Pimachiowin Aki Endowment Fund Hit $5 Million

For the first time since it was established in 2010, the fund reached its highest-ever value of $5 million last year. Thank you to our generous donors who have helped us reach this milestone. Your donations help grow the fund, which is held at The Winnipeg Foundation. Annual revenue from the fund helps Pimachiowin Aki operate the Guardians Network, create and support cultural heritage education and Indigenous knowledge programs, provide training and capacity-building, and lead and support research to ensure that the world understands and respects this special place and all who live here.

Pimachiowin Aki is a small not-for-profit charitable organization with big ideas, and a mission to safeguard Pimachiowin Aki for the well-being of Anishinaabeg and the world, forever.

4. We Built a Digital Library

Along the journey to becoming a UNESCO World Heritage site, we acquired over 12 thousand photos of the people and places of Pimachiowin Aki. For over two decades, people involved in the project have been documenting their experiences and sharing photos – from large community gatherings to wildlife sightings to touring UNESCO representatives on evaluation missions across the waters of Pimachiowin Aki. Many of the photos you see in our communications date back to this time. 

Today, these photos, along with a vast amount of information and data collected for First Nations’ land use planning and the World Heritage site nomination, are neatly accredited and organized into folders in the Pimachiowin Aki digital library. The library continually grows as Guardians, community members, professional photographers, researchers and visitors share photos and information with us. 

The Pimachiowin Aki library is an important achievement as it provides a fuller picture of the World Heritage site and offers layers and layers of information. Each time Pimachiowin Aki creates a map, such as place names maps, more detail and meaning is added from our library.

The extensive library also provides local teachers with valuable information as they incorporate the cultural, natural and educational values of Pimachiowin Aki into their curricula. 

5. We Published Bilingual Anishinaabemowin/English Books

In partnership with Manitoba Museum, we contributed research and expertise developed during First Nations’ land use planning and the World Heritage site bid to create resources for schools in the Pimachiowin Aki communities. 

The project is coming to completion, and five books will soon be delivered to all schools in Pimachiowin Aki, and potentially to every school in Manitoba. The books will be also available for purchase at Manitoba Museum. The books are:

  • Omazinaakizonan Mishibaawitigong | Photos From Little Grand Rapids
  • Gikino’amaagedaa Anishinaabemowin | Let’s Teach the Ojibwe Language
  • Onji’aawasowinan | “do’s and don’ts“ Traditional Anishinaabe Teachings (colouring book)
  • Azauuwiziibing Gaa-nitaawigigin | Poplar River Anishinaabe Plant Guide
  • Obaawingaashiing Aabijichiganan | Pauingassi Collection

Thank you to our two special donors whose generosity helped to finish this project. 

This is what the children should be taught. That they should never forget their Anishinaabe language, the way the language was spoken long ago.

OMISHOOSH (ELDER CHARLIE GEORGE OWEN), PAUINGASSI FIRST NATION 

A Year of Connections for Pimachiowin Aki

As 2022 draws to a close, we look back at a stellar year of connections. A traditional medicine workshop brought together community members, an art installation shared Anishinaabeg traditional knowledge, and a PhD thesis and documentary film spread word of Pimachiowin Aki around the globe. Here are eight highlights from our special year:

1. What We Do to the Land We Do to Ourselves

Filmmaker Michael Zelniker joined the Pimachiowin Aki Directors and members for a special screening of his documentary film The Issue with Tissue­ – a Boreal Love Story. Michael’s film features First Nation Elders and leaders from across the boreal, including Bloodvein River First Nation Elder Leslie Orvis Sr. and Pimachiowin Aki Director William Young, along with leading scientists and activists. It was an emotional experience to see and hear stories of the devastating impacts of colonization and damage done to Mother Earth as the world’s boreal forest is clearcut to manufacture toilet paper.

More than one million acres of boreal forest are lost to clear cutting in Canada every year. 

Forests take care of us. But we are cutting down the world’s oldest living trees and flushing them down the toilet, Michael warns.  

In early December, he spoke with CBC about his film and how the logging industry has affected the boreal forest and the life it supports. Indigenous Peoples have protected millions of acres of boreal forest in Pimachiowin Aki from destruction from human activity for over 7,000 years.

A Little Paper Creates a Big Problem

See the trailer for The Issue with Tissue – A Boreal Love Story

2. A Tiny Bird on a Tremendous Journey

For World Migratory Bird Day, Bloodvein River First Nation Guardian Melba Green helped the National Audubon Society remind the world that birds connect us all.  

Melba joined Audubon’s Dr. Jeff Wells in a video to discuss the Canada Warbler, a vulnerable species that finds refuge in Pimachiowin Aki.

“Pimachiowin Aki is [committed] to protecting wildlife, birds, and land from mining and forestry, and all other things that harm the land,” Melba explains.

Millions of birds migrate to and from Pimachiowin Aki each year, including the Canada Warbler. Contrary to its name, this bright yellow songbird sets out on a heroic, international voyage – it leaves the forest wetlands of Pimachiowin Aki in August for woodlands on the Texas coast, its first stop on the way to La Semilla, a natural reserve in Colombia.

Conservation of these areas, from the boreal forest of Pimachiowin Aki to South America, is critical to birds’ survival.

“Without strong, large, intact protected areas in the boreal forest, [birds’ migratory] cycles could shut down,” says Jeff.

“It’s really important for us to maintain these areas,” Melba adds.

64 % of Canada Warblers rely on Canadian Boreal Forest for their breeding grounds.

Birds are indicators of our changing climate. Global warming is the biggest threat to their natural habitat, and shifting migratory patterns demonstrate this.

See the full video featuring Melba: http://surl.li/ebgvp

3. Women Turn Out for Trapping Education Course

Pimachiowin Aki, with financial support from the South East Resource Development Council, organized a week-long trapper education course at Little Grand Rapids First Nation.

An instructor from Red Lake taught the group of mainly women how to create muskrat boxes, a skill required to obtain their trapping licences.

Did you know?
Traplines in Little Grand Rapids span both Manitoba and Ontario. Manitoba recognizes Ontario trapper training programs for licensing in Manitoba, but you must receive training from a qualified instructor in Ontario to get a licence to trap there.

Bloodvein plans to hold a trapper training course in January 2023. The course is full, but the Bloodvein River First Nation Guardian will share information if space becomes available.

4. Pimachiowin Aki Provides Global Inspiration

N. Ireland

If you close your eyes and think about Pimachiowin Aki, what do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel?

Dr. Gemma Faith had never been to Pimachiowin Aki, but three years ago, as a PhD researcher at Ulster University in Northern Ireland, she noticed that this special place came to life online with “rich and stirring content” that made her feel like she was here. Gemma was so impressed with Pimachiowin Aki’s online presence and values-based approach to management that she chose to use Pimachiowin Aki as a case study for her thesis: Evaluating World Heritage Interpretation in Online Spaces and its Potential to Prime the Development of Eco-Cultural Tourism Experiences (Virtual and Onsite): A Case Study on Pimachiowin Aki, Canada’s First Mixed World Heritage Site.

Dr. Faith studied Pimachiowin Aki over a three-year period, capturing and analyzing information, including:  

  • pimaki.ca
  • Facebook page
  • Official documents
  • Zoom interviews with Pimachiowin Aki Directors and members
  • Insights shared by community members through written submissions
Dr. Gemma Faith graduated with a degree of Doctor of Philosophy from Ulster University in Northern Ireland in December 2022. Pimachiowin Aki’s contribution is acknowledged in her PhD thesis.  

What is the purpose of the study?

With technology at our fingertips, people can explore any place in the world with a few swipes and clicks. It’s important for mixed World Heritage sites like Pimachiowin Aki to carve out a place on the internet, so that people learn about Outstanding Universal Value and why it is preserved for the benefit of all humanity. 

Gemma’s study explores how Pimachiowin Aki communicates with people around the world through social media and our website, sharing the unique bond that Anishinaabeg have with the land.  It also looks at ways that online communication can be used to develop eco-cultural tourism.

New tourism development is in its infancy at Pimachiowin Aki, but exploring pimaki.ca or browsing its social media is like having a local, online tour guide:

  • Someone to show you what makes this mixed World Heritage site special (through text, photographs, video storytelling and descriptions)
  • Someone to share and explain the values that preserve and sustain this protected area
  • Someone to answer your questions or comments  

By presenting Pimachiowin Aki’s online presence as a global exemplar (a good example to the world), it is hoped that the findings of the study will aid the management of online heritage interpretation at future mixed sites in Canada and the world, Gemma says. Pimachiowin Aki thanks Dr. Gemma Faith for her gift of curiosity, and the Elders, knowledge keepers and community members who share stories and bring Anishinaabeg cultural heritage to life for our social media followers, newsletter subscribers, and web visitors from across the globe.

5. Elders Share Knowledge of Traditional Medicines

Ka mashkawak mashkiski (sage) means ‘the strong medicine’ and has a very strong scent. This traditional knowledge was shared during a discussion with Elders in Pauingassi First Nation this fall.

The community event, sponsored by Pimachiowin Aki, focused on traditional medicines.

Participants discussed traditional plant names, when to harvest them, parts of plants used for medicines, symptoms they treat, how to prepare them, and how they’re used today.

Joe Owen, Pimachiowin Aki Board member and knowledge keeper from Pauingassi First Nation, says, “The important thing is I’m trying to encourage Elders, whatever they still know, to exercise using that knowledge about medicines. The medicines help with some illnesses.  It is nice to share with the people from other communities too. If Elders have any young people who come around to their houses, it is good to talk with them about some of the medicines we still have out there.”

Organizers are currently working on a document to share teachings from the workshop with community members. Watch for it in our future eNews.

6. Wildfire Sparks Art at an International Festival

Pimachiowin Aki was excited to be a part of an art installation of dancing trees created by artist Jonathan Green. The installation, which appeared during Nuit Blanche Winnipeg, was inspired in part by Pimachiowin Aki’s fire cycle graphic.

“I found the graphic when I was looking for an image to explain the idea of a fire cycle,” says Jonathan. “I scrolled down to Pimachiowin Aki’s version of the cycle and immediately loved its clarity, and the way it explains details such as wild berries becoming abundant, animals migrating, and how the land changes.”

“I’ve been researching wildfires for years, but I didn’t know former burn sites make for good hunting,” says Jonathan. “The graphic is so rich in local Anishinaabeg knowledge and practice it felt like something I could trust innately.”

Artist Jonathan Green

Jonathan credits Pimachiowin Aki’s fire cycle graphic, adapted from work by Dr. Andrew Miller, with inspiring him to include trees from the boreal in his installation, which he designed to help visitors get a better understanding of how wildfires impact habitats.

“I hope it allows us all to consider the human impact on the environment and the ways in which many recent large-scale wildfires are a direct result of extreme climate change due to this human impact.”

7. Making Strides in Digital Map Project

Fieldwork for the much-anticipated digital habitat maps, in partnership with ECOSTEM, continued this year, with tours around Aikens Lake and Fishing Lake.

ECOSTEM is now in the process of creating a preliminary version of the habitat map, which we expect to release in March 2023, followed by detailed maps of cultural features.

Elders, Pimachiowin Aki Guardians and other knowledge keepers are contributing data and information to the maps, such as knowledge of wildlife-habitat relationships, and will be able to use the maps to preserve important habitats and keep an eye on the health of the land.

“The maps won’t just show us the land; they will show us what the land can sustain,” says Alison Haugh, Executive Director of Pimachiowin Aki. 

Learn more about the digital maps and how they’re created.

The challenges of mapping

It takes thousands of photos, drone and satellite imagery, and physical samples to create the maps. In the development stages, the mapping team faced multiple challenges getting what they need. Wildfires had swept through the land in 2021, accompanied by COVID-19 restrictions and a months-long drought, which made floatplane and boat travel nearly impossible.

Drones were prohibited from flying due to NAV Canada restrictions to avoid conflicts with firefighting aircraft.

These challenges postponed ECOSTEM’s image collection process to this year, when they were able to continue their fieldwork.

Though easier on their team, 2022 presented its own hurdles. For starters, massive snowfall led to record-breaking high water levels throughout Manitoba.

In addition, “drones have been grounded more than expected due to rain and high winds,” reports ECOSTEM’s Dr. James Ehnes. Despite this, the team was able to complete all of the planned fieldwork.

At times, Pimachiowin Aki Guardians couldn’t do groundwork because roads were covered with water and rapids were so strong that some areas were too dangerous to visit.

If weather concerns weren’t enough to stand in the way of the project, Transport Canada established new restrictions for transporting lithium-ion batteries on commercial flights.

“We now have to discharge the battery, get a third party to certify that they’re discharged, and ship them separately on a cargo flight,” says James. “This process has not only added time prior to getting in the field; it then takes the rest of the day to recharge the batteries.

A team effort

Miigwech to Guardian Colin Owens of Pauingassi First Nation, who travelled great distances by boat to capture images and was very helpful in transporting the crew and gear around the community each day and shipping generators to Winnipeg. 

8. Happy Birthday to World Heritage!

2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention, which Canada joined in 1976, becoming a part of an international movement to safeguard the world’s cultural treasures.

“The purpose of the World Heritage Convention is to identify, protect, and preserve cultural and natural places across the world that are deemed to have Outstanding Universal Value, and should therefore be protected and recognized internationally for current and future generations,” says Rebecca Kennedy, Manager of International Affairs for Parks Canada.

“Canada is blessed with a diversity of natural and cultural heritage from coast to coast to coast, including 20 sites that have been inscribed on the World Heritage List,” she adds.

There was no better time than 2022 for Canadians to learn about these 20 incredible places. Many of Canada’s World Heritage Sites, including Pimachiowin Aki, offered special in-person and virtual activities to highlight this landmark year.

Take a cross-Canada video tour to celebrate the shared heritage of humankind:

How to Pronounce Common Anishinaabemowin Words

Gizhe Manidoo lowered nitam anishinaabe (first human) to Earth and gave him the responsibility to name everything in existence. This is how Anishinaabemowin was born.

Over 80 percent of people in Pimachiowin Aki speak the ancient Ojibwe language Anishinaabemowin. Each community has its own dialect. Pimachiowin Aki Guardian Melba Green helped us create this series of language videos so that you can hear how we say common Aninishinaabemowin words in Bloodvein River First Nation.

Anishinaabemowin is often the first language children learn to speak. 

Anishinaabemowin is the primary language we speak at home and work. Children and youth learn this vibrant language in school every day.

Learn how to say the days of the week 

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Hear words related to family

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The survival of Anishinaabemowin is directly related to the survival of Anishinaabe identity and culture.

We are tied to our language the same way we are tied to the land. Anishinaabemowin expresses our heritage, values and culture. We use it in traditional ceremonies, and in stories and songs passed down through generations. It is our unique way of understanding the world. 

Hear words related to our cultural heritage

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Anishinaabemowin reflects how land and animals are understood. 

For millennia, our ancestors have spoken Anishinaabemowin to pass down traditional knowledge such as when to plant and harvest, how to spot seasonal changes, and where to track migration of geese and woodland caribou. Our language holds our knowledge of the environment. Therefore, preserving our language means preserving the land.

The world’s languages and animal species have both declined by about 30% since 1970. Some conservationists and climate scientists believe the key to protecting endangered plants and animals may lie in efforts to preserve Indigenous languages.

cbc.ca, The Current

Learn how to say the four seasons

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Hear words related to plants that grow in Pimachiowin Aki

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Learn words for wildlife that lives in Pimachiowin Aki

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The hereditary transmission of culture is mediated not by passing DNA from parent to offspring, but by one individual learning something from another, and this transmission is greatly facilitated and accelerated by means of language.

Biocultural Diversity, Threatened species, endangered languages
Pimachiowin Aki Guardian Melba Green, Bloodvein River First Nation

Miigwech to Pimachiowin Aki Guardian Melba Green for providing the voice-overs.

From friendly insults to words spoken in spring…  

Listen to the mother and son language podcast exploring lessons in Anishinaabemowin, featuring Sophia and Paul Rabliauskas of Poplar River First Nation:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/paul-sophia-rabliauskas-anishinaabemowin-1.5919310

Follow us for more information about Pimachiowin Aki:

 Sources
https://www.cbc.ca/originalvoices/language/anishinaabemowin/
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/back-to-the-land-preserving-indigenous-language-1.6152854
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/anishinaabemowin-ojibwe-language
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291352235_Biocultural_Diversity_threatened_species_endangered_languages