Chapter 8 Quiz — Aki: Land, Treaties & Sovereignty¶
Part A — Multiple Choice (10 questions, 2 points each)¶
1. What does aki mean in Ojibwe, and what is its grammatical animacy?
A) Water, inanimate
B) Sky, animate
C) Land/earth, animate
D) Fire, inanimate
Answer: C — land/earth, animate
2. What does the locative suffix -ing do in Ojibwe?
A) Forms past tense
B) Converts a noun to a location ('in/at/on')
C) Marks animate plural
D) Indicates future tense
Answer: B
Aki → akiing (on the land/earth)
3. Which treaty year established the reservation boundaries still used today?
A) 1837
B) 1842
C) 1854
D) 1868
Answer: C — 1854 Treaty
4. What does Gichi-gami mean?
A) Big bear
B) Great sea / great water (Lake Superior)
C) Long river
D) High mountain
Answer: B — Great sea (Lake Superior's Ojibwe name)
5. The case Lac Courte Oreilles v. Voigt (1983) affirmed which right?
A) The right to hold ceremonies on federal land
B) The right to vote in state elections
C) The Ojibwe right to spearfish and harvest on ceded territory under the 1837 treaty
D) The right to establish tribal colleges
Answer: C
6. How do you say 'I will speak Ojibwe' in future tense?
A) Nigiigid Ojibwemowin
B) Anishinaabemowin inga-giigid
C) Gaawiin nigiigidossii
D) Giigidowag Ojibwemowin
Answer: B — Anishinaabemowin inga-giigid
Inga- is the first-person future prefix.
7. When Anishinaabe people signed treaties in the 19th century, what did they understand they were agreeing to?
A) Permanently selling all land rights
B) Giving up their sovereignty entirely
C) Shared-use relationships — not land sales as understood in Western property law
D) Moving to reservations voluntarily
Answer: C
This fundamental misunderstanding — or bad faith — is central to understanding unresolved treaty disputes.
8. What does manoominike mean?
A) To harvest wild rice (VAI)
B) To hunt deer
C) To fish
D) To tap maple trees
Answer: A — to harvest wild rice
9. The phrase Ojibweg omaa bimaadiziwag noongom means:
A) The Ojibwe people signed treaties
B) The Ojibwe people lived here long ago
C) The Ojibwe people live here today / are still here
D) The Ojibwe people are returning
Answer: C
10. The term ogimaawin in Ojibwe governance means:
A) War / conflict
B) Treaty / agreement
C) Leadership / governance
D) Law / decision
Answer: C — Leadership / governance
Ogimaa = leader/chief; -win nominalizes it to the concept of leadership.
Part B — Fill in the Blank (3 questions, 5 points each)¶
11. The Ojibwe name for Lake Superior is ___, which means "great sea" or "great water."
Answer to Question 11
Gichi-gami
12. To say "This is Anishinaabe land" in Ojibwe: ___ omaa.
Answer to Question 12
Anishinaabe-akiing omaa.
13. The 1837 Treaty retained Ojibwe rights to hunt, fish, and ___ on ceded territory, even after the land was ceded to the United States.
Answer to Question 13
gather (usufructuary rights; also acceptable: rice, maple syrup, medicinal plants, etc.)
Part C — Short Answer (3 questions, 10 points each)¶
14. Explain the significance of the 1837 Treaty for Ojibwe people today. What rights does it protect? Where are those rights exercised, and what is the legal basis for their continued validity? (4–6 sentences)
Answer to Question 14
Strong answers: 1837 treaty ceded northern Wisconsin/Minnesota territory; retained hunting, fishing, and gathering rights on ceded territory; these rights are the supreme law of the land under Article VI of the U.S. Constitution; Lac Courte Oreilles v. Voigt (1983) reaffirmed these rights; Ojibwe people today spearfish, harvest rice, and hunt on ceded territory under these rights; the rights are not historical — they apply in the present day.
15. Write a land acknowledgment in Ojibwe (minimum 3 Ojibwe sentences) with English translations, acknowledging the Anishinaabe relationship to the land where your school is located. Explain briefly what treaty, if any, covers that land.
Answer to Question 15
Varied by location. A strong answer for Wisconsin/Minnesota might include:
- Anishinaabe-akiing omaa. (This is Anishinaabe land.)
- Ojibweg omaa bimaadiziwag noongom. (Ojibwe people still live here today.)
- Gaa-giiziibiigaazod niminwaabandaamin. (We recognize the treaty.)
Plus a sentence or two explaining which treaty covers the area (1837, 1842, or 1854, depending on location).
16. Reflect on your year learning Ojibwe. Choose 3 vocabulary words or phrases from different chapters that have been most meaningful to you. For each: write the Ojibwe word, its English meaning, which chapter it came from, and why it was meaningful to you. (No "right" answer — assessed on depth of reflection and accuracy of Ojibwe.)
Answer to Question 16
Full credit for any 3 correctly identified vocabulary items with genuine reflection connecting the word to the student's learning experience. Accuracy of Ojibwe spelling and chapter attribution is assessed, but the reflection is personal.
Final Reflection¶
Write a short reflection (5–8 sentences) in English connecting what you learned this year about Ojibwe language to the land you live on. Consider: Whose land are you on? What treaty covers it? How does learning a word like aki (land) or nibi (water) change how you see the place where you live?
This reflection is not graded on a right/wrong basis — it is assessed for genuine engagement with the course themes.
Return to Chapter 8 Content | See also: End-of-Year Exam | Glossary