Resources

Community-Verified Sources

The resources on this page — particularly those from MIIN, the Ojibwe People's Dictionary, GLIFWC, and community language programs — are the sources this course is being revised against. When in doubt, these resources take priority over any content currently in this course.

Dictionaries and Reference

• The Ojibwe People's Dictionary — University of Minnesota; searchable, talking Ojibwe-English dictionary featuring the voices of fluent speakers. The most comprehensive online reference for this course. Bookmark this first.
• Freelang Ojibwe Dictionary — Secondary resource for quick individual word lookups in English and Ojibwemowin.
• Baraga Dictionary — Online 1878 publication using phonetics and grammatical tools. Historical reference only — orthography differs from modern Double Vowel.
• Nishnaabemwin Online Dictionary — Focuses on Odawa dialects from the Lake Huron shores.
• Ojibwe Medical Dictionary — Patricia Ningewance Nadeau; for healthcare provider communication.
• Plants Used by the Great Lakes Ojibwa — Meeker, Elias & Heim (1993); covers 384 plant species. Available via MIIN.
• Nichols & Nyholm, A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe — Standard printed academic dictionary; available at many libraries.

Community Language Programs (Primary Sources)

• Midwest Indigenous Immersion Network (MIIN) — Free curriculum materials organized by grade level (Birth–PreK through Adult), including reading materials, audio files, videos, songs, and board games. This is the primary source this course is being revised against. Adult materials at miinojibwe.org/ojibwe-language-resources/adult-learning/.
• Mille Lacs Band — Ojibwe Rosetta Stone Project — Partnership with Aanjibimaadizing; includes free teacher guides.
• Fond du Lac Band — Ojibwemowin Resources — Learning materials, audio/visual resources, and language tools from the Fond du Lac Band.
• Fond du Lac Band — See & Say Ojibwe Immersion Videos — Stories from the 1950s revisited in 2017; captioned in Ojibwe and English.
• Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Nest — Immersion preschool in Hayward, WI; model for language revitalization.
• Niigaane Ojibwe School — Red Lake, MN; full Ojibwe-medium K–8 school.

Grammar and Learner References

• Anishinaabemowin Learner's Grammar — Based on Nishnabemwin Reference Grammar by Rand Valentine; provides verb paradigms and grammar information. Essential for understanding VAI/VTI/NA/NI distinctions.
• Kidon Miinwaa — Features dialogues, grammar notes, and digital flashcards for vocabulary and verb conjugations.
• Ojibwemotaadidaa Omaa Gidakiiminaang — Verb lists, lessons, audio clips, and reference materials for adult immersion learners.
• Aaniin Ekidong? — Ojibwe Vocabulary Project — School-related terminology compiled from working sessions with fluent speakers.

Video Resources

• Ojibwemotaadidaa Omaa Gidakiiminaang (YouTube) — First language speakers working with learners.
• Tutorial Videos — College of St. Scholastica — Eleven videos demonstrating immersion methodology; narrated in Ojibwemowin.
• Waking Up Ojibwe — Anishinaabemodaa — Read-with-me videos, Koko Jones episodes, and learning sessions.
• Ojibwe Video Lessons — Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre — Speakers creating cultural items with English translations.
• barbaranolan.com — Immersion-style dramatized episodes designed for comprehension without translation.
• AICHO — Discussions with first and second language speakers about stories, cultural teachings, and ceremonies.
• Waasa Inaabidaa: We Look In All Directions — Ojibwemowin interviews with Minnesota Elders.
• Aakoziwigamig: An Ojibwe Radio Drama — Indigenous language radio show.
• Gaa-ondinang Dakwaanowed Makwa — Story by Anna Gibbs, illustrated by Jonathan Thunder; short film about bear's tail.
• Aadizookaanan — Illustrated videos of classic traditional stories (aadizookaanan).

Audio Resources

• BSU Oshkaabewis Native Journal — Bemidji State University; downloadable audio with transcriptions and translations. Excellent for listening practice.
• GLIFWC — Dibaajimowinan — Teachings and narratives from fluent speakers (Nancy Jones, Larry Smallwood, Leona Wakanabo, and others) with transcriptions and translations. Story translations here.
• Fond du Lac Band — Learning Materials — Elders and youth preserving knowledge with transcriptions and translations.
• University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy — Ojibwe Conversations — First language speaker conversations featuring multiple speakers.

Books and Texts

• William Jones Ojibwa Texts, Part 1 / Part 2 — Archival texts; Double Vowel version available here.
• Waking Up Ojibwe — Resources for families including books, activities, and videos.
• Staples, Lee & Gonzalez, Chato. Aanjikiing: Changing Worlds — An Anishinaabe Traditional Funeral — Community-authored; available via Birchbark Books.
• Staples, Lee & Gonzalez, Chato. Anishinaabe-Niimi'iding: An Anishinaabe Ceremonial Dance — Available via Birchbark Books.
• Treuer, Anton. Living Our Language: Ojibwe Tales & Oral Histories — Available via Birchbark Books.
• Kegg, Maude. Portage Lake: Memories of An Ojibwe Childhood (ed. John Nichols) — Available via Birchbark Books.
• Indigenous Language Learning Materials — Birchbark Books — Curated collection of Ojibwe and other Indigenous language learning materials from an Indigenous-owned bookstore.

History and Culture (AIS 112 Context)

• Treuer, Anton. The Indian Wars: Settler Colonialism and the Return of Native America — Accessible overview of Indigenous rights and history.
• LaDuke, Winona. All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life — Environmental justice and treaty rights from an Ojibwe perspective.
• Child, Brenda J. Boarding School Seasons — Accessible account of the boarding school era using letters from Ojibwe students.
• Erdrich, Louise. The Birchbark House series — Fiction set in 19th-century Ojibwe community; historically grounded.

Treaty Rights and Legal Context

• Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) — Official resource on Ojibwe treaty rights; also publishes the Dibaajimowinan language materials listed above.
• National Indian Law Library — Access to tribal codes and treaty documents.

Land and Maps

• Native Land Digital — Interactive map showing Indigenous territories, languages, and treaties by location.
• Honor Native Land: A Guide to Territorial Acknowledgments — Published by U.S. Department of Arts and Culture.

Current Events and Advocacy

• Indian Country Today — Indigenous-owned news outlet.
• Honor the Earth — Winona LaDuke's environmental justice organization centered on Ojibwe land and water.

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Start Here

New to the course? Begin with:

1. Ojibwe People's Dictionary — bookmark it now
2. MIIN Adult Resources — browse the free materials
3. Native Land Digital — look up your school's location
4. Pronunciation Guide on this site — review before Chapter 1