Read the entry note first. Not a fable — an Anishinaabe ontology carried as story. Come in to wonder.
⚠️ Draft — under many eyes. Converted and readable; not yet finally vetted, and it will wear the word draft for a good while, on purpose. Living, not final.
47. THE SCATTERING OF THE ANIMALS AND THE REGULATION OF NATURE.
Gaa-biiwidooyaad bineshiinyag gaye awesiinyag, gaye gaa-naaniizaaniigak akiing — Nanabozho
The Scattering of the Animals and the Regulation of Nature.
Narrated by Penessi — Series 7 (Nos. 44–56), Fort William (per Michelson’s roster, Part I Preface p. XX; not credited on the story page itself).
from Ojibwa Texts collected by William Jones (1917).
(1) Mī∙i∙dac îmāⁿ kī∙a∙yāwād minising, Nänabujūdec kī‘pōdādcigä kiwi‘tāya∙ī∙ minising; mīidec äskạm kī∙ạ∙nimistcāg a‘ki. Mīgū iᵘ kā‘tōdạng kinwäⁿj. Kāningudwāsugunaga‘kidac ugi∙ạ∙nōnān ạdi‘kwạn, “Skomāⁿ kiwitāskạn ‘ōᵉo´ᵘ a‘ki.”
Kīmādcādạc ạdi‘k. Ā‘pitci ki∙a∙‘kiwäⁿzīyuⁱ ā‘pī dägucing.
Mii i’idash imaa gii-ayaawaad minising, Nanabozhodash gii-boodaajige giiwitaaya’ii minising; miidash eshkam gii-animichaag aki. Miigo i’iw gaa-doodang ginwenzh. Gaa-ningodwaasoginagak idash ogi-anoonaan adikwan, “Skomaa giiwitaashkan o’ow aki.”
Gii-maajaadash adik. Aapiji gii-akiwenziiw apii degoshing.**
And so they remained there on the island, and Nānabushu breathed all over the island; and all the while larger grew the earth. Now, that was what he was doing for a long while. And when the sixth day was up, he then employed a caribou. “I would have you go round this earth.”
So away started the caribou. It was very old when it returned.
Mii i’idash imaa (and so it was there) ∙ gii-ayaawaad minising (they remained on the island) ∙ Nanabozhodash gii-boodaajige (and Nanabozho breathed/blew) ∙ giiwitaaya’ii minising (all around the island) ∙ miidash eshkam gii-animichaag* aki (and gradually the land grew larger) ∙ miigo i’iw gaa-doodang ginwenzh (that is what he did for a long while) ∙ gaa-ningodwaasoginagak idash (and when the sixth day came) ∙ ogi-anoonaan adikwan (he employed/hired a caribou) ∙ Skomaa (interjection, carried) ∙ giiwitaashkan o’ow aki (go around this earth) ¶ Gii-maajaadash adik (and away started the caribou) ∙ aapiji gii-akiwenziiw* (it was very old) ∙ apii degoshing (when it arrived back).
(2) Mīnawādac ma∙ī∙ngạnạn ugī∙a∙nōnān, kayäwīndac ma∙ī∙ngạn ā‘pitci kī∙a∙‘kiwäⁿziyuⁱ a‘pī tägucing. Īni´widac awäⁿsīyạn kā‘pōsi∙ā∙‘pạn ā‘pitci kīpā‘ta∙ī∙nowạn, kayä wīnawāgu ạnicinābäg āja kīạnipa‘ta∙i∙nowạg; päpāmisätcig kayä pinäcīⁿyạg. Nänabujūdac ogīwāwīnān kädijini‘kāsowād awäsīyạg; kayägu päbāmisäwād pinäcīⁿyạg ugīwāwīnān kädijini‘kāsowād; kīgōⁿyạn gayä. Kayädac kīgidōwạg kädạciwād kīzisōg ningobibōn, kayädạc kä∙u∙ndānimạk kīwi‘tāgījik cwā‘tcing tci∙u∙ndānimạk. Mī∙i∙dac kā∙i∙‘kot: “Ānīc, mīsa ka‘kina kī∙u∙ji‘tōyān känōndcipimadisiwād ạnicinābēg.”
Minawaadash maiinganan ogi-anoonaan, gaye wiindash maiingan aapiji gii-akiwenziiw apii degoshing. Iniwidash awensiiyan gaa-boosi-aaban aapiji gii-baata’iinowan, gaye wiinawaago anishinaabeg aazha gii-aanibaataainowag; bebaamisejig gaye bineshiinyag. Nanabozhodash ogiiwaawiinaan* gedizhinikaazowaad* awesiiyag; gaye go bebaamisewaad bineshiinyag ogiiwaawiinaan* gedizhinikaazowaad*; giigoonyan gaye. Gayedash gii-gidoowag gedazhiwaad* giizisoog ningo-biboon, gayedash ge-ondaanimak giiwitaagiizhig shwaaching ji-ondaanimak. Mii i’idash gaa-ikod: “Aaniish, miisa gakina gii-ozhitooyaan ge-noonji-bimaadisiwaad* anishinaabeg.”**
Then next he employed a wolf, and the wolf was also very old when it came back. And then the game-folk that he had had on board were becoming very numerous, and the people too were themselves now increasing in number; and (the same was likewise true) of the birds. So Nānabushu called the game-folk by the names by which they were to be known; and also the birds that fly in the air, he named them by what they were to be called; and (it was) also the same with the fishes. And they also decreed how many moons there should be in one year, and also the number of directions from which the winds would blow, that from the vault of the sky in eight directions would the winds blow. So this was what he said: “So, therefore, have I now finished the creation of everything from which the people will derive life.”
Minawaadash maiinganan ogi-anoonaan (next he employed a wolf) ∙ gaye wiindash maiingan aapiji gii-akiwenziiw* apii degoshing (and the wolf too was very old when it returned) ∙ iniwidash awensiiyan* gaa-boosi-aaban (those game animals that had been put aboard) ∙ aapiji gii-baata’iinowan (were very numerous) ∙ gaye wiinawaago anishinaabeg aazha gii-aanibaataainowag (and the people themselves were also increasing in number) ∙ bebaamisejig gaye bineshiinyag (the birds that fly about too) ∙ Nanabozhodash ogiiwaawiinaan* gedizhinikaazowaad* awesiiyag (and Nanabozho named the game-animals by what they were to be called) ∙ gaye go bebaamisewaad bineshiinyag ogiiwaawiinaan* gedizhinikaazowaad* (and also the birds that fly, he named them by what they were to be called) ∙ giigoonyan gaye (the fishes too) ∙ gayedash gii-gidoowag (and they decreed/spoke) ∙ giizisoog ningo-biboon (how many moons in one year) ∙ gayedash ge-ondaanimak giiwitaagiizhig (and from where the wind would blow around the sky) ∙ shwaaching ji-ondaanimak (from eight [directions] the wind would blow) ∙ mii i’idash gaa-ikod (so this is what he said) ∙ Aaniish, miisa gakina gii-ozhitooyaan (well, now I have made everything) ∙ ge-noonji-bimaadisiwaad* anishinaabeg (from which the people will derive life).
(3) Mēdạc iwa‘pi kīsiswä∙i∙diwād miziwe a‘king. Kā∙i∙jimādcāwād, kayä wīndạc Nänabuju kīmādcā.
*Miidash iwapii gii-ziswei’idiwaad miziwe akiing. Gaa-izhi-maajaawaad, gaye wiindash Nanabozho gii-maajaa.**
And that was the time they scattered to all parts of the earth. After they were gone, then Nānabushu himself went away.
Miidash iwapii (and that was the time) ∙ gii-ziswei’idiwaad* miziwe akiing (they scattered to all parts of the earth) ∙ gaa-izhi-maajaawaad (after they had gone away) ∙ gaye wiindash Nanabozho gii-maajaa (then Nanabozho himself went away).
(4) Mīsa ä‘kosid.
Miisa ekozid.
And this is the end (of the story).
Miisa (and so it is) ∙ ekozid (that it ends / the end).