Nanabushu and the Buzzard - Manitoulin Island Dialect

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Ojibwe Only

Mii dash ezhi-maajaad, gii-bbaamsed.

Ngoding go bbaamsed naabid shpiming  wiya gii-waabmaan nmadbinid aankwadong.

Geget misawnawaan. “Ambe dash genii,” Gii-nendam gaa-zhi-gnoonaad: “Gaawiin na  gdaa-bi-zhaasii, n-shiime sa?” gii-naan.

Mii dash gaa-igod: “Gaawiin,” gii-igoon.

“Aanii gegii zhinaagwag mnik wiya gaa-waabmag giin dash wi ji-bzindwisiiwaambane?”

“Nenaboozhoo, G-gosin.”

“Gaawiin gdaa-gsha-sii,” dinaan.

Mii dash gaa-zhi-giibaazmaad, aaniish mii sa gaa-gnoongwad: “Ambe sa naa, g-zhaawenmin. Gnige naa waasa gdakwaabnaadog,” dinaan.


“Enh, Geget.”

“Ahaaw,” dinaan. Mii dash gaa-zhi-naad: “Ambe sa naa, ga-wiijiiwin.”

“Awawa,” gii-igoon. Mii dash gaa-zhi-mbindiwaad imaa aankwadong.

Mii dash ezhi-maajaawaad, maajiiyaasninig iw aankwad.


Gmaapiich gaawii debaabminaagsinoo wi ki.  Zhigwa dinenmigoon. “Mii go naa pane wiya gaa-bmi-doodwaad bmi-wezhsoohaad.  Nongo dash nga-wezhsahaa,” gii-nendam.

Mii dash gaa-zhi-bkweyaasninig iw aankwad.

Miinwaa ezhi-bkweyaasininig; eshkam go gaachnini wi aankwad niwi yaawaad.


Gegpii gegaa go enigokbiwaad, enigokdiyewaad inigkwaani.

Ngoding go gaa-zhi-daashkaanig bebkaan gii-nmadbiwag.


Aaniish miinwaa ezhi-daashkaasininig gewii maaba gii-ni-gzike, ezhi-booniid wedi  eni-mchaanig wi aankwad.


Mii dash daano-gnoonaan: “Aaniish ge-ni-zhwebziyaan, nishiimens?” gii-naan.

Mii zhigwa gii-waabndang ji-bngishing. Zhigwa miinwaa bkweyaasinini mii imaa yaad;  gegpii go biigwaasnini.


Gaawaanh go debaabndaan zhaawshkwaakmigaanig.

Ezhi-bngishing gbeyiing go gii-bi-njibzo naawgiizhig.

Nongwa kina e-zhi-debaabndang ki gchi-mtigkaani  waa-ni-zhi-bngishing.


Mii gsha niinwenh gaa-zhi-biinjsed gchi-mtigoon wiimbanakzinid.

Mii sa gaa-zhi-biindnaksed, mii sa ezhi-bwaa’aanwitood. 


Aano-wiikwaji’o wiya  gii-noondwaan, bibaapinid  kwewag,  mii dash gaa-kidnid: “Mii sa omaa ngoji endaad gaa-kidong waabigaag,” ikidowag  iw kwewag.


Ezhi-giigdod: “Waab-gaag ndaaw, mii maa endaayaan.”


Ow dash kidwag: “Gnige go naa  mikawang  wa  waabigaag, n-shiime,” ogii-naan mii wa mjiikwewis.


“Gaa na giin g-noondwaasii?” digoon niwi shiimeyan. “G-mikwaanaa, gnimaa.”

Mii dash mii maa miinwaa gaa-zhi-gnoonaad: “Waabigaag ndaaw, mii maa endaayaan,” gii-naan.  Mii dash gii-maajiigowaakweyaad maa mtigoon.

“N-shiime, gii-gwaakwe’ang, wegwen na ge-yaanigwen ge-mkawaagwen, mii aw ge-naabemid,” gii-naan  niwi shiimeyan. Mii sa nishaa zhigwa geget aano-giishkaakgwe’aad.


“Begish eshkiniiged maa yaapa,” gii-nendam wa Nenboozhoo.


Zhigwa sa daashkgowaawaan mtigoon wii-ndanewaawaad, biinish mjiikwewis  kina gii-piigoga’namaad;  gaawii gii-waabmaasiin.

Mii sa wa kwe weshiime’id imaa  eyaad gegpii gaa-zhi-booksidood wi waagaakwad.

“N-shiime,” dinaan  pii gaa-booksidoonid wi waagaakwadini; “Mii sa niin ji-naabemiyaan,” gii-naan niwi oshiimeyan.

“Gewii daa-zhwebzi.” Ow dash gii-nendam: “Ambe sa naa, mii eta go ngoding wii-wepdowaapa wi  waagaakwad,” dinenmaan.


Mii sa gii-kowaabmaad; zhigwa geget odaashkiga’ogoon; ezhi-bzigonjised.

Nenboozhoowan niwi onji-bzigonjisewan, ni-gwaawaapwan. “Gegeti go waabigaag endaad nendamoog!”

Mii sa gaa-ni-zhi-mamaajaad Nenboozhoo. “Amanji ge-zhichgewaanen,” gii-nendam; “Aaniish genii ge-zhi-aazhtoowagiba?” dinenmaan niwi bnesiwan.

Ezhi-mdaabiid zaag’igan, mii dash imaa mizhisha mkwamiing gaa-zhi-zhngishing. “Ambe sa naa, nga-amogoog anooj, bnesiwag,” gii-nendam.

Owiikwadenimaan waa-zhi-aazhtoowaawaad wa gaa-doodaagod.

Zhigwa geget odamogoon aandegwan anooj sa go bnesiwag.

Mii dash gaa-naad: “Gego wiin  iwidi  n-diyaashing omashkego,” ogii-naan.

Mii dash geget gaa-zhichgenid, aaniish pane go gaa-dnwewetoonid.

Zhigwa sa waabmaan bbaamaashinid niwi bnesiwan. “Aah, mii sa gaawiin bi-zhaasiiwan!” aaniish owiikwadenmaan ji-bi-zhaanid.

Bwaadmaach giizhgadoon bimibdenoon, eshkam beshnaagziwan, gegpii ezhi-booniinid; naagewaasa go iwidi  bngishing  odoozaabmigoon.


Mii dash geget aapji gsigoon. Zhigwa sa wiikaa  bi-naaskaagoon.

eni-zhi-wiijgaadenid, ezhi-gwaashkwegwaashkninid.


Mii dash zhigwa eshkam go gaawiin doo-gsisiin gegpii go wawaangwenmigoon.

Gegpii go ow kidwan: “Aaniinda giinwaa enji-mwaasiweg  owidi gaaj-bkwanaang enji-wiinnod?” Mii sa geget widi  wenji-amagwad.

Zhigwa eshkam go waasa zhi-biindkwenowan imaa odiyaashing, gegpii go gaawiin zaagdikwenisiiwan.

Ezhi-bzigonjised gii-gshkimaakdiyetaad odibaang.


“Aashiish maajii! Nenboozhoo, ngii-gagwaansag’ig!”

Mii dash Nenboozhoo bmi-tibaazhgaamebtood wi zaag’iganing. Aaniish aano-bmi-wiikdiskiid.

Mii sa zhigwa beshwaabndang e-kwaagamiing  wi zaag’igan  ezhi-bgijidiyaamaad, mii dash gaa-zhi-bngishninid maa  mkwamiing.

Mii dash gaa-naad: “Wiinaange ka-zhinkan’goo biinish ji-ni-shkwaa-kiiwang,” gii-naan. “ga-wiinenmig wa anishinaabe.”

And so he started away, round about he travelled.

Now, once while journeying about, he looked above (and) saw some one seated upon a cloud.

Truly envious was he of him. “Would that I (could) too,” he thought, after which he addressed him, saying: “Would you not come down, my little brother?” he said to him.

Upon which he was told: “No,” he was told.

“How would it look, (in view of) as many as I have seen, for you not to heed me?”

“Nanabushu, I am afraid of you.”

“You have no cause to fear me.” he said to him.

And so after (Nanabushu) had deceived him, then was he brought into conversation with him. “Oh, really, I am so envious of you! I fancy that afar must you be able to see,” he said to him.

“Yes, truly so.”

“Good,” he said to him. Upon which he then said to him: “Pray, let me bear you company.”

“Certainly,” he was told. Whereupon up they went to yonder cloud.

And so when they started away, with the wind went wafting the cloud.

By and by hardly was the earth to be seen. Then thoughts concerning him did the other entertain. “Apparently he is ever playing a trick on some one. Now, I will play a trick on him,” (thus) he thought.

Thereupon apart then broke the cloud by reason of the wind.

Again it broke apart on account of the wind; gradually smaller grew the space where they were.

At last almost space enough for them to sit on was how much that yet remained.

And anon when it was rent asunder, then in different places they sat.

So when again it blew apart, then away flew the other, alighting upon yonder place where there was a bigger cloud.

Whereupon in vain he tried to speak to him, saying: “What will become of me, my little brother?” he said to him.

So then he knew that he was going to fall. Then again apart flew the place where he was; and in the end it broke completely.

Faintly could he see the green of the landscape.

When he fell, a long while was he falling through the air.

Now, when he came in full sight (of the earth, he saw) how so dreadfully wooded was the place into which he was to fall.

Then down he fell into a great tree that was hollow.


Thereupon when he had dropped into the hollow, then was he unable (to get out).

While vainly trying (to get out), he heard some one, those were women coming laughing; and this was what they were saying: “Now, somewhere hereabouts lives a Gray Porcupine, so they say,” said the women.

Then up he spoke, saying: “I am the Gray Porcupine that dwells here.”

And this they said: “At least we should find the Gray Porcupine, my little sister,” to the other said she that was older.

“And did you not hear him?” she was asked by her little sister. “We have found him, maybe.”

And so what he said before, he said to them again: “ I am the Gray Porcupine that dwells (here),” he said to them. Whereupon they began felling the tree he was in.

“My little sister, when we have felled the tree, then whosoever is there, (and) whichever the one that finds him, she will be the one to have him for a husband,” she said to her little sister. And so they truly chopped away unavailingly.

“ I wish the younger one would be there,” thought Nanabushu.


Now, (the women) began splitting a tree in an effort to find him, (keeping it up) till the elder sister had it all in pieces; but she had failed to see him.

And then the younger sister yonder, where she was, finally broke her axe.

“My little sister,” (the elder sister) said to her after she had broken her axe, “so it will be I who will have a husband,” she said to her little sister.

“Would the same happen to her too!” And this he thought: “Now, would that only once she might strike (the tree) with her axe,” was the thought he had of her.


Then he watched for her; presently was the tree really split up by her; then up he leaped.

And there was Nanabushu leaping away, falling headlong with laughter as he went. “That it actually was the home of a Gray Porcupine they thought!”

And so upon his way continued Nanabushu. “I wonder what I shall do,” he thought, “in order that I may play a trick on him too!” such was his thought of the bird.

When he came out upon a lake, then far out there on the ice he went and lay down, “Now, I shall be eaten by all kinds of birds,” he willed.

He formed a scheme to get the one that had done him a trick.

Then truly was he eaten by crows and by various kinds of birds.

Then this he said to them: “Don’t you eat upon me yonder at my buttocks,” he said to them.

Whereupon truly such was what they did, and a continuous din did they keep up.

At last he then saw the bird sailing about through the air. “Alas, he is not coming!” for he longed in his mind for him to come

Gradually as the days came and went, nearer it could be seen, till at last it then alighted; and a good way off from yonder place where it came down was (Nanabushu) observed.

And it was true that much was he feared (by the bird). Then after a while to where he was came (the bird).

As he raised the muscle on his calf, away went the other hopping.

And then presently it gradually became less afraid, till at last (Nanabushu) was made free and easy with.

Then finally this it said: “Why do you not eat of him from the small of the back, where he is fat?” Thereupon truly from that place was he eaten.

Presently farther into the anus yonder it put its neck, then at last it did not take its neck out from there.

Then up he sprang closing his anus tight over the other’s head.

“Confound Nanabushu, by him am I frightfully treated!”

While(Nanabushu)went running along the lake, naturally the other tried in vain to get free

And then presently, when nearing the far end of the lake, (Nanabushu) freed (the bird) from his anus, whereupon down it fell on the ice.

And this was what was said to it: “Buzzard shall you be called till the end of the world,” he said to it. “For your filth will you be loathed by the people.”