Language

This awareness-level lesson introduces students to Anishinaabemowin, with its diverse dialects, preserves cultural identity, connects communities to the land, and carries ancestral knowledge and spirituality.

Learners Will…

• Be able to retell where Anishinaabemowin originated and share this story with others in a respectful way that honors the language and the people it comes from, practicing responsibility in how knowledge is carried forward.
• Be able to identify Anishinaabemowin as the language spoken in what is now Michigan before the arrival of non-Anishinaabe people, and reflect on how recognizing Indigenous languages fosters respect and a deeper sense of connection to the people whose identity and culture are carried through this language.
• Be able to recall and use Anishinaabemowin words while practicing polite and respectful communication, recognizing that language carries the values of kindness, relationship, and belonging.

Essential Questions

• What can we learn from the first Anishinaabe who named the world in Anishinaabemowin, and how can we honor that tradition today?
• How does learning and using Anishinaabemowin help us build respect and relationships with the land, animals, and each other?

Lesson Plan Materials

• “The Mishomis Book: The Voice of the Ojibway” By Edward Benton-Banai ISBN: 0816673829
• Relative card deck
• Pencils and erasers, colored pencils or crayons
• Ocean Relative worksheet