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About This Resource

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.

Activity Setting

Classroom

Student Organization

Whole Class

Time Required

1 hour, 15 minutes – 1 hour, 35 minutes

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

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