Terminology and Nbisiing Nishnaabemwin

In the title and throughout Modules 1, 2 and 3 you may notice that we use the terms Indigenous peoples or Anishinaabeg (plural form of Anishinaabe) to refer to Indigenous or Anishinaabe people, in general. In Connections 8 and 9  we use the Nbisiing Nishnaabe dialect and spelling to honour the people of Nipissing First Nation. When we use the Nbisiing Nishnaabe dialect and spelling to describe the knowledge and experiences from this territory, we honour this unique perspective.

You may also notice that some resources shared in Module 1 use the terms Indigenous and/or Aboriginal interchangeably. Throughout this module, both terms Aboriginal and Indigenous refer to the First Nation, Inuit and Metis peoples in Canada.

Click on the following sound files to listen to Nipissing First Nation Elder Evelyn McLeod speaking Nishnaabemwin. After listening to each clip, choose a few terms to practice pronouncing in Nishnaabemwin using the recording tool.

Wiidooktaadyang – We are helping one another​


NBISIING Nishnaabeg – NIPISSING Nishnaabe PEOPLE​

​Mino bimaadiziwin – Good life​

Biidaajwan – Force of water​

NBISIING NISHNAABEMWIN – NIPISSING Nishnaabe LANGUAGE

Nishnaabe – ANISHINAABE PERSON

Nbisiing Debendaagziwaad – Nipissing Nation citizens or members​

Gchi-Kendaaswin – Wisdom​

Bekaadziwin – Humility​

Gchi-piitendmowin – Respect​

Zaagidwin – Love​

Zoongde’ewin – Bravery​

Debwewin – Honesty​ or Truth

Nishnaabemwin Pronunciation Practice

To move on to Module 1, click on the “Next: Module 1 – Seeing with Two-Eyes: Relationships, Determinants, and Wellness →” button at the bottom right-hand corner of this page.

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Wiidooktaadyang (We are Helping one Another) Copyright © 2023 by Nipissing First Nation and Nipissing University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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