{"id":3740,"date":"2023-05-03T20:51:45","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T20:51:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elbowlakecentre.ca\/?post_type=quills-posts&p=3740"},"modified":"2023-12-21T18:57:23","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T23:57:23","slug":"creation-stories-and-language","status":"publish","type":"quills-posts","link":"https:\/\/elbowlakecentre.ca\/quills\/creation-stories-and-language\/","title":{"rendered":"Creation Stories\u00a0and Language"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
We recommend inviting an Indigenous community member into the classroom to tell the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Creation stories and talk about the significance of Indigenous languages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indigenous languages are polysynthetic. Polysynthetic Indigenous languages, by being comprised of longer more complex words with each word containing many morphemes, reflect the belief that all things are interconnected. Conversely, English is an isolating language. It has fewer morphemes per word and sentences are comprised of many separate words. In the English language you need to put together many separate words to convey an idea. In polysythetic languages, a single verb can contain as much information as one sentence in English. The word \u201cn-gii-daa-mino-naawaakwe-wiisin”<\/em> in Anishinaabemowin demonstrates this understanding. Anishinaabe community member and linguist Lindsay Morcom shared with QUILLS that in Anishinaabemowin:<\/p>\n\n\n\n niwiisin means \u201cI eat\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n ni-mino-wiisin means “I eat well” <\/p>\n\n\n\n ni-mino-naawaakwe-wiisin means “I eat a good lunch” while <\/p>\n\n\n\n n-gii-daa-mino-naawaakwe-wiisin means “I should have eaten a good lunch” <\/p>\n\n\n\n This shows how root words are built upon to demonstrate more descriptive meaning. Indigenous languages are also verb-based, while English is noun-based. This means that Indigenous languages are intrinsically more descriptive, and the interconnectedness of all life is entrenched within the language(s). This understanding is outlined in a handout for teachers made available in\u00a0Nature of Indigenous Language.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The translation of many words in Indigenous languages also reveals the significant role that land plays in many Indigenous cultures. For instance, Potawatomi scholar Robin Kimmerer in her book, Braiding Sweetgrass,<\/em> writes that the word for plants<\/em> in many Indigenous languages translates to \u201cthose who take care of us\u201d.<\/em> Similarly, nibi <\/em>which is the word for water translates into \u201cthe giver of Life\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The significance of land is also revealed by the fact that the names for many important locations are derived from their geographical features. For instance: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Students in pairs can look at Water Place Names.pdf<\/a> <\/strong>and Indigenous Place Names.pdf<\/a> <\/strong>to learn more about how Indigenous place name reflect the strong relationship Indigenous groups have to the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
Translations:<\/em><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n
Extension:<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n