with Elizabeth Panamick
Miinwaa ngoding ni…ndabinoojiinshiwmi. Maanda ziibi, gchi- ziibi maanda gii-aawan, maanda be..be… {Evelyn: maanpii maanda} Enh, gchi-ziibi zhiwi gii-aawan wi. Mii dash wi oodi jiigbiig, maanda go…mii go gnabaj go maanda; gii-mgadewaa go wi ziibi. Ndataag…gaa-shkwaa-skoonwiyaang niibing, ndi- taakmiptoomi zhiwi naa. Nga-gweji-bkinaadmi oodi wene ntam oodi mbaneyiinh waa-dgoshing. Ndoo-niiwmi: bezhig maaba kwezenhs, gewii doo-brotherman, genii ndoo-brother – nwiikaane…nwiikaanenaanig. Mii dash oodi maanda aazhgan e- teg zhonda, maanda, mii maa; gegoo go aanwi ngii-waamdaan oodi zaagbiig. Gaa’sh go naa genii mbibaabenziin wi. Maage mtigosh zyaagbiigwenh oodi, ngii-nendam go eta genii. Aa’sh, ndoodminmi; ndi-daakmaadgaami go zhiwi. Gii-gnwiindmaa gego zhiwi– ngoji go four feet gii-kwaa go naa wi…gii… {long pause} Mii wi nihii maanda ziibi bemjiwang zhonda, Mii maa aa’aazhoog ndaptoomi zhiwi, bgizyaang niibing. Mii’sh maa gii- waabndamaanh gegoo zaaggwiindeg oodi nbiishing. Gaa’sh gegoo genii ndi-nend-zii genii; aa’sh ndadminmi you know. Mii’sh wi kina gaa-shkwaa-tkambatoowaang — kina go — mii gii- maajijwang wi nbiish, wi ziibi maa yaawaang. Gwetaag sa naa e- naagmishkaag wi nbiish! Mii’sh gego oodi bi-dgo…bi- niisaakiiwyed na’aa mdimoowenh. Bi-ndanewaan niwi niijaansenhyin you know.
And one time, we…we’re kids. This river, this was a big river, this river that flo… Yes, that was a big river there. And so on the shore of the river, this…I think this was it; that river was wide. We’re..cross..when we were done school for the summer. We’re running back and forth, eh? We’re trying to beat each other, who’s going to get to the other side first. There’s four of us: this one girl, her brother too, my brother — our…our brothers, and so there, there where this bridge here is, this, that’s where;
And I did see something sticking out of the water there.
But I don’t pay attention to that. I just thought maybe it’s a log sticking out of the water. So, we’re playing, we’re running back and forth across the river there. It was deep there too — about four feet deep it was…it was…that deep. That’s this river that flows by here, we’re running back and forth there, swimming in the summer. And then I saw something there, something sticking out of the water there. And me, I don’t think anything of it; well, we’re playing you know. Then after we had all run across — all of us — that water started swirling, that river where we were.
Is that water ever swirling around! And just then the, um, old lady’s coming down the hill. She’s coming to look for her child, you know.
© 2017 M’Chigeeng First Nation