Ojibwe Giizhiig Anung Masinaaigan and D(L)akota Makoce Wicanhpi Wowapi: Revitalization of Native American Star Knowledge, A Community Effort
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Peer ReviewedTitle:
Ojibwe Giizhiig Anung Masinaaigan and D(L)akota Makoċe Wiċaŋḣpi Wowapi: Revitalization ofNative American Star Knowledge, A Community Effort
Journal Issue:
Journal of Astronomy in Culture, 1(1)
Author:
Lee, Annette
Publication Date:
Permalink: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/58m4f9pq
Keywords:
Dakota, Ojibwe, Cultural Astronomy, Indigenous Knowledge, Science Outreach
Local Identifier: jac_31773
Abstract:
The Native Skywatchers research and programming initiative focuses on the revitalization of nativestar knowledge of the Ojibwe and Dakota people. Activities include interviewing elders, culture andlanguage teachers, and creating programming around traditional native star knowledge interlacedwith Western science. Star maps, curriculum, hands-on workshops, planetarium shows, andartwork have been designed and delivered. Developed for native and non-native communitiesin light of the new Minnesota State Science Standards implemented in 2009, presented hereare two native star maps that were created by the Native Skywatchers initiative: the OjibweGiizhig Anung Masinaaigan (or the Ojibwe Sky Star Map); and the D(L)akota Makoċe WiċaŋḣpiWowapi or (D(L)akota Star Map). This interdisciplinary project includes professional astronomers,professional artists, language and cultural experts, educators, community members and elders.
Copyright Information:
Copyright 2016 by the article author(s). This work is made available under theterms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs4.0 license, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ ournal of Astronomy in Culture
Copyright © International Society for Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture
Abstract:
The Native Skywatchers research and programming in-itiative focuses on the revitalization of native star knowledge of the Ojibwe and Dakota people. Activities include interviewing elders, culture and language teach-ers, and creating programming around traditional native star knowledge interlaced with Western science. Star maps, curriculum, hands-on workshops, planetarium shows, and artwork have been designed and delivered. Developed for native and non-native communities in light of the new Minnesota State Science Standards im-plemented in 2009, presented here are two native star maps that were created by the Native Skywatchers initi-ative: the Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan (or the Ojibwe Sky Star Map); and the D(L)akota Mako ċ e Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Wowapi or (D(L)akota Star Map). This in-terdisciplinary project includes professional astronomers, professional artists, language and cultural experts, edu-cators, community members and elders. Keywords:
Dakota, Ojibwe, Cultural As-tronomy, Indigenous Knowledge, Science Outreach
Understanding that men and women throughout history of all cultures, including Minnesota Amer-ican Indian tribes and communities, have been in-volved in engineering design and scientific in-quiry… For example, Ojibwe and Dakota knowledge and use of patterns in the stars to pre-dict and plan… (Minnesota Department of Education, Benchmark 3.1.3.2.1, 2009)
Introduction
Over the past six years the
Native Skywatch-ers initiative has addressed the crisis of the loss of the Ojibwe and D(L)akota star knowledge, among the indigenous peoples of Minnesota. There is an urgency to this project because elders are passing, some simply ‘weren’t listening’ when the star sto-ries were being told and at the same time there are many layers of social upheaval on some reservations, including unemploy-ment, addiction, suicides, gangs and lack of clean drinking water. This research and programming is dedicated to rebuilding and reclaiming the native star knowledge, documenting it, disseminating it and devel-oping it. The ideal outcome is that more native people have a meaningful connec-tion to the stars. Through this connection to the stars a sense of cultural pride, a sense of connectedness and purpose is nurtured. Inherently interdisciplinary, our work in-cludes astronomy, culture, language, art, science education, history, and community wellness. The implications of this founda-tional work are many, including encourag-ing more native young people to graduate from high school and possibly choose a ca-reer in STEM (Science, Technology, En-gineering and Math). Currently Minne-sota has some of the lowest graduation rates and highest achievement gaps for Na-tive Students in the United States (Matos 2015; Post 2015).
Team-members
The
Native Skywatchers research and pro-gramming initiative was founded by An-nette S. Lee (mixed-race Dakota Sioux as-tronomer and artist) in 2007. Other team-members include: Carl Gawboy (Ojibwe), Jeff Tibbetts (Ojibwe), William Wilson
Ojibwe Giizhiig Anung Masinaaigan and D(L)akota Mako ċ e Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Wowapi: Revitalization of Native American Star Knowledge, A Community Effort Annette S. Lee
St. Cloud State University
Lee, A. (Ojibwe), Jim Rock (Dakota), and Char-lene O’Rourke (Lakota). Acknowledge-ment goes out to two elders who were also part of the team and who have since passed away: Paul Schultz (Ojibwe) and Albert White Hat Sr. (Lakota). What is essential here is that the team is composed of per-sons of different expertise, scientists, artists, educators, writers, and historians. This is a native-led initiative. The work is collab-orative. Due to the history of colonization, assimilation, reservations, etc., much has been lost. No one person holds all of the details of the native Ojibwe and D(L)akota star knowledge. Many voices are needed. Land and Language Native Skywatchers is based in Minnesota, which contains eleven Native American reservations: four Dakota (Sioux) and seven Ojibwe (Chippewa). The region also consists of Ojibwe and D(L)akota commu-nities in the surrounding geographical ar-eas of northern Midwestern United States (i.e. South Dakota, North Dakota, Michi-gan) and southern Canada.
Figure 1. Location of Minnesota in the USA. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Map _of_USA_MN.svg
Language is an important part of na-tive star knowledge. Similar to star knowledge, in language there are layers of meaning contained in the Ojibwe and Da-kota words. Unfortunately, a person needs to know the language well in order to know the inherent meaning of the source sylla-bles. For example, the word ‘Minnesota’ comes from Dakota and is sometimes translated as ‘
Mni Sota Mako ċ e’ meaning ‘land where the waters are so clear they re-flect the clouds” (Westerman 2012). One understanding of this is a literal reference to the state containing over 10,000 lakes (10 acres in size or larger). Another inter-pretation is ‘where the waters are so clear they reflect the sky’ (Rock 2012). This re-fers to a pairing of the Milky Way and the Mississippi River, and the teaching ‘ as it is above; it is below .…’ The largest river in the area, the Mis-sissippi River, flows generally from north to south. The name “Mississippi” is a mis-translation of the Ojibwe word Misi-ziibi , or ‘Great/Big River’. (Baraga 1992) The largest city and capitol of Minnesota is Minneapolis-St. Paul, which is located at the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Minnesota River. In Dakota this is a very sacred area containing,
Bdote , ‘the confluence,’ and
Waka ŋ Tipi , ‘the sacred cave’, which is the Dakota genesis place
Figure 2. Eleven tribes of Minnesota http://kspamericanindianproject.wikispaces.com
JAC, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016 (Westerman 2012). Here the term ‘Da-kota’ is the abbreviated name of the group of native peoples called O ċ eti Ṡ akowi ŋ Oyate , ‘Seven Sacred Council Fires.’ This council is made up of: four Dakota bands, two Na-kota bands and one Lakota band. The Da-kota tribe is also known as ‘Sioux,’ which is a corruption of the Odawa word
Nadouessioux , meaning ‘speakers of a for-eign language’ (Johnson, 2000). The word
Ojibwe means ‘people who cook outside,’ for example roasting rabbit on a fire. (Wil-son 2012) Sometimes
Anishinaabe , ‘the peo-ple,’ is also used for Ojibwe. The cor-rupted word for the Ojibwe tribe is ‘Chip-pewa.’
Resources
Existing Materials Prior to 2012 there were exactly two pub-lished books dedicated to Ojibwe and D(L)akota sky wisdom:
Talking Rocks: Geol-ogy and 10,000 Years of Native American Tradi-tion in the Lake Superior Region by Morton and Gawboy (2000) and
Lakota Star Knowledge: Studies in Lakota Stellar Theology by Goodman (1992). The lack of available resources, es-pecially in light of the newly approved state standards, was one of the first areas for
Na-tive Skywatchers to address with urgency. Newly Created Resources
Star maps
At the foundation of the current work are two native star maps that were created in 2012:
Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan and
D(L)akota Mako ċ e Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Wowapi The Ojibwe Sky Star Map,
Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan , was painted by the author and William Wilson, with Wil-son serving as the language expert. The map was based on the unpublished work of Carl Gawboy. Since the 1960s Gawboy had been interviewing elders and research-ing Ojibwe star knowledge. Gawboy (2005) was the first to identify the picto-graphs at Lake Hegman, Boundary Waters as Ojibwe constellations. The Dakota Star Map,
D(L)akota Ma-ko ċ e Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Wowapi, was painted by the author. The language expert here was Jim Rock. The map was based on the pub-lished work of Ron Goodman. In the 1980s Goodman interviewed many Lakota elders from the South Dakota area and published his results in the book Lakota Star Knowledge (1992). Several of the elders quoted in Goodman’s book are part of the
Native Skywatchers project. Both maps are astronomically accu-rate and visual works of art created to com-municate an indigenous perspective of the night sky. Located at the center of both maps is the north celestial pole (NCP) and the North Star (Polaris), which is
Giiwedin Anung (Ojibwe) and Wi ċ a ḣ hpi Owa ŋ jila (Da-kota). Moving outwards from center are the north circumpolar stars. (Assuming a viewing location of approximately 40-50° north latitude). Surrounding the central area are the seasonal stars. The four seasons (Fall, Win- Figure 3. Rivers and Streams of Minnesota, Missis-sippi River seen near center.
Lee, A. Figure 4.
Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan , ‘The Ojibwe Sky Star Map.’
Figure 5.
D(L)akota Mako ċ e Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Wowapi ‘The Dakota Star Map.’ JAC, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016 Figure 6. Dakota holder, part of a plansiphere. Figure 7. Ojibwe circle.
Lee, A. ter, Spring, Summer) can be seen written on the outer border of the map. Each map illustrates the native constellations in brightly colored, clearly marked areas cor-related with their seasonal association. Ojibwe constellations were painted in a traditional woodland x-ray style by Wilson. Dakota constellations were painted by the author in a pointillist style to suggest bead-work. In both star maps the Greek constel-lations are lightly painted in a quiet wash to allow the map-reader some sense of common ground between the Greek and the native Ojibwe and D(L)akota constel-lations. Websites
Each map has a dedicated webpage. http://web.stcloudstate.edu/aslee/OJIB-WEMAP/home.html, and http://web.stcloudstate.edu/aslee/DA-KOTAMAP/home.html. These websites contain the following: the star maps (that can be downloaded at no cost); star vocabulary (in Ojibwe/Dakota and English); recorded audio of the star vo- cabulary in both Ojibwe and Dakota; re-lated curriculum; and upcoming events. The purpose of the website is to allow greater accessibility and communication concerning native star knowledge for local, regional, national and global learners. (See Appendixes) In March 2015, an ad-ditional website was created to support
Na-tive Skywatchers
Guidebooks
In June 2014, two constellation guidebooks were published to accompany each of the star maps:
Ojibwe Sky Star Map Constellation Guide and
D(L)akota Star Map Constellation Guide.
Each booklet contains additional in-formation about individual native constel-lations, selected teachings, and artwork. Celestial objects from western European astronomical traditions in the correspond-ing areas of the night sky are also high-lighted throughout the booklet. For exam-ple, looking skyward on a fall evening, a person might see: the Ojibwe
Mooz (Moose), the Dakota
Keya (Turtle) and the Greek constellation Pegasus, as well as, the Andromeda Galaxy, M31.
Planispheres
Tangible resources are essential when working to engage communities in learn-ing the patterns of the night sky. One ma-nipulative that is very useful is called a “planisphere.” Planispheres are two-dimensional ver-sions of astrolabes that date back to at least the ninth century and perhaps 150 A.D. (Ridpath, 1988). They are star-finding de-vices consisting of two parts: an inner cir-cle that illustrates a year-round star map and an outer holder. The important idea here is that a person can get a snapshot view of the night sky for any particular time and date, and watch how the sky changes with time. This device is accurate for latitudes 40-50° N and our epoch of Po-laris (due to precession there would be some shifting for longer time periods). Notice that on the outer perimeter of the star circle (or wheel) are the native Ojibwe and Dakota names for each month. These will vary with local latitudes and longitudes, but are correct for local communities (Fond du Lac and Minneap-olis/St. Paul). The months are named for the Moon and significant cultural events for each season. For example: August is “
Manoominike-giizis ” (Ricing Moon) in Ojibwe and March is “ I ṡ ta Wicayaza ŋ Wi ” (Sore Eyes Moon) in Dakota. (Tables 3 & 4 – Moons) Also significant is a ‘blank’ star circle that displays individual stars but no constellation lines, names or artwork. This is an excellent way to practice learning the JAC, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016 visual patterns of the constella-tions in the night sky. Educator Collaboration
Educator Workshop The native Ojibwe and D(L)akota star maps were de-signed in large part for the first
Native Skywatchers Educator Work-shop in June 2012 which was co-funded by NASA-MN Space Grant, St. Cloud State Univer-sity, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. A federal science agency, a comprehensive state university, and a two-year tribal community college sup-ported this work. The
Native Sky-watchers team, directed by A. Lee, presented two consecutive days of workshop activities offered at two distinct sites: Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College (FDLTCC) and St. Cloud State University (SCSU) based jointly at the SCSU Planetarium and the American Indian Center (AIC). Participants included: K-12 educators, informal science educators, college educators, planetarians, adminis-trators, and members of the community who are astronomy enthusiasts. The foci of the workshop were to: 1.) give partici-pants information about Ojibwe and D(L)akota star knowledge; 2.) embed star knowledge in an authentic cultural context that includes history, language, art, etc. in addition to astronomy; 3.) create aware-ness and dialog addressing the protocols and respectful ways of sharing this cultural knowledge. Each year since 2012 the dual workshops have been offered and well at-tended (~30 participants each workshop). In 2015, an additional workshop was de-signed and delivered at the Ziibiwing (Ojibwe) Cultural Center in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, co-supported by Central Mich-igan State University (CMU). The Ziibiwing workshop presented Ojibwe star knowledge and included hands-on art ac-tivities related to star knowledge for partic-ipants. Outreach The SCSU Planetarium boasts a state-of-the-art fiber optic Chronos star projector that brings more than 8,500 stars and 24 constellations and galaxies to life under a 30-foot dome. Renovated in 2007, at a cost of $790,000, SCSU Planetarium is the only planetarium in the region to offer planetarium shows at no cost. Over 7,000 people visit the SCSU Planetarium each year for shows and astronomy events.
Na-tive Skywatchers is integrated into the regular
Figure 8. Poster for Educator and Community Workshop
Lee, A. planetarium programming. (A. Lee is also the SCSU Planetarium Director). Educa-tors, scout leaders, educational organiza-tions, etc. can request a planetarium show about Ojibwe and/or D(L)akota star knowledge. In May of 2015 a collabora-tive effort between Native Skywatchers , the SCSU Planetarium, and the St. Cloud School District brought hundreds of mid-dle school students into the SCSU Plane-tarium for
Native Skywatchers
Planetarium shows. Curriculum
Which way is North?
Annette S. Lee, director of the
Native Sky-watchers research and programming initia-tive has created curriculum for educators containing Ojibwe and D(L)akota star knowledge that complements the star maps. This includes lesson plans, and worksheets. In many indigenous cultures there is great importance in both cere-mony and in everyday life given to the four directions. Here we use this important cul-tural framework extended to the night sky. The first exercise is called, “Which way is North?,” written by A. Lee (2009). The lesson begins with a discussion around the following four questions: o Which way is North? o How do you know? o How do you say North in Ojibwe? In Dakota? o Why is it important? (both culturally and astronomically)
This lesson is an important foundation for participants to learn about the patterns of motion in the stars, (assuming northern hemisphere, mid-latitudes); topics include: the north star, the north celestial pole, identifying Ojibwe, D(L)akota, Greek con-stellations in the north sky, and the larger cultural meaning of these constellations. It is an important part of the discussion to lo-cate the north compass direction in the room at the time of the discussion. This connects the abstract with the ‘here and now’ and makes the idea tangible. Tape is used to make a capital ‘N’ on the wall and handwritten signs are made to show the Ojibwe and Dakota words for north:
Gii-wedinong and
Waziyata . Workshop partici-pants face north, while talking about the North. Indeed our internal and external compasses are aligned and the learning is amplified.
Follow the Seasons; Follow the Stars
A second lesson plan written by A. Lee is called, “
Follow the Season; Follow the Stars, Four-Direction Star Gazing ” (2009). This as-sumes the viewer is facing the south hori-zon. Again, the meeting room wall is marked with a big letter ‘S’ using tape and signs indicating the Ojibwe and Dakota words for south:
Zhaawanong and
Itokagata.
Facing the South, we notice a completely different pattern of motion compared to the apparent stillness of the north night sky. In the south, we have east to west mo-tion. The path of the Sun is highest in the South each day. The Sun transits the local meridian. Here we make a very clear as-sociation with the seasons. The basic framework is that whatever season is pres-ently being experienced, that same season of stars will be seen in the night sky a few hours after sunset, facing South. The south direction and the overhead (zenith) are referred to as the ‘center stage of the night sky’. Described above is a distinctly indigenous way of teaching that empha-sizes learning through direct experience, place-based examples, and relationships. (Cajete, 2000)
Selected Teachings
Kapemni
JAC, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016 One of the most important underlying ideas in both the Ojibwe and D(L)akota star knowledge, is the idea “As it is above; it is below.”
This is a very old and universal idea found in many indigenous cosmolo-gies. (Campion, 2012) The idea can be vis-ualized by two triangles (or tipis) stacked vertically connected at their apexes.
Figure 9. Illustration of Kapemni
The bottom tipi represents the mate-rial, or physical world. The top tipi repre-sents the sky, star, and spirit world. The first part of the teaching is that both realms are real. Both realms are important and meaningful. Furthermore, traditional na-tive people should strive to, either in cere-mony or everyday life, acknowledge this relationship. When they do, it is like stand-ing at the apex between the two triangles, which functions like a doorway, and there is a flow between the two worlds. An idea so important, in Dakota there is a single word, ‘kapemni’ to describe this teaching. “
Traditional Lakota believed that ceremonies done by them on earth were also being performed simul-taneously in the spirit world. When what is hap-pening in the stellar world is also being done on earth in the same way at the corresponding place at the same time, a hierophany can occur; sacred power can be drawn down …” (Goodman, 1992) In D(L)akota many constellations have ‘ kapemni pairs .’ This means that there is a geographical site located on Earth that is the counterpart to the constellation in the sky. For example, when the Sun is in the constellation
Mato Tipila (Bear’s Lodge, Gemini), this is the traditional time for people to meet at
Pte he Ġ i (Grey Horn Butte, Devil’s Tower) and pray. In Ojibwe, the teaching of mirroring the ‘above and below’ is most often seen in the naming of constellations with animals displaying the same pattern of motion as their celestial counterpart. For example, the Big Dipper is Ojiig (Fisher). Known as a cultural hero animal for an important rescue mission, this small weasel-like mammal has many patterns of behavior in both real life and in cultural stories that coincide with the pat-tern of circumpolar motion as displayed by the Big Dipper (i.e. the seven brightest stars in Ursa Major). Maang When looking to the North, in addition to identifying the North Star and the pattern of celestial motion in the north, we can identify the Ojibwe constellation,
Maang (Loon). The
Maang (Loon) constellation en-compasses the same set of stars as the Little Dipper or the brightest seven stars in Ursa Minor. The first, most obvious question is: why did the Ojibwe associate this North American aquatic diving bird, the loon, with the most central place in the night sky? There are several answers to this question. The first reason is that the loon
Lee, A. is one of the two leaders in the Ojibwe clan system (a framework of government and organizing society): “The Crane and the Loon Clans were given the power of chieftainship. They were given the people with natural qualities and abilities for leadership .” (Benton, 1988) The North Star—being within one degree of the north celestial pole (NCP)—appears almost motionless as viewed from the ground. All other stars and celestial ob-jects in the entire day and night sky appear to be circling around it. The motionless star is a leader. This leadership is reflected in the star knowledge by naming Maang , the Ojibwe clan leader, as the constellation containing the seven brightest stars nearest the motionless point (NCP) or the Little Dipper.
Maang (Loon) is a leader in the sky, and a leader on the Earth. This illus-trates the mirroring of Earth and Sky. The teachings of the loon are many. One example is that the loon has a very close connection to the water. It avoids go-ing on land, except to nest. It is not un-common that loons become stranded in parking lots or pasture puddles. Loons need a quarter mile of water to take off. (Evers et. al, 2010) In addition, loons sur-vive physically by diving and spearing fish. Loons need clear, calm water to survive. The sacredness of water for life and sur-vival is found throughout Ojibwe culture. Lastly, the pattern of a black background with many small white dots mirrors a starry night sky. The loon has the stars of the night sky reflected on its back. As de-scribed by one elder, when an Ojibwe per-son hunts the loon, respect is shown by of-fering tobacco to the loon for giving its life; and the loon is never to be turned upside-down (the backside of the loon must always be facing the sky). (Wilson, 2012) The earth-sky mirroring is respected and main-tained even after its death. Ojibwe first lan-guage speaker and
Native Skywatchers team-member, W. Wilson, explains that the word “ maang ” is closely related to the word, “ a maa(ng) ” which means “listen or pay at-tention.” (Wilson, 2012)
Conclusions
This important work has many branches: interdisciplinary connections in science and culture, formal and informal science education, artwork and art programming, history and heritage, outreach and com-munity wellness. The
Native Skywatchers – Revitalization of Ojibwe and D(L)akota Star Knowledge research and programming initi-ative has worked with community mem-bers to create meaningful recourses that communicate an ancient and living rela-tionship with the cosmos. It is our goal to build community around native star knowledge. All cultures, throughout hu-man history have had a connection to the stars. (Campion, 2012) It is intended that the
Native Skywatchers research and pro-gramming initiative will help individuals and communities in rebuilding and remembering the native Ojibwe and
Figure 10. Ojibwe Maang (Loon) constellation.
JAC, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016 D(L)akota connection to the stars. Ulti-mately, it is hoped that this dialog will serve as a stepping-stone to honor and re-member all indigenous ways of knowing.
Acknowledgments
Miigwech. Pidamaya. Thank you.
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Lee, A. Appendix A:
Ojibwe Celestial Terminology
Table A2. Ojibwe Vocabulary – Objects Ojibwe English
Anung
Star
Anung aki
Star World
Dibik-giizis
Moon (‘Night Sun’)
Giizis
Sun
Giizhig
Sky
Ikwe'anung
Venus (‘Women's Star’)
Ningobi'anung
Venus as Evening Star
Waabun'anung
Venus as Morning Star
Maingan Mikan
Ecliptic (‘Wolf Trail’)
Jiibaykona
Milky Way (‘Spirit Path’)
Jiibay Ziibi
Milky Way (‘River of Souls’)
Gwiingwa
Meteor/shooting star
Gaagige Giizhig
Universe (‘Forever Sky’)
Ishpeming
Universe (‘The Sky Above’)
Waawaate
Aurora Borealis (North-ern Lights)
Anung Nibwakawin
Star Knowledge, Wisdom
Table A1. Ojibwe Vocabulary – Seasonal Ojibwe English Related Greek Constellations
Dagwaagin
Fall
Mooz
Moose Pegasus
Bugonagiizhig
Hole in the Sky Pleiades
Madoo'asinik
Sweating Stones Pleiades
Biboon
Winter
Biboonkeonini
Winter-maker Orion, Canis Minor, Taurus
Ziigwan
Spring
Mishi bizhiw
Curly Tail, Great Panther Leo, Hydra
Madoodiswan
Sweat Lodge Corona
Niibin
Summer
Ajiijaak/Bine-shi Okanin
Crane/Skele-ton Bird Cygnus
Noondeshin Bemaadizid
Exhausted Bather (Per-son) Hercules
Nanaboujou
Nanaboujou Scorpio
Giwedinang
North
Maang
Loon Little Dipper
Ojiig
Fischer Big Dipper
Giwedin'anung
North Star Polaris
Table A2. ( cont .) Ojibwe English
Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan
Sky/Star map
Waabunong
East
Ningobinong
West
Giwedinong
North
Jawanong
South
Table A3. Ojibwe Months/Moon – Fond du Lac Region Month Ojibwe English
January
Gichimanidoo-giizis
Great Spirit Moon February
Namebini-giizis
Sucker Fish Moon March
Onaabani-giizis
Hard Crust on the Snow Moon April
Iskigamizige-giizis
Maple Sap Boiling Moon May
Zaagibagaa-giizis
Budding Moon June
Ode’imini-giizis
Strawberry Moon July
Aabita-niibino-giizis
Mid-summer Moon August
Manoominike-giizis
Ricing Moon September
Waatebagaa-giizis
Leaves Chang-ing Color Moon October
Binaakwii-giizis
Falling Leaves Moon November
Gashkadino-giizis
Freezing Moon December
Manidoo-giizisoons
Little Spirit Moon
JAC, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2016 Appendix B
D(L)akota Celestial Terminology
Table B1. D(L)akota Vocabulary – Seasonal D(L)akota English
Related Greek Constellations
Waniyetu
Winter
Nape
Hand Orion, Eridanus Ma ṫ o Tipi/ Ma ṫ o Tipila Bear’s Lodge Gemini
Ki I ŋ ya ŋ ka Oça ŋ ku Racetrack Winter Circle Ça ŋ Hd/ Gle ṡ ka Waka ŋ Sacred hoop Winter Circle
Inipi/ Initipi
Sweat lodge Winter Circle
Tayamni
Buffalo in three parts Orion, Canis Major, Pleiades
Tayamni pa
Buffalo em-bryo head Pleiades
Tayamni cutuhu
Buffalo em-bryo ribs Betelgeuse & Rigel
Tayamni ca ŋ kahu Buffalo em-bryo back-bone Orion’s belt
Tayamni si ŋ te Buffalo em-bryo tail Sirius
Zuzeca/ Zuzuhe ċ a Snake Columbia, Puppis, Canis Major
Pta ŋ yetu Fall
Keya
Turtle Pegasus Ca ŋṡ a ṡ a Pusyapi/ Ipusye Dried Red Willow Aries, Trian-gulum He ḣ aka/ Upa ŋ Elk Pisces Wi ċ i ŋ ya ŋ na Ṡ akowi ŋ / Wi ċ i ŋ cala Ṡ akowi ŋ Seven Girls Pleiades
Bdoketu/ Bloketu
Summer
Ahde ṡ ka/ Agle ṡ ka Salamander Cygnus
Wetu
Spring O ċ eti/Peta Fireplace/ Fire Leo
Table B1. ( cont .) Itkob u
Arcturus (‘go-ing toward’) Bright star in Bootes
Ihuku
Kigle
Arcturus (‘un-derwent it’) Bright star in Bootes A ŋ po Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Su ŋ kaku Arcturus (‘younger brother of Morning star’) Bright star in Bootes
Waziyata
North
To Win/ Tu ŋ Wi ŋ Blue Woman/ Birth Woman Big Dipper - inside Bowl Wi ċ akiyuhapi Stretcher Big Dipper - Bowl Wa ṡ ihdapi/ Wa ṡ iglapi Mourners Big Dipper - Handle Ma ŋ ka/Maka Skunk Big Dipper
Wicakiyuhapi/ Can cinkska
Dipper/ Wooden Spoon Big Dipper O ċ eti Ṡ akowi ŋ Seven sacred rites/Council fires Big Dipper Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi wa-ziyata/Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Owa ŋ jila North Star (‘Star that stands in one place’) Polaris
Waki ŋ ya ŋ Thunderbird Draco, Ursa Minor
Table B2. D(L)akota Vocabulary – Objects
D(L)akota Celestial Object Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Star Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Oyate Star Nation Ha ŋ hepi Wi / Ha ŋ yetu Wi/Ha ŋ wi Moon (‘Night Sun’)
Anog Ite
Moon (‘Double Faced Woman’)
Wi, A ŋ petu Wi Sun (‘Day Sun’) A ŋ po Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi / A ŋ petu D/Luta Venus - Morning Star Ça ŋ ku Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Omani/ Ma ḣ piya Maka Iciyagle Ecliptic
Wana ġ i Ta ċ a ŋ ku (Road of the spirits/Ghost trail) Milky Way Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Hi ŋḣ paya/ Wiahpihinhpaya/ Wo ḣ pe Waka ŋ Meteor/Falling star
Wamakohnaka/ Wamakhog-naka/ Makasitomni
Universe
Lee, A. Table B2. (cont.)
Wana ġ i Tawa ċ ipi (Spirit Danc-ers)/Ma ḣ piyata ŋ i ŋ / Wiyosaya Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Si ŋ tetu ŋ / Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Si ŋ te Yukan/ Wica ŋ pisi ŋ teto ŋ Comet
Mako ċ e Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Wowapi Star map Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Omani/Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Nuni/Wi ċ an ḣ pi Sa Planet
Wiaceic' iti
Sundogs (‘Sun making fire’)
Witha Wit' e
Solar Eclipse (‘Sun dies’) Ha ŋ witha Lunar Eclipse Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Tiospaye Constellations (‘Extended fam-ily’)
Okak ṡ e Ta ŋ ka Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Ota/Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Optaye Ta ŋ ka Galaxies Wi ċ a ŋḣ pi Oyate Groups of galax-ies (‘Nation’)
Bdoke cokaya/Bloke cokaya/ Anpawi
Summer solstice (‘Morning Sun’)
Waniyetu cokaya/Nahomni
Winter solstice (‘Swing around’)
Wetu A ŋ pa Ha ŋ yetu Iyeha ŋ tu Spring Equinox
Pta ŋ yetu A ŋ pa Ha ŋ yetu Iyeha ŋ tu Fall Equinox
Omaka/Makoncage
Seasons (‘Earth grows with time change’)
Waziyata
North
Itokagata
South
Wio ḣ inyanpata East
Wiyo ḣ peyata West
Wankantu/Wa ŋ katika Above
Kutakiya/Kutkiya
Below Ċ okata/ Ċ okaya Center
Tayamni pa
Buffalo embryo head (Pleiades)
Tayamni cutuhu
Buffalo embryo ribs (Betelgeuse and Rigel)
Tayamni ca ŋ kahu Buffalo embryo backbone (Orion’s belt)
Tayamni si ŋ te Buffalo embryo tail (Sirius)
Table B3. D(L)akota Months/Moon – Minneapolis Region Month D(L)akota English
January
Wite ḣ i Wi/ Wiot’ ehika Wi/ a ŋ kapopa Wi Hard/Difficult Moon/Tree Popping Moon February
Wi a ṭ ’a Wi / A ŋ petu Numnu ŋ pa Wi/ Wicata Wi/ Cannapopa Wi Raccoon Moon/ Moon when many die/ Two differ-ent kinds of days Moon/ Moon of Pop-ping Trees March I ṡ ta Wicayaza ŋ Wi Sore eyes Moon April
Watopapi Wi/ Ma ġ a Okada Wi/ Wokada Wi/ Wihakakta Wi Moon when streams are open/Goose egg-laying Moon/Egg lay-ing Moon/ Moon of Fattening May Wo ż upi Wi Planting Moon June Wa ż u ṡ teca ṡ a Wi/Wipazuka Waste Wi Strawberry Ripening Moon/Moon of Good Berries July a ŋ pasapa Wi/ a ŋ pa ṡ a Wi/ Wa ṡ u ŋ pa Wi Moon when the Chokecherries are Ripe/ Moon when the geese shed their feathers August
Wasutu ŋ Wi Harvest Moon September
Psi ŋ hnaketu Wi/ Ta ṡ aheca Hakikta Wi/ Wayuksapi Wi/ Canwapegi Wi Moon when the rice is laid up to dry/ Moon when the chip-munk looks back/Corn har-vesting Moon/Moon of Brown Leaves October a ŋ wa ḣ pekasna Wi/ Wi Wa ż upi Trees shaking off the leaves Moon/Drying rice Moon November
Takiyu ḣ a Wi/ Waniyetu Wi Deer Rutting Moon/Moon of Rutting Deer December