Di-bayn-di-zi-win (To Own Ourselves)

Makwa Ogimaa (Jerry Fontaine) is Ojibway-Anishinabe from the Ojibway-Anishinabe community of Sagkeeng in Manitoba. He was (indian act) Chief during the period 1987 to 1998 and has been an adviser to Anishinabe communities and industry. Jerry currently teaches in the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Winnipeg. He lives in Traverse Bay, Manitoba.Ka-pi-ta-aht (Don McCaskill) is professor emeritus in the Department of Indigenous Studies at Trent University, where he taught for forty-seven years and served as chair for thirteen years. He has edited seven books in the fields of Anishinabe culture, education, community development, and urbanization. Don lives in Toronto.

• ContentsMaa-ji-taa (We Begin)Niinitam (My Turn) Don McCaskill1 Ka-pi-ta-aht di-bah-ji-mo (Don McCaskill Tells His Story) 2 Niizhwasso ishkode (Seventh Fire): Political Resistance and Ojibway-Anishinabe Cultural RenewalCultural Renewal of the Seventh Fire: Anishinabe Ways of Doing and Knowing and Nah-nahn-gah-dah-wayn-ji-gay-win (How we came to think this way about our reality)The Continuance of Resistance and RevivalResidential School SystemEnvironmental ProtestsMissing and Murdered Indigenous Women and GirlsHas Resurgence Made a Difference? 3 Indigenous Studies: Finding Understanding Through a Transformative Way of KnowingThe Academic ProgramApplied Community ProgramPolitical Advocacy and Outside PressuresThe Cultural ComponentTrent Department ExpansionBezhig onaagan gaye bezhig emikwan, biin-di-go-daa-di-win, and naa-wi aki: A Culturally Based Approach to Reconciliation and Indigenizing the AcademyChallengesMoving ForwardNiinitam (My Turn) Jerry Fontaine4 Makwa Ogimaa di-bah-ji-mo (Jerry Fontaine Shares His Story) Ni di-bah-jim (I’ll share my story)Kay-go-wah-ni-kayn andi-wayn-ji-ahn (Don’t ever forget where you come from) O-di-ni-gay-win zhigo Nay-nahn-do-jee-kayn-chi-gayd (Digging Around and Doing Research) Nah-nahn-gah-dah-wayn-ji-gay-win (How we came to think this way about our reality) I-nah-di-zi-win (Our way of being and way of life) Ojibway-anishinabe i-zhi-chi-gay-win zhigo kayn-dah-so-win gemaa a-zhi-kay-ni-mo-nahd-a-di-sid bay-mah-di-sid (Ojibway-Anishinabe ways of doing and knowing or how we used our way of thinking and ceremonies to find answers) 5 Gah-wi- zhi maw-ji-say-muh-guhk (The way it happened) 6 Ni-noon-dah-wah-min in-way-wahd gi-gay-tay anishinabeg on-ji-ning-gi-kayn-dah-so-min wayn-ji-da ji-ga-gway-dwaywi-nan (We hear the voices of our ancestors because we know how to ask the most basic questions) Di-bah-ji-mo-win o-nah-ko-nah (To ceremonially call upon the story)Di-bah-ji-mo maa-gi-zhaa gaye mah-zhi-nay-bi’i-gay (The story is shared and then maybe written)Ah-way-chi-gay-win (To teach by telling a story)G’gi-zhi-too-min (We’re finished)Timeline of EventsMaah-ni-ka-no-tah-gay-win (Interpretation and Glossary) Meegwetchiwenimaad (Acknowledgements) NotesIndexAbout the Authors

These messages must be for ourselves first and foremost in that a much-neglected area in our struggle is the reclaiming of our minds — our own imaginations. Di-bayn-di-zi-win will be useful for our people here in New Zealand and many of the Indigenous jurisdictions I have worked with across the world.