Our Maple Story

Ngoding ingii-biinaag ingikinoo’amawaaganimag gii-oo-ozhiga’ang ninaatigoog.

One time I brought my students to tap Maple trees.

Ingii-gikendan dibishkooseg zaam gii-gisinaa pii dibikag miiniwaa gii-giizhoowaa pii giizhigag. 

We knew it was time to tap maple trees because it was cold at night and warm during the day.

Ntam ingii-bizindawaanaa aadsookaan mii dash gii-gwijipidamaang Ninaatigowaaboo. Gaye ingii-gwijipidaanaa ninaatigoziizibaakidoons. 

First we listened to a sacred story and then we tried maple water. We also tried Maple candy. 

Gaawiin ingii-izhaaminsii iskigamiziganing. Indaawaach, Ingii-izhaamin onjiyenh wiidigendiwingamigoong Northview Gardens Zhinkaadeg.

We did not go to a sugar bush. Instead, we went next door to a wedding venue called Northview Gardens.

Ingii-biidaakojigemin mii dash ingii-aabjitoon bgone-boojigan oo-gii-ozhigawang niswi ninaatigoog.

We offered tobacco and then we used a drill to tap 3 sugar maple trees. 

Ensa-giizhigad indoo-gii-oo-dibaabandaanaa giishpin wa kikoog gii-bizhishigozid maage gii-mooshkined. Giishpin wa kikoog gii-mooshkined, doo-gii-zhiigonaanaa.

Every day we would go to check if the buckets were empty or full. If the buckets were full, we would empty them.

Booch apiichin ingii-dakaagamisidoonaa wi ninaatigowaaboo zaam gaawiin wii-bakweneyaagamisinoog.

We had to keep the sap cold because we didn’t want it to get cloudy.

Mii dash gii-biidooyaang wi ninaatigowaaboo oodi Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre-ing. Ingii-iskigamizigemin gii-ozhitoonyaang ziiwaagimide agiji-ishkodeng wiigwaaming. 

Then we brought the sap to the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre. We boiled it down to make syrup on the fire, in the wigwam.

Gabe-giizhik ingii-iskigamizigemin. Ingii-ayaamin niizh kikoog. midaaswi-shi-bezhigo-minikwaajigan ninaatigowaaboo ozhitoon ngodaasonaagaans Ziiwagamide.

All day we boiled it down. We had 2 buckets of sap. 11 gallons made 6 cups of syrup.

Baamaa pii naagach gii-bazagosagaa wi wiigwaam. Gaawiin njida! 

After that, the wigwam was sticky. Oops! 

Glossary

Ningoding - once, at one time

Biizh -vta- bring h/

Gikinoo’amawaagan(ag) - student(s)  

Ozhiga’ - tap h/ [tree]

Gikendan -vti - know about something, know something

Dibishkoose -vii- the anniversary of something, it is time [for something to happen]

Zaam - because 

Gisinaa -vii- It is cold

Pii - when

Dibikad - night

Miinawaa - and

Giizhoowaa- it is warm [weather, environment]

Giizhigad - day

Ntam - fist

Bizindaw - vta - listen to h/

Aadsookaan(ag) - sacred stoy(ies)

Gwijipidan - vti- try [the taste] of something, sample it. 

Ninaatigowaaboo - maple water

Ziizibaakodwaaboo - maple water

Gaawiin - no

Izhaa - vai- s/he goes [somewhere] 

Iskigamiziganing -ni- sugar bush

Indaawaach -av- instead

Onjiiyenh -av- Next [in order, in line, on the list], next door

Biidaakojige -vai- s/he makes a tobacco offering

Mii dash - and then, and so, 

Ozhigaw -vta- drill a hole into a tree for tapping

Aninaatig(oog) - Maple tree

Bgone-boojigan(an) - drill

kik(oog) - pail(s), bucket(s) 

Dibaabandan - vti - check on something

Bizhishigozi -vai- s/he / something animate is empty

Mooshkine -vai- s/he / something animate is full 

Zhiigonan - vti- empty something

Apiichin - av - keep [doing something]

iskigamizige -vai- s/he boils it down

Agiji- -av- on top

Ishkode -ni- fire

Wigwam -ni Traditional structure, house

Ziiwagamide -ni- maple syrup

Gaabe-giizhik -av- all day

Minikwaajigan - gallons

Naagaans - cups

Onjida -av- Deliberately, on purpose

Bazagosagaa -vii- it is sticky