music        news/events        bio        contact        recordings Ziigwang, Niibing, Dagwaaging, Biboong Four Stories of Childhood by Maude Kegg 1992 soprano flute harp  duration 14' first performance: Roxanne Engel, Susan Nelson, Chelcy Bowle Bemidji University / February 28, 1992 TEXTS Gichigamiiwashkoon Miinawaa mewinzha gichigamiiwashkoon mamood zaaga'íganiing, miish iniw. “Ode'imini-glizis,”  gli-ikido ko, “jibwaa-aabita-niibing.”  Mii asemaan ezhi-bagidanaad, azhigwa wii-mamood iniw ayi'iin gichigamiiwashkoon.  “Gaawiin giiwenh awiiya odaa-izhi-mamoosiinan,” gii-ikido ko.  Apane ingii-naanaagadawaabamaa gaa-izhichiged. Miish i'iw jiimaaning-sh, boozi wiigwaasi- jiimaaning gaye. Mii ezhi-bakwajibidood, mii iniw gichigamiiwashkoon, ikidowag, izhinikaadenig.  Mii azhigwa niibowa ezhi-bakwajibidood, mii ezhi-ayaad ezhi-agwaasidood, mii ezhi- maawandoopidood. Mii ingojii go nisimidana, ingojii go odizhi-maawandoopidoonan. Mii ezhi- giishkizhang iwidi ojiibikaawaninig. Mii dash imaa namadabiyaan iko maamiijiyaan mii iniw. Ingii-kina'amaag-sh wiin. “gego miijiken  niibowa!” ingii-ig. Enda-minopogwadoon ojiibikaawang iniw gichigamiiwashkoon.  Maude Kegg (b.1904)  Bulrushes Long ago she got bulrushes from the lake. “In June,” she used to say, “before the middle of  the summer.”  She put the tobacco out when she wanted to get bulrushes. “No one is supposed to take  them otherwise,” she used to say.  I always watched what she did with great interest. She got in the canoe, a birch bark canoe.  Then she pulled up the gichigamiiwashkoon, as they are called.  She pulled up a lot of them, took what she got to shore, and tied them up. She tied them  in bundles of about thirty. Then she cut them off at the roots.  I used to sit there eating them. But she forbid me to do that. “Don't eat much!” she said to  me. Bulrush roots taste real good.  trans. John Nichols  Jimaan Mewinzha agaawaa ingezikwendaan–amanj iidog gaa-iniginiwaanen–madaabiiyaan. Jimaan imaa  gii-ate. Miish gaa-izhi-booziyaan. Maagizhaa gaye iwidi ishkwe-ay'ii gaa-inaandawewaanen.  Gaawiin imaa ingikendanziin minik.  Imaa inaabiyaan igo, waasa azhigwa aya anagad i'iw niiwin, nookomis miinawaa go ninoshenyag  niizh, biijiba'idiwaad, aanind biidaadagaaziiba'idiwaad, gaa-izhi-zegiziyaan.  Ingikendaan wiin igo zegizayaan. Maagizhaa gaye gaa-kwaashkwaniwaanen. Baanimaa dash igo  miinawaa gikendamaan iwidi ganawaabamagwaa ingiw giigoonyag, eniwek igo naa anooj  ezhi-naagoziwaad. Agwadaashiinsag ingiw. Aangodinong gaye enda-besho inganawaabamigoog.  Mi eta go imaa minik gaa-gikendamaan. Maagizhaa gaye gaa-agwaabiiginigoowaanen.  Maude Kegg (b.1904)  Canoe I can barely remember long ago—I don't know how big I was—going down to the shore. There was a canoe there so I got in it. I must have climbed down to the far end. I don't remember much. When I took a look, the boat was far out and I heard some ladies, maybe three or four of them, my grandmother and my aunt, two of my aunts, running towards me, crying as they came, some of them running right into the water, and so I got scared. I remember that I was scared. I must have jumped. Then I remember looking at fish of all different colors. They were sunfish.  Sometimes they came real close and looked at me. That´s all I have remembered. I must have  been picked up out of the water.  trans. John Nichols  Bimo Gaabiboonoke Miinawaa gaa-inaajimotawid a'aw mindimooyenh. Akina gegoo ingiiwaawiindamaag. Mii giiwenh  mewinzha anishinaabeg giikajiwaad, onzaam ginwenzh biboonig. Mii giiwenh mitigwaabikawaawaad  iniw abinoojiinyan.  Miish ezhi-inaawad:  “Ishpiming iwidi o-ina'en. Bimo gaabiboonoke.”  Miish giiwenh ingiw gwiiwizensag zaagiziba'idiwaad, mii iwidi ishpimig ina'ewaad. Mii iidog  bimwaawaad iniw gaabiboonoken. Miish giiwenh geget ezhi-aabawaag.  Maude Kegg (b.1904)  Shoot the Wintermaker Again what the old lady told me. She talked about everything with me. It´s long ago and the  Indians are cold because the winter is too long.  They make bows for the children. They tell them: “Go and shoot up in the sky. Shoot the Wintermaker.”  The children go outside and aim skywards. They shoot the Wintermaker. And sure enough it  warms up.  trans. John Nichols  Imbagida'waamin Minawaa ko mewinzha gezikwendamaan obagida'waad, mii ezhi-wiijiwag. Mii iwidi  Gabekanaansing, awas idash igo iwidi ani-aanikegamaag i'iw zaaga´'gan. Mii iwidi ena'oyaang.  Mitigo-jiimaan-sh indaabajitoomin. Azheboye dash . . .  . . . Enagoojininid iniw anangoon, mii go gaa-izhi-waawiinamawid. Mii iidog iko ezhi-nibayaan  megwaa dibaajimod, miinawaa gichi-gigzheb azhigwa amadinid, wiikobinaad iniw odasabiin,  miinawaa giiwe'oyaang.  Maude Kegg (b.1904)  We Set a Net And I remember that long ago when my grandmother would go to set the net, I'd go with her. It  was there at Portage Lake, on the other side, where another lake joins it. That's where we went.  We used a wooden boat. She rowed . . .  . . . And so she told me about how the stars hang in constellations. Maybe I fell asleep while she  talked, and early in the morning she woke me up, pulled in her net, and we rowed home.  trans. John Nichols