Ojibwe Naming of Ojibwe Naming of Wild PlantsWild Plants

Dwight A. GourneauDwight A. Gourneau

Adapted from Michael Price’s Adapted from Michael Price’s TRIBES PresentationTRIBES Presentation

Wild Plant Name SuffixesWild Plant Name Suffixesin Ojibwe Languagein Ojibwe Language

““--jiibik” – rootjiibik” – root ““-imin” – berry, fruit, seed-imin” – berry, fruit, seed ““-bag” – leaf-bag” – leaf ““-pin” – potato-like, tuber-pin” – potato-like, tuber ““-aatig” – trunk, stem-aatig” – trunk, stem ““-waak” – tree-waak” – tree ““-ashk” – long grassy stem-ashk” – long grassy stem ““-mizh” – small tree, shrub-mizh” – small tree, shrub ““-aandag” – bough-aandag” – bough ““Mashkii-” – bogMashkii-” – bog

Latin-Ojibwemowin Latin-Ojibwemowin ClassificationClassification

Round Leaf SundewRound Leaf Sundew

Waawiiye-niigeganzhWaawiiye-niigeganzh

(Drosera rotundifolia)(Drosera rotundifolia)

Mashkiig – Bog or PeatlandMashkiig – Bog or Peatland

Mashkikii – “medicine from the earth or bog”Mashkikii – “medicine from the earth or bog”

Mashkiig – Bog or PeatlandMashkiig – Bog or Peatland

MashkiigwaatigMashkiigwaatigTamarack Tamarack ((Larix laricinaLarix laricina))

MashkiigominMashkiigominSmall Cranberry Small Cranberry ((Vaccinium oxycoccosVaccinium oxycoccos))

Mashkiig – Bog or PeatlandMashkiig – Bog or Peatland

MashkiigobagMashkiigobagLabrador Tea orLabrador Tea or

Swamp TeaSwamp Tea

((Ledum groenlandicumLedum groenlandicum))

MashkiigojiibikMashkiigojiibikMarsh Five FingerMarsh Five Finger

((Potentilla palustrisPotentilla palustris))

Waabashkikii - SwampWaabashkikii - Swamp

Waabashkikii - SwampWaabashkikii - Swamp

WaabashkikiibagWaabashkikiibag

LeatherleafLeatherleaf((Chamaedaphne calyculataChamaedaphne calyculata))

Meadow SweetMeadow Sweet((Spiraea albaSpiraea alba))

Labrador or Swamp TeaLabrador or Swamp Tea((Ledum groenlandicum)Ledum groenlandicum)

AnungobikobiiseAnungobikobiise

““Star that lives on the Star that lives on the water”water”

White Water LillyWhite Water Lilly

(Nymphaea odorata)(Nymphaea odorata)

LadyslippersLadyslippers

MakizinanMakizinan““Moccasins”Moccasins”

Yellow LadyslipperYellow Ladyslipper(Cypripedium caleolus)(Cypripedium caleolus)

AgobizowinAgobizowin““A remedy tied on a woundA remedy tied on a wound””Showy LadyslipperShowy Ladyslipper(Cypripedium reginae)(Cypripedium reginae)

Naming CategorizationNaming Categorization

DescriptiveDescriptive UtilityUtility Medicinal UseMedicinal Use Food SourceFood Source SpiritualitySpirituality

DescriptiveDescriptive

OmakikiiwidaasanOmakikiiwidaasan““Frog Leggings”Frog Leggings”

Pitcher Plant Pitcher Plant

((Sarracenia purpureaSarracenia purpurea))

WaabooyaabagWaabooyaabag““Blanket Leaf”Blanket Leaf”

Common MulleinCommon Mullein

((Verbascum thapsusVerbascum thapsus))

UtilityUtility

MiskojiibikMiskojiibikBloodroot Bloodroot

((Sanquinaria canadensisSanquinaria canadensis))

- Used as a red dye- Used as a red dye

OzaawijiibikOzaawijiibikGoldenthread Goldenthread

((Coptis trifoliaCoptis trifolia))

- Used as a yellow dye- Used as a yellow dye

UtilityUtilityAnaakanashkAnaakanashk““Anaakan – woven mat”Anaakan – woven mat”Softstem BulrushSoftstem Bulrush((Scirpus validusScirpus validus))

GichigamiwashkGichigamiwashk““Tall Grass of the Great Waters”Tall Grass of the Great Waters”

NabagashkNabagashk““Tall Grass with Flat Leaf”Tall Grass with Flat Leaf”Common CattailCommon Cattail((Typha latifoliaTypha latifolia))

UtilityUtility

WiigwaasaatigWiigwaasaatigPaper BirchPaper Birch

((Betula papyriferaBetula papyrifera))

UtilityUtility

AagimaakAagimaak““Snowshoe-making tree”Snowshoe-making tree” Aagim - snowshoeAagim - snowshoe

Black AshBlack Ash

((Fraxinus nigraFraxinus nigra))

- Used to make snowshoes;Used to make snowshoes;- Inner bark strips - basketsInner bark strips - baskets

Medicinal UseMedicinal Use

Oshkinigiikwe AniibiishOshkinigiikwe AniibiishTansy (Tansy (Tanacetum vulgareTanacetum vulgare))““Young Woman’s Tea”Young Woman’s Tea”

ZhaaboziganZhaaboziganCommon MilkweedCommon Milkweed((Asclepias syriacaAsclepias syriaca))““Laxative; used to produce Laxative; used to produce

post-birth milk flow”post-birth milk flow”

Food SourceFood Source

MinoominMinoomin““the good seed”the good seed”

Wild RiceWild Rice

((Zizania palustrisZizania palustris))

Ode”iminOde”imin““heart fruit”heart fruit”

Wild StrawberryWild Strawberry

((Fragaria virginianaFragaria virginiana))

Food SourceFood Source

Aninaatig ZiinzibaakwadAninaatig ZiinzibaakwadSugar MapleSugar Maple((Acer saccharumAcer saccharum))

ApakweshkweApakweshkwe• Apakwe – “to put on roof”Apakwe – “to put on roof”

NabagashkNabagashk

““Tall Grass with Flat Leaf”Tall Grass with Flat Leaf”((Typha latifoliaTypha latifolia))- Edible bulbs and spring shoots- Edible bulbs and spring shoots

SpiritualitySpirituality

Giizhig(aandag)Giizhig(aandag)White CedarWhite Cedar

((Thuja occidentalisThuja occidentalis))

““Giizhig” – “sky or day”Giizhig” – “sky or day”

WiingashkWiingashk““aromatic herb”aromatic herb”

SweetgrassSweetgrass

((Hierochloe odorataHierochloe odorata))

SpiritualitySpirituality

NookweziganNookwezigan

White SageWhite Sage((Artemisia ludovicianaArtemisia ludoviciana))““soothing grandmother soothing grandmother

medicine”medicine”- spiritual purification- spiritual purification

Daisy FleabaneDaisy Fleabane((Erigeron strigosusErigeron strigosus))- used for headaches- used for headaches

Other Ojibwe Plant Other Ojibwe Plant NamesNames

Giiziso-MashkikiiGiiziso-Mashkikii““Sun Medicine”Sun Medicine”GoldenrodGoldenrod((Solidago canadensisSolidago canadensis))

ApaakoziganApaakozigan““smoking mixture”smoking mixture”BearberryBearberry((Arctostaphalos uva-ursiArctostaphalos uva-ursi))

Other Ojibwe Plant Other Ojibwe Plant NamesNames

AjidamoowaanowAjidamoowaanow““Squirrel’s Tail”Squirrel’s Tail”

Woolly YarrowWoolly Yarrow

((Achillea millefoliumAchillea millefolium))

- flowers smoked ceremonially- flowers smoked ceremonially

Evergreens - Evergreens - RelationshipsRelationships

““aandag” – “bough”aandag” – “bough”GaawGaawaandagaandag – White Spruce – White SpruceZezegZezegaandagaandag – Black Spruce – Black SpruceGiizhigGiizhigaandagaandag – White Cedar – White CedarOkikOkikaandagaandag – Jack Pine – Jack Pine

““Zhin” – “to lie down”Zhin” – “to lie down”ZhingZhingwaak – White Pinewaak – White PineZhingZhingobii – Red or Norway Pineobii – Red or Norway PineZhingZhingob – Balsam Firob – Balsam Fir

Miskwaawaak – Red CedarMiskwaawaak – Red CedarMiskwaawaakaandag – Red Cedar boughMiskwaawaakaandag – Red Cedar bough

Makwa – Black BearMakwa – Black Bear

ZhigaagawanzhZhigaagawanzh““Onions”Onions”

ZhigaagZhigaag““Skunk”Skunk”

ZhigaagongZhigaagong““Where skunk’s live”Where skunk’s live”

Chi-Miigwech