Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) Facts
In Ojibwe, you may find the ending of a plant name, such as in-min, that refers to a specific part of a plant.
Endings with -jiibik is referring to the roots of the plants.
According to Keewaydinoquay Peschel, plants named after Makwa (bear) are considered to be very important. They may have medicinal or spiritual properties. In some cases, plants named after Makwa (like the bear berry) could be used as food in dire circumstances when no other food is available.
Habitats
Muskeg – Mashkiig.
Open Fields – Opimekanang meaning along the roadside.
Rocky Highlands – Pangodinang describes dry and rocky highland areas.
Poplar Woods – Poplar noopiming.
Riverside – Chigoziibig. Ziibi means river.
Keep in Mind
Below you will find information on trees and a brief description of how they are traditionally used by Indigenous peoples. As you read you’ll find where we sourced this information from. We feel that it is important to give credit to those who passed down this knowledge.
Thank you to everyone who made these resources available!
*Note that this is not an exhaustive list. In some cases there may even be more than one translation for a plant name as Indigenous language can vary depending on which region it is being spoken.
Please do not consume plants that you have no experience with. If prepared incorrectly, it could be harmful. Contact an elder or expert before use.
