Chickadee (22 page)

Outside, the wind picked up, screaming like a thousand mad fiddles, and getting louder and louder. Omakayas put her hands over her ears. The screeching continued, and got closer. Nokomis held Makoons in her arms, and Animikiins stood up, slowly, in the little cabin. Two Strike was outside with the horses, battling the wind with them in their pole barn. The rest of the family was off gathering more wood for the cart that Mikwam was building. The wind howled with such insane fury that the group inside feared that a tornado might have formed, might be rushing at them. The door shook. The logs seemed to rattle in their sockets.

“My brother is here!” Makoons shouted.

Omakayas's blood ran cold and along with Nokomis she put her arms around him and was about to burst into tears when the door slammed open and in walked Chickadee.

“Brother!”

Both brothers shouted at once, and then there was a collapse of confused feeling. Everyone was hugging everyone. Uncle Quill had come in too, and Animikiins was pounding on his back in joy. Chickadee was in his mother's arms, along with Makoons. They were right where they belonged.

The night was long, the wind still harsh, but Animikiins took his drum out again. This time Chickadee sang the song he had been taught by his namesake. He remembered its healing power, and put every bit of his love and energy into each word. Makoons, very weak, listened with a smile and slowly licked the other half of the peppermint stick. There were bits of dried leaf on the stick, and in places the red coloring had come off. But the flavor made him happy as he listened. He could not get enough of his brother's singing. He would always love the sound of his brother's voice. He asked for his brother's song, over and over. Every time that Chickadee sang the song, Makoons could feel his strength grow inside of him.

“Please, brother, sing,” he said.

So Chickadee sang.

I am only the Chickadee

Yet small things have great power

I speak the truth.

Obijbwemowin was originally a spoken, not written, language, and for that reason spellings are often idiosyncratic. There are also many, many dialects in use. To make the Obijbwemowin in the text easier to read, I have sometimes used phonetic spellings. I apologize to the reader for any mistakes and refer those who would like to encounter the language in depth to
A Concise Dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe
, edited by John D. Nichols and Earl Nyholm; to the
Oshkaabewis Native Journal
, edited by Anton Treuer; and to the curriculum developed by Dennis Jones at the University of Minnesota.

aadizookaan
(ahd-zoh-kahn): a traditional story that often helps explain how to live as an Ojibwe

aadizookaanag
(ahd-zoh-khan-ahg): the plural form of
aadizookaan

ahneen
(ah-NEEN): greeting

anama'eminensag
(ah-nam-ah'ay-min-ayns-ug): praying berries or ropes

Anishinabe
(AH-nish-in-AH-bay): the original name for the Ojibwe or Chippewa people, a Native American group who originated in and live mainly in the northern North American woodlands. There are currently Ojibwe reservations in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ontario, Manitoba, Montana, and Saskatchewan

Anishinabeg
(AH-nish-in-AH-bayg): the plural form of
Anishinabe

baka'akwen
(bah-kah-ah-kweh-n): chicken

bezhig
(bay-zhig): one

Biboonang
(Bib-oon-ung): Winter Spirit

bine
(bin-ay): partridge

binewag
(bin-ay-wug): the plural form of
bine

biwabik
(bii-wahb-ick): metal

bizindaan
(bih-zin-dahn): listen

Bwaan-akiing
(Bwahn-ah-keeng): the land of the Dakota and Lakota people, two other Native tribes

Deydey
(DAY-day): Daddy

dibi'
(dih-bih): I don't know where

eya'
(ay-yah): yes

gaawiin
(gah-WEEN): no

geget
(GEH-geht): surely, or for emphasis, truly or really

gidebwe
(ghih-day-bway): you speak the truth

gigawaabamin
(gih-gah-WAH-bah-min): I will see you

giigawedaa
(gee-gah-way-day): let's go home

giiwedin
(gee-way-din): north

gijigijigaaneshiinh
(gih-jih-gih-jih-gah-nay-shee): chickadee

ginebigoog
(ghin-ay-big-oog): snakes

Gizhe Manidoo
(Gih-zhay Man-ih-do): the great, kind spirit

gookoosh
(goo-koosh): pig

howaa
(HOW-ah): a sound of approval

Iskigamizige-giizis
(Iss-kay-gah-mih-zih-gey-giizis): April

majaan
(mah-jahn): go away!

makak
(mah-KUK): a container of birchbark folded and often stitched together with basswood fiber. Ojibwe people use these containers today, especially for traditional feasts

makakoon
(mah-kah-koon): the plural form of
makak

manoomin
(mah-NOH-min): wild rice; the word means “the good seed”

mashi
(mahsh-ih): yet

mashkiig
(maash-keeg): swampy place

mekadewikonyewinini
(meh-kah-day-wih-kone-iy-eh-in-in-ih): black robe/priest

memegwesiwag
(may-may-gway-see-wug): the plural form of
memegwesi
, little people

miigwech
(mee-gwetch): thank you

minopogwad
(min-oh-poh-gwud): it tastes good

naanan
(nahn-an): five

nashke
(nahsh-kay): look

niiwin
(nee-win): four

niizh
(neezh): two

nimama
(nee-mama): my mama

niswi
(niss-way): three

Nokomis
(no-KOH-mis): grandmother

Nookoo
(Noo-koo): shortened version of
Nokomis

waabooz
(WAH-booz): rabbit

we'eh
(way-ay): namesake

wigwam
(WIHG-wahm): a birchbark house

wigwassi-wigamig
(wig-wass-ih-wig-ahm-ig): house

Zhawanong
(Zhah-wah-nung): the South

LOUISE ERDRICH lives with her family in Minnesota and is the owner of Birchbark Books, an independent bookstore. Ms. Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, and this story—which will, in the end, span one hundred years in the life of an Ojibwe woman—was inspired when Ms. Erdrich and her mother, Rita Gourneau Erdrich, were researching their own family history.
CHICKADEE
begins a new part of the story that started with
THE BIRCHBARK HOUSE
, a National Book Award finalist;
THE GAME OF SILENCE
, winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction; and the acclaimed
THE PORCUPINE YEAR
.

Ms. Erdrich is also the bestselling author of many critically acclaimed novels for adults, including the Pulitzer Prize finalist
THE PLAGUE OF DOVES
and National Book Award finalist
THE LAST REPORT ON THE MIRACLES AT LITTLE NO HORSE
. She is also the author of the picture book
GRANDMOTHER'S PIGEON
, illustrated by Jim LaMarche. You can visit her online at www.readlouiseerdrich.com and www.birchbarkbooks.com.

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