Ojibwe Word of the Day

About Ojibwe Word of the Day

James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw is the creator of Ojibwe Word of the Day. He has been recognized as a leading voice in Native Language revitalization efforts and spiritual teachings for two decades. His keen insights on the interconnectedness of language and culture were developed in the field speaking with and recording elders and native speakers of the language (many of whom have since passed on) in Canada, Michigan and Minnesota as part of the Ojibwe Language Dictionary Project.

Publisher

James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Sept 2019

Latest episode

2 Apr 2026

Latest episodes

2 of 14 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   2 Apr 2026

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Indinawemaaganidog ᐃᓐᑎᓇᐌᒫᑲᓂᑐᒃ 'All of my relatives.'

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Indinawemaaganidog ᐃᓐᑎᓇᐌᒫᑲᓂᑐᒃ 'All of my relatives.' by James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw

2. 

   31 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Ayaangwaamizin 'Awareness'.

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Ayaangwaamizin 'Awareness'. by James Vukelich Kaagegaabaw

3. 

   26 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Gikenindizon 'Know Thyself'

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Live Gikenindizon 'Know Thyself'.

4. 

   23 Jan 2023

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Nibi. ᓂᐱ᙮ 'Water.' EP.11

   How do you say 'Water' in Ojibwe. Here are some teachings about water. I'll also go over the phrase Nibi gaa-bimaaji'iwemagak 'The water that gives life'.

5. 

   17 Jan 2023

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Gidinawendimin ᑭᑎᓇᐌᓐᑎᒥᓐ᙮ ‘We are all related.’ Ep.10

   How do you say ‘We are all related’ in Ojibwe? This episode covers not just the words and grammar but some of the deeper philosophical and spiritual points of view in this beautiful word.

6. 

   11 Jan 2023

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Biboon. ᐱᐴᓐ᙮ ‘It is winter.’ Ep.9

   How do you say It is winter in Ojibwe. We'll discuss what the names of the months/moons are during this season and some of the activities that take place during Biboon 'winter'. Ep.9

7. 

   9 Jan 2023

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Mino-bimaadiziwin ᒥᓄ ᐃᒫᑎᓯᐎᓐ ‘The good life’

   Ojibwe Word of the Day Mino-bimaadiziwin ᒥᓄ ᐃᒫᑎᓯᐎᓐ ‘The good life’. What odes it mean to lead a good life? How can lead a good life today? I take a traditional perspective on how we can lead a life of peace, balance and good health.

8. 

   20 Jan 2020

   Asemaake. ᐊᓭᒫᑫ᙮ 'S/he offers, works with tobacco.'

   How to start the day in a good way....This is a traditional perspective n the use of Asemaa 'tobacco' in Ojibwe culture.

9. 

   14 Nov 2019

   Ogichidaa/Ogichidaakwe ᐅᑭᒋᑖ ᐅᑭᒋᑖᑴ

   This episode of Ojibwe Word of the Day examines the history, meaning, and etymology of the word for 'Warrior' in the Ojibwe Language.

10. 

    21 Oct 2019

    Miigwech ᒦᑴᒡ 'Thank you'

    This episode of Ojibwe WOD cover the etymology, history, and meaning of the Ojibwe word for 'Thank you'. Miigwech bizindawiyeg Thank you all for listening!

11. 

    14 Oct 2019

    Aanji-bimaadizi. ᐋᓐᒋ ᐱᒫᑎᓯ᙮ 'S/he changes her/his life.'

    This episode of Ojibwe Word of the Day is about the word to change one's life. It examines how the Language can describe a concept like 'decolonization'. Miigwech!

12. 

    14 Oct 2019

    Anishinaabe ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯ 'a person, a human'

    This episode of Ojibwe Word of the Day is about the word Anishinaabe 'a person, a human (in contrast to a non-human being)'. It gives us an insight into the history and spirituality of the people and how to relate to each other as both humans and relatives.

13. 

    5 Oct 2019

    Zhawenindizo ᔕᐌᓂᓐᑎᓱ᙮ S/he is kind to oneself, has compassionate unconditional love for oneself.'

    Zhawenindizo ᔕᐌᓂᓐᑎᓱ᙮ S/he is kind to oneself, has compassionate unconditional love for oneself.'

14. 

    24 Sept 2019

    Boonendamowin. ᐴᓀᓐᑕᒧᐎᓐ 'Forgiveness'

    This episode of Ojibwe Word of the Day examines the meaning of the word Boonendamowin. ᐴᓀᓐᑕᒧᐎᓐ 'Forgiveness' inthe Anishinaabe/ Ojibwe/Chippewa Language. We break the word down to get a better and deeper understanding of this word. Miigwech Thank you'!

Inside a recent episode

Ojibwe Word of the Day Ayaangwaamizin 'Awareness'.

Published 31 Mar 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Am I acting with , with truth? Am I being righteous? Am I being honest? Am I being virtuous? Am I respecting him or her? Am I acknowledging his or her sanctity? Am I being humble? Am I acting with a courageous heart, with a strong heart, with Zungaday Ewen? And if I am acting that way, I am acting in that moment then with Neboah Ka Wen. I'm acting intelligently. I'm acting with great wisdom. And so in that moment of awareness, you're also acknowledging that my actions are going to affect someone, not just four generations from now, not my great grandchildren, but their great grandchildren. And the moment you begin acting with great affection, with great care, with great respect, with humility in regards to those beings who haven't come yet, and also in acknowledging those beings who came before you, your great-grandparents and their great-grandparents, all of a sudden your actions become different. […]

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