On my first day in Voyageur National Park, while sailing on the water, I was struck by the richness of the earth and the life, spirit, and power of the water. This piece is to celebrate the beauty of the land, water and sky and the animal spirits of the land, water, and sky, while also serving as a reminder to visitors that the park sits on ancestral Anishinaabe and Ojibwe homes. The Ojibwe constellations serve as this reminder as Ojibwe people have looked up at the stars for a millennium to tell stories. The Ojibwe culture and stories were and continue to be a part of the story of Voyageur National Park.
Weshkad imaa gii-niingaasimoonowaan nigii-maaminonendaan wiin iye epiichi-onizhishing iye aki, epiichi-bazhishigendaagok iye bimaadiziwin, naa ge epiichi-mashkaagamig iye sa nibi. Onjida go naa nigii-shizhoobii’aan owe ji-waabanda’amaan iye epiichi-maamakaadendaagokin iye aki, nibi, giizhik, naa go ge igiyeg aadizookaanag, miziwe bago eyaawaad. Boochi igo ji-mikwenda’indwaa igiyeg biiwideg imaa sa Anishinaabewaking bimi-ayaawag, memindage omaampii jiigibiig. Shke naa ge igiyeg moozhekanag, pane-ko gaa-onjiseg iye bimaadiziwin ogii-kanawaabamigowaan iniyen Anishinaaben. Mii imaa wezi-aadizookeng. Mii apane ingiyeg anishinaabeg ogii-tibaadodaan iye sa aki, biinish igo omaapii Gichi-onigaming.
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