[Summer] Walks With Makwa

panel 1 - should I add back tree trunks? Is the negative space too negative?

She emerges from the house like a butterfly in ziigwan - summer,
Into sun,
Into forest.

Mino-giizhigan - It’s a beautiful day!
The sounds of omagakii croaking,
Bineshii singing in the rustling trees,
Rustling as the noodin rushes through.

panel 2

She looks up for those bineshii she can name,
Migizi - Eagle,
Diindiisi - Blue jay,
Wabizhashi - Martin,
Gijigaaneshii - Chickadee,
Aandeg - Crow,

panel 3 - should I outline the branches a little?

The forest path calls
The green silence of the forest floor whispers.
There are things with names that she knows,
trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, wild leek and clover
akiizagaskway, worming through the dirt and leaves
zagaskwayi-madogaan, in its spiraling shell
enigoonsag, tiny and black, hurrying all in line, busy, busy, working working.

panel 4 - too comical/line artish. will redo

She needs to lift the log, turn the stone
and finds a wood grub, called moos!
Puts the log carefully back and the trail continues on.

panel 5

She’s found tracks.
Bear tracks.
Bigger than her hand
Bigger than her foot too.
Follow them!

panel 6

But there’s no makwa in sight, for now...


She sees trees.
Meenagwaakmizh, scented leaves of sassafras,
Mitigomizh, great giver of acorns,
Ininaatig, sweet as syrup,
Wiigwaasaatig, bands of birch.

Look up a tree
to see eyes peering down, curiously.
Is it esiban? with those bandit bands?
No!
Of tufted tail and skittering hands,
it’s ajidamoo!


Acorns abound! Zounds!


One of the mitigomin bounces away,
Skips and rolls down the hill.
She runs and skips, chasing,
she chases it down the hill,
To a blueberry bush!
Miin, miinan! Delicious!

panel 7

Mnagiizhgat nangwaa.
It is a good day today.

Onward! Forward!
Skip! Hop! Run!
Up and down the trail.

More adventures to find!    
She runs down a very big hill,
going so fast,
wind, freedom, adventure, flight!
But look out!

panel 8

She leaps over zhigaagoboogidiwin, the puffball mushroom.

The hill ends at the stream.
Sparkles.

Looking for tiny silver giigoozenag swimming in the shallows,


when something buzzes in her ear and zagime bites... Ouch!

panel 9

But there is a mooshkenh, pacing a gentle rhythm on crooked legs
on the other side of the stream.

panel 10
earth rooted makwa with two hearts, forest and fern tips

But wait! What’s that sound? A rustle in the brush.
Standing still and keeping quiet, holding her breath.
It’s makwa!
Makwa is big. Is it safe?
But this makwa calls her by name. “Boozhoo Terra!”
Terra replies, “Aanii Makwa!"

Makwa is great calm,
Makwa is enduring peace,
Makwa is necessary strength,
Makwa is steady, grounded, bold.

Makwa dodem patrols the land, walks with Terra

panel 11

Makwa shows her the roots, the barks, the plants and the berries.
There are some she can eat, like thimbleberries, like elderberries,
like the blue miinan!

panel 12-13?

Makwa wants to show Terra the forest of birch trees.
Minwaabinagwat - so beautiful!

He shows her with birch bark we can make our wiigwaam.
With birch bark we can make agokôbinagan, to carry foods and things

panel 14-15

With birch bark we can make wigwaas tchimân to travel by water,
And make scrolls,
Ancient scrolls where stories can be shared,
ceremonies and traditions,
culture and heritage,
Remembered,
Celebrated,
Honored,
Passed on to you.
Bimaadiziwin’ naa - the old traditional way of life.

Weweni bizindan - Listen! Sing with me!


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https://picasaweb.google.com/JuinLily/WalksWithMakwa

About: Using gentle riddles and illustrations, this story teaches Anishinabemowin via integration, in this case with the English language.