Ojibwe. Mangan is a second-year Aboriginal studies student at Algonquin.
Boozhoo ahnii kinaweya.
That means, “hello everyone” in Ojibwe and it is heard most Thursdays at 1 p.m. in the Mamidosewin Centre when Jackie Tenute, an Aboriginal counsellor at the college, offers speaking workshops on the language.
Tenute has been teaching the language for a number of years and feels it is especially important that Ojibwa know their own language.
Celeste Larocque, an Aboriginal studies student, is among the students who have attended the workshops to learn more about the traditional Ojibwe language of her tribe.
“Some people don’t know their culture as much,” said Larocque. “(It’s) a simple way for someone to know more about who they are.”
Larocque explained how students gather in a circle and cover the basics. Small words like boy and girl are used to form simple sentences.
“You come in here and you feel better,” said Larocque. “It feels safe here and Jackie is like our mom.”
Greg Mangan, an Aboriginal studies student, attended all of the Let’s Talk Ojibwe workshops last year. Now Mangan sits in to assist with this year’s classes.
Tenute explained that the Aboriginal languages mainly originated here in North America and if they fail to continue throughout generations then they may cease to exist.
This sparked her desire to encourage learning the language of her ancestors and teach what she knows.
“This is our home,” Tenute said. “Where will the language be if it disappears?”