mtegwagkik ėgibbamséyan - As I was walking in the forest

mtegwagkik ėgibbamséyan gwitth'bmadzimnanêk ngiwabmak. odë wpi gwinathmëwnëm gi gwitth'bmadzimnanêk gawabmëgwa. As I was walking in the forest, I saw many of our fellow living beings. Now I will tell you all about the living relatives of ours who I saw.

'mshkëkwatêk' zhenkanawan nodë mtêgon anet bodwéwadmik. wégwnithë wėthezhnëkanawat. wnëgégon wdeyowawan ėwimshkëkikéwat. wiyé odë wėthezhnëkanawat. bnéshiyêk wwigiwshkwėbyéwêk gishpen mithnëwat ni giwshkwėbimnen. wiyé i gé wėthezhnëkanayét 'giwshkwėbimnëgawêsh.' Some Potawatomi people call this tree the 'medicine tree.' Why do they call it that? They use the tree's bark to prepare medicine; this is why they call it that. Birds will get drunk if they eat the berries, so this tree is also called the 'intoxicating berry tree.'

wigbëmshêk gé ngiwabmak. wigbemshen wdëbapagakw’ëgéwêk atheniptowat ni shkëmten. I also saw basswoods. They (Potawatomi people) hammer the bark in order to pull the basswood into strips to weave bags and containers.

senamshêk gé ngi wabmak. 'ziinzibaakwadwaatigoog' zhenkanawan gi wthebwék. zisbakwtokégizes ėgothêk wi wėp'bkonké. i wpi wwipawzhêk'ëgéwêk gi neshnabék iwthé shna wwiskëgmezgéwêk athezisbakwtokéwat. wėtth ksenyak wthë'igwan ėthëmathigwat godë mtegok, wiyé odë wėthezhnëkanaywat 'senamshêk' gi bodwéwadmik. I also saw sugar maples. Ojibwe people call these trees 'maple sugar making trees.' When the Maple Sugar Moon hangs (in the sky), the maple tree bark starts to separate from the tree due to sap flow. At this time, Potawatomi and Ojibwe people will tap the trees for maple sap and boil the sap down to make maple sugar. The trees grow up where it is cold (on Ojibwe land), so Potawatomi people call them the 'cold weather trees.'

mskwabêgyamget ėwidgwagëk, wiyé i 'wzawbêgyagizes' wėthezhnëkanawat o dbêk'gizes ėgothêk. The leaves turn red in autumn, that is why that moon is called Leaves Turning Yellow Moon when it hangs (in the sky).

pkanatkos gézhé ngiwabma. pkanen ntamawdonen gi sengoyêk. wdëyowawan ni wnëgégon gi bodwéwadmik gokpenagnen athewzawtésmëwat. I also saw a small (wal)nut tree. Squirrels like to harvest the (wal)nuts. Potawatomi people use the bark to (produce a) dye (for) black ash baskets.

sengok kétnam wmenpëdanawan ma nodë beganen. Squirrels really enjoy these (wal)nuts.

amowshêk miné ngiwabmak. amowshen wgiyowawan ėwigobzowat gi nadwésik. I also saw bee balm plants. The Dakota / Sioux used bee balm to make poultices (to heal wounds).