SAULT STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN – Anishinaabe citizens from across Ontario gathered recently to celebrate their culture and language at the annual Anishinaabemowin-Teg Conference, held at the Kewadin Casino Hotel on March 27-28, 2025. The highlight of the event was a captivating storytelling session led by Anishinaabek Nation Anishinaabemowin Commissioner Barb Nolan, who shared a tale from the late Anishinaabe author Basil Johnston's satirical book, Moose Meat and Wild Rice.
Johnston's book, a collection of 22 short stories, humorously depicts the everyday lives of residents in the fictional Moose Meat Point Reserve. Commissioner Nolan, who had a personal connection with Johnston, reminisced about their past interactions at similar conferences. "I used to know Basil from a long time ago, and he used to come to these conferences. He was an eloquent English speaker and an eloquent Anishinaabe speaker. When you read these stories, you can almost picture the story happening," she said.
During her presentation, Nolan chose to narrate the story titled "The Miracle," which revolves around two young boys, Rufus and Fred, who are sent to a local store to buy a new clay pipe for Rufus’ grandmother after she accidentally breaks her original one. Their adventure takes a turn when the boys argue over who should carry the pipe home, leading to it being broken in a scuffle. Fred attempts to explain biblical miracles to Rufus, hoping to conjure one to fix the broken pipe, but with no success. Upon returning home, Rufus faces the wrath of his mother and grandmother, who are less than pleased with his disheveled appearance and the broken pipe.
In an interactive twist, Nolan invited audience members to participate in the storytelling. She played the roles of Rufus, the grandmother, and the mother while audience members acted as the shopkeeper and Fred. "I read the story once or twice, and then I tell the story from what I remember. I change it a little bit here and there," Nolan explained with a smile. Her engaging performance was met with enthusiastic applause, with many attendees expressing their appreciation for the opportunity to hear Anishinaabemowin spoken.
Anika Guthrie, who traveled from Thunder Bay to attend the conference, praised the experience, stating, "It was really good. Good learning. I’m just so grateful any time I get to listen to Anishinaabemowin. I listen to Barbara Nolan's stories all the time, and there’s one about how the beaver got his tail. I’ve listened to it like 20 times. But I find I often try to figure out all the words that she’s saying. And so, when she started and told us, like, just don’t try to figure out the words, just listen, it was helpful and helped me like understand the whole story a lot better…"
Another attendee, Angela Wallwork from Peterborough, shared her journey of learning Anishinaabemowin. "I loved it. I think that it’s an inspiration that she can share these stories and tell us a bit of her experience. I didn’t really understand a lot of it either because I’m just learning Anishinaabemowin, but I could understand the story that she was relaying, right, and I think it really helped my learning, too. Bits and pieces, banjii, just a little bit. I just got some, so it was really cool," she said.
Ali Darnay, the Anishinaabemowin Manager for the Anishinabek Nation, highlighted the importance of Nolan’s work in promoting the language. "She goes around doing the very important work of promoting Anishinaabemowin, encouraging our communities to engage in reclamation, revitalization, preservation, and really, you know, doing amazing work to support language for our Nation, for our communities, and for our children," Darnay noted.
Looking ahead, Commissioner Nolan plans to expand her popular Anishinaabemowin videos aimed at children. More video content is slated for release this year on her YouTube channel and website, furthering her commitment to language education and preservation.
This year’s Anishinaabemowin-Teg Conference served not only as a platform for storytelling but also as a celebration of the Anishinaabe culture and language, fostering a sense of community and connection among attendees. The event underscores the ongoing efforts to revitalize Anishinaabemowin and ensure its place in the future of the Anishinabek Nation.
