Home / Weweni wii Naakanigewag (They Will Make Careful Decisions)

On October 15, 2009, the University of Michigan Vice President for Research Stephen Forrest announced formation of a new advisory committee on culturally unidentifiable human remains. The group, which includes both native and nonnative scholars, will "bring their broad experience and scholarly perspectives to this sensitive and complex issue" Forrest said. The group is called the Advisory Committee on Culturally Unidentifiable Human Remains under NAGPRA, the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and will provide a process for returning culturally affiliated human remains and associated funerary objects to individuals and groups that have standing under the law and have requested such return.

Maampii chikinomaagegamigong weweni wii naakanigewag
Here at the University they will decide carefully
maanda Anishinaabe-kanan chipskaabwidoaba gaa denmowaad.
about the issue of Anishinaabe bones being returned.

Kchikinomaagegamig Michigan Ogimaaens Enendamobiigewin Stephen Forrest,
University of Michigan Vice President of Research Stephen Forrest
gii kigo "n'ga bagosendami weweni chiezhichigeaba gondag."
said, "we hope to carefully do the right thing for them."

Binaakwe-giizis Midaaswi-shi-naanan maanda gii nakinegewin waa mebidigtoojig
On October 15th, it was decided to form a committee to think together
ji-maamwi'enendamowaad pii goya gwejid.
to jointly consider future requests.

Gaye gowetigo maanda bezhig da mebidootosii ezhiwebag
Nothing will be decided by any one person
miinwaa kina NAGPRA nakinigewinan geyabi tenon noongwa
and all of the NAGPRA regulations remain in place.

Noongwa maamwinokiiwag kinomaagazojig, kinomaagejig,
They will work together now the students, the faculty,
kinomaagegamignokijig miinwaa Anishinaabeg
the administrators and the Anishinaabe people
miinwaa gaye wii kaa gaa nenmaasiinanig gaa bi iayaajig.
and they will not forget the ones who were here before us.

Curriculum in Ojibwe language classes includes a memorial for ancestors who are awaiting reburial along with a statement about the new committee.

The following text was written and translated by Howard Kimewon and Margaret Noori and read by students and community members in protest of university holdings of the remains of 405 native individuals on March 20, 2008.

Mii noongwa maajtamigak minookamig.
This is the start of spring.

Mii maanda gabe boon gaa baabiitoowying.
This is what we have waited for all winter.

Gaye niin daa bishigendaasiin maampii bi ayaanh ishkwaa nbooyaanh mazinaigan makakonsing.
I would not like to be put here in a cardboard box after I walk on.

Gaye minonendsiiwag gondag kaa maajaajig mindomwan.
These ones who have walked on their spirits are not feeling well.

Gaye mashi bigidnigaasiiwag wii ni dagooshinawaad waa izhaawaad.
They will not let them finish their journey.

Gaye wii kaa g'gaa nenmaasiinanig gaa bi iayaajig.
We will not forget the ones who were here before us.

N'gaa bagosendaami chibignigooyeg wii ni obizikaayeg waa izhaayeg.
We all hope you will be released, you have to complete your journey.

Gaye wiika n'gii nendsiimi maampii maanda kiing gaa miinigooig wii mjiganaamiig n'wiioominanan wii n'da kendamiig gaa bi ezhi bimaadiziyang.
We had good thoughts when this land was given - you should not hold these bodies to understand how life was for them, to study them.

Ingoding miidaaswak-shi-niiwak-shi-niizhtana-shi-shwaaswi mii geyabi wi minik ebwaad kaa nboopinig.
1,428 is the number of people who have passesd on but are still here.

Niiwak-shi-naanan kenjigaazwag debendaaziwaad.
They know where 405 of them belong.