Growing Up Ojibwe

Join 15-year-old Tommy Sky as he guides the reader through his Ojibwe culture!

About the Author

Growing Up Ojibwe is a GLIFWC youth publication, written cooperatively by GLIFWC staff members to introduce children to many important aspects of Ojibwe life. The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission is an intertribal agency dedicated to ensuring the freedom to exercise treaty rights.

Discussion Questions

  1. The story follows the seasons. Tommy describes the different ways he explores his world during the spring (harvest ziinzibaakwadwaatig and go fishing), summer (harvest wiigwaas, play lacrosse, participate in pow wows) , fall (hunt, harvest manoomin) and winter.

    • Are there activities you like to do during the different seasons?

  2. When Tommy and his father go fishing, they have to make sure not to take too many big fish. The fish they catch are measured by a warden at the end of the night.

    • Why might this be?

    • How does this regulation protect the fish population?

  3. Tommy’s father says that by netting for fish in Mille Lacs Lake, they are exercising their treaty rights.

    • What do you know about treaties and treaty rights?

    • What do you think these rights might be?

  4. Tommy is learning to play baaga’adowe, or lacrosse.

    • Have you ever played lacrosse?

    • How is it similar to or different from baseball?

  5. Music and dance are an important part of many cultures. Tommy dances traditional Ojibwe dances at pow-wows.

    • How do the dances you do and the music you listen to express your culture?

  6. When Tommy and his family gather manoomin, or wild rice, they do not harvest all of the rice in the field. Why is this?

    • How can you follow the example of Tommy's family in your life and use resources carefully?

Learning Activities

  1. Make a list of the Ojibwemowin words that Tommy uses throughout the book. What do they have in common? Consider going online and finding examples of people speaking Ojibwemowin, or if you know anyone who speaks it, ask them to teach you a few words.

Use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary.

  1. Look up traditional Ojibwe music and dance on YouTube.

  2. Phenology is the study of periodical (seasonal) events in our natural systems and how those events are influenced by climate. Start a phenology calendar at home. Record what species of animals you see and what plants are leafing and blooming. Record your observations on GLIFWC's phenology calendar or a calendar you have a home.

  3. Sign up for the March 2022 book club to learn more about manoomin, or wild rice!

  4. Tommy mentions treaties and reservations. Go online to glifwc.org and read about the treaties that created reservations and reserved treaty rights to hunt, fish, and gather. See if you can make a timeline of the important treaties and what they did.


Explore More

  1. Read the next installment of Growing up Ojibwe: Spearfishing Adventures.

  2. Read The Mishomis Book: The Voice of the Ojibway (2010) by Edward Benton-Banai. The book documents the history, traditions, and culture of the Ojibwe people through stories passed down through generations.

  3. Read Bird Talk by Lenore Keeshig-Tobias (1994). The book describes a young Ojibwe girl's struggle with bullying at school, offering valuable insight into Ojibwe life and language.

  4. Read Shannon: An Ojibwe Dancer (We Are Still Here) by Sandra King, a book about a young Ojibwe shawl dancer in Minneapolis.

  5. Learn more on Ojibwe.net - chock full of lessons by level, stories by season, songs, projects, resources.


Play Growing Up Ojibwe: The Game

Treaty-rights-poster-21921_v35.pdf

Timeline of Anishinaabe Treaty rights in the Northern Great Lakes (click to expand)