Our Native Stories

Many thanks to Menominee cultural center for this lesson! The commands are getting lengthy. Follow along with the lessons. Quick review: (name) nēpowenon! John, stand up! (name) pemōhnenon enes atūhpwan! Jim, walk to the table! (name) otāhpenah eneh asāqcekanāhtek mesek masēnahekan - Kayla, pick up the pencil and the paper! (name) pemōhnenon enes wāqsaehcekan mesek aqtaw asāqcekanāhtek enes pākenakateh! - Sheila, walk there to the window and set the pencil there on the board! (name) Saqyaeh āqtaw masēnahekan enes ketātuahtepekaneh! - Jesse, right now at this time, set the paper on your chair! (Name) otāhpenah eneh asāqcekanāhtek eneq s’ āqtek! - Nora, pick up the pencil that is there! (Name) otāhpenah otātuatepekaneh mesek aqtaw enes wakēc atūhpwaneh! - Renold, pick up his chair and set it there on top of the table! Wīhswan- Name Newīhswan - My name  Nekātaw asāqcekem newīhswan enes asāqcekaew pākenakat - (I’m going to write my name on the writing board.) (Name) pemōhnenon enes asāqcekaew pākenakat mesek asāqtow kewīhswan! (Name) Walk to the writing board and write your name!)  Esianon enes asāqcekaew pākenakat mesek asāqtow kewīhswan! - (Go to the writing board and write your name!) Eneq s’ kew wēkian - Address (where I live) Nekātaw asāqcekem eneq s’ kew wēkian enes asāqcekaew pākenakat - (I’m going to write my address on the writing board.) (Name) nēpowenon, pianon ōmas, asāqcekaehnon kewīhswan mesek ene s’ kew wekīan enes asāqcekaew pākenakat! - (Name) Stand up, come here, write your name and address on the writing board!) Nekātaw asāqcekem eneq s’ kew wekīan nemāsenahekan. - (I’m going to write my address on my paper.) (Name) asāqcekaehnon eneq s’ kew wekīan kemāsenahekaneh! - (Name) write your address on your paper! Wahkēc new - on top Otāhpenah eneh masēnahekan mesek aqtaw enes wahkēc new kuahpenakaēhsaeh! - Pick up the book and set it on top of the cup!  Aqtaw asāqcekanāhtek wahkēc new nemāsenahekaneh! - Set the pencil on top of my paper! Aqtaw masēnahekan enes wahkēc new nēseh! - Set the paper on top of my head! Anāmiah- under Otāhpenah eneh asāqcekanāhtek mesek aqtaw anāmiah masēnahekaneh! - Pick up the pencil and set it under the paper! Otāhpenah ketāsāqcekanāhtek mesek aqtaw anāmiah kuahpenakaēhsaeh! - Pick up your pencil and set  it under the cup! Otāhpenah eneh masēnahekan mesek aqtaw anāmiah atūhpwaneh! - Pick up the book and set it under the table! Speak what you know, teach someone what you know! Be well!

Many thanks to Menominee Cultural Center for this lesson! 🙌🏽 The intro is a review of the previous lesson, followed by new commands and some nouns. Nēpowenon - stand up. Apēnon - sit down. Pemöhnenon- walk. Nakāqtaw - stop. Kēwaehtaw - turn. Kuahnenon- jump. Pemöhnenon enes waqsāēcekan - walk to the window. Pāēsenah eneh waqsāēcekan - touch the window. Pemöhnenon enes atuahpwan - walk to the table. Pāēsenah eneh atuahpwan - touch the table. Pemöhnenon enes eskuahtem - walk to the door. Pāēsenah eneh eskuahtem - touch the door. Pemöhnenon enes atuatepikan - walk the chair. Pāēsenah eneh atuatepikan - touch the chair. Nouns: Asāqcekanāhtek - pencil Masēnahekan - paper Kuapenakaehsaeh - cup Commands: Otāpenah - pick it up! Aqtaw - put it down! Pākenah - open Kepākuahah - close

Many thanks to Menominee Cultural Center for this class! 🙌🏽 This is the total physical response. Stand up - Nēpowenan. Sit down - Apēnan. Walk- Pemöhnenan. Stop - Nakāqtaw. Turn - Kēwaehtaw. Jump - Kuahnenan. Point to the door - Enöhah enēh eskuahtem. Point to the chair - Enöhah enēh atuatepikan. Point to the table - Enöhah enēh atuahpwan. Touch the door - Paesenah eskuahtem. Touch the chair - Paesenah atuatepikan. Touch the table - Paesenah atuahpwan.

Many thanks to Menominee Cultural Center for this class! Netāckem - I'm tired. Nekāwacem - I'm cold. Nemātacem- I woke up cold. Apes pacec- I'll get by. Aenewaek taeh- so, so. Masēnahekan- paper or book. Atūtapikan- chair. Atūhpwan- table. Nīpiqtah- stand ups stand from sitting. Nēpowēnon-stand from laying. Apēnon- sit. Otāhpenah-pick it up. Aqtaw-set it, put it down. Nakāqtah-stop. Pemöhnaenon-walk.

Many thanks to Menominee Cultural Center for this class! Netāckem - I'm tired. Nekāwacem - I'm cold. Nemātacem- I woke up cold. Apes pacec- I'll get by. Aenewaek taeh- so, so. Masēnahekan- paper or book. Atūtapikan- chair. Atūhpwan- table. Nīpiqtah- stand ups stand from sitting. Nēpowēnon-stand from laying. Apēnon- sit. Otāhpenah-pick it up. Aqtaw-set it, put it down. Nakāqtah-stop. Pemöhnaenon-walk.

Menominee Greetings and leave takings, courtesy of Menominee Cultural Center. Posoh- Hello or Hi! Posoh Mīp - Good Morning. Aneq nap - How are you? Aneq - what's up? Tap nap - what's up/scoop? Eneq kaeh new ānow- I'm fine. Nemaehnow esēkem- I'm good. Nemaehnow-īm - I'm well. Wāstaniw köyaek- I'm super! Newēqsakaesem - I'm sick. Kemaehnowīmet - Are you well? Pianon ömas - come here. Nātamöwenaq - Help me. Asāqcekanāhtek - pencil, writing stick

The flag song honors sovereign tribal nations. This one is of the Menominee Nation.

Frances Desmore visited the Menominee in the 1920's. She was a renowned ethnomusicologist associated with the Smithsonian. She recorded Love songs and Lullabies played by traditional Menominee Elders. Robert Messner, a professional flutist and Onieda elder, played and recorded the music on a traditional Indian flute in 2004. Music starts at :45.

Listen to the Origin story of Menominee people (in English). As told by James Frechette, sponsored by University of Wisconsin - Steven's Point.

The Menominee Clans Story, sponsored by the University of Wisconsin - Steven's Point. Told in Menominee by Mike Hoffman.