What's in a name? Anyone speak Ojibwe?

[HoppySailor]

We purchased our boat, "Jiibay Na Noodin" from someone other than the owner who named the boat. The story that we got was that the man who named the boat was Ojibwe Indian and the boat was named at some sort of tribal meeting or ceremony. The best we can figure out is the name means something like "Spirit of the Wind". Is there someone out there who can help with a translation of the name? Anyone have any info on Ojibwe naming ceremonies for something like this? We've respected the heritage of the boat and the owner before us by renewing the Coast Guard documentation and keeping the name and would really like to have a good translation. Thanks in advance for playing along.

[captain58sailin]

I ran a search on the Ojibwe peoples dictionary and no entries came up.

[HoppySailor]

Thanks for giving it a try. I've spent a lot of time with google and searching one word at a time came up with "Spirit of the Wind". I'm pretty sure that's close but would like to nail it down for sure.

[captain58sailin]

That sounds good to me. It would be nice to know for sure.

[S/V Alchemy]

Anishinaabemowin, learn the Anishinaabe language

Ojibwe Language and the Ojibwe Indian Tribe (Chippewa, Ojibway, Ojibwa, Ojibwemowin)

Might be worth a poke around there. There are loads of Ojibwe-speakers here in Toronto, as it is the main native language in the north of Ontario, so maybe a simple phone call to an Ojibwe cultural centre would solve your problem, although I agree that "Spirit of the Wind", if correct, is a logical sailboat name.

On the other hand, it could be "Flame of a Fart", so you want independent verification!

[sailorboy1]

Scooby Dobie Do

[Lancerbye]

I think it means "Place of Great Wind". In modern days this would be the central Government buildings.

[RubyTuesday]

Hello there, your post caught my attention as I am Ojibwe. The translation "Spirit of the Wind" is correct. It can also be spoken/said in Ojibwe slightly different (depending on the dialect), or could be said using different words in Ojibwe with similar meanings. It is pronounced "Jee-bye Nuh No-din". So, no worries, there's no mention of farts or places of govt. lol. Happy boating

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, RubyTuesday.

Thanks for the information.

[HoppySailor]

Thanks for chiming in RubyTuesday. And thanks for the pronunciation guide. That's definitely not how we've been pronouncing it. I gotta say though that saying "Nudin" on the radio is more fun than it will be to say "Nodin". It seems though that there are several possible interpretations to Jiibay Na Noodin. After my original post here I emailed a couple of folks I found on the web who are involved with Ojibwe language and culture. There was consensus that the name could mean "Spirit of the Wind" but more likely it was probably "Ghost Wind". Wondering what a "ghost wind" is, I did a Google search and came up with Ghostwind horses. The Ghostwinds were warhorses of the Nez Perce and Flathead Indians. After the defeat of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians, the army slaughtered most of these horses but at least one was taken to Michigan and preserved. It so happens that the boat was in Michigan when it was named. I've attached a link to a little information about the Ghostwinds. It's the interpretation that we plan to go with. It's especially interesting to us since we sail on the Flathead Indian Reservation and live not far from the Bighole Battlefield where these horses went into battle.
Horse/Native - Painting Art by Judy*Larson

[Jammer Six]

When one says such a name over VHF, doesn't one end up spelling it phonetically every time?

[RubyTuesday]

Hoppy Sailor-

You have done your homework! I am very impressed! I left it at there being other possibilities of translation depending on where the man who named it was from & the words chosen. Yes, the more plausible meaning would be 'Ghost Wind'. Although, I was not familiar with the term in relation to war horses, in my community & region of dialect, we would read Ghost Wind before Spirit of the Wind. This is because we generally tend to use Jiibay when referring to a ghost or ghostly presence, and Mnidoo (m-ni-doh; the first two syllables will be spoken as one blended sound in fluent speakers) when referring to a spirit (eg. a force, energy), sometimes people will say Jiibay-Mnidoo (ghost spirit). I'm sure someone wonders why I wouldn't have just said ghost, it wasn't to withhold a more likely translation, it is more that I wouldn't want to give anyone the heebie-jeebies or have them feel like they're boat has a bad luck name. Lol. Another way to say Ghost Wind, which would more translate to Spirit of the Wind to Ojibwe folk would be 'Mnidoo na Noodin'. & the pronounciation Nuh-din (like noodle is what you mean right?), is often how people who are unfamiliar with the fiero writing system used for Ojibwe language. My nephew's name is Noodin & it gets pronounced all sorts of ways before we can tell people how it's spoken, my father's Ojibwe name also has Noodin/wind in it, and his boat as well (he designed and named it). Anyway, as I said earlier, I was quite impressed with the research you did. Thank you for the links regarding the horses, I have found them very interesting. Have a good evening!

[HoppySailor]

Thanks Ruby Tuesday for the additional insight. I've tried to attach a transom picture. Hope it worked.

Have a good evening.

[LakeSuperior]

We named our Mason 44, SISKAWIT. This is Ojibwa for "fat lake trout". We wanted a name that was representative of our local heritage and culture in the Keweenaw and invoked Lake Superior for our around the Atlantic transit. At the turn of the century the siskawits got the premium price per pound.

Only a few Europeans out of the many we met were remotely curious about the name.