Reinstate Annuitants 1878

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Manitoulin Chiefs Petition to Increase Annuities

The undersigned Wikwemikong Indians petition to the Governor of Canada
Wikwemikong 9 Feb A.D. 1878
[NAC RG 10, Vol. 2050, file 9445 – Transcription into Fiero Orthography by Alan Corbiere,

Translation by Annie Bisson, Alvin Ted Corbiere, Mary Ann Corbiere, and Lewis Debassige]

[NOTE: Original English translation by Rev Dominic DuRanquet, NAC RG 10, Vol. 2050, File 9445]

note: for audio click on text

Gechi-ogimaawiyan omaa Canada akiing
You the great Chief of all of Canada,

gaye dash agiwi Gi-gichi-nibwaakaawininimag enoonajig gego ji-nanaa=isidowaad gego gaa-maazhiseg
and also those, your most wise men, that you asked to set things right that have gone wrong,

gemaa gaye gego ji-ozhisidoowaad inaakonigewin gedizhi-mino-ayaawaad bemaadisijig omaa Canada.
maybe to set some law for the welfare of the people here in Canada.

Nongo dash giwii-waabanda=igoo sa gegoo ezhi-wanitaasoyaang iwi endasobiboong gegii-waabandamaagiban ni-diba=amaagoowininaan eko-midaawsi ashi naano biboonagag gaa-wanitooyaang.
Today we want to show you how much we are losing of that payment of ours that we would have seen every year, that we lost 15 years ago.

Nongo dash aapiji nigii-gichi-naanaagadawendamin gaye dash agii-makwendamaang gaa-inaakonigewinagag apii wezhisichigaad[e]g waa-izhiwebag deba=amaadiwin
Now then we really gave every thought and remembered what was decreed at the time as to how treaty payments were to be administered.

wiinawaa sa agiwi gaa-niigaanizijig gaa-bagidinaagig iwi aki ogii-ozhisidoonaawaa waa-izhiwebag iwi diba=amaadiwin
And they, those that were leaders that ceded that land had set forth how that payment was to be administered,

mii dash niinawind agii-adaapinigaazoyaang apine gaaginig ji-ayaamag* diba =amaadiwin onjida go giizhaakonigewining ge-onji[ad]aapinigaasoyaang
and so we were deliberately enrolled to always have payment for all time [as per] the final agreement, from whence we [our names] will be taken.

nongo dash wegodo[g]wen iidog g[aa]-onji-izhiwebadogwen; gaye dash onjida aanawi debendaagoziyaang imaa
Now we wonder why that happened; and that we intentionally tried to become members [belong] there,

andanti^{^[1]} akiing gaye go, apine gaye niinawind nigii-miinigoomin deba=amaadiwin
and when one transferred as well, we were always given payment too.

iwi dash eta mekwendama[n]g agii-onji-izhiwebadogwen iwi sa nidakiiminaan gii-zaagitooyaang^{^[2]} [on] gii-gakwejimi=iamind awi gichi-ogimaa
The only reason we can think of why this has happened is on account that we treasured our land when the great Chief asked us for it.

eko-niizhing dash [m]ekwendamaang awi sa Tekkama agii-naazhi=nind Manidoowaaning agii-adaapinimaang gaa-inaakoniged awi Magdogle (MacDougall)
Secondly [reason] we can think of is when Takkama was demoted when we accepted what was planned at Manitowaning by McDougall

giishpin dash iwi gii-onji-izhiwebag ine[n]daagwad ji-[nanaa=i]sichigaadeg
so if that is why that happened it needs to be set right.

awi sa Tekkamaa zhayegwa neyaab gii-adaapinigaazo omaa Wiikwemikoong
That Tek has already been accepted back there at Wiky,

naasaab dash odinaabajitoon iwi ashkonigan e-naabajitooyaang^{^[3]}
he has the same use of the reserve that we have,

zhayegwa gaye naano-biboon eko-wiiji-danakiimagig.
it has already been 5 years since he has shared working the same land.

Mii dash nongo ene[n]damaang ine[n]daagwad sa gaye niinawind ji-nanaa=isidamaagooyaang gaa-wanitooyaang ni-diba=amaagowininaan
So what we now think is that the payment that we too have lost should be rightfully straightened out for us too.

pichi-doodamowining* [s] da-ine[n]daagwad gaa-izhichigeyaang
What we did will be taken as an inadvertent action

Noongo dash ni-bagosendamin Debenji[g]et odizhinikaazowining ji-onji- mino-odaapinamawiyaang ezhi-p[a]gosenimigoyan
Now we implore that, in the name of the Lord, that you will receive favourably our request

Giin sa gechi-ogimaawiyan gaa-inenimik aw gi-gizhe-manito[m]inaan ji-ogimaakadawadwaa bemaadizijig omaa akiing
you, who is the great Chief, who was is willed by our creator to rule the people here in this land.

mii sa awi noongo ezhi-bagosenimigoyan niinawind W[aa]kwemikowininiwiyaang n[aa]ganiziikandawagidwaa bemaadizijig omaa
That is what we implore you today, we the Wikwemikong men leading the people here

mi sa minik.
That is it.

Niin Chief Debaasige
Chief Bemigwaneshkang
Chief Thomas Ginooshameg
Chief Lewis Waakegiizhig
Chief Ziiwtaagan

^{^[1]} Appears as andanti but could not be located in Baraga. However, Ms. Bisson suggested adaati - meaning to move.

^{^[2]} Rhodes (1985) lists zaagtoon Love something, be stingy with something (p. 379). The passage conveys a reluctance to part with the Island as opposed to loving it or being stingy with it.

^{^[3]} Both verbs are unidentifiable as they appear (odinapazhiton and enapazhitoyang), however, if the author missed writing a >d= then the word become inaabajitoon, or as Baraga lists it, inabadjiton, (nind) AI use it in a certain manner, it is useful to me in such a manner@ (p. 152). This definitely appears to be the sense of the sentence.

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