We Took Their Songs Too

Painting titled What Are We Teaching Our Children by Christi Belcourt*

I went in search of words that can inspire us in this long winter as we wait for Spring. I was searching for words that describe the marrow of Spring in a way that we can feel it, sense it, call it back. And, I thought I’d found some in the form of a piece titled “Spring Song” —but along with the words came sad and important reminders.

Spring Song
by Aazhidegiizhig

Waababaa ……….. As my eyes
inaabiyan ………… search
mashkode ……….. the prairie
noongom igod ji-niibin ……….. I feel the summer in the spring

The poem, the song, is said to be written by someone named “Aazhidegiizhig” and the source is identified as being from Chippewa (Ojibwe, Anishinaabe) peoples*.

When you read it, it sounds beautiful doesn’t it? (well, except that when you consider it in context—by this time in our history, the peoples here identified as Chippewa (who prefer the name, Ojibwe) had been pushed off the lands where they had lived for thousands of years and were called by those who had forced them from their homes “landless”—).

We’d all prefer to believe that this poem, this song, was freely given to us in a circle of friendship. Wouldn’t we? Wouldn’t we love to believe that what we’ve been presented with is something from the past that reflects the language of the people who sang it, and that the words have been accurately interpreted? And, wouldn’t we love to believe that the reason we have it is now is that it was given to us with the agreement that we could use it this way?

But we can’t just accept any of that, can we?
Because…
It’s an undeniable fact of history, that people with origins like mine who look like me didn’t just take away land. We also stole language and stories and identity too. And WE decided what we’d do with what we took away. Is that what this is?

At the bottom of the page where I found it on the Poetry Foundation website, the source of the poem is listed as “Chippewa Music II Bulletin 53 (1913)”. A bulletin? Indigenous peoples didn’t have “bulletins” at this time in their history. Not of their own making.

That’s the first piece of evidence that this is not something that the Poetry Foundation (around since 1912) collaborated with Indigenous peoples on. So where did it come from?

The “Chippewa Music II Bulletin” was the creation of someone by the name of Frances Densmore. If you search Frances and her legacy, you’ll find that she was and still is sometimes lauded for her work in “collecting” Indigenous songs. But pull back the curtain and you will find once again a person who considered herself—as some rightly call her— “a white saviour” *. From what is known of how she went about her work— she took songs from Indigenous peoples she spent time with and for her own benefit published them.

We know (or should know) that many Indigenous songs (and stories) were part of a long oral tradition and were never meant to be written—or published, by anyone. They were sacred—carefully passed down to the culture keepers according to traditions. And worse, if there can be worse, they were often transcribed incorrectly not interpreted according to their true meaning.

When we read this poem, this song—

Look at the collection of phonetics or words in “Spring Song”. When we go to the Ojibwe (Chippewa) People’s Dictionary* the word for “my eye” is nishkiinzhig — not what is written in the Song. And, although the word for “prairie” is mashkode, “noongom igod ji-niibin” does not seem to translate anything close to what is written. This is not hard to believe and accept given how many times Indigenous words were taken and filtered by settlers, colonialists. Consider the city where I live! It was not Toronto— it was Tkaronto. There’s thousands upon thousands of examples. All of it resulting in bastardizing language—taking away the real meanings, the stories—the connections of the original peoples to everything they’d known, everything they were—even the seasons, even spring.

💧

This is not meant to be a treatise on the history and legacy of the vile treatment of Indigenous peoples around the world, in this case in North America. I am not qualified to speak about all that has happened and continues to happen. There are many volumes to educate ourselves on the history and continued effect of colonialism on Indigenous peoples. Search out Indigenous authors first—in their own words.

My purpose in writing this is
to remind us of how prevalent and insidious the continued eradication and destruction of Indigenous peoples and their cultures is—how pervasive it is—we didn’t stop at stealing land, we tried to take everything from them including their languages, songs, and stories.

AND this is
to remind us of how innocuous it can seem—when it’s anything but. Look at the example of the song/poem above. Our languages, our songs, our stories define us as peoples no matter what our culture is. No one should ever have that taken from them, stolen from them! None of us!

AND this is
to remind us that we all have a part to play in acknowledging EVERYTHING that has been taken, stolen from Indigenous peoples and how Indigenous peoples have suffered. It is meant to remind us that what happened is still happening and that we all have responsibility for stopping what is occurring, right where we are.

AND this is
to remind us that we need to always be prepared to question what is in front of us. When we question and educate ourselves, the world looks different. It’s unfair and some people are barely surviving—or they’re not.

AND finally, this is
to remind us that “what is” is not inevitable—I know that we can find ways to work together toward a different reality for all of us… Many of us already are. Together, we’re making new beginnings, helping to co-create new growth, rebirth, and renewal. It’s what I believe is possible, and it’s why I was looking for poems about Spring.

jw.
Toronto (Tkaronto), Canada
the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

April 10, 2025.
…I continue to learn — and as a result, I continually revise — both my thinking and my writing — in an ongoing effort to contribute in a way that helps move us forward toward a better future for all of us!… I’m always in search of the truth, and I am committed to not perpetuating the lies that I was taught as a child, the ones that white colonialists wrote and gave to us in textbooks, in movies, and in the songs that I was taught — all meant to justify vile atrocities against innocent people that — yes — are hard to face, but we must if we are going to ever have a better world for all of us… And, yes — I believe it’s possible!

*Sources and Notes:

The painting titled What Are We Teaching Our Children is by Christi Belcourt. Prints of this work and other art by Christi Belcourt can be found HERE

From what I’ve found so far, “Aazhidegiizhig” may mean poet or the poet—or not. I am still searching to find a credible translation— if this was in fact the word that the Ojibwe peoples used, if they used a word at all in this context.

“Spring Song” is published on the Poetry Foundation website HERE

When you search for Frances Densmore there are several sites that explain her work. I suggest that this piece by Sophia Kushner is a good place to start “Can We Learn From White Saviors” found HERE

The Ojibwe People's Dictionary is online HERE and the link will take you to the “about” section that claims to have worked with “institutions, educators, the public, and Ojibwe people and communities as we continue to develop the dictionary.” Frances Densmore claimed something similar—before any of us can rely on this completely, we will need to ask more questions beyond what they say here they have done—and with who, …and why.