Anishinaabe

American  

[uh-nish-uh-nah-be, uh-nish-uh-nah-bee] / əˌnɪʃ əˌnɑˈbɛ, əˌnɪʃ əˈnɑˌbi /

noun

• Anishinaabeg,
  plural
• Anishinaabes,
  plural
• Anishinaabe
  plural

1. a member of a large tribe of North American Indians found in Canada and the United States from the northern Great Plains to the Great Lakes and surrounding areas, and comprising the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Saulteaux peoples.

2. Also called Anishinaabemowin. the Algonquian language family, including the languages of the Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Ojibwe, and Mi’kmaq peoples.

---

adjective

1. of or relating to the Anishinaabe or their language.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Anishinaabe
  plural
• Anishinaabeg
  plural
• Anishinaabes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Anishinaabe

First recorded in 1985–90; from Ojibwe: literally “original person; good human,” a self-designation

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Anishinaabe

Mr. Kuitenbrouwer is at his best when he relates some of the most remarkable things about maple syrup: Today it is still made much as the women of the Anishinaabe first made it long ago.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025

Faribault Mill, one of the last vertical wool and cotton mills in the country, partnered with Anishinaabe artist Madison Rae Holler to create a series of blankets honoring traditional folklore and storytelling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 17, 2025

The Straits are also the site of Anishinaabe creation stories, the waters from which the Great Turtle emerged to create Turtle Island, what is currently called North America.

From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2023

He said the school operated when it “wasn’t a very safe time to be Anishinaabe, let alone a child” of the Anishinaabe.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 19, 2023

But Michigan has the support of 12 federally recognised Anishinaabe tribes in the state, who say Line 5 poses too high a risk to the Great Lakes.

From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2023