Ojibwe

American  

[oh-jib-wey, -wuh] / oʊˈdʒɪb weɪ, -wə /

Also Ojibwa,

noun

plural

Ojibwes,

plural

Ojibwe

1. a member of a large tribe of North American Indians found in Canada and the United States, principally in the region around Lakes Huron and Superior but extending as far west as Saskatchewan and North Dakota.

2. Also called Ojibwemowin.  an Algonquian language used by the Ojibwe, Algonquin, and Ottawa peoples.

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adjective

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

Etymology

Origin of Ojibwe

An Americanism dating back to 1665–75; from Ojibwe očipwe·, a self-designation of uncertain meaning]

Example Sentences

To an Ojibwe citizen born in Minneapolis, according to his sister, who saw his arrest.

From Slate • Feb. 12, 2026

Rice, a member of the White Earth Band of the Ojibwe, said he has a tribal ID but that many members don’t and now feel at risk from ICE.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

It was there, in an Ojibwe community in northern Wisconsin, that Pember’s mother, Bernice Rabideaux, was born a century ago.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2025

Ojibwe hunters wore snowshoes to chase down elk that became exhausted by sinking into deep drifts.

From Science Magazine • May 12, 2024

On the Red Lake Ojibwe rez, almost everyone at the high school dresses in Nike or Reebok sports apparel.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith