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How to use the Ojibwe People's Dictionary

Beaver

Copyright
Minnesota DNR

Description:
"The largest North American rodent, the beaver is indeed an active woodcutter and dam builder. Beavers also spend a lot of time in the water, using their tails as rudders and propellers when swimming. The beaver is a perfect example of animal adaptation--in this case to an aquatic environment. Nose and ear valves shut as the animal submerges, an nictitating membranes--similar to those of birds-- serve as natural goggles to protect the eyes from irritation. Meanwhile, the lips close behind its front teeth, enabling it to carry a branch in its mouth without drowning. Beaver can remain submerged as long as 20 minutes. The beaver uses its broad, scaled tail as a rudder when swimming and as a sturdy prop on land." - Minnesota DNR

For more information, see: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/beaver.html
Beaver2

The Ojibwe People's Dictionary is developed and maintained by:
Nora Livesay, Editor
John D. Nichols, Founder and Linguistic Editor

with support and collaboration from the University of Minnesota's Department of American Indian Studies and University Libraries.

Additional Resources

Many of the words in the Ojibwe People's Dictionary have related resources. Click through to the full dictionary entry to hear audio recordings, see images, read documents and watch videos. Here's a key to resource icons.

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Speakers & Regions Key

Individual speakers and speakers from different regions use different words when speaking. Each audio recording is marked with the initials of the Ojibwe speaker. Click on a speaker's initials to go to the speaker's bio page. If an Ojibwe word is particular to a certain region, it will be marked with a region code. Click on the region code to go to the Regions page.