Strong water, strong fish in Anishinaabemowin

Strong water, strong fish!

Or in Anishinaabemowin: Mshkoojiwon, Mshkoozii giigoonh!

When we had farm hoodies made, we wanted to honour our incredible partners at Sheshegwaning First Nation — the community that provides the clean water, warm welcome, and steady support that help us raise trout off the shores of Manitoulin Island.

Offshore fish farming has its perks: flowing water, plenty of space to swim, and resilient, healthy fish. That’s why we say, strong water, strong fish — and now, we can say it in Anishinaabemowin too!

But it wasn’t a simple translation. Several Sheshegwaning Elders debated for a long time…

First because the word “strong” has so many different meanings in this, and second because Anishinaabemowin has many different words for describing water.

After thoughtful discussion, they shared that they landed on:

Mshkoojiwon — strong current

Mshkoozii giigoonh — hardy fish

We appreciate every opportunity to learn more from our partners at Sheshegwaning!