Animacy and Inanimacy

The world is broken up into animate or inanimate in Potawatomi Basically this means things are either alive or not alive.Basically this means things are either alive or not alive. So a table is not alive but a tree is alive.So a table is not alive but a tree is alive.  Animate Inanimate  nene- man taswen- cabinet  kwé- woman msenaksegen-picture  mtek- tree mtek jiptebwen- bench  mko-bear gokpenagen-basket

Spiritual things are considered animate  All of these things are considered alive/animate  Pwagen- pipe  Sema- tobacco  déwegen - drum  emkwan- spoon used in a ceremony  kno migwen- eagle feather

Things in motion are also considered animate So a car that is parked would be treated as inanimate while a moving car is animate.So a car that is parked would be treated as inanimate while a moving car is animate. A ball flying through the air would be animate but a ball sitting on the ground would be inanimateA ball flying through the air would be animate but a ball sitting on the ground would be inanimate

Many things in nature our considered animate or alive. With this concept you really understand what was important to our ancestors and how they saw the earth as sacred. If a tree is treated in the same manner as a person and likewise a grasshopper treated just like a person it changes your perspective. Our ancestors saw the earth and all its animals as relations. Not better or higher on the food chain but equals. Often you would hear old people refer to my brother the bear or my sister the river. With this concept you really understand what was important to our ancestors and how they saw the earth as sacred. If a tree is treated in the same manner as a person and likewise a grasshopper treated just like a person it changes your perspective. Our ancestors saw the earth and all its animals as relations. Not better or higher on the food chain but equals. Often you would hear old people refer to my brother the bear or my sister the river.

Animate persons in nature Gises- sun Gises- sun Dbekgises- moon Dbekgises- moon Zibiwes- creek Zibiwes- creek Mtek- tree Mtek- tree Waskonedo- flower Waskonedo- flower Jigwék- thunders Jigwék- thunders Gmowen- rain Gmowen- rain

Reverence for life Whenever someone is to take something from the earth it is traditional to put some tobacco down. We offer a prayer and thank the spirit of that plant or animal for giving its life so that we can live. Tobacco is how we traditionally pray we put it down during a storm to ask the thunders to be gentle on us and if we cross a large body of water we would put it down. Also if you made a spiritual request of someone we always offered tobacco first. One elder said that tobacco proceeds all things.Whenever someone is to take something from the earth it is traditional to put some tobacco down. We offer a prayer and thank the spirit of that plant or animal for giving its life so that we can live. Tobacco is how we traditionally pray we put it down during a storm to ask the thunders to be gentle on us and if we cross a large body of water we would put it down. Also if you made a spiritual request of someone we always offered tobacco first. One elder said that tobacco proceeds all things.

So how does this effect the usage of the language When you pluralize a word it matters if it is animate or inanimate.When you pluralize a word it matters if it is animate or inanimate. Mko- bear Mkok- bearsMko- bear Mkok- bears Dopwen-table Dopwenen- tables.Dopwen-table Dopwenen- tables. Also when we say this or that it matters if the this we are talking about is living or non-living.Also when we say this or that it matters if the this we are talking about is living or non-living. Node- these inanimate things gode-these animate people or things.Node- these inanimate things gode-these animate people or things.

Even the verb we choose to use depends on whether something is animate or inanimate Nwabma- I see him or her.Nwabma- I see him or her. Nwabdan- I see it.Nwabdan- I see it. Wawyeya- it is roundWawyeya- it is round Wawyewze- he/she is roundWawyewze- he/she is round

Finally it can be a stylistic device used by some speakers For example if you are telling a story where there is a mirror and the mirror comes to life and starts talking once this happens it is now treated as animate. Also you could use it to make a point for example something in your own life which you consider sacred you could treat as such or treat something else as not sacred if it isnt important to you the speaker.For example if you are telling a story where there is a mirror and the mirror comes to life and starts talking once this happens it is now treated as animate. Also you could use it to make a point for example something in your own life which you consider sacred you could treat as such or treat something else as not sacred if it isnt important to you the speaker.