About

Ojibwe, Ojibway, Ojibwa and Chippewa all mean the same; the words are just spelt differently. In the United States, it is more common to use “Chippewa.” In Canada, the term “Ojibway” is used. All four spellings come from the Algonquin word, meaning “puckered.” Most likely because of the puckered moccasin style. “Chippewa” is the result of the French attempting to say the word “Ojibway.” In the past, Ojibway women were farmers and were responsible for meals and child care. Men often hunted and went to war to protect the family. Both men and women participated in artwork, music, traditional medicine and story telling. One of the biggest misconceptions about the Ojibway is they all lived in Tipis. The Great Plains Ojibway lived in Tipis, and the Woodlands Ojibway made their homes out of Birchbark, called Wigwams.

Amongst themselves, Ojibway refer to their people as Anishinaabe, which mean “Original People.”

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