One Native Life

Many Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of North America refer to themselves using the term Anishinabe (or Anishinaabe), which encompasses the Ojibway (or Chippewa), Odawa, and Algonquin nations. In their languages, it means “Original People” or “Good People.” In One Native Life, Wagamese refers to himself as Anishinabe, embracing the name as part of his process of reclaiming and affirming his cultural identity. The term Ojibway, often used by outsiders, is common, while Chippewa is another variant that derived from the way certain non-Indigenous people pronounced “Ojibway.” Wagamese’s usage of Anishinabe underscores a self-designation that asserts the community’s sovereignty in defining their identity and acknowledges their deep historical roots and the cultural and spiritual traditions central to their worldview.

A variety of bread that is unleavened and thus a flatbread, bannock is a traditional Indigenous food in Canada. Wagamese discusses it in the context of cultural reconnection and survival. Baking bannock serves as an act of reclaiming his heritage and represents the broader theme of physical and spiritual nourishment interwoven throughout the memoir.