On Jealous Feelings: Are You Gaawam?

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Day and Trigger rely on a description of jealousy when they offer, “In the 1620s Iroquois attacks against the Algonquins were inhibited by the armed Frenchmen traveling to and from the Huron country, and the Algonquins even enjoyed a certain amount of peace with the Iroquois until 1627. In order to bolster their own position, the Algonquins attempted repeatedly to put the French at a disadvantage by playing them off against the Dutch traders at Fort Orange, but on each occasion Mohawk jealousy prevented the Algonquins from achieving their goal” (Holmes Report, 1993, Vol 2, Para 18).
 
On July 24, 1824 Darling prepared a report that in part addressed the invasion of settlers into Algonquin and Nippissing territory. Within this report he talks about the increasing settlements on the lands along the Ottawa River. He offers, “The result of the present state of things is obvious, and such as can scarcely fail in time to be attended with bloodshed and murder; for, driven from their own resources, they will naturally trespass on those of other tribes, who are equally jealous of the intrusion of their red brethren as of white men” (Holmes Report, 1993, Vol 2, Para 125).
 
On August 25, 1827 a delegation of Algonquin and Nipissing War Chiefs met with Colonel Napier in Montreal to address the violation of their land rights by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. This violation of Algonquin and Nippissing rights was the result of the centrality of the Ottawa River as a trade route, and further because the Royal Proclamation referred to “Indian Territory” in very broad terms. Subsequently, on October 5, 1827 Major General Darling addressed the matter of hunting territories where during this meeting a Principal Chief, Charlou Canawata, of the Iroqouis of the Lake of Two Mountains stated, “We live in the same Village with the Algonquins and Nipissingues and are jealous that they pretend to a superiority over us, claiming all the Hunting Grounds for their own use . . .” (Holmes Report, 1993, Vol 2, Para 121).
 
The use of the word “jealous/y” gave be pause. I wondered, for example, if there is an Anishinaabeg word for this emotion. I searched the Ojibwe People’s Dictionary at https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/ and found that there is indeed an Anishinaabemowin word/s:
 
gaawam – to be jealous
gaawe she/he is jealous; also gaawendam – she/he is jealous
gaaweshki – she/he is always jealous
gizhaawenim – be jealous of
gizhaawenjige – she/he is jealous of things

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​​​Lynn is an author, advocate, artist, and public speaker. Her work encompasses both anti-colonial work and the celebration of Indigenous knowledge. She challenges Canada’s practices, policies, and laws of colonial genocide such as the land claims and self-government process, sex-discrimination in the Indian Act, the continued destruction of Akikpautik / Chaudière Falls–an Anishinaabeg sacred place, and Canada’s lack of policy addressing Indigenous women and girls with disabilities who are bigger targets of sexual violence.

Copyright Dr. Lynn Gehl,  All Rights Reserved

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