No single standardized orthography governs the still-oral Potawatomi language

Evidence

The Potawatomi and Anishinaabe languages are a reflection of the land and the people. They are a living, oral tradition, which had not been written down in their long history until fairly recently. A number of writing systems have emerged to try and capture the language in regularized orthography, but there is no firm agreement on the preeminence of any one among the many variants of a large and living language. Potawatomi elder, fluent speaker, and teacher Stewart King has kindly sorted through my rudimentary use of the language, confirming meanings and advising on consistency in spelling and usage. I am most appreciative for his guidance in my understanding of language and culture. The Fiero system’s double vowel orthography for writing the language has been widely adopted by many Anishinaabe speakers. Most Potawatomi, however— known as the “vowel droppers”—do not use Fiero. With respect for speakers and teachers with these different perspectives, I have tried to use the words in the way that they were originally given to me. — Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass, 1429

Categorization

• SHARE: The ‘vowel droppers’ detail — most Potawatomi speakers rejecting Fiero double-vowel orthography — is a niche tidbit for anyone working in Anishinaabe linguistics or second-language revitalization.