Animals have a very important place in all Native American cultures. They are consided with respect and understood to have certain powers. They are used as symbols for various family totems (dodems) and are referred to as he/she rather than "it". Here are a few names of animals in the Ojibwe language.
The prefix "waa" refers to the up and down "bounce"or flickering of an animal or it's tail .
animal plural english waaboz oog rabbit waawaabiginoojii yag mouse waawaashkeshi wag deer waagosh ag fox waawaatesi lightning bugsome animal names sound like the sound the animal makes
gookooko'oo g owlsome have evidence of beliefs in the name
manidoons g insect (manidoo means spirit)some are nicknames for people/races according to characteristics
agongos ag chipmunk (Norwigan)
Nancy Vogt,