Anishinaabemowin is spoken over a very wide geographical area, so it is no surprise that it exists in many distiinguishable varieties, called dialects. The following map provides a brief overview of the more distinguishable dialects.

In the provinces of Quebec and (eastern) Ontario, Algonquin is spoken; along the shores of Lake Huron, and in Michigan, Odawa (sometimes called Ottawa in the U.S.) is spoken; in southeastern Ontario, there is Eastern Ojibwa (also called Chippewa, though distinct from the Chippewa in the west); between these two dialects is Nipissing. In northern Ontario, there is Northern Ojibwe, and further north, Oji-Cree (also referred to as Severn Ojibwe); in the area of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the variety is usually just referred to as Ojibwe (and less often now, Chippewa), though many scholarly sources refer to this variety as Southwestern Ojibwe. In the boundary waters area between Minnesota and Ontario, extending west through Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, Saulteaux (sometimes called Plains Ojibwe) is found.

For more information on particular dialects, click here; to return to the introduction, click here. Back to top.