“Gaa-ondinang dakawaanowed Makwa” or “How the Bear Got A Short Tail,” narrated by elder Anna Gibbs entirely in Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Ojibwe people, tells a story about gifts of the Creator and gives a lesson in humility.

In this fully animated Anishinaabemowin tale, we meet Makwa, the bear, who brags up his gorgeous tail and enrages bushy-tailed Fox. Many woodland creatures appear as they were before the Creator gave them their gifts, such as Skunk whose stripes are yet to appear. Seasons, the heavens, and the creatures of the lake and woods figure prominently in this story for those learning the Anishinaabe language.