Ojibwe (self-designation Anishinaabemowin) belongs to the Algonquian family, within which it forms a broad dialect continuum that includes varieties such as Southwestern Ojibwe, Northwestern Ojibwe, Odawa (Ottawa), and Algonquin. It is closely related to other Algonquian languages such as Cree and Potawatomi. It is one of the most widely spoken Indigenous languages of the Great Lakes region.

The Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) people inhabit an extensive region around the Great Lakes, on both sides of the Canada–United States border, in provinces such as Ontario and Manitoba and states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The Ojibwe varieties together number tens of thousands of speakers, though their distribution is very uneven across communities. Anishinaabe culture preserves traditions such as the Midewiwin ceremonial society and the harvesting of wild rice (manoomin).

The Ojibwe had early contact with French traders during the expansion of the fur trade in the Great Lakes, followed by British rule and later American and Canadian control. The Ojibwe language was widely documented by missionaries and traders, and many place names in the region derive from it. Treaties, removals, and residential and boarding schools in both countries severely affected the continuity of the language.

Ojibwe is classified as an endangered language, with a declining number of elderly native speakers, but it is the focus of intense revitalization efforts. There are immersion schools, teaching materials, online dictionaries, and university programs dedicated to the language on both sides of the border. Anishinaabe communities are actively driving language reclamation as part of their cultural identity.