[Algonquiana] animacy question

[MONICA MACAULAY]

Recently I’ve heard Menominee learners saying that “apple” is animate while it’s attached to the tree, but inanimate when it falls on the ground.  Bloomfield does talk about how inanimate nouns can be treated as animate in, for example, stories where some object takes on magical qualities, but I don’t think he talks about this kind of switch (although I could just be missing it!).  Do you find this in other Algonquian languages?  Or do you think this is an innovation by the learners?  I’ve heard it from a lot of people and have been wondering about it for a while.

thanks!

- Monica