Celebrating Ojibwe Language - Ojibwe Book Launch Held in October

The official book launch and signing was celebrated at the Mille Lacs Indian Museum on October 7. “Today’s a really exciting day. We are celebrating the publication of five new Ojibwe language books that were produced through the Aanjibimaadizing program here in Mille Lacs and published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press,” said Anton Treuer, Bemidji State University Ojibwe Professor.

A project that encompassed years of hopes and dreams to revitalize and preserve the Ojibwe language came to fruition with the publication of a total of five books that have been completed and presented solely in the Ojibwe language. The pages are filled with short stories as told by 14 of the most gifted storytellers in the country — our Mille Lacs Band Elders. These stories bring to life the creativity of our Elders through the tradition of storytelling as they speak of their experiences and memories while sharing their wisdom and childhood lessons. Each Elder was teamed up with linguists and Ojibwe transcribers who transcribed the stories to the pages to create the works entirely in Ojibwe as part of the language revitalization program. The original stories were magnificently illustrated by talented Ojibwe artists to visually bring the characters to life.

Steve Premo, one of the illustrators explained, “If we lose our language, we lose our culture. It has been given to us in order to sustain us as a people." Steve went on to remember his late grandmother, Lucy Clark. Near the end of her life he said, "She was sad because she couldn't hear the song in the language."

Baabiitaw Boyd was instrumental in the project and an Aanjibimaadizing Project Transcriber. “One of the reasons why the book launch and the book celebration is a big deal, and the books in general, is because we’re making monolingual Ojibwe language resources and we are making the most of the time we have with Native fluent speakers to create resources that we can put right into the classroom," Baabiitaw said. "These books will be tools to teach our children for hundreds of years to come. "

At the beginning of the project, 25 Mille Lacs Band Elders were identified as first speakers. Sixteen agreed to join the project. Sadly, we lost two of the Elders who passed on due to complications with COVID-19.

Mille Lacs Band Elder Joe Nayquonabe Sr. said he grew up with Ojibwe as the only language spoken in his household until he was sent away to boarding school where the only language the American Indian children were allowed to speak was English. Many children were punished and even beaten for speaking Ojibwe.

Holding back tears Joe Sr. said, “I used to say, when you speak Ojibwe, you are Ojibwe. The happiest times of my life has been making these books.”

“Our language is deeply important to us. It’s at the center of our identity,” added Treuer.

Aanjibimaadizing, which means “Changing Lives,” is a program of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Through the Aanjibimaadizing Project, sixteen first speakers teamed with linguists, teachers, and Ojibwe language experts to create this new literature for Ojibwe language learners. Conceived and presented only in Ojibwe, the stories reflect a rare authenticity as they transmit cultural values, increase vocabulary, and reinforce identity.