Gidinwewininaan
Leslie Harper, Gaazagaskwaajimekaag
Awenen ge-ojibwemowaad
ge-bi-ayaamagak?
Ojibwemowin last spoken in my
family…
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o
o
o
o
o
o
Acknowledging historical
disruptions to our language
transmission, this is where we
are today, and from where we
must move forward:
Geography: the family moved
and lived away from the
language.
Dad in the 1920s to 1930s.
Grandma and her sisters in the
1940s and 1950s.
Mother until 1948.
Uncle until 1950.
Father-in-law speaks Ojibwe
currently, with friends.
o
o
o
o
o
o
Grandma and her younger
siblings until 1940.
Grandma until 1946.
Mom until 1950.
Dad until 1948.
Grandma, Grandpa and their
siblings and friends until late
1980s. Long break until
Grandpa began to speak again
w/one child in the family
around 2003 and continues
today.
Dad and his siblings currently
speak Ojibwe. My siblings and
I don’t, but my children speak
Ojibwe.
Apiitendaagwad ji-niOjibwemoyang
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How many speakers do we have, how old
are they?
How did these people come to speak
Ojibwe?
Are we passing Ojibwemowin on to our
upcoming generations – do we have
children who speak Ojibwe as a first
language, or as well as First Speakers of
our language? How best do we continue
this?
Aaniin gekendamang?
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Our grandmas and grampas wishes,
dreams, thoughts, humor all come out best
in their first language: Ojibwemowin. Can
you imagine not being able to
communicate your dreams, values,
knowledge, to your family?
Ojibwemowin onoondawaanaan iniw
manidoon
“Our Boy doesn't sing anymore.” - Mezinaanakwad, 2002
“Language is the ultimate consensual institution.” - J.
Crawford, 1995 SILS.
Niigaane
•
Gaa'izhimiinigoowiziyang
gii'kikinoo'amawangw
aa ginijaanisinaanig
ji-maajiishkaamagak
ezhigikinoo'amawangwaa
ji-ni-bimiwidoowaad
eni-bimaadiziwaad.
Niinawind
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Gekinwaa’amaagoziwaad:
K-6, multi-age classes
All social and academic
content areas are taught in
Ojibwemowin target language
32 students
Enter at K, expand a grade per
year
Alternative choice track within
existing tribal BIE K-12
Bugonaygeshig School
Mii ezhichigeyang
• 3 Elder First Speakers of Ojibwe
• 3 Teaching Teams of Elder First Speaker
and second language learner
• Teaching licenses at Niigaane:
6 K-12 Ojibwe Language and Culture
3 Elementary Ed
1 K-8 Ojibwe Language License
Oral Proficiencies
•
•
•
•
4 Advanced
2 Intermediate High
1 Intermediate Mid
2 Novice High
• “After seven years of
Ojibwemowin
immersion at our site,
students will
demonstrate an
Intermediate High
level of Ojibwemowin
Oral proficiency.
• Written???
Gichi-aya’aamininaanig
Gigitiziminaanig
Dibendaagoziwag
Family participation in school improvement
Inganawenindimin
Collective responsibility
Enigok anokiig!
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In most cases, it has been decades since
Ojibwemowin was a routine activity of our
immediate lives.
Zhawenidig
Wiidokoodaadig
Be patient and supportive
Work hard before it is gone and we are
reclaiming it from archived sources.
Aaniin enendamang?
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Ojibwemowin in the P-functions
strengthens our identity.
Achievement in another language is less
likely to be seen as a threat to our Ojibwe
identity.
Aaniish gekendamang?
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Cognitive benefits of
multilingualism:
Bilingualism gives us more
choices: there are at least two
ways to say things
Able to focus more on
meaning and take into account
only relevant features when
there is distractive information
Demonstrate more mental
flexibility and perform better on
tasks requiring mental
manipulation
Multilinguals are original in
verbal expression,
demonstrate a high level of
non-verbal intelligence
--www.carla.umn.edu
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Social benefits of
multilingualism:
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Increased sensitivity to others
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Increased receptivity
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Increased appreciation of
language
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Better able to understand the
needs of others and respond
appropriately.
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Better able to communicate
with a wide variety of people.
Awegonen gekendamaang?
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Title III NCLB:
Section 3125, Rules of Construction:
“Nothing in this Part (Part A, Title III)
shall be construed – (3) to limit the
preservation or use of Native American
Languages.”
Title III NCLB
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●
Section 3127, Civil Rights, Title III:
“Nothing in this Part (Part A, Title III) shall be
construed in a manner inconsistent with any
Federal law guaranteeing a Civil Right (as
identified in the Native American Languages Act
of 1990).
 Section 104 of that Act states that "It is the
policy of the United States to  (1) preserve, protect, and promote the rights
and freedom of Native Americans to use,
practice, and develop Native American
languages;
Ezhi-inaakonigeyang
• (2) allow exceptions to teacher certification
requirements for Federal programs and
programs funded in whole or in part by the
Federal Government, for instruction in Native
American languages when such teacher
certification requirements hinder the employment
of qualified teachers who teach in Native
American languages, and to encourage State
and territorial governments to make similar
exceptions;
Ezhi-inaakonigeyang
• (3) encourage and support the use of Native
American languages as a medium of instruction
in order to encourage and support—(a) Native
American language survival, (b) equal
educational opportunity, (c) increased student
success and performance, (d) increased student
awareness and knowledge of their culture and
history, and (e) increased student and
community pride...."
Awegonen gekendamang?
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It is our right and our responsibility to
speak Ojibwemowin!
Aaniish ezhi-ojibwemotaadiyaang?
What will it take to bring Ojibwemowin into these settings?
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Community responses:
More speakers of Ojibwemowin
More opportunities for people to learn
Ojibwemowin on a highly functioning level
Intergenerational learning: First Speakers
model the language for the learners
Sense of importance: families share in the
effort, community feels it is relevant.
ondamitaawag
“It was like our kids were
on the outside looking
in at ourselves, at our
language and culture;
now they are fully a part
of it.”
Apiitendaagwad ji-nitaaanishinaabemoyang
• Intermediate-Low is considered the level
at which learners can create with
language.
• Requires three, generally four years of
continuing language study, as a FL class.
• What does it look like in a Native American
Language Immersion culture and
language revitalization setting?
“How we live as Ojibwe People in the world today”:
Articulation of teaching methods at Niigaane
• Articulation has been challenging:
Ojibwean models of interaction and
understanding are the ideal, though
elicitation of these ideals is problematic
due to rapid cultural shift and aging First
Speakers
• Social and academic content are equally
considered
• It’s experiential, it’s observational
Mii o’o gikinoo’amawangwaa
• Social objectives of the Ojibwe community
must be considered before content can be
created; therefore mere translation of
existing academic curricula from other
languages is not an option in our
community. However, can be used as
comparisons or models.
Mii ezhichigeyang
• CGI Math
• Responsive Classroom
• Classifications inherent in the specificity of
Ojibwe language
• Literacy scope and sequence tied to
language proficiency levels of students
who enter immersion site at age 5 or 6
from English-speaking homes
Mii ezhi-gikinwaa’mawangwaa
• Models of differing forms of interpersonal
discourse are rare.
• A root word can be built upon and built
upon with any number of word parts, so
that eventually we wind up with words that
are a mile long! Reading instruction in this
language must tend to persistence,
fluency, and accuracy with greater focus
than monolingual peers’ English language.
Aaniin ezhi-ayaayang?
• Social expectations of students:
High levels of
self-regulation
moderation
independence
love of learning
• It’s fun, there’s a lot of laughter!
Aaniish ezhi-doodamaang?
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Successes
Student retention
Increase in Ojibwemowin
proficiency of LL children
First Speaker
engagement
Development projects
awarded funding
Another point of entry has
been created.
Students achieving at and
above the levels of
english monolingual
peers.
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Challenges
Teacher training: HQ
designation
Funding
Parent support
Lack of materials
Definition of Ojibwe
language literacy
continuum
Aaniish enendamang?
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Culture as the core of our education:
Context: structuring the school and classroom in
Ojibwe culturally-appropriate ways
Content: Learning is meaningful and relevant
through Ojibwe language-medium content and
assessment.
Assessment of learning is meaningful and relevant:
assessment in the Language Of Instruction.
Learning supports and enrichment are meaningful
and relevant: provided in the Language Of
Instruction – LNLP definition needed in policy
structure.
Aaniish enendamang?
• Data and accountability: gathering and
maintaining data using various methods to
ensure student progress in Ojibwe culturallyappropriate ways.
• Reflection of practice, continued professional
development opportunities. Ensure a high level
of proficiency and performance.
Eko-nising
Grade 3 SY 2011-2012 Oral Reading Fluency
Growth Chart
60
57
50
40
30
Niigaane Grade 3 Ojibwe-medium to Englishmedium Peers Math Computations Goals
Comparison Chart SY 2011-2012
48
36
39
32
27
Niigaane Norms
20
10
0
Dagwaagin
Class Avg
Biboon
Ziigwan
35
30
25
20
15 16
10 11
5
0
Dagwaagin
27
25
24
29
28
21
Class Avg
Bschool Avg
AIMSWeb Norms
Biboon
Ziigwan
Eko-niiwing
Niigaane Grade 4 Ojibwe-medium to English-medium
Peers' Math Computations Goals Comparison Chart
SY 2011-2012
Grade 4 SY 2011-2012 Oral Reading Fluency Growth
Chart
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
76
62
54
39
25
Dagwaagin
31
Biboon
Ziigwan
Class Avg
Niigaane Norms
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
33
30
22
13
Dagwaagin
56
45
37
62
54
Niigaane Norms
30
20
Biboon
Class Avg
AIMSWeb Norms
Bschool Class Avg
Ziigwan
Eko-naaning
Niigaane Grade 5 SY 2011-2012 Computations
Growth Chart
Niigaane Grade 5 SY 2011-2012 Oral Reading
Fluency Growth Chart
50
100
80
60
60
53
70
65
40
Class Avg
30
30
Niigaane Norms
20
20
18
47
Class Avg
31
25
Biboon
Ziigwan
0
Dagwaagin
Niigaane Norms
AIMSWeb Norms
Bschool Avg
10
20
0
Dagwaagin
40
78
76
43
38
31
Biboon
Ziigwan
Aaniish waa-izhichigeyangiban?
• 3-year project funded by ANA to articulate
academic benchmarks at our site in
correlation with student Ojibwe language
proficiency
• OPIs: SOPA to be developed and
administered
• TA provided by MP/2LTI in SOPA creation
Mii netang…
• Administering and rating the SOPA
• Articulate AYP indicators of Ojibwemowin
Oral proficiency for students at our Ojibwe
Culture-Based Education site
ondamitaawag
Maamawi go niinawind
indani-bimiwidoomin akina go gegoo
epiitenimowaad Anishinaabeg.
Eni-bimiwidooyang
leharper@bugschool.k12.mn.us