Download - Language Revitalization in Treaty #3 Schools
Language Revitalization Treaty #3: Strategies for schools to improve
Ojibway language revitalization
Fay Davis-Zoccole
0009024
Dr. Judy Iseke
December 13, 2011
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Notes about the writer: My name is Fay Davis Zoccole. I am from Lac Seul First
Nation. During the past 12 years, I have been a teacher within the Treaty #3 Area.
Prior to taking this course, Cultivating Native Wellbeing, I was not interested in learning
to speak the language of my people. I believed this to be a language that was not
needed for the modern world. However, about mid-way through this course, I began to
see the importance of relearning the Ojibway language. I also thought about the
communities in the Treaty #3 area and began to recall the strengths of the various
schools where I had the opportunity to learn about our proud Ojibway people. The
knowledge that is included in this paper was written mostly about my experiences. I
hope to not only illuminate what kinds of practices and routines are carried out in the
schools but also offer suggestions of where we can go from here, starting today…
Sandra Indian of Onigaming First Nation said that Ojibway is a “heart language.”
(personal communication, April 2009). This language is life to the Ojibway people. The
term, Ojibway, explains who a people are, and the dialect explains where the speakers
are from. The people call themselves Anishinawbe which means “First people” or
“Original people.” Each word holds so much meaning that English cannot ever begin to
explain the richness and depth of the stories in each word. For example, the word,
“Meshake” is not only a family name but tells the story of the hovering and the stillness
of a dragon-fly. Therefore, the vastness of the Ojibway language is indeed spoken from
the heart of the Anishawbe people and is clear and concise to the listener. The
problem is the fluent speakers of Ojibway language are dwindling and communities are
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facing near extinction. The language is also threatened. Dr. Ethel Gardner (2010)
states: “After 30 years of language revitalization effort, the Treaty 3 Tribal Councils
have failed to produce any new Ojibwe speakers”(page 1). As such, this paper will seek
to answer the question: How can community schools promote and encourage language
revitalization in the Treaty #3 Territory? Further discussion will also expand on ideas
such as what supports need to be put in place to support the school staff and how to
prepare our students in their future as fluent Ojibway speakers.
Seeing that the Ojibway language lends understanding of where a people are
from, it is important to learn about the land of the Treaty #3 people.
Place – or sense of place -- …suggests the concepts, memories, histories, ideas,
emotions, relationships, identities (both individual and community) and objects
associated with a particular physical space…Indigenous people are a people of
Place, and the nature of place is embedded in their language.
(Dakota and Ojibwe Language Revitalization in Minnesota, page 8)
The following is a map of the 28 communities (see Figure 11) included in the Treaty #3
area:
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Figure 1- Map of Treaty #3 area showing individual communities2
According to the legend of the map, the Treaty #3 area stretches from Upsala to
Saugeen to Red Lake and spills over the Manitoba border, stopping at the American
border. The First Nation communities that are part of Treay #3 include: Sagkeeng,
Wabaseemong, Washagamasi Bay, Iskatewizaagegan, Shoal Lake #40, Northwest
Angle #33, Buffalo Point, Big Grassy, Big Island, Onigaming, Northwest Angle #37,
Naotkamegwanning, Wauzhusk Onigum, Ochichagwebabigoining, Grassy Narrows,
Wabaskang, Eagle Lake, Wabigoon Lake, Lac Des Mille Lacs, Nickousemenecaning,
Seine River, Lac La Croix, Lac Seul and Saugeen. As such, most of these First Nation
reserves have an elementary school as part of their community. A few of these
communities also have high schools for secondary students to attend. As one becomes
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more aware of the diversities and richness of the Ojibway language and the culture of
each of the 28 communities within the Treaty #3 area, one wonders what has caused
this great language loss for the Ojibway people.
Evidence of the onslaught on the Ojibway culture and language is evident
through the many years of colonization, genocide and oppression of the Ojibway nation.
The residual effects of the residential school are still alive and have deeply wounded the
people in such a way that this hurt is transferred through shame, despair, alcoholism,
drug abuse, and a sense of hopelessness. A repetitive story has been intertwined and
resounded for the Ojibway people as stories are shared about how parents were
encouraged to teach their children English first as if to give their child a good start in life
so that when they attended school, the young students were suppose to make a
seamless transition into kindergarten. As a result, many Ojibway parents did not teach
their children to speak the native tongue because they felt it was in the best interest of
their children to speak English only. This was done as a means of protection because
parents did not want their children to be at the receiving end of being beaten in English
only residential schools. However, in spite of this marred history, the people within the
Treaty #3 area as well as other Aboriginal groups have began the process of reclaiming
their language. They are working towards revitalizing the Ojibway way of knowing that
includes language fluency.
Interestingly, there is a way to gauge how a community is doing with respect to
language loss. In the “Fishman’s Graded Intergeneration Disruption Scale,” Josh
Fishman (1991) designed a continuum with eight stages with the eighth stage being
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closest to extinction and the first stage being closest to survival. The continuum goes
as follows:
Stage eight – only a few elders still speak the language.
Stage seven—only adults beyond childbearing age still speak Ojibway.
Stage six – there is still some intergenerational use of Ojibway in the
homes.
Stage five – Ojibway is still very much alive in the community, but it is still
the minority language spoken.
Stage four – Ojibway is required in elementary schools as the language of
instruction in all subject areas.
Stage three – the language is used at the workplace among employees
(but not with supervisors) in the community.
Stage two – Ojibway is used by some of the personnel at The Grand
Treaty #3 Council and by some mass media (like the radio station) in the
community.
Stage one – Ojibway is used by The Grand Treaty #3 Council, band
offices as well as, all higher education Institutes.
By referencing the scale, communities and schools can see where their Ojibway
language skills are leveled and then plans can be made to fix the areas that need
improvement with respect to Ojibway revitalization.
Ensuring the survival of the Ojibway language contributes to the survival of the
people. The residential school did it’s best to destroy the Ojibway language, culture and
traditions. However, there is resistance on the part of the people in Treaty#3 as they
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are gaining strength and are in the midst of language revitalization. There is a belief
that if Anishinawbe children speak their language, this very skill would assist them to
become better learners of mainstream education:
…language immersion has the potential to address the achievement gap for
…Indian students…it gives the students an entire new skill set. It offers the brain
development and mental acuity benefits notable in much research on bi-lingual
education. It also consistently raises the level of student engagement in
classroom activities – an important factor in academic achievement.
(Dakota and Ojibwe Language Revitalization In Minnesota, page 11)
In addition to closing academic learning gaps, the Ojibway language helps shape a
child’s understanding of the world. This Ojibway world view is at the central core of
being an Anishinawbe person, who is balanced in all things related to living life. In
1992, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) summarized the importance of Aboriginal
languages as follows:
The Aboriginal Languages were given by the Creator as an integral part of life.
Embodied in Aboriginal languages is our unique relationship to the Creator, our
attitudes, beliefs, values, and the fundamental notion of what is truth. Aboriginal
language is an asset to one’s own education, formal and informal. Aboriginal
language contributes to greater pride in the history and culture of the community;
greater involvement and interest of parents in the education of their children, and
greater respect for Elders. Language is the principal means by which culture is
accumulated, shared and transmitted from generation to generation. The key to
identity and retention of culture is one’s ancestral language.
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(Mandate, Assembly of First Nations)
Thus, each community has a part in supporting children to grow in a balanced and
healthy way through language revitalization and maintenance especially within
community schools.
Schools are the heart of Treaty#3 communities. It is here that Elders, teachers,
cultural teachers support staff and parents need to work together to implement
language revitalization activities and promote pride in the Ojibway culture. According to
a Language Survey completed by Dr. Ethel Gardner, the following three activities are
implemented in most schools. (Anishinaabemowin Anjimaamino Bijigadde Grand
Council Treaty #3 Report)
1. Ojibway Language Class: Language instruction is provided for each class from
grades Kindergarten to grade 8.
2. Cultural Events: Activities like community events such as feasts, ceremonies
and powwows are included.
3. Elders: Most elders engage in school activities upon invitation or offering of
tobacco.
From personal experience, seven other activities that some of the schools have
included are as follows:
Opening Exercises: The principal has the entire school body sing along with
each other while an audio recording plays over the intercom to the “Oh Canada”
anthem as the lyrics are in the Ojibway language. Also, the school has included
an Ojibway prayer for students to recite at the beginning of each day. In addition
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to this, students have given the date and weather of the day over the intercom,
all in the Ojibway language.
After-school activities: Students enjoy after school activities that include cultural
activities such as, drumming, pow-wow dancing like fancy shawl or jingle dress.
Older students enjoy crafts like beading or leather work. There is a special
bonding that takes place while students are speaking Ojibway and learning more
about their language. Sometimes, elders have come to the school to request the
assistance of students when building a sweat lodge or learning lodge. The
stories that are exchanged during this time between the students and elders
bring healing and build a common bond between the young and the elderly.
However, not all students or communities follow the traditional way, some are
involved Christian activities. In this way, students enjoy listening to a First Nation
pastor and often the elder reinforces the teachings. It is beautiful to hear hymns
sang in the Ojibway language. The important trait is respect that is conveyed in
either the Traditional way or Christian spirituality..
Language Nests: A group of fluent Ojibway speakers including Language
Instructors, teachers, Elders and parents gather to document stories, legends
and teachings as well as engineer new words to fit with today’s modern
language. For example: television, when translated from English into Ojibway,
would be interpreted as the “box that talks.” The importance of word-smithing is
to translate words that are relevant to today’s vocabulary especially when using
terms related to science or technology.
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Ojibway Language Spirit Days: Spirit Days are special days for stories, puppet
shows, poems recited or conversation practice in the Ojibway language to be
told before a smaller class of students or to elders in the community. For each
days, the school plans ahead so students can work together in each class to: a)
introduce themselves, including their clan; b) tell the date and weather; c)
name what community you are from, and ask others what communities they are
from. As such, this list could go on depending on the needs or interests of the
school. The important skill to stress is to get students to practice speaking in
Ojibway and listening to other speakers.
Language Camps: This is a great time to implement activities such as games
and sharing the history of the community to the students. The use of the
Ojibway language is encouraged for the students to practice with each other and
the ask questions from the Elders. Be sure to incorporate other cultural activities
like net-making, fishing and smoking fish, bannock making, hide tanning, etc.
Other cultural protocols: Some students have participated in a “Naming
Ceremony” where they are given an Indian name. The people who have given
this name to the child is called a “Wa a”. Often the “Wa a” attends school
functions such as parent/teacher interviews, concerts, science fairs and IPRC
meetings, etc. Allowances on the part of the school will be made to welcome the
Wa a especially if the parents have made a special request to the school. The
role of the Wa a is special one between them and the child. Should the child
require extra help in life or if the child is not making good choices in life, the Wa
a has the responsibility to offer guidance.
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Ojibway Youth Apprenticeship Program: An apprenticeship program would
include a group made up of a small number of approximately ten high school
students who sign up or register for an intensive six week immersion program
within the community. The language instruction includes an instructor and elders
which would be a teaching team. Importantly, “…the (Ojibway) language is not a
subject but a medium in which all instruction takes place” (Dakota and Ojibwe
Language Revitalization in Minnesota, page 10). The reason for having a small
number of students would be to ensure authentic learning and practice is taking
place in a safe, close-knit environment. Furthermore, the students would
achieve extra credit towards an elective if desired and would be added to their
OSR (Ontario Student Record).
As previously discussed, Josh Fieldmen designed a gauge to measure language
loss for all languages that are near extinction. The question is: What do communities
or schools in the Treaty #3 area do when they have placed themselves on the
Fieldmen’s continuum? Following a series of symposiums held in Arizona in 1994, Jon
Rayner took the following notes as suggestions for what any indigenous language group
could implement the following suggested interventions to strengthen Ojibway language
skills:
Table 1: Interventions to Strengthen Language
Current Status of
Language
Suggested Interventions to Strengthen Language
Stage 8: Only a few elders speak the language.
Implement Hinton's (1994) "Language Apprentice" Model where fluent elders are teamed one-on-one with young adults who want to learn the language. Dispersed, isolated elders can be connected by phone to
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teach others the language (Taff, 1997).
Stage 7: Only adults beyond child bearing age speak the language.
Establish "Language Nests" after the Maori and Hawaiian, models where fluent older adults provide pre-school child- age children are immersed in their indigenous anguage (Anonby, this volume; Fishman, 1991).
Stage 6: Some intergenerational use of language
Develop places in community where language is encouraged, protected, and used exclusively. Encourage more young parents to speak the indigenous language in home with and around their young children.
Stage 5: Language is still very much alive and used in community.
Offer literacy in minority language. Promote voluntary programs in the schools and other community institutions to improve the prestige and use of the language. Use language in local government functions, especially social services. Give recognition to special local efforts through awards, etc.
Stage 4: Language is required in elementary schools
Improve instructional methods utilizing TPR (Asher, 1996), TPR-Storytelling (Cantoni, this volume) and other immersion teaching techniques. Teach reading and writing and higher level language skills (Heredia & Francis, 1997). Develop two-way bilingual programs where appropriate where non-speaking elementary students learn the indigenous language and speakers learn a national or inter- national language. Need to develop indigenous language text- books to teach literacy and academic subject matter content.
Stage 3: Language is used in places of business and by employees in less specialized work areas.
Promote language by making it the language of work used throughout the community (Palmer, 1997). Develop vocabulary so that workers in an office could do their day- work using their indigenous language (Anonby, this volume)
Stage 2: Language is used by local government and in the mass media in the minority community.
Promote use of written form of language for government and business dealings/records. Promote indigenous language newsletters, newspapers, radio stations, and television stations.
Stage 1: Some language use by higher levels of government in higher education.
Teach tribal college subject matter classes in the language. Develop an indigenous language oral and written literature through dramatic presentations and publications. Give tribal/ national awards for indigenous language publications and other notable efforts to promote indigenous languages.
Jon Rayner: Some basics of Indigenous Language Revitalization
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As mentioned before, table 1 offers workable suggestions to revitalize the Ojibway
language. The key is to empower Ojibway children and parents to encourage them to
use the Ojibway language on a daily basis.
. Teachers teaching within the Treaty #3 Territory should have some expectations
set by the policy of each community’s school to include Ojibway language into everyday
curriculum in some way or another. It is vital to include ALL teachers in ALL subject
areas to support language revitalization initiativesbecause the present structure of
teaching the Ojibway language as a subject “makes no difference in creating new and
fluent speakers” (Encyclopedia of Language and Literacy Development). As such,
teachers need support through various ways to teach the language to students. A list to
“Identify curriculum needs” is included in the “Dakota and Ojibwe Language
Revitalization in Minnesota.” Key findings as a result of a survey identify the following
needs:
1. Accredited immersion-specific training: Schools could encourage teachers to
take university courses that teach Ojibway. It is hoped schools could cover
tuition and educational expenses to support staff training. Ojibway language
courses provide opportunities for teachers to maintain and improve on their own
second language acquisition proficiency.
2. Community-based training: This resource would be probably could be met by
schools partnering with Tribal Councils. Activities like short “Lunch and Learns”
could be set up by the Language Teacher of Tribal Councils such as Bimose or
AKRC (Anishinaabeg of Kabapikotawangag Resource Council). Due to these
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organizations already having a presence in the communities, this program would
be a great way to utilize these resources in a school atmosphere.
3. Story telling techniques: First Steps Literacy Continuum offers excellent ideas for
story telling techniques. Some teachers in the Treaty #3 Area have already been
trained in this program and will recognize that this continuum allows teachers to
use learning in combination with the Ojibway language. The strength of the “First
Steps Continuum” equips teachers with strategies that first allow students to tell
stories orally and then brings them to the place where they can write out words,
sentences and finally, stories, using the correct structures for writing stories,
instructions, recipes and essays.
4. Vocabulary reinforcement for teaching across content areas: Many teachers are
already aware of content word walls and could put up an “Ojibway Word Wall”.
As well, teachers could instruct students to have an “Ojibway Words” personal
dictionary. The idea is to get students to not just keep words but to also use the
Ojibway words throughout the day.
5. Assessment techniques: The question is: How is data collected to interpret
student learning? Thus, it would be beneficial for teachers to learn a variety of
assessment techniques that include indirect and direct evaluation methods to
support students learning the Ojibway language. Some current suggestion
within the Treaty #3 schools include Ojibway spelling tests, recitals of poetry,
prayers or songs, etc. Further data to show evidence of student learning could
be collected in the form of a portfolio or presentations completed in the Ojibway
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language. Other practices include oral presentations made to parents by having
children read in Ojibway to various family members.
An additional assessment piece could include an Ojibway portion with the
current report card that goes out three times a year. Of course, previous work
will need to developed by the Education Department at The Grand Council #3 to
identify what each grade should know and learn. Again, teacher will need to be
trained in what this process looks like. For example, Kawayaciiwin Education
Resource Center in Sioux Lookout has resources what the Kindergarten class
should know in a packet that includes: a Teacher’s handbook, picture cards and
a report card based on Oji-Cree words and phrases which students are required
to learn. The categories for learning are: 1) Vocabulary development, 2) Color
concepts, 3) Rote counting, 4) Shape concepts, 5) Listening comprehension 6)
Syllabics recognition, 7) Name writing, 8) Drawing a person to include body
parts. As such, the teachers would be able to gauge the language growth with
tools such as these that would be beneficial for data collection as required by
Treaty #3 schools within each community.
6. Teacher training: Professional development will be required to ensure success
of Ojibway language revitalization. Training in this area is just as important as
learning in other key subject areas. All teachers need to be a part of this
important training especially because most staff members are not fluent speakers
in the Ojibway language and this can be an added stress to teachers with full
responsibilities in the classroom. The role of fluent-speaking elders is vital to
support teachers with this new endeavor.
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As stated before, the above list is merely a place to begin to encourage, support and
provide training for teachers and other staff members. The Grand Council Treaty #3
and the schools within the Treaty #3 area should add their own ideas to take ownership
for their part in language revitalization. While training is being provided for school staff,
the schools could also extend these learning opportunities to other departments in the
communities.
It is clear that future directions which promote language revitalization is required
within Treaty #3 Schools. What are the Ojibway people without their language? This
question was posed on a Facebook page and a few responses as were follows: a) The
Ojibway culture shapes the way Anishnawbe view the world. It is part of our DNA. b)
The language is what connects us to who we are as Anishinaabe people, without it we
are just part of the English speaking society. These responsibes indicate that the
Ojibway language and culture go hand in hand. We need to respect and live both of
these or else we will eventually lose both. Future plans must be made and
implemented to revive the Ojibway language; however much support is required to
keep “language revitalization” in the forefront. The Dakota and Ojibwe Language
Revitalization In Minnesota suggests a “Twenty-five year strategic plan for language
revitalization.” To this date, no such plan is known among the general population within
the Treaty #3 communities. Although it is clear that future directions promoting live
span approaches to language revitalization are needed with Treaty #3 Schools, specific
expectations need to be written by the people themselves to ensure input of the
communities, including the elders. It seems that the schools have some resources,
however; a more central and well-defined place would be helpful to pull all these
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resources to make it easy for communities to access them. Therefore, to honor the
sovereignty of the Treaty #3 territory, it would be beneficial for communities to work in
collaboration to build a team-working environment and facilitate learning in the Ojibway
language revitalization.
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Bibliography
Assembly of First Nations (AFN). http://www.afn.ca
Dakota and Ojibwe Language Revitalization in Minnesota. Volunteer Working Group on
Dakota and Ojibwe Language and Ojibwe Language Revitalization and
Preservation..http://www.indianaffairs.state.mn.us/documents/2011%20Dakota%
20and%20Ojibwe%20Language%20Report%20to%20the%20Legislature-
final.pdf
Fishman, Joshua. Fishman’s Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale.
http://www.endangered-languages.com/whatis.php
Gardener, Dr. Ethel. Preserving the Ojibwe Language.
http//agora.lakeheadu.ca/agora.php?st=259
Indian, Sandra. Quote: “Ojibway is a heart language.” 2011.
John Reyhner . Some basics of Indigenous Language Revitalization. .
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/RIL_Intro.html
Kwayaciiwin Education Resource Centre http://www.kwayaciiwin.com/curriculum
Language Revitalization. Wipikedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_revitalization
Ojibwe Langauge – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org
Treaty #3 Area Map. http://www.gct3.net/
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