Press Release
September 13, 2017

The Electa Quinney Institute for American Indian Education at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant highlighting a partnership with two tribal colleges, The Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe (Wisconsin) and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (Michigan).

This collaborative research is titled, Expanding the Documentary Record for Two Algonquian Languages of the Great Lakes and will support the preservation and teaching of Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) and Menominee languages. The total award is nearly $ 340,000.00 with UWM receiving $100,000 and each partner institution receiving $120,000.00.

This project is a partnership between a state and tribal colleges in urban and rural areas to increase and preserve two indigenous languages. The NSF—Documenting Endangered Languages program allows each institution to develop research projects specific to the local knowledge in each respective community.

At UW-Milwaukee, Margaret Noodin and a group of students will focus on using the data from the Wisconsin Native American Languages Project (WNLP) created in the 1970s and adding new material in recordings and transcriptions.

Michelle Haskins at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwa Community College will work with elder women to record the vocabulary and complex phrasing they believe is important to pass on to the next generation. The goal is to connect the knowledge of multiple communities and generations to restore the original rich complexity of linguistic, social, and scientific knowledge.

Adam Haviland at Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College will work with George Roy to preserve the local history of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. The hopes are to transfer these stories into Anishinaabemowin while also educating the broader community about the boarding school system.

This material based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1664512.