Raising our Babies: Stories, Songs and Teachings from our Elders
The OOG Adult Immersion Academy and Immersion Language Nest have created valuable opportunities for learners to practice well-spoken Ojibwe and prepare to teach it to others. Program participants have hailed from every Ojibwe band in Minnesota and several in Wisconsin and Canada. We do not study the language as a subject but produce capable practitioners of it. From the beginning, our program has met the key goal specified in Dakota and Ojibwe Language Revitalization in Minnesota (2011) 'to include immersive language experiences and leadership roles for fluent speakers'(pp. 7, 12). Our program bridges generations, cultivating proficient speakers who are learning from elders and faculty and who themselves will teach the language.
SIX GOALS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT-I. Confirm and schedule the participation of 4 elders and 6 parents with children II. Provide professional development for staff and families in Waldorf and Ojibwe Pedagogies III. Conduct monthly immersion curriculum sessions with elders. IV. Create five immersion curriculum units based on seasonal activities. V. Facilitate immersion curriculum activities with parents and their children VI. Distribute immersion resources to individuals, schools and immersion programs
35% Tribal/ Private