Minnesota has long been committed to preserving its natural heritage. In partnership with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, US Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Minnesota, and other conservation organizations, the Minnesota Zoo plays a significant role in these preservation efforts by addressing pressing wildlife conservation issues important to our State. Legacy funds allow the Minnesota Zoo to expand its field conservation and educational programs with a focus on animals and habitats closely aligned with Minnesota’s cultural identity.
SOMFAM's vision is to build a strong Somali community. With this grant, we will facilitate new avenues for deepening Somali women's cultural identity. SOMFAM will launch a Somali language YouTube channel and Somali Cooking Classes to educate the Somali diaspora, particularly Somali women living in Minnesota, about culture and critical resources, and to empower them to engage with and share their cultural heritage.
Grant Activities: Dakota Wicohan is a regional non-profit language support organization that seeks to revitalize the Dakota language in Minnesota to a living language. In this grant, they will create a Dakota Public Awareness Project to promote awareness and knowledge of the Dakota language and its history to Minnesotans in 2013. Dakota Wicohan created a Dakota language documentary film which will be shown in ten communities, along with an educational booklet.
Partners: Olmsted County Historical Society and Zumbro Watershed Partnership. The Zumbro River in Southeastern Minnesota is an important part of America's river history. This project seeks to collect and research historical and environmental data on the river to prepare for the creation of an environmental history. The project will observe and identify how human actions and policies have affected the Zumbro and its communities, and also how the river has shaped the human landscape.
This project brings together multiple partners to assist with various collaborative efforts including: web site development, purchase of portable media players, licenses for existing language software, and expenses for elder speakers gathering. A webmaster will be contracted to set up a language website on the internet. First generation speakers will be asked to assist others as they are video and audio taped speaking Ojibwe words. These recordings will be used on the website as shared materials between reservations, allowing the language, along with the various dialects to be learned.
