New Ojibwe Language Learning Platform
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Rosetta Stone is here!
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe has partnered with Rosetta Stone’s Endangered Languages Program (ELP), to create a language learning platform for our Ojibwe Language to empower our community, to maintain our identity, and to help us be successful.
Through the initiative, the Mille Lacs Band and ELP have utilized tribal members' knowledge and authentic cultural resources to create a comprehensive set of Rosetta Stone lessons in Ojibwe language and Mille Lacs dialect. Rosetta Stone Ojibwe is an original Mille Lacs Band product, and is free for all Band members and descendants.
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s roots in Minnesota date back to the mid-1700s when it established itself in the region around Mille Lacs Lake. But throughout the next century, non-Indian settlers expanded west and attempted to remove tribal members from the lands they had occupied for generations. Many Mille Lacs Band children were forced to attend government-run boarding schools, forbidden from speaking their language or practicing their cultural teachings.
As a result, generations of Mille Lacs Band members were deprived of their cultural identity, and the Ojibwe language became critically endangered. As part of the Band's commitment to revitalizing the language, educating the public about Ojibwe culture, and providing holistic support to its members, the Mille Lacs Band collaborated with Rosetta Stone to develop Ojibwe language learning lessons.
“As Anishinaabe people, our language was given to us by the creator; learning that language helps us connect with our culture and live our lives in a good way,” said Mille Lacs Band Chief Executive Melanie Benjamin. “This partnership with Rosetta Stone is important because it will make learning Ojibwe more accessible to Band members and others and will help preserve our culture for generations to come.”
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe has been in the forefront of many different national issues including self-governance and treaty rights fights. Every generation has their fight. Prior to gaming the Band had economic issues, land issues, boundary issues, and treaty issues. After gaming the Band was able to build infrastructure, including education, courts, self-governance and multiple other services. While building on the future the Band used culture and language to support community-building. Now that the infrastructure is established the Band can take something like Rosetta Stone to preserve what the Band has always used to survive.
At this point the Band is losing fluent speakers and has only about 20 left. Language and culture is this generation's fight. Survival is in the form of identity and cultural practices. Intentional support is now needed for language and culture. It is about supporting interaction with each other in the community in healthy ways and personally pursuing your purpose and how that fits together as an Anishinaabe community.
The lessons feature Ojibwe community members, videos and illustrations that teach vocabulary and grammar in an engaging and effective way. Rosetta Stone’s speech recognition engine, TruAccent, compares learners' pronunciation to that of native Ojibwe speakers to help students fine-tune their skills.
The Mille Lacs Band has first access rights to Rosetta Stone Ojibwe, and the lessons are free for its members and descendants. Learners can access lessons anytime, anywhere on iOS and Android mobile devices, or desktop computers. Band members can apply for the program using a QR code to sign up through Aanjibimaadizing, a division of the Mille Lacs Band Department of Administration.
Aanjibimaadizing translates to changing lives. Aanji supported this project because changing lives and helping people become self-sufficient is more than helping them get a driver’s license, training, or helping them write their resume. People need to be holistically healthy to be successful at their job, with their family and in the community. The language learning provides an opportunity for our clients to become empowered and have positive self-identity to move forward in changing their lives.
"We often think of languages as what we speak or write, but overlook how they provide priceless insight into cultures. Indigenous languages are becoming endangered at an alarming rate, and many Native Americans are at risk of losing a vital part of their heritage,” said Paul Mishkin, CEO of IXL Learning, Rosetta Stone’s parent company. “Our collaboration with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe has created resources that support the revitalization of the tribe’s language, help pass down knowledge to the next generation of members, and expose the wider public to the Band’s rich culture.”
The reason Rosetta Stone is a big deal for the Band, is because there hasn’t been a successful language curriculum that has consistently produced proficient Ojibwe language speakers. Prior to this being released students were only learning animals, language, and colors in every single grade for the most part. The connection of language to culture cannot be separated. They are integral to each other. This is a program is designed by the brightest Ojibwe minds in the region and also with our most experienced, wisest elders. This software creates access for anybody in any classroom. Any learner who wants to participate has access to those linguistic experts and to those elders.
Amikogaabawiikwe Shirley Boyd and Gidagigwaneb William Premo are two of the Mille Lacs Band Elders who participated in the project.
ROSETTA STONE FAQs
Who can use this product?
Effective January 11, 2022, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and descendants of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe will have free access to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Rosetta Stone. Others should check back March 1, 2022 for access when it will be released to the public.
How do I register?
1. Go to aanji.org. There is a blue bar across the top of the page with a link that will take you to the Rosetta page where you can register. -or- Scan the QR code on the flyer with your phone’s camera. -or- Go directly to https://mlbo-laserfiche.millelacsband. com/Forms/Rosetta .
2. You will get an email verification that your application has been received.
3. Within 1 to 2 business days you will get an email from Rosetta Stone with information on how to set up your account. This registration link needs to be accessed from a device that is NOT connected to the internet on an MLBO network. After registration is finalized, download the Rosetta Stone Fluency Builder App from your App store. The Fluency Builder App is free. Rosetta Stone can be accessed within the network via computer or smartphone using the Rosetta Stone Fluency Builder App.
How much does each license cost?
Free to Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe members and descendants and Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe schools (No charge for 2 years of access. They may re-register after the first 2 years ends if needed.) This initial release is only for free licenses. The payment process hasn’t been completed yet for paid licenses. Please forward inquiries to dan.pagnac@millelacsband.com. Licenses will be available March 1, 2022 for a minimal charge: ($25 per license, per level for 2 years of access) for Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe employees, Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures employees, other Federally recognized tribes and their members, other tribal schools.
Other licenses will include the general public, colleges, any other organization or institution not listed above for a fee of $100 per person, per license, per level for 2 years of access.
Who do I contact with questions, or for more information?
Aanjibimaadizing Office 320-532-7407
Dan Pagnac 320-532-7563 dan.pagnac@millelacsband.com
Karen Pagnac 320-362-4139 karen.pagnac@millelacsband.com
