Anishinaabe Language Revitalization Department
Mission Statement
The original spoken language of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian community
is in a critical state of loss. If action is not taken immediately
the language that was spoken for thousands of years will be lost
forever. The mission of the Anishinaabe Language Revitalization
Department (ALRD) is to bring Anishinaabemowin back to the Saginaw
Chippewa Tribal community and generate fluent first language
speakers. Anishinaabemowin is vital to the tribal sovereignty
and the survival of our people.
About the ALRD
Our Anishinaabe teachings tell us that our language is sacred because it is a gift from the creator. Therefore, we
must protect it from becoming lost. He gave it exclusively to the Anishinaabek people, and he loves to hear us speaking
it. That's why we use it in prayer. The Saginaw Chippewa Anishinaabe Language Revitalization Department is a new
department working to revitalize Anishinaabemowin in the Saginaw Chippewa community. The Saginaw Chippewa Tribal
Council passed Resolution
No. 08-103 on June 4th, 2008 which supports the efforts put forth by the Anishinaabe Language Revitalization
Committee (now the ALRD) to create fluency and fluent speakers.
There are three immersion classrooms serving students age 2, 3 and 4 years of age. The children are taught their
entire curriculum along with daily conversations in Anishinaabemowin. This method of language acquisition
is called the Natural Approach. Studies have shown that this is the best way to acquire a new language.
This is how we learned English as well.
While the children will be hearing Anishinaabemowin all day at school, they will still primarily be hearing English
at home. Therefore, the ALRD continue to support Parents language acquisition so they can speak Anishinabemowin
in the home as well.
Through this process our beautiful Anishinaabek binojiiyag will become bilingual.
New for the 2015-16 school year, ALRD will focus outreach to expecting parents and families of infant
and toddlers and those Sasiwaans Alumni students now attending Tribal or local public schools.