Minot State University offers Ojibwe language course
MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University is expanding its language courses in Spring 2021 with the addition of LANG 299: Ojibwe. The online course will be taught by Alex Decoteau ’19, Minot State University adjunct professor.
“The desire to make this course came while I was studying for my Master of Education at MSU,” said Decoteau. “I heard a lot of talk about the need for more college courses in Ojibwe from people who wanted to learn; I see a need in the school system where children are not getting the right to learn their indigenous language and culture because there are no certified teachers. For all these reasons and more, I thought MSU could be a promising platform to launch an Ojibwe language program that would successfully address those needs.”
Decoteau, who is a member of The Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, teaches native language, tribal government, and tribal history at the Turtle Mountain Community High School on the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Reservation.
While there are a handful of second language learners currently learning Ojibwe, the numbers are slight. Knowing only one fluent elder on his reservation, Decoteau wants to help keep the language alive.
“A culture’s worldview is embodied in its language. Ojibwe language is the essence of its world perspective. How Ojibwe view the world and how all life forms of the world are to relate to one another influences the language form, how Ojibwe relate to the world,” he said. “It is unlike any other culture in the world.
“It is priceless and that is embodied in the language. If the language is lost, so is that worldview — the relationship of all to everything else. The Ojibwe culture is everything about nature and our relationship to it.”
Priority registration is currently open for currently enrolled Minot State students. Spring 2021 classes are scheduled to begin on Monday, Jan. 11, 2021 after 4 p.m.
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
Published: 11/03/20
