Ojibwemowin l

About this class

Ojibwemowin l

This is a student driven, beginner/intermediate course in the Ojibwe language, based on an Indigenous pedagogy (how one learns).

Student driven means, students are encouraged to ask questions to drive the curriculum and accommodate the students’ learning interests.

Indigenous pedagogy means the learning is co-created by all. “Gikinoo’amaading”, the Ojibwe cultural concept of learning means “learning from one another.” Another Indigenous aspect of learning is that there are no “mistakes”. There are only teachings (learnings from so called ‘mistakes’).  In an Indigenous pedagogy, students support one another mutually (wiidookodaading). There is no competition or hierarchy in the learning environment.

Each weekly class will consist of a preview of last lesson vocabulary, introduction of new vocabulary, practice of new vocabulary, and questions from students.

This is a 10-week online class using the Zoom platform.  Mondays: Jan 10, 24, 31, Feb 7, 28, March 14, 21, April 4, 11, and 25, 6-8 pm CST

Alex Decoteau Alex DeCoteau (Gechitwaabandang) is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and a life-long student of the Ojibway language and culture. He teaches Ojibway Language, Tribal Government, and Tribal History at Turtle Mountain Community High School in Belcourt, North Dakota.  Alex discovered his life’s mission 1990s when he met the late Francis “Eagle Heart” Cree, the Turtle Mountain Tribe’s, long-time spiritual leader. Alex served as ‘oshkaabewis’ (ceremony apprentice) for Eagle Heart for many years and lived with the elder for a time.  In 2004, Alex earned a license to teach Ojibwe Language and moved to the White Earth Chippewa Reservation in Minnesota where he taught at the Circle of Life School. After earning is BA in Education, he taught at the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Immersion School on the Lac Courte Oreillies Chippewa Reservation in Wisconsin. Alex’s favorite part of the Chippewa language are the sacred legends because of their richness in Ojibwe language and culture. He is most grateful for the healing he and his family continue to receive from practicing Ojibwe language and culture. He earned a master’s degree in education at Minot State University in 2019. He is a life-long learner participating in the healing from colonization (Indigenizing) movement that is growing strong among the Anishinaabeg (Indigenous People) across Turtle Island (Native America) and around the world.

HND Value Statement

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However, in an increasingly polarized world, we at Humanities North Dakota believe that being open-minded is necessary to thinking critically and rationally.

Therefore, our programs and classes reflect our own open-mindedness in the inquiry, seeking, and acquiring of scholars to speak at our events and teach classes for our Public University.

To that end, we encourage our participants to join us in stepping outside our comfort zones and considering other perspectives and ideas by being open-minded while attending HND events featuring scholars who hold a variety of opinions, some being opposite of our own held beliefs.