Minnesota Schools: Anoka-Hennepin Launches First Public Ojibwe Course

Anoka-Hennepin School District began teaching Ojibwe this month, marking the first time the language appears in its public school curriculum. The district serves just under 1,200 students who identify as Indigenous.

Three key factors drive the new program. First, state law requires public schools to offer American Indian language and culture classes when at least 5 percent of the student population is American Indian. Second, a study by the Midwest Indigenous Immersion Network found that Minnesota schools have fallen short of these legal requirements. The study estimates that districts statewide need to hire 150 more language teachers to reach compliance. Third, the district received grant funding from the state to support the new courses.

Tayah Reyes, a citizen of the St. Croix Band of Chippewa Indians and a descendant of the Ho-Chunk Nation, teaches the level one classes at Coon Rapids High School and Anoka High School. Her students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, respond to roll call with the phrase 'indaaya oma.' Reyes noted that parents expressed excitement and gratitude during open house events.

Mindy Meyers, the district’s American Indian Education Coordinator, explained that the choice of Ojibwe followed feedback from language tables and resource availability. The district partnered with the Midwest Indigenous Immersion Network, a nonprofit that provides resources and professional development to educators. Executive director Gimiwan Dustin Burnette stated that the organization aims to create access to language and culture for populations living outside reservations.

Students in the class cite cultural preservation as a primary motivation. Vincent Green, an 11th grader and descendant of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and White Earth Nation, said he is learning the language to preserve it as part of his identity. Isaiah Kingbird, a ninth grader and descendant of Red Lake Nation and Seneca, hopes that all students will eventually be able to speak the language.

The course includes students who do not identify as Native. Meyers said that non-Native students gain exposure to contemporary Indigenous examples and different worldviews. For now, only level one is available, but students hope for a level two course next year.