Menominee break ground on new language center

Breaking ground on a new facility is always a dream long in the making, but for Menominee tribal members seeking to make their language the native tongue of their kin, a new center has been a vision of about 20 years.

Menomini yoU, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the reclamation of Menominee language and culture, started the process to build a 10,000-square-foot building that will provide classroom and meeting space, as well as a commons area for tribal members working to learn their language and an outdoor space for cultural events. The building is expected to be open next summer.

Ron Corn Jr., one of Menomini yoU’s founders, said that he and Menominee Tribal Legislator Joey Awonohopay have long sought for their friends and loved ones to be able to once again speak Omaeqnomeneweqnaesen, the tribe’s language that shares the tongue of the Algonquin, freely without retribution.

“We’ve been through a lot of things over these past 20 years with the language situation here on the reservation,” Corn said, noting that the language immersion program started in earnest in 2015. “We started out in the year 2000 or 2001 with a grant that was received by the historic preservation office to bring on language trainees. Ever since, we’ve developed a brotherhood and been through a lot of stuff.”

Corn noted that his interest in learning the language started when he was young, and he noted that elders took a lot of time to sit with him in their homes to teach him the words. One in particular, Lillian “Waqsecewan” Nelson, was particularly influential, and the language center is being named after Nelson’s Menominee name.

“What I’m hoping is that we teach the language right out of needing to be taught,” Corn said. “This becomes something that goes on its own and comes back to the home.”

In the meantime, there has been a lot of interest in learning the traditional language, but not much space to house people interested, which is why the idea for a building came about. Awonohopay pointed out that a thought and countless conversations led to the groundbreaking event.

“Here we are today, each and every one of us, for this groundbreaking — all the conversations that took place, all the laughs, all the tears and the many years it took for us to get to this point,” Awonohopay said.

Omaeqnomeneweqnaesen was on the verge of extinction because, historically, outside cultures threatened Native Americans and their ways. Awonohopay pointed out that tribal language was seen as an affront to a Christian upbringing only a few decades ago.

“When the Catholic church came in and Catholicism came in, we saw the erosion and destruction of our tribal language, our life, our tradition, our ceremonies, our spirituality,” Awonohopay said. “It’s taken a long time to get our people to understand that our language is who we are. It’s a breathing, living piece of who we are as … Menominee people. Our language deserves to live openly and freely.”

Awonohopay, who also serves as the tribe’s language and culture director, noted that the younger generation speaking fluent English doesn’t grasp the struggle that has taken place to keep the Menominee language, and its people, alive.

“Some of our children that are here, our teenagers, they don’t quite realize sometimes the importance of our history, our language, and how we almost lost it, our culture and our traditions,” he said. “Now, we’re close to reclaiming that and having it in the open air, where it should be.”

The project has support from U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin and U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, according to Regina Washinawatok, who sits on the boards for both Menomini yoU and the Menominee Indian School District. Washinawatok noted that Menomini yoU formed in 2020 as the pandemic raged and helped to accelerate efforts to get quarantined residents to learn how to speak Omaeqnomeneweqnaesen.

“Our language has a spirit. I’ve probably heard that before, but it hit me in my heart,” Washinawatok said. “There is no doubt in my mind that the spirit of our Menominee language spoke and moved.”

Burton Warrington, Menomini yoU executive director, noted that people’s efforts to promote the Menominee language is “moving the boulder a little further up the hill,” but it’s producing results. During the pandemic, volunteers put out feelers to see how many people were interested in learning Omaeqnomeneweqnaesen online. About 25 people were expected to sign up, but Menomini yoU wound up getting 245 people wanting to learn. For the next class, 250 people signed up. The total 2020 U.S. Census count for people who identify as Menominee was 3,293.

“We decided, ‘All right, we have to keep doing this, because there’s a real demand for it,’” Warrington said. “We realized we needed space because we didn’t have the space to grow as an organization.”

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com