Scholars and linguists tell us that language diversity is as important to the world and our systems of knowledge as biological diversity. The Ojibwe language has historically been repressed by policymakers and educators in the US and Canada, though there are many, complex reasons why fewer people today speak Ojibwe. Boarding schools, urban life, popular culture, and even participation in public school education all demanded that we speak English. Beginning in 1879, the United States established off-reservation federal boarding schools to re-educate Indian children and youth in the English language and American life-ways. Indigenous languages throughout the world are in decline, and have been since Europeans first colonized the Americas. Speakers of Ojibwe consider their language to be precise, descriptive, and visual, and feel that it is among the greatest treasures of their cultural heritage. Each dialect (and within dialects, each local variety) differs in details of pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar from the others, with differences between non-adjacent dialects often being great enough to impede understanding between their speakers. Ojibwe is not a single standardized language, but a chain of linked local varieties, grouped into nearly a dozen dialects. Ojibwe Country primarily extends from Quebec, across Ontario and Manitoba to Saskatchewan in Canada, and from Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota in the United States. Ojibwe is the heritage language of more than 200,000 Ojibwe people who reside in the United States and Canada. Why we need the Ojibwe People's Dictionary It is our goal to make The Ojibwe People's Dictionary a continually expanding resource for Ojibwe language and culture. The Ojibwe People's Dictionary has thousands of entries and audio, with more coming online each week. Whenever possible, we provide examples of documents in the Ojibwe language. Along with detailed Ojibwe language entries and voices, you will find beautiful cultural items, photographs, and excerpts from relevant historical documents. It is also a gateway into the Ojibwe collections at the Minnesota Historical Society. The Ojibwe People's Dictionary is a searchable, talking Ojibwe-English dictionary that features the voices of Ojibwe speakers. Welcome to the Ojibwe People's Dictionary
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