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As UW–Madison graduates celebrated commencement this spring, banners and yard signs around campus congratulated them in the Indigenous languages of the state, including Ho-Chunk and Ojibwe.
The signage was a project of Enwejig, an Indigenous languages group that formed about a year ago on campus.
“Our primary goal is to bring awareness of the importance of Indigenous languages to the university community and to enhance the university’s commitment to teaching the languages and working with Indigenous communities on language reclamation,” says Monica Macaulay, a professor of language sciences.
Enwejig (pronounced ain-WAY-jig) is an Ojibwe word that means “those who speak.” The name honors the speakers and learners of Indigenous languages, says Brian McInnes, an associate professor of civil society and community studies/American Indian studies.
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