How dual-language highway signs will revive native languages ‘in crisis mode’
, 2022-12-30 05:00:00,
Bilingual highway signs are installed in some tribal communities in Wisconsin. Tribal leaders say the banners are another step in the ongoing effort to preserve their history and culture.
In partnership with 11 federally recognized tribes, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the state Department of Transportation is installing highway signs in English and indigenous languages. Bilingual signs already exist in some Wisconsin communities.
the It was installed for the first time In November last year with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Since then, the banners have been placed in Oneida Nationin a Menominee Communitiesand in Sokaogon Chippewa Community. Highway signs identify communities in tribal areas and reservation boundaries.
“I think it brings attention to us as the area’s longest-lived residents,” said Ron Korn Sr., Menomen Chairman. “It gives us an opportunity to kind of tell our story.”
The state’s Tribal Heritage Preservation Fund funds the project through federal dollars, with $10,000 for each tribe to put up signs in their communities.
The news stirred up a mix of feelings for Oneida Nation Assemblywoman Mary Cornelius, who called it equally exciting and “absolutely overwhelming”. The signs read Taluʔkowanhné, which means “place of abundant ducks,” and…
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