By Kalvin D. Perron
Staff Reporter
BAY MILLS — On July 9, Wanda Perron of the Bay Mills History Department received 100 copies of her Ojibwe children's book from Cliffe Printing of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
The book, entitled “Sshtaa taa haa!”, or “Oh no!” in English, was a story told to her by the late Bay Mills elder John Bowen about an ice-fishing trip he went on with his family as a small boy. It was illustrated by local artist and Bay Mills member Casey Munz.
Perron said she originally wrote the book as a project for the language institute. Afterwards, she was approached by Cultural Department Project Coordinator Michelle Willis who wanted to publish the book. Willis, who had money available from an ANA (Administration for Native Americans) language grant through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, recognized the lack of Ojibwe learning material for children in the area.
“The number one goal of this grant is to fund community-based Ojibwe programs that will help to build fluent speakers of our language,” Willis said. “Our greatest challenge with teaching children has always been the lack of material. Hopefully, these books will help.”
In addition to Perron's book, Willis said they will be printing two other children's books — “My Feet just want to be Feet,” and “The Little Girl is Walking.”
The ANA language grant is a three-year grant that was modeled after other programs implemented by tribes whose language has been endangered. According to Willis, the Mohawks, Cree, and Blackfeet have all resurrected their language from near-extinction through identical programs.
