The Menominee Nation signed an agreement with the state of Wisconsin formally ending assimilation in schools Monday.
Menominee Nation chairman Ronald Corn Sr. and state superintendent of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Jill Underly met in Keshena to complete the memorandum of understanding.
School assimilation in Wisconsin has historically required Indigenous children to take on mainstream American customs and culture, leading to Indigenous language loss.
The agreement ensures that state schools will end all assimilation attempts and make an effort to educate students on Native culture. This includes Menominee language revitalization efforts, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette.
“I’m especially happy to see that the agreement supports Menominee language revitalization and reclamation, which is such a crucial part of identity and culture,” University of Wisconsin professor of linguistics Monica Macaulay said in an email statement to The Badger Herald.
As an affiliate of UW’s American Indian Studies program, Macaulay feels the university is making strides toward Menominee language revitalization. The program is now offering Menominee language classes, according to Macaulay.
Macaulay is a member of the UW linguistic justice group Enwejig, which strives to raise awareness of Indigenous languages at UW.
“It’s absolutely crucial that the university continues to support these goals,” Macaulay said.
Historically, Menominee language and cultural preservation have been mostly limited to the Menominee Indian School District in Keshena. The Menominee Indian Reservation operates the school district, offering youth language immersion classes, according to the website.
The assimilation agreement also asked the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to provide the Menominee Tribe with resources such as cultural awareness education, mental health services and financial help, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette.
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With Indigenous peoples experiencing psychological distress at 1.5 times the rate of the general population, these resources will provide support for the Menominee nation to thrive.
A report on memorandums within Wisconsin was released discussing previous agreements which emphasized collaboration and compromise. The recent Menominee memorandum resembles other memorandums of understanding signed by the state and Wisconsin Indigenous Tribes within the past decade.
