Fond du Lac Reservation Unveils Bilingual Signs

BREVATOR TOWNSHIP - Some traffic signs in Brevator Township now have a different look and feel. That's because they are bilingual in both English and Ojibwe.Chi–wizo–zaaga'iganing is the Ojibwe translation for the Simian Lake on the Fond du Lac Reservation.The sign located on Simon Road, only in English, now also bears it's Anishinabe meaning as an effort to promote and preserve the language and culture."Keep it visible so people can see it every day, be proud of it and hopefully learn more about it and learn to speak it," Fond du Lac planning director Jason Hollinday said."We're currently in the process of hiring a language coordinator to integrate with all of our different divisions on the reservation,” said Fond du Lac Reservation language revitalization committee chair Thomas Howes. “Work in bringing back language use as a common thing." Tribal official said the signs are just the beginning of a lot of activities going on throughout the reservation and schools to promote the Anishinabe language. A bilingual sign also went up for Side Lake. There are other dual language signs throughout the reservation and Carlton County which display the names of geographical locations in English and Ojibwe.