The guy behind the guy

This is WONDERFUL to hear!

Yea, and if the culture and language had been given the respect it deserved in the first place, this article wouldn't even exist. How wonderful that Native Americans are finally allowed to acknowledge their heritage. I hope it's not too late.

It's unfortunate that Mrs. Wilke is NOT Ojibwe--she claims the heritage, but cannot prove it. She has driven many qualified (by bloodline and knowledge) Ojibwe staff out of Indian Education program in the St. Paul Public Schools, and many of those who are left are also "wannabes" who teach American Indian culture and language, and do more harm than good as they teach it incorrectly and in a fragmented manner. Unfortunately, this is a problem not just in the SPPS district, but nationwide. Hopefully, the schools up north are doing a more credible job--language is a critical part of culture.

Our government and public schools are irresponsibly wasting taxpayer dollars on things that have no relevance to teaching our children how to compete in a 21st Century global economy. We waste billions on preserving old buildings, reintroducing dead languages, and celebrating cultural trappings that make people feel good, but have no public utility. If privately funded organizations want to preserve aspects of a group's ancestoral language, fine, but zero taxpayer dollars should be spent on it.

TheWellisDry wrote:

Our government and public schools are irresponsibly wasting taxpayer dollars on things that have no relevance to teaching our children how to compete in a 21st Century global economy. We waste billions on preserving old buildings, reintroducing dead languages, and celebrating cultural trappings that make people feel good, but have no public utility. If privately funded organizations want to preserve aspects of a group's ancestoral language, fine, but zero taxpayer dollars should be spent on it.

Two points...as opposed to wasting billions rebuilding a foreign country and it's infrastructure while they have billions themselves? Secondly, I wonder how "dead" the Ojibwe language ever was? Probably as dead and ineffectual as German, French, Chinese, or even Latin?

What about the LaKoTa?

Wonderful! It is encouraging to know about the renaissance of Native American cultures. They are beautiful; it would be a shame to lose these precious philosophies and practices.

Amazing how the header of this story, "The guy behind the guy" has no relation to the news story this thread is attached to!

Overlords -- you have failed us again!

Madaman wrote:

Amazing how the header of this story, "The guy behind the guy" has no relation to the news story this thread is attached to!
Overlords -- you have failed us again!

Wow-when did that happen? When I posted it wasn't such.

Susie wrote:

<quoted text>
Wow-when did that happen? When I posted it wasn't such.

There is no stopping the Engine of Progress!

Chimook-

Having worked at one of the SPPS schools mentioned. Many of the "qualified" Objiwe teachers were substandard teachers. The school became much more successful and families became more involved as these teachers were forced to leave.

Meanwhile these "wannabes" teach the culture and respect the culture. Which I would argue some of the previously mentioned teachers did not.

Chas Batiste, before he passed away from cancer last year, taught at the Red School House in St. Paul, before it lost it's money to continue operating. It was a school for everyone, with an extra specialty of teaching Native American culture along with all the normal stuff. It's great to see a school that seems to do this also. THANKS :)

Mantra wrote:

<quoted text>Two points...as opposed to wasting billions rebuilding a foreign country and it's infrastructure while they have billions themselves? Secondly, I wonder how "dead" the Ojibwe language ever was? Probably as dead and ineffectual as German, French, Chinese, or even Latin?

Two more points: 1) Perhaps someday that foreign country we're paying to rebuild will pay us back, instead of bombing us into the stone age? 2) Trust me, the Ojibwe language is going nowhere, and I hope those who learn to speak it will be big hits in the soup line.

JakChik wrote:

What about the LaKoTa?

Too politically incorrect. The Sioux were hunters and warriors who despised the federal government and who believed in a meritocracy. That wouldn't go over too well in the unionists schools.

better then ebonics,

Bob the Bilderberg wrote:

<quoted text>
Too politically incorrect. The Sioux were hunters and warriors who despised the federal government and who believed in a meritocracy. That wouldn't go over too well in the unionists schools.

Wrong....they do teach about the Lakota and learn the language. With no objections.....

I thought the 'guy behind the guy' headline was about calif proposition 8.

why are readers objecting to this? I listened to the postgame interview with Tjack today, he recieved a college educatioon free and today he used the word "uh' or "um" eight thimes in 45 seconds
maybe learning Lakota isnt so bad

Learning a foreign language is a time-honored practice in education. Big deal if its ojibwe rather than latin, french, german, or spanish.

BailMeOut wrote:

<quoted text>
Two more points: 1) Perhaps someday that foreign country we're paying to rebuild will pay us back, instead of bombing us into the stone age? 2) Trust me, the Ojibwe language is going nowhere, and I hope those who learn to speak it will be big hits in the soup line.

Curses to you and blessings to them, that they succeed and are counted among the rest of the good people in their country.