Waadookodaading to Unify with LCO Ojibwe School

In an unprecedented move in Wisconsin education, the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Immersion school, a division of the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute, will unify with the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School, a local Bureau of Indian Education contract school. Although Waadookodaading has been located on the Lac Courte Oreilles reservation and has worked within the BIE's school campus for six years, it has until now maintained its charter through the Hayward Community School District.

The charter that was developed in order to open Waadookodaading fulfilled its initial intentions: Support an academic program that would create proficient speakers of the Ojibwe language who are able to meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world.

Over the last few decades, Wisconsin has been experimenting with charter schools but have yet to develop an effective policy that would ensure longevity of charter schools. Currently, the charter schools that have been afforded the ability to be fiscally viable are primarily located in urban settings.
Waadookodaading is unique in that it is one of the original Tribal charter schools in the state of Wisconsin and a large number of participating students are citizens of tribal nations. It is also a language immersion school, meaning that all of the core subjects are taught through the medium of the Ojibwe language. It is because of these reasons that Waadookodaading and the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribe were uniquely positioned to reclaim educational sovereignty by forming a partnership between the two entities.

When asked about incorporating an Ojibwe language track into the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School, Lac Courte Oreilles tribal chairman Michael Isham, Jr., stated, “The federal government put millions (of dollars) into getting rid of our language and culture. This partnership marks a historical shift as federal funds will now be used to bring our language back.”

Mike Leahy, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School Director added, “We welcome this opportunity to offer a second educational track within our school. It has always been the mission of Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School to support and promote educational excellence, especially in the area of Ojibwe language. We look forward to the addition of linguistic innovation that Waadookodaading brings to the table.”

Brooke Mosay Ammann, Executive Director of Waadookodaading Ojibwe Language Institute, said, “this partnership is an opportunity to ensure the linguistic vibrancy of Lac Courte Oreilles and the surrounding area. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our many supporters over the last fourteen years. I would particularly like to thank Hayward Community School District Board and Craig Olson for their resolute support. We are looking forward to the many opportunities this new educational choice presents.”