Maamakaaj!!!
LCOOC students recently attended The Meshkwadoonigeng,
Inaugural Anishinaabe Tribal College Student Competition
Hosted by the Leech Lake Tribal College
Held at the Bemidji Sanford Center Convention Center on
April 21 & 22, 2022
Meshkwadoonige vai trade for things, exchange things, exchange things;
1sg nimeshkwadoonige; prt mayeshkwadooniged (Nichols & Nyholm, 1995)
The event, was attended by the Ojibwe Tribal Colleges of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, and was an opportunity for the college students to meet and compete in various academic events. As other past college academic events and meetings have been curtailed because of Covid concerns, this event was put together and hosted by the Leech Lake Tribal college (LLTC) for students to meet and gather to test their learned skills in positive academic competitions.
Students, with the support of Faculty and staff attended the two-day event, competing in an Epiitendaagwak Ojibwemowin Language Quiz Bowl, Scientific Poster Displays, Art Contest, and a Poetry Slam.
Also, as part of this event, there were also other traditional hands-on activities and demonstrations for all to participate in: Syrup Making, Quill Work and Beading, and the stripping of willow bark for building a raft for the Sacred Water Ceremony held Friday morning.
Not only was the event a great learning experience for all, but its competition was positive and supportive for all.
In the Epiitendaagwak Ojibwemowin Language Quiz Bowl LCO students and staff did very well in the three categories:
Division I, which was for students who have no more than two semesters of Ojibwemowin the results:
1. Red Lake Nation College Magiziwag
2. Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College Misko-ishkode Zaaga’igoning, Ray Allen, Edwina Buffalo-Reyes, LaVerne Martin, and Roberto Pacheco
3. Leech Lake Tribal College Amik
Division II, which was for students who had more than two semesters of Ojibwemowin the results:
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College Moon Night, Niizhoodewii Denomie and Ray Allen
1. Leech Lake Tribal College Amik
2. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
Division of Staff and Faculty results:
1. Leech Lake Tribal College Amik 1
2. Leech Lake Tribal College Amik 2
3. Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College Wanizijig Sirella Ford and Deanna Rivers
In the Scientific poster competition, LCO students won two second place awards. Roberto Pacheco- Ray Allen-
Staff Kathy Baker participated in the Poetry Slam.
This was a very positive even and gave the students a chance to meet, to network with, to build future contacts with their contemporary college counterparts. It is hoped that this college event will grow and be continued as the positive event it was for all the colleges in Ojibwe Country, as a way to exchange and share their accumulated knowledge.