Native American Scholar Links Language and Tribal Identity: Dr. Anton Treuer's passion for the Ojibwe language goes beyond the purview of academic study. As an assistant professor of Ojibwe language in the Languages and Ethnic Studies Department at Bemidji State University in Minnesota, Treuer's personal and professional life revolves around the study and preservation of the language and culture.
Surprisingly, Treuer is not an Ojibwe native speaker. He learned the language as an adult when he returned to his homeland in and around the Leech Lake Ojibwe Reservation in Minnesota. He believes maintaining the language is tied to the survival of Ojibwe tribal identity.
'Language is a fundamental attribute of tribal sovereignty,' he says. Without language, Treuer believes all tribal peoples lose an essential cornerstone to their identities.
