About Wicoie Nandagikendan
Wicoie Nandagikendan Early Childhood Urban Immersion Program
- Emphasizing indigenous language and culture in the classroom
- Providing preschool curriculum taught in Dakota or Ojibwe.
- Partnering with families and the community for the success of all children.
Wicoie Nandagikendan Early Childhood Urban Immersion Program is the first indigenous urban preschool immersion program created in Minneapolis. Wicoie Nandagikendan offers a half day immersion experience comparable to the preschool lessons in the English classrooms but they are taught entirely in Dakota or Ojibwe languages.
The office for Wicoie Nandgikendan
Minnesota Chippewa Tribal Building 1308 East Franklin Avenue, Suite 126, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Enrollment in a WN classroom
Will increase your child’s positive self identity, self esteem, creativity, and other skills that helps increase their critical thinking, mental flexibility, sensitivity to others. Children who attend are found to be testing higher then those who are not in an immersion class.
If your child does not know either Dakota or Ojibwe
They will learn as a group while they learn skills and subjects they will need to be kindergarten ready. Your child does not need to know Dakota or Ojibwe to be enrolled.
Learning Dakota and Ojibwe After being exposed to the language for 10 to 12 weeks your child will be able to comprehend a majority of what is spoken to them in the language. Children will understand long before they actually speak. Children are more capable of speaking after 25 to 30 weeks of exposure to a new language. Support and encouragement at home and in the community will make children more willing to speak the language.
English will not be affected
Because the skills learned in the second language are available for using and learning in the first language and vice versa
Contributions
Contributing time, specialized skills and donations are welcome. Just contact our office and we will help to make your visit or contribution possible.
Wicoie Nandagikendan provides
Dakota and Ojibwe with the Family Partnership in the four Directions Child Care Center located in the Little Earth Neighborhood Early Learning Center.
1527 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55407
Contact Mary Rainey at 612-722-0762
The Four Directions Center serves up to 14 children in each room from toddlers to school age children.
Also in 2004 the group gained support from Minnesota 11 tribes and developed the Dakota Ojibwe Language Revitalization Alliance. This group worked to identify the needs and resources of language efforts across the state of Minnesota. Thorough networking and the support of each other, the group approached the state of Minnesota to obtain the commitment from the State of Minnesota to acknowledge the language needs of all Native people of Minnesota.