VIROQUA, WI, BAYFIELD, WI, USA – Wonderstate Coffee announces the release of a special shirt featuring the Ojibwe word for coffee, Makade-Mashkikiwaaboo, which translates to “black medicine water.” All proceeds from the sale of this shirt will benefit the School District of Bayfield’s Ojibwe Immersion Program, an initiative dedicated to preserving and revitalizing the Ojibwe language through education and cultural immersion.
The School District of Bayfield’s Commitment to Language and Culture
This fall, the Bayfield School District launched an Ojibwemowin Immersion Program for kindergarten students in partnership with the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. The program is part of a broader effort to reclaim cultural identity and revitalize Indigenous lifeways in a district where 69.2% of the 420 students identify as Native American.
“I can’t understate how significant this is — not only for our community in our area, but for our children and their future,” said Beth Manidoo Makwa Paap, District Administrator and Red Cliff tribal member.
“Cultural identity has been something that the federal government has worked really hard to strip away from Indigenous people, and the fight continues to reclaim identity and lifeways.”
The program is designed to grow with students, expanding to include grades K-5 by adding a new grade each year. While immersion will primarily focus on Ojibwemowin, students will also learn Ojibwe cultural practices, such as the harvesting and processing of wild rice (manoomin), a tradition already incorporated into district education for the past four years.
How to Support the Program
Purchasing the Makade-Mashkikiwaaboo shirt is a simple yet impactful way to contribute to this critical work. By wearing the shirt, supporters can spark conversations about the importance of preserving Indigenous languages and cultures while directly funding educational efforts to ensure the Ojibwe language thrives for future generations.
