ASHLAND, WI (WSAU-WXPR) – Visitors to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are familiar with the names of some of the biggest islands, like Madeline Island, Oak Island, and Stockton Island.
But those names are relatively new.
Centuries ago, Ojibwe people started calling them by names in their own language.
Now, the National Lakeshore is including those names in its materials and education, says Justin Olson, the Deputy Program Manager for Interpretation and Education for the park. “It’s really important to tell the whole story of this place. The place names are the original names of this place. It’s important that we acknowledge these are the names they’ve used throughout time and are still used in communities today.”
The park’s official brochure and map now features place names in both English and the Ojibwe language.
On the park’s website, visitors can hear the name of each place spoken in Ojibwe. “Ojibwemowin is traditionally an oral language, so, for us, it was important not just to see the words but to hear them. As others have told us, hearing and speaking the words helps preserve that culture.”
The first brochures including the Ojibwe place names were available to the public last year.
Olson says the addition has been popular with the public.
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