On May 16, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa unveiled a new Devil Track River sign along Highway 61. The new sign now includes the Anishinaabemowin name for the river, Manidoo-bimaadagaakowinii-ziibi, which translates to “spirits going along on the ice river.” Minnesota is one of the first states to incorporate tribal language highway signs, with its Dakota and Ojiwbe Language Signing Program dating back to 2012.

The event began with opening songs by the Stone Bridge Singers, Grand Portage’s home drum. April McCormick, an elected member of the Grand Portage Reservation Tribal Council, offered opening remarks. She shared that we can learn a lot about our history by learning the traditional names of places. “The sign recognizes not only the past, but also the present and the future, in which everyone in Cook County can engage with our language in a good way,” said McCormick.

Erik Reddix, an Ojibwemowin teacher in Grand Portage, provided the translation for the sign. He spoke about the significance of bilingual signage. Traditional place names are examples of Ojibwe knowledge and ways of interacting with the environment, knowledge that was historically silenced. Signage like this is a way to bring back that voice and knowledge. 

Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, also spoke at the event. The Commissioner emphasized the importance of the government-to-government relationship between MnDOT and the Grand Portage Band, which is a sovereign nation. The new sign is an example of this positive partnership and an expression of MnDOT’s intention to contribute to preserving the native language.

Both MnDOT and the Grand Portage Band hope to keep going with Ojibwemowin signage along Highway 61, so that travelers on this iconic roadway can learn about the language and culture of the Anishinaabe people, who are the traditional and contemporary stewards of this land.