NMU BMCC Partner on Certificate to Prepare Kindergarten to Grade 12 Teachers for Anishinaabemowin Language and Culture


BRIMLEY / MARQUETTE, Michigan (WJMN) – Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) and Northern Michigan University (NMU) are teaming up to provide a new teaching certificate starting this fall.

The certificate is designed to prepare K-12 teachers for the Anishinaabemowin language and culture. The Michigan Department of Education has granted initial approval for the program until June 30, 2026.

Students can choose one of two certificate pathways: earning an Associate of Arts degree in Anishinaabe Language Teaching at BMCC and completing the required teacher training courses at NMU. The second option is to take language courses through NMU’s Center for Native American Studies (CNAS) and supplement with teacher training courses that meet the requirements. Both pathways include a 33-credit professional study sequence offered by the NMU School of Education, Leadership and Public Service.

“Our partnership with the study programs at Bay Mills and Northern is at the forefront of teaching the importance and relevance of Indigenous knowledge and culture,” said Amber Morseau, Director of NMU’s CNAS . “This is what innovation looks like in Indian country. This is how we work together, ask questions and solve community-centric problems with the aspiration to impact others around us. On our campus, we heard a lot about the sequel and how do we get there? And how can we get there faster without the time it takes to create meaningful and lasting relationships with our environment?

Innovation can be sustainable if we better understand the nations that collaborate with us beyond the human realm. Teaching Anishinaabemowin gives us the foundation for understanding these relationships on a deeper level. We can examine and invest in the future of our world simply by examining the lessons of our past. “

“Bay Mills Community College is delighted to partner with Northern Michigan University to offer a state-certified Anishinaabemowin Teaching Certificate,” said Duane Bedell, President of BMCC. “Through this partnership, students will be able to share the Anishinaabemowin language and culture in Michigan’s public school systems. Not only will this help share our language and culture, but it will also help keep our language and culture alive. “

Morseau explains how teachers can use the certificate in the classroom.

“We have this momentum to develop a deeper value in education as a whole. This certificate is rooted in these beliefs that relationships and meaning go far beyond what can be capitalized on. The value of what is remembered and displayed by these students could be critical for a sustainable lifestyle in the future, ”said Morseau.

As a condition of initial approval from the Michigan Department of Education, NMU will continuously assess students ‘and graduates’ proficiency in both language skills and corresponding teacher preparation standards.

For more information, you can visit the CNAS website nmu.edu/nativeamericanstudies/ or the BMCC website https://www.bmcc.edu/.

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