Lucie Skjefte is a leading advocate for language immersion for Indigenous students.

“Historically, we were taught not to speak our language,” she explains. “Like my grandmother, her experience at residential school was quite horrible, she was not allowed to speak her language. She was reprimanded and disciplined.

Skjefte, a member of the Red Lake Tribal, now serves on the Minneapolis school board.

She won the seat in November in a draw after a live board vote resulted in a tie with Fatimah Hussein.

As chair of the school district’s Native American Parent Advisory Committee, Skjefte focused largely on Anishinabe Academy in Minneapolis.

She says about 200 Indigenous students have taken classes there, in language immersion before kindergarten – with the possibility of continuing in subsequent years.

“Language is more than language; it’s our way of life,” says Jaeden King, a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and descendant of the Red Lake Nation. “Right now, there is a gap between our younger generation… There are the fluent elders and the bridge between the English-speaking generations now. I think immersion schools would be a great way to connect the old generation and the new generation.

King graduated from the University of Minnesota, majoring in Native American studies and Ojibwe language.

She is currently working on a master’s degree in business administration and plans to open an Ojibwe immersion daycare.

“It helps them develop the language faster,” King says. “The younger they are when they are exposed to the language, the more likely they are to develop these linguistic abilities, those of their native language.”

Skjefte’s hope is that the academy would eventually be transformed into a language immersion center — which would include Native and Spanish language immersion — and have its own separate facilities in south Minneapolis.

A district spokesperson said a university advisory committee is currently working on a report on possible sites.

Skjefte says that when his 15-year-old son, Animikii, took immersion classes as a young student at the academy, he learned Ojibwe songs and language exercises like counting from one to ten.

“It was really empowering for her to strengthen her own sense of Indigenous identity at such a young age,” she recalls. “It was so powerful to see how bright it shined for him.”

The academy’s goal is to take the plunge for the 2025-2026 school year.

Both King and Skjefte say they are excited about Indigenous students.

“It’s a great way to help maintain our identity and continue to thrive in a modern society,” King says.

“This ripples through each of our generations,” Skjefte adds. “It’s a pivotal moment for me, and so whatever happens, I can’t wait to see what it looks like.”