MENWI

Most Meskwaki born before 1960 were raised with Meskwaki as their first language, learning English only upon entering school. Although Meskwaki continues to be a common vehicle of communication among adults, English has made increasing inroads. Indeed, the current generation of students is among the first to enter the Meskwaki Settlement School with little if any proficiency in their heritage language. It is clear to Meskwaki leaders that their language has reached a critical juncture, and with it many aspects of what has been the Meskwaki way of life.

Rather than simply reinforcing and enriching their knowledge of the language, the Meskwaki Language and Culture Program, housed within the School, is now confronted with the task of teaching Meskwaki to children who do not speak it. The program is also faced with a lack of material suitable to develop a Meskwaki curriculum designed for that purpose. Having assessed the situation, Meskwaki leaders have determined that a concerted effort will serve the situation best, hence the emergence of the Meskwaki Education NetWork Initiative, or MENWI.

A collaborative initiative between the Meskwaki Settlement School located on the Meskwaki Settlement in Iowa and the American Indian Studies Research Institute (AISRI) located at Indiana University-Bloomington, MENWI serves to network the expertise of the two institutions toward the development of multimedia curriculum materials for use by the Meskwaki Language and Culture Program. In addition to being an acronym, menwi is a Meskwaki root word that means the state of a thing is ‘good’ or ‘fine.’ It is our collective hope that MENWI will both live up to and exceed its namesake.