“Star Wars (Anangong Miigaading): A New Hope” movie poster.

When Pat Ningewance, assistant professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies, first heard “Star Wars (Anangong Miigaading): A New Hope” in Anishinaabemowin, she couldn’t help but smile. The hum of lightsabers, the beeps of R2-D2 and the clash between good and evil had all stayed the same—but now, they were infused with the voices of her people.

For decades, Ningewance, who was lead translator on the film, has been an advocate for Indigenous language revitalization, teaching, translating and writing to ensure Anishinaabemowin remains strong for future generations. Translating an iconic sci-fi film into Anishinaabemowin? That was a brand-new challenge.

“It was exciting, but also a little nerve-wracking,” she admits. “We had to make sure it felt natural. We had to ask: How would a fluent speaker of Anishinaabemowin say, ‘May the Force be with you’ in a way that carries the same power and meaning?”

Celebrating language revitalization on National Indigenous Languages Day

March 31 is National Indigenous Languages Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the rich linguistic heritage of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada. It is also a time to reflect on the importance of revitalization efforts and the urgent need to preserve Indigenous languages for future generations.

Projects like the Anishinaabemowin “Star Wars” adaptation show how language can thrive when presented in new and engaging ways. By weaving Indigenous languages into pop culture, these efforts ensure that younger generations can see—and hear—their languages in the world around them.

Language is a way to connect with Ancestors

Voice cast, filmmakers, costumed characters and special guests celebrate “Star Wars (Anangong Miigaading), A New Hope” at the world premiere in Winnipeg on August 8, 2024. Photo by Mike Sudoma for Disney.

Dr. Cary Miller, associate professor in Indigenous Studies and the film’s project manager, has long supported Indigenous language revitalization efforts and believes projects like this do more than preserve language—they breathe life into it.

“Language is more than just words,” she says. “It’s how we see the world, how we connect with our ancestors. When we put Anishinaabemowin in a space like “Anangong Miigaading,” we’re showing young people that their language belongs everywhere—not just in textbooks, but in movies, in music, in their everyday lives.”

For many Indigenous youth, hearing their language in “Anangong Miigaading” is more than just cool—it’s transformative. It tells them that their language is alive, relevant and full of possibility.

More than just a film

The Anishinaabemowin “Star Wars: A New Hope” project isn’t just a film translation. It’s recognition that Indigenous languages belong in every space—on the big screen, in pop culture and in the hearts and minds of future generations.

For centuries, Indigenous languages were systematically silenced through colonial acts like residential schools, which aimed to erase them completely. As a result, many Indigenous communities have fought tirelessly to keep their languages alive, with fluent speakers dwindling. This project represents a new frontier in language revitalization, using modern media to reconnect younger generations with their linguistic and cultural heritage.

Indigenous languages thriving

Maeengan Linklater from the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council and Michael Kohn from Lucasfilm speak to UM Filmmakers Club.

National Indigenous Languages Day serves as a powerful reminder that Indigenous languages are not relics of the past—they are languages of the future. From film translations to language classes, these efforts help reclaim and strengthen these languages for generations to come.

This past February, the Office of the Vice-President (Indigenous) brought this groundbreaking film project to UM’s Fort Garry campus as part of the Indigenous Scholars Speaker Series. They hosted an event featuring a panel discussion with key contributors to the project, including Ningewance and Dr. Miller, as well as project partners Maeengan Linklater from the Dakota Ojibway

Tribal Council and Michael Kohn from Lucasfilm. The discussion was followed by a screening of the Anishinaabemowin-dubbed “Star Wars: A New Hope” and visit to the UM Filmmakers Club.

Panelists shared the story behind this significant project—why it matters, the challenges of translation and how hearing Anishinaabemowin in a blockbuster film can inspire a new generation of speakers. Dr. Miller says these conversations and interactions with students are important and she hopes to continue them in the future.

“Offering panels and screenings provides a chance for students and the broader community to hear, learn from and engage with Indigenous languages in a meaningful way. These events reinforce that our languages are not just surviving—they are thriving!”

As we celebrate Indigenous languages on March 31, it’s a reminder that revitalization is a shared responsibility. Whether through learning, speaking or supporting initiatives that bring these languages into new spaces, we all have a role to play.

You can watch “Anangong Miigaading” any time on Disney+. 

“Gi-ga-miinigoowiz Mamaandaawiziwin”—”May the Force be with you.” And may Indigenous languages continue to thrive.

© & TM Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.

Below are some scrolling images from the exciting world premiere event, where the film adaptation’s voice cast, producers and fans celebrated the occasion.

And check out the movie trailer, which uses behind-the-scenes and interview footage shot by UM film studies students Caden Nikkel, Isham Behl, Shubneet Bhatia and Ciara McLeod.

Cary Miller, associate professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies, was the film’s project manager and Patricia Ningewance, assistant professor, Indigenous Studies, was the lead translator on the film.

Miller said, “If we can have that language reinforced through movies — through video games, through the media that children want to consume after they go home from school, even if it’s an immersion school — then we’re creating more places of contact and more opportunities for language to just be a part of the way our young people think and act.”

The adaptation was covered by several news channels: 

• Star Wars adaptation to Ojibwe, (C. Miller and P. Ningewance), CBC Radio One Edmonton
• Ojibwe-dubbed Star Wars film brings ‘a new hope’ for endangered language, say cast members, (P. Ningewance), CBC
• A New Hope for Anishinaabemowin, (C. Miller and P. Ningewance), Winnipeg Free Press
• Ojibwe version of Star Wars: A new hope premieres tonight, (P. Ningewance and C. Miller), CTV Morning Live Winnipeg
• ‘This is going to be huge,’ Manitoba actress says as premiere of Ojibwe-dubbed Start Wars film nears, (C. Miller), CBC
• ‘Gi-ga-miinigoowiz Mamaandaawiziwin’: Ojibwe ‘Star Wars’ movie to open in Winnipeg, (C. Miller), Canadian Press

Star Wars (Anangong Miigaading): A New Hope will have its streaming premiere on Sunday, October 13, 2024 at 8 p.m. CST on both the APTN and APTN Languages channel. The film will make its debut on Disney+ on Sunday, October 27.

“Gi-ga-miinigoowiz Mamaandaawiziwin” (“May the Force be with you”).

It’s in select Cineplex theatres starting Saturday, Aug. 10. 

Star Wars (Anangong Miigaading), A New Hope will premiere on Sunday, 13th October 2024 at 6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET on both the APTN and APTN Languages channel. The film will make its debut on Disney+ on to be announced at a further date.

You can read more at What’s Up on Disney Plus.

Pat Ningewance Nadeau was the lead translator of Star Wars: A New Hope (Anangong Miigaading), set to premiere Aug. 8, a partnership between Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council, the University of Manitoba, Disney/Lucasfilm, and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. Nadeau’s son Maeengan Linklater was the project lead. And the role of Luke Skywalker is played by Linklater’s son Aandeg Jedi (AJ) Muldrew.

To read the full article, please visit The Globe and Mail. 

The movie trailer uses behind-the-scenes and interview footage shot by UM Film Studies students Caden Nikkel, Isham Behl, Shubneet Bhatia and Ciara McLeod.

Cary Miller, Assistant Professor, Department of Indigenous Studies, served as one of the project leads and Patricia Ningewance, Assistant Professor, Department of Indigenous Studies, was the lead translator.

In December 2023, Lucasfilm, the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council, APTN and the University of Manitoba reached an agreement to record a dubbed Ojibwe version of Star Wars: A New Hope.

The project brought together a wide range of talent and multigenerational Anishinaabe speakers to bring this version to life. The dubbing was done over a 10-day period in early May in Winnipeg with the final mix completed at Skywalker Sound. The project is supported in part by the Government of Canada through the Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program from Canadian Heritage. Dougald Lamont helped launch this project in 2021 after proposing it to Pablo Hidalgo, a former Winnipegger and Lucasfilm executive as a language revitalization project in support of reconciliation.

Starting on August 10, the film will debut in limited release in Winnipeg and other select markets. Walt Disney Studios Canada is collaborating with exhibitors in Winnipeg and other select markets to offer free screenings for the community. The film will make its debut on Disney+ and APTN on a future date.

“Gi-ga-miinigoowiz Mamaandaawiziwin” (“May the Force be with you”).

UM Today: For hundreds of years, Indigenous peoples were stopped from speaking their languages across Manitoba and Canada. Despite that, Statistics Canada notes there are a diversity of Indigenous languages still being spoken, today. What does it mean to you to be part of keeping them alive and thriving?

Pat: I’m very grateful to have the skills, experience and knowledge to help keep my language alive and thriving. I’ve been writing and publishing Ojibwe language books for the past 20 years through my publishing company Mazinaate Inc. There are textbooks, a workbook, phrase books and an Ojibwe Thesaurus. They are all written in the standard double vowel orthography.

UM Today: How common is Anishinaabemowin and how valuable is it in reflecting the environment, from the land to people?

Pat: The Ojibwe language is still spoken in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and western Ontario. It’s not so common anymore in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

How does it reflect our relationship to the environment? We can describe geography much differently. The language is polysynthetic—meaning it’s made up of morphemes—units of meaning. So, one can describe nature infinitely with one long word. Not like in English where we use smaller words. There are also two classes of grammar and vocabulary; animate and inanimate.

UM Today: Are you seeing a renewed interest in Anishinaabemowin and what positive steps can communities take to foster its growth?

Pat: Yes, there is renewed interest in the language amongst the youth. Twenty years ago, Introductory Ojibwe would have 15-20 students enrolled. Now, it’s more than 30. But we still need more awareness of the importance of the language, in the communities. There is a big gap between the fluent older adults and the young people. The young ones cannot speak the language so they cannot understand the speakers at public community events.

UM Today: You played a key role in translating Star Wars: A New Hope into Anishinaabemowin in partnership with UM, Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council (DOTC) and LucasFilm/Disney. How did you get involved and why was it important for you to take on such a key role?

Pat: My son, Maeengan Linklater, is the Director of Operations at Dakota Ojibwe Tribal Council (DOTC). Being a big Star Wars fan, he initiated the project when he heard of the Navajo version. I had done this kind of work before in Ontario, so I wrote the proposal and he developed it further with Cary Miller at UM and they submitted it to Heritage Canada. It got funded. I’ve translated all my life and I’ve done versioning in Ontario. It made sense to take the lead in this project.

UM Today: What do you think it will mean to future generations to see Anishinaabemowin featured in the Star Wars universe?

Pat: It will be a special moment when a young person sees their own ancestral language spoken on the big screen in Star Wars. It will mean that our language is relevant. It belongs here today. It is not a thing of the past.

UM Today: Can you share with us any other projects you will be working on at UM or in the community?

Pat:

• I’m working on a large modern Manitoba and western Ontario dictionary. It has 15,000 words so far.

• I’m writing the report of the First Language Reclamation Summit. This was a conference I organized and hosted at UM in late November 2023. The purpose was to have delegates discuss the block that prevents us from passing on our language to the next generation and hinders today’s language students in learning easily. It’s the first time this topic has been talked about. I’ve gone to many native language conferences in North America and never seen it addressed. So, this will be a very important report.

• We have had two two-week Ojibwe Immersion courses in Winnipeg. One off-campus and one on-campus. I’m developing methods that facilitate conversational Ojibwe quickly. It’s exciting to see. I love this work very much.

UM Faces & Spaces is a monthly feature showcasing the people and places across UM that are transforming the student experience, advancing innovation in research, driving change and creating a lasting impact here in Manitoba and globally. For more stories go to our YouTube playlist.

Lucasfilm, the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council and the University of Manitoba say they’ve reached an agreement to record a dubbed Ojibwe version of “Star Wars: A New Hope.”

The first film in George Lucas’ popular sci-fi series introduces many of the beloved characters, including Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Han Solo and his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca.

Read here