The research could have global impacts on mosquito-borne diseases such as Dengue and Yellow fever which causes hundreds of thousands of deaths every year.

Watch the video to hear more about the game-changing potential of RNA technology and the research being done right here at UM.

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.

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”).

Dr. Pelka, a professor in the Department of Microbiology in the Faculty of Science at UM, along with researchers at the Universities of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Calgary, recently received $57 million in critical funding to conduct world-leading vaccine and biomanufacturing research in two new labs at the Fort Garry and Bannatyne campuses. It means UM will be perfectly positioned to play a significant role in addressing future pandemic threats in Canada and around the world.

The work of other UM researchers such as Dr. Keith Fowkes and Dr. Jason Kindrachuk will also provide critical insights to this field of research.

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.

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.

He’s an business founder, innovator and executive who has helped 400 founders get their startups going in India. Idea Start office is currently located on the main floor of UMSU University Centre, adjacent to the food court and you can meet with Rajeev every Friday from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Watch the video to learn more.

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.

What you should know about Dr. James Blanchard and his research:

• Dr. James Blanchard [B.Sc.(Med.)/86, MD/86], executive director of the UM Institute for Global Public Health, leads health research and programming to support reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health in Asia and Africa.

• The Institute for Global Public Health (IGPH) has helped position UM health researchers as leaders in global public health. IGPH is rooted in the Department of Community Health Sciences in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences but has a university-wide mandate.

• In Canada, he has been a leader in developing methods to study the emerging epidemics of diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.

Research impacts:

• In 2014, approximately 45 out of every 1,000 babies died within the first month of life in Uttar Pradesh, India. By 2019, neonatal mortality rates decreased to 36 per 1,000 live births.

• Over the past 25 years, Blanchard has also provided leadership globally to applying research to improve the design and implementation of large public health programs related to sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS.

Recent honours and honourable mentions:

• In 2022, Blanchard’s research was given a major injection of support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The funding of US$87 million will help the government of Uttar Pradesh scale up critical initiatives across the state to prioritize the health of pregnant women and their children.

• Elected as a fellow the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) in 2022. The CAHS Fellowship recognizes excellence in health sciences. Election to Fellowship in the Academy is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community.

Must-read or Must-see:

READ: Cross collaborations in health with university and government in India

VIDEO: How UM researchers are saving lives in India

What’s next:

• New global health initiatives and collaborations with partners will advance UM’s role in promoting the use of science in designing and implementing high-impact public health programs.

• Advancing knowledge to improve health programs and services for socially and economically excluded urban and peri-urban populations in south Asia.

• Developing partnerships with academic institutions in other countries for graduate education in community health sciences and global health.

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.

What you should know about Feiyue Wang and his research:

• As Tier-1 Canada Research Chair in Arctic Environmental Chemistry, he looks at current and emerging contaminants in the Arctic and global environments and how they interact with climate change.
• Wang is a researcher at the Centre for Earth Observation Science and leads the Churchill Marine Observatory and Sea-Ice Environmental Research Facility.
• Building upon his pioneering research on mercury in sea ice, his research team is studying how oil spills and other emerging contaminants associated with Arctic development can affect the Arctic ecosystem and human health. Ultimately, his research will provide critical knowledge and tools to improve policies and practices for sustainable development in the Arctic.

Recent honours and honourable mentions:

• Holds an Honorary Professorship at Aarhus University (Denmark)
• Serves as a national expert for Canada on mercury assessment for the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program and the United Nations Environment Program
• In 2021, The Chemical Institute of Canada recognized him with the Dima Award for distinguished contributions to research and developments in the field of environmental chemistry or environmental chemical engineering
• Winnipeg Free Press: U of M receives research awards

Must-read or Must-see:

Conversation Canada: How we solved an Arctic mercury mystery 

UM Knowledge Exchange-Now You Sea Ice

What’s next:

• The Grand Opening of the Churchill Marine Observatory (summer 2024)
• A new major research initiative, “Reimagining Arctic and Central Canada Accessibility through Hudson Bay (REACH)”

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.