On Being

Program Details

• » Particulars ¦ an annotated guide to the radio program with readings, images, and links
• » Resources
• » Books + Music
• » Krista's Journal
• » Transcript
• » Credits

Hear the Music

» On Being Playlist ¦ hear full-length tracks of each song played in the program

About the Image

Toronto-based photographer Nadya Kwandibens walks with her father at her home in northern Ontario, Canada. A member of the Northwest Angle #37 First Nation, she often confers with her father to learn Ojibwe vocabulary. (photo: Nadya Kwandibens)

Special Funding

This sustainability feature is supported by the Kendeda Sustainability Fund of the Tides Foundation.

» Additional sustainability coverage from American Public Media.

Pertinent Posts from the On Being Blog

» How an Idea Becomes a Show
Our producer writes about the road we took to finding David Treuer's voice and creating this particular show.

» Language Reclamation, Not Just Preservation
Ojibwe teacher Keller Paap reflects on his work and the necessity of his language to adapt in order for it to flourish.

» How Lucky We Are As Ojibwe People
An Ojibwe listener responds to this program with optimism — "what we have is in the future, now and in the future, thats where we live."

"They are the ones who whispered it on the playground when nobody was looking. If we lose that language, we lose who we are."
—A quote from Oglala Lakota tribe member Ryan Wilson, referring to tribal elders who were listening to young girls singing in Arapaho.

Unheard Cuts

» Unedited Interview with Treuer (mp3, 1:37.10)

Some judicious cutting went into producing this hour of radio. Here's your chance to listen to the entire conversation in which Treuer discusses his Austrian Jewish ancestry and stories about Ojibwe elders he's working with.

Spread the Word

Voice on the Radio

David Treuer

Treuer is associate professor of English at the University of Minnesota, a novelist, and translator. He divides his time between the Leech Lake Reservation and Minneapolis.