It’s a wrap: Fans say ‘Miigwech’ for ‘Star Wars’ in Ojibwe
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When Skyler Kuczaboski was a kid, she loved watching “Star Wars: A New Hope” with her dad. That’s the original “Star Wars” from 1977, starring Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher.
Kuczaboski is a descendent of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
On Friday, she watched the movie again.
But instead of watching an English language version of the intergalactic battle, she watched a version that was dubbed into a language she’s been learning her entire life.
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“Seeing the famous yellow floating words in space in Ojibwe was so cool,” she said. “I don’t think that I ever would have guessed that I would be able to see that, especially on the big screen.”
Kuczaboski, wearing a white dress and silver belt, was dressed as Princess Leia to attend the screening at Marcus Cinemas in Oakdale. She said it was kick seeing a movie she loved in a new way.
“When Leia met Tarkin and she was like ‘I recognize your foul stench as soon as you came on board’ and he said, ‘Miigwech,’ which means thank you, everyone thought that was really funny,” she said.
As a kid, Kuczaboski attended the American Indian Magnet School in St. Paul for elementary and middle school. It immersed her in the Ojibwe language from a young age. The language is spoken by one of the largest Indigenous nations in the U.S. and Canada. But experts say fewer than 1,000 people still speak the language fluently in Minnesota.
“This is really important to keep our language accessible and give us phrases that are relevant to our everyday lives,” Kuczaboski said.
The newly dubbed film is a collaboration between LucasFilm, the University of Manitoba and the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council in Manitoba. It first premiered in Canada last month. It’s also screening at theaters around the state, including nine Marcus Theatres locations in Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Also in attendance on Friday in Oakdale was Cassandra Bauer. She is a descendent of the White Earth Nation. Bauer’s rating?
“Ten out of ten,” she said.
“And it’s even better hearing it in Ojibwe and being able to hear the nuances of the language,” Bauer added, “And then, also words that you recognize because there’s no direct translation. So it’s kinda fun.”
Bauer says watching the new “Star Wars” will help her in her journey to learning Ojibwe.
Kuczaboski thinks it will have a big impact on her life too, especially at night.
“Sometimes I fall asleep to New Hope. And knowing I can fall asleep to it in Ojibwe and maybe start dreaming of it in Ojibwe means a lot to me as a language learner and as a Star Wars nerd.”