How an Alliance of First Nations, translators, fans, Lucasfilm and Disney harnessed the magic of Star Wars to reclaim their language and a Manitoba World Premiere
BY JACQUES MARCOUX
CAN the Force help contribute to the Anishinaabe people’s reclamation of their linguistic roots?
The group behind the successful push for an Ojibwe adaptation of the 1977 sci-fi classic, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, believes it has just the gravitational pull needed to help inspire multiple generations to reconnect with their traditional language.
This spring, a collaboration between George Lucas’ California-based production company Lucasfilm, the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council (DOTC) and the University of Manitoba began the meticulous process of translating, adapting and voice recording the entire script of the 121-minute space epic into Ojibwe.
Maeengan Linklater, who acted as the project co-lead says that although the studio work recently came together, the idea itself came about in 2021 when a good friend and former member of the Manitoba Legislative Assembly, Dougald Lamont, pitched the idea to a Lucasfilm executive with Winnipeg roots. After the idea got some early traction, Linklater stepped in to see if he could formalize a deal.
“I wanted to present that we have a large Indigenous population with Ojibwe language speakers. I wanted to showcase that we have a mature film industry in Manitoba and that we’re capable of assembling partners,” he says
Impressed by the pitch, Lucasfilm told him that if he came up with the money, they were in.
With the challenge accepted, Linklater reached out to a trustworthy source for help — his own mother, Patricia Ningewance, who just so happens to be an academic and foremost expert on the Anishinaabe language. In short order they identified a funding source through Heritage Canada’s Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program and put in a proposal.
“We got our application in and then six months later that’s when they told us that we were a successful recipient,” says Linklater.
“LOCALIZING” STAR WARS
The first of the Star Wars films has been translated in more than 40 languages. But in 2013, it was translated for the very first time in an indigenous language: Diné Bizaad, the language spoken by the Navajo people.
For Michael Kohn, the Director of Distribution Operations at Lucasfilm who oversaw this localization project, the experience marked him.
“You know, sometimes we get fans who are not thrilled with everything we do, but for the Navajo version, it was almost universal: people were so excited about it,” he says. “It was one of the highlights of my career, to see that I made a direct impact on people.”
“Frankly, when this [Ojibwe idea] came up, that was why I wanted to do it again”, says Kohn.
In early May of 2024, Kohn and a production team from California converged on downtown Winnipeg to begin recording Anishinaabe voices from surrounding regions.
FINDING THE RIGHT WORDS
Months before the arrival of the Lucasfilm crew in Manitoba, a group of Ojibwe translators, speakers who had been recruited as part of an earlier casting call pored over the screenplay, working out sci-fi space terminology, over Cary Miller’s dining room table.
“We realized that some of the translators had not actually seen the movie for quite some time, so we popped down into the basement and basically had a movie night with popcorn to immerse ourselves,” says Miller, who is a professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Manitoba and acted as co-lead on the project.
Miller sees the potential impact of this initiative, alongside the backdrop of the realities of living as a linguistic minority.
According to the United Nations, all Indigenous languages in Canada are considered at risk of disappearing. Statistics Canada’s last census in 2021 found that Indigenous languages spoken in the Prairie provinces had declined nearly five percent compared to five years earlier, in large part due to an aging population of mother tongue speakers.
“At the moment we have a lot of urban youth that don’t have access to learning their language out on the land,” says Miller. “Right now, when kids go home, their friends are speaking English, all of the media they engage with is in English.”
“To be able to go to Disney+ and stream this with your family and work on your language together. We think this is a really wonderful opportunity and we’re really hoping that this isn’t just a one-off,” she says. “We want to get more [indigenous language] media that kids and families will engage with.”
‘Star Wars’ as a microcosm of indigenous issues
Dennis Chartrand, who was raised in a Anishinaabemowin-speaking household, landed the pivotal role as Darth Vader. While he admits he isn’t as absorbed in Star Wars fandom as others on set, Chartrand nonetheless says he feels a strong connection to the film.
“I always felt close to the theme [and the struggle of the Rebel Alliance] as similar to Indigenous people’s plight,” he says.
Chartrand and others ultimately view the project as a way to keep their traditions alive and vibrant for the benefit of future generations.
“I have felt a great opportunity for our language to be preserved, promoted, showcased, and honored with such a project,” he says.
ABOUT THE OJIBWE ‘STAR WARS’ FILM
Release date
The film is set to premiere on August 8, 2024 at Winnipeg’s Centennial Hall in front of a sold-out audience of more than 2,220 seats. Hundreds of seats have been reserved for children in the care of Dakota Ojibwe Child and Family Services.
Future release details
Starting on August 10, 2024 the film will be screened in a limited release in Winnipeg and select other cities across Canada. The world broadcast premiere will be simulcast on both our channels – APTN and APTN Languages – on Sunday, October 13 at 9pm ET (8pm Central).
Finally, Disney+ subscribers will eventually be able to view the Ojibwe version of the film by toggling the language option of the film.
Project funding amount
The project is financially supported by the Government of Canada in the amount of $300,000.
“May the force be with you”
The iconic line, first spoken by character General Jan Dodonna, when heard in Ojibwe will be: “Gi-ga-miinigoowiz Mamaandaawiziwin”
Casting
There are a total of 22 unique indigenous voices in the film cast. Voice actors were recruited from communities across several regions, including those in Manitoba, Ontario and Minnesota.
The voice of Luke Skywalker
Aandeg Miann Muldrew, the 26 year old voice actor playing the role of Luke Skywalker has a close tie to the film series: His legal middle name is ‘Jedi’.
