Culture Language Arts Network (CLAN)

Culture Language Arts Network (CLAN) utilizes Native culture as a tool to promote community connection, safety, and drug and alcohol prevention. The program provides opportunities for families, youth, and adults to learn and practice our cultural traditions and languages. The program focuses primarily on Dakota and Ojibwe languages and culture because the center is located on the traditional homelands of the Dakota people, and Minnesota is home to 11 federally recognized Dakota and Ojibwe Tribal nations. CLAN classes and events are open to all at no cost to participants.

To inquire about possible ways to partner with CLAN, please reach out at clan.maic@gmail.com.

Please note that all CLAN events maintain a strict zero tolerance policy for tobacco, alcohol, and other substance abuse. Events and activities are free and open to the public, and we extend a warm welcome to everyone.

What does CLAN offer?

Adult Dakota and Ojibwe Language Classes
Tradish Project
Youth Ojibwe and Dakota Language, Technology, and Cultural Projects
Family Fun Night
Powwows
Drum and Dance
Podcast
Film and Art Festival

Follow CLAN on social media

Programs

Language Classes

CLAN offers a variety of robust, online language classes for adults and youth to learn Dakota and Ojibwe at no cost to participants. The classes are focused on teaching the grammar and foundations of the languages. The courses utilize Zoom and Google Classroom — access to a computer or device with an internet connection is required to participate.

Intro to Dakota

CLAN offers an introductory 10-week Dakota language course that teaches students basic fundamentals and foundational skills, including:

How to speak at a beginner level.
How to speak about yourself and your family.
How to converse with others and talk about your environment.

The course is taught by Alexx Eagleman-James. Instruction takes place on Zoom, and materials are shared on Google Classroom. Classes take place on Fridays at 6:00 p.m. CST, starting Feb. 27. Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. CST on Friday, March 5.

Intermediate Dakota

CLAN offers a 10-week intermediate Dakota language course that focuses on enhancing fluency and cultural connection.

Curriculum focuses on bi-weekly thematic shifts, advancing from complex personal introductions and sentence structures to immersive storytelling. Students will master the language through interactive dice games and explore the traditional integration of Plains Sign Language with spoken Dakota.

The course is taught by Jeremy Red Eagle. Instruction takes place on Zoom, and materials are shared on Google Classroom. Classes take place on Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. CST, starting on Feb. 25. Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3. Participants are asked to take a pre-assessment before taking this course.

Intro to Ojibwe

CLAN offers an introductory Ojibwe course that focuses on helping students develop foundational Ojibwe conversational skills. Students expand their vocabularies through curated word lists and learn to conjugate VAI (verb animate intransitive) verbs and incorporate them into sentences. The course is taught by Memegwesi David Sutherland, CLAN Language Coordinator and Ojibwe Language Instructor. The dialect focus is Central Southwestern Ojibwe, which is spoken in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the border Great Lakes communities in Canada, but all dialects of Ojibwemowin are welcome.

The class is free and open to everyone. No prior knowledge of Ojibwe is required. Instruction takes place on StreamYard Webinar, and materials are shared on Google Classroom. Classes take place on Tuesdays from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. CST starting Feb. 24. Registration closes at 5:00 p.m. CST on Monday, March 2, or when 1,000 students have registered, whichever occurs first.

Intermediate Ojibwe

CLAN offers a continuation of the Intro Ojibwe class, focusing on VTI, VTA, and VII verb conjugations as well as dependent clause sentence structures. Students learn common phrases, questions, vocabulary lists, and traditional prayers to further enhance their language skills and cultural understanding.

The 10-week online course is taught by Memegwesi David Sutherland, CLAN Language Coordinator and Ojibwe Language Instructor. The dialect focus is Central Southwestern Ojibwe, which is spoken in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the border Great Lakes communities in Canada, but all dialects of Ojibwemowin are welcome.

The class is free and open to everyone. Instruction takes place on Zoom, and materials are shared on Google Classroom. Classes take place on Thursdays from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. CST starting Feb. 26. Registration closes on Wednesday, March 4, or when 1,000 students have registered, whichever comes first.

Tradish Project

The Tradish Project is an opportunity to build basic skills and knowledge that help people participate in the powwow circuit. The project promotes the joy of traditional dance by fostering a positive cultural identity and community strength while combating obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. The project is led by Lumhe “Micco” Sampson, Tradish Project Coordinator.

Activities include:

Weekly traditional dance class
Teaching circles focused on particular dance styles, stories, and songs
Powwow aerobics for teens and adults
Elder sewing circle to create regalia for youth dancers

Please sign up below and let us know what learning opportunities you’d like to partake in.

Youth Ojibwe and Dakota Language, Technology, and Cultural Projects

CLAN is dedicated to reviving the Dakota and Ojibwe languages while teaching youth technology skills. CLAN TALK (Technology Assisted Language Keepers) offers an immersive experience for youth ages 12-19 to learn Dakota and Ojibwe using technology. The technology used includes videography, music production, digital art creation, and more. Registration for CLAN TALK has closed but follow CLAN Facebook for updates on future programming.

Family Fun Night

Family Fun Nights are monthly themed Ojibwe and Dakota language-infused family-friendly events.

The events are offered virtually and in-person and consist of an Ojibwe and Dakota language wordlist, art supplies, and meal kits. Family Fun Night is promoted on the CLAN Facebook page and on our Events page. The event typically takes place on the third Friday of the month from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. in the Minneapolis American Indian Center.

Each event consists of the following segments:

Cultural and traditional teachings
Indigenous food demonstration
Cultural art activity
Physical activity
Dakota and Ojibwe language infusion

Powwows

Community powwows are quarterly, and details are posted on the CLAN Facebook page and the center’s Events page. Powwows are hosted in the Frances Fairbanks Memorial Gymnasium within the Minneapolis American Indian Center.

Drum and Dance

Drum and Dance is held every Wednesday from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in the Frances Fairbanks Memorial Gymnasium at the Minneapolis American Indian Center. The event is also livestreamed on the Culture Language Arts Network Facebook page. Women’s back-up singing lessons take place in Niibi Hall.

CLAN Drum and Dance provides:

Drum instruction
Dance instructors
Practice for female back-up singers

Dance categories include Hoop Dance, Woman’s Fancy, Women’s Jingle, and Grass Dance.
It is a great opportunity to practice, learn, and prepare in community for the powwow season.

Podcast

CLAN conducts educational interviews with esteemed community Elders and respected adults on the expected roles and behaviors of young women and men. The conversations cover topics related to traditional views on alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use. The interview videos are featured on CLAN’s YouTube page.

Hosts: Jonathan Buehlmann, Lumhe “Micco” Sampson, Memegwesi Sutherland, and Sonny Metcalf

Film and Art Festival

The festival is an annual event that showcases projects developed by our youth that promote Indigenous languages and culture. The event is an opportunity to celebrate our culture and empower youth to create art and share their work.

Details about the 2026 Film and Art Festival will be shared in mid-2026.

PROGRAM STAFF

Cheryl Secola

Program Director:
Culture Language Arts Network & Native Fitness and Nutrition
csecola@maicnet.org

David “Memegwesi” Sutherland

Language Coordinator and Ojibwe Language Instructor
dsutherland@maicnet.org

Jonathan Buehlmann

Prevention Activities Coordinator
jonathan.buehlman@maicnet.org

Lvmhe "Micco" Sampson

Project Coordinator
lsampson@maicnet.org

Hoksicala Cante Ma Yuha "Sonny" Metcalf

Technology Assistant and Data Manager
smetcalf@maicnet.org