You Can't Speak That Here

Apparently Spanish is acceptable, but speaking your family's native language is not. A seventh grader Sacred Heart Catholic Academy in Shawano, Wisconsin found this out when a teacher over heard her speaking in the Menominee language. Not only did she get in trouble over this, but was suspended from a basketball game for her "attitude problem". Her "attitude problem" being that she was teaching a classmate some basic words in her language.

The girl is completely bilingual in English and Menominee. Her grandmother is the director of the Language and Culture Commission of the Menominee Tribe. And holds a degree in linguistics from the University of Arizona's College of Education-AILDI American Indian Language Development Institute.

The school, which is located just six miles off the reservation, has apologized, and stated that it will make a very public apology as well. Said apology will not just be to the student and her family, but to the whole tribe. Ironically, Sacred Heart, does have an option for Spanish on their phone system, but not for Menominee, which is spoken by over sixty percent of the student body.