Oneida language road signs installed in Wisconsin, the second dual-language signs unveiled in the state
ONEIDA - The Oneida Nation on Friday became the second tribe in Wisconsin to have state highway signs installed in its Native language.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation signs mark the Oneida Reservation boundaries and other features in Oneida in both Oneida and English languages.
“Oneida language is the first language of our ancestors and we appreciate the State of Wisconsin for their recognition and respect of our sovereignty, language and traditions,” Oneida Chairman Tehassi Hill said in a statement.
“Native preservation and languages go to the heart of a tribe’s unique cultural identities, traditions, spiritual beliefs and self-governance," Hill added. "We look forward to revitalizing the Oneida language through these signs.”
One of the new signs is near the Duck Creek bridge. It features the words Taluʔkowanhné (Da-lew-go-wonh-NAY), which translates to “Place of Bountiful Ducks,” and Kawyhuhatati (Gaw-who-ha-DA-di), which means “River Flowing Along.”
The signs also feature the seal of the Oneida Nation.
The state’s first dual-language road signs, in Ojibwe and English, were unveiled late last year at the Red Cliff Reservation in far northern Wisconsin.
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The installation of the signs are part of an initiative from DOT to place Indigenous language signs at the entrances for the lands of all 11 federally recognized tribal nations in Wisconsin.
The state’s new dual-language signs are similar to those in other states with Indigenous nations and is the latest development in a 20-year partnership between tribal and State of Wisconsin officials, a DOT statement read.
Tribal communities in Wisconsin are encourage to apply for the dual-language sign program at https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/doing-bus/civil-rights/tribalaffairs/dual-language-signs.aspx.
Frank Vaisvilas is a Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact him at fvaisvilas@gannett.com or 815-260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank. You can directly support his work with a tax-deductible donation online at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Oneida language road signs unveiled by Wisconsin DOT on state highways
