A short time from now in a galaxy very close to home, a new version of Star Wars will debut at the Centennial Concert Hall.
Nearly half a century since its original release, the first entry in the franchise remains one of the highest grossing films in cinema history after adjusting for inflation. It has been dubbed into more than 50 languages. Now, another translation can be added to the list: Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe).
Audiences will soon hear that immortal line — “may the Force be with you” — spoken as “Gi-ga-miinigoowiz Mamaandaawiziwin.”
The new dub has been described as a language revitalization project and received funding from the federal government through the Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program. In 2021, Dougald Lamont, then leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party, proposed the idea to Pablo Hidalgo, a creative executive with Lucasfilm who was raised in Winnipeg.
Two years later, the project — titled Anangong Miigaading — went ahead once an agreement was reached between Lucasfilm, the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council (DOTC), Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), and the University of Manitoba. Auditions were carried out earlier this year, with the recording taking place in May.
The Anishinaabemowin voice cast includes Aandeg Jedi Muldrew as Luke Skywalker, Theresa Eischen as Princess Leia Organa, Ajuawak Kapashesit as Han Solo, Dustin Morrow as Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Dennis Chartrand as the nefarious Darth Vader. Chartrand also served as the film’s associate translator.
Two U of M faculty members in the Indigenous studies department were involved in the project. Cary Miller, associate professor, worked as a project lead alongside Maeengan Linklater, director of operations of the DOTC. Pat Ningewance-Nadeau, assistant professor, was the lead translator.
At the time of writing, Miller and Ningewance-Nadeau were unavailable for comment. Miller explained in an email to the author that Disney “wanted us to hold all media coverage” until closer to the release date.
“It will be a special moment when a young person sees their own ancestral language spoken on the big screen,” Ningewance-Nadeau told UM Today in May. “It will mean that our language is relevant. It belongs here today. It is not a thing of the past.”
Anangong Miigaading premieres at the Centennial Concert Hall on August 8, 2024 and will receive a limited release in Winnipeg starting on August 10.
