As the winter season holds the land in its quiet grip, the time-honored tradition of storytelling returns to the Bay Mills community. On Thursday, March 26, 2026, Bay Mills Community College (BMCC) will host "Aadizookaan," an evening of traditional winter stories told in the Anishinaabe language.
The event will feature Dr. Migizi Mike Sullivan, a distinguished Anishinaabe linguistics scholar from Lac Courte Oreilles. Dr. Sullivan will share narratives from Ojibwe tradition, bringing the stories to life in Anishinaabemowin. For community members who are less familiar with the language, English translation will be provided by Niizhoo Sullivan, ensuring the stories are accessible to all attendees.
The gathering will take place in the Adikameg Hall on the BMCC campus, with the feast beginning at 6:00 pm and stories to follow. In the spirit of community and Anishinaabe tradition, the feast will be featuring traditional Ojibwe foods and will be provided by the OCS (Ojibwe Charter School) for all who attend.
This event is a powerful example of collaborative cultural preservation. It is made possible through the joint efforts of Bay Mills Community College, Bay Mills Indian Community, Ojibwe Charter School, and Simon Fraser University.
All are welcome to come in from the cold and share together a night of language, history, and community.
About Dr. Michael Migizi Sullivan
Dr. Michael Migizi Sullivan Sr. is a homegrown Anishinaabe scholar and linguist from
the Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe in northern Wisconsin. A proud
2002 graduate of Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College (LCOOC), he is the institution's
first graduate to earn a doctorate.
Dr. Sullivan earned his PhD in Linguistics from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, studying under Larry Amik Smallwood and Dr. John D. Nichols. He currently serves as the Faculty Director of Native American Studies at LCOOC. Previously, he was the Resident Linguist at the Waadookodaading Ojibwe Immersion School, Chair of American Indian Studies at the College of St. Scholastica, and Community Language Curator for the Ojibwe People's Dictionary.
A founding member of the Aanikoobijigeng National Native American Language Resource Center, he works with tribes across the U.S. and Canada on language reclamation. He is also the Vice Chair of the Midwest Indigenous Immersion Network and a co-editor for the Papers of the Algonquian Conference.
Dr. Sullivan is a ceremonial drum keeper and powwow emcee. He resides near the shores of Lac Courte Oreilles with his family.
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