Auntie Shirley
Baamaa pii miinwaa.
Anishinaabemowin Teg extends our deepest condolences to the family, friends, students, and communities in mourning. Migizi Ow-Kwe, Dr. Shirley Williams-ba was instrumental in the founding of Anishinaabemowin Teg. She has been guiding, teaching, and holding this organization steady through its growth from the beginning in 1995.
Her leadership represents continuity, integrity, and the living transmission of Anishinaabemowin knowledge.
Migizi Ow-Kwe-ba was a pillar of Anishinaabemowin revitalization, a Knowledge Keeper whose life’s work safeguarded our language and ensured its teachings would continue to guide future generations. Her dedication to preserving, teaching, and expanding Anishinaabemowin shaped the very foundation of our organization and strengthened the path for all who carry the language forward.
For decades, she worked tirelessly to create resources, mentor learners, and build spaces where Anishinaabemowin could thrive. Her scholarship, her gentle leadership, and her unwavering belief in the power of our language transformed classrooms, communities, and Nations. She reminded us that Anishinaabemowin is not only a language—it is a way of life, a worldview, and a living connection to our ancestors.
We honour her as a trailblazer whose vision continues to guide our work. Her legacy lives on in every speaker, every learner, every teacher, and every child who grows up hearing and using Anishinaabemowin because of the doors she opened.
As we grieve this profound loss, we lift up her spirit with gratitude. May Migizi Ow-Kwe-ba travel safely. May her family find comfort in knowing that her life’s work will continue to flourish. And may we honour her memory by carrying Anishinaabemowin with the same love, strength, and dedication she embodied.
With respect and heartfelt sympathy,
Anishinaabemowin Teg
