The Naming of Aŋpétu Téča Education Center

Aŋpétu Téča Education Center is a newly constructed building serving the Roseville Area Schools community. This page is a resource for understanding the name, its meaning and its importance to the school district and greater community.
 

Building Name: Origin, Meaning, and Process

In September 2019, the school board of Roseville Area Schools discussed the naming of the new building at the existing Fairview Community Center site. At that time, the board expressed a desire to select a culturally appropriate name that would honor the Dakota and Ojibwe people of Minnesota, and acknowledge that our schools are located on land seized from the Dakota people.

Our district American Indian Parent Advisory Committee (AIPAC) was instrumental in the process of researching and suggesting an appropriate name for the building, having consulted with Dakota elders about the history of the land and the deeply important education work that occurs on the site for students of all ages. The Dakota elders prayed and reflected on the name and, with support from our AIPAC, recommended to the school board the name Aŋpétu Téča Education Center.

In the Dakota language, aŋpétu téča (pronounced awn-BET-doo TEH-cha) means “a new day.” The traditional words offer a sense of hope and movement forward together as a community.
 

The Diacritical Marks

• The “n” with the hook extending down and to the left is called an eng. In Latin, the mark is used to represent a velar nasal (as in the English word singing). In Dakota, paired with the “a” it represents the sound like the word “awe.”

• The accent above the letter “e” in both words is called an acute accent, indicating that the letter is pronounced with stress. In the phonetic transcription above, the effect of the acute accent is indicated by all capital letters (awn-BET-doo TEH-cha).

• The diacritical mark above the letter “c” is called a caron. This symbol is written over a letter to show that they are pronounced differently than usual. In this situation, it indicates that the “c” is pronounced with the “ch” sound.
   

Typing on a Keyboard

Since the diacritical marks in Aŋpétu Téča Education Center are not found on a traditional English keyboard, it can be helpful to copy/paste the name with the diacritical marks.

Another option is to download a Dakota Language Keyboard to install an application that will allow you to easily type the diacritical marks. 

You can also create a keyboard shortcut on your phone or computer so that the full name, with the diacritical marks, is inserted whenever you type in your designated key word or phrase.