06/09/2026
Congratulations Dr Tyler J Parisien!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🎉
Dr. Tyler J. Parisien selected as 2026 Bush Fellows recipient
BELCOURT (6-9-26) - The Bush Foundation has announced the 2026 Bush Fellows — 30 leaders whose bold vision and leadership are shaping communities in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography.
Belcourt’s own, Dr. Tyler J. Parisien, was one of thirty 2026 Bush Fellows recipients announced today, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, a proud moment for one Turtle Mountain’s highest leaders in education.
Dr. Parisien is working to revitalize the Michif language and preserve the cultural knowledge it carries. Recognizing that Michif — a unique blend of Cree, Ojibwe and French — was at risk of disappearing, Dr. Parisien took on the work of bringing it back in recent years at Turtle Mountain College. Drawing on the knowledge of elders, Dr. Parisien developed curriculum, established Michif language courses, and created opportunities for community members to learn and practice the language together in a classroom setting at Turtle Mountain’s Tribal College.
Ultimately, Dr. Parisien says he hopes to build long-term resources and mentor emerging leaders to ensure Michif is actively spoken for generations to come. To work toward this vision, Dr. Parisien says he plans to deepen his fluency in Michif through immersive study, learn from leading language scholars, and grow his ability to design sustainable language programs.
~To read the full story on Dr. Parisien's Bush Fellows selection, please pick up a copy of next week's issue of the TM Times or read it online at tmtimes.com.
