Former First Nations chief voices Disney's first Ojibwe language Star Wars movie

A local First Nations elder and veteran is helping to bring the Ojibwe language to a well-known film for the first time.

Jeff Monague, former chief of Beausoleil First Nation on Christian Island, is now voicing the part of 'Grand Moff Tarkin' in the new Ojibwe version of Star Wars (Anangong Miigaading): A New Hope.

Although he has been a voice actor for many skits, he said this role hits differently.

"It was nice to be able to do this in my language. It's the first time I was ever able to do voice acting in my own language," he said. "So, that was a draw for me. I really enjoyed that, and for a series like Star Wars, that's a huge thing."

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Monague feels that being a part of this movie is part of history.

"There are very few productions that are done in the Ojibwe language entirely. You had about 75 per cent of the people working on it were Indigenous people. So, it's really nice to be in that setting with all your brothers and sisters and to experience this thing together," he said.

Monague said a different dialect is used in Manitoba, which he had to learn before heading out to audition.

"I speak Ojibwe, and I speak the dialect of this region, so I had to learn the western dialect, which is what they use in Manitoba. I went in the studio as I was given nine hours and I did my part in six hours, so I think I did pretty good," he said.

The premiere will air in Manitoba on August 8, and the movie will then air on APTN and Disney Plus.