Shawnee language learners of all ages and abilities are invited to join the Shawnee Language Immersion Program for the 2025 Language Fair, Dinner and Stomp Dance on Saturday, July 26, at the Emma “Mock” Donaldson saawanwaatoweewika east of Miami, OK. Citizens of all three Shawnee nations are eligible to participate. Submissions will not be judged for the complexity of the language used but rather on each contestant’s ability to incorporate the language they know, understand, and feel confident speaking in a creative project. Use what you’ve learned in class to make something of your own, and, most of all, have fun! Over $6,000 in prizes will be awarded to the top three winners in each category—scroll down for complete requirements and important project deadlines.
Entry Requirements & Contest Categories
All entries must primarily consist of written and spoken Shawnee, a written and spoken English translation, and accompanying image(s). Shawnee text must be written using either the Shawnee Tribe orthography or bibabebo. A non-exhaustive list of possible project formats is at the bottom of this page; however, final fair presentations must be submitted as an MP4 or MOV video file and meet the maximum allowable duration guidelines in the table below. Participants whose video presentations exceed the maximum allowable duration will be asked to trim their presentations or indicate start & end timestamps to meet the guidelines. Assistance in creating the final video presentation will be available for every contestant who needs it.
| Category | Written Length | Video Duration (max.) |
| Kindergarten – Grade 2 | 1-3 words or phrases | 2 minutes |
| Grades 3 – 5 | 4-10 sentences | 3 minutes |
| Grades 6 – 8 | 6-16 sentences | 4 minutes |
| Grades 9 – 12 | 10-20 sentences | 6 minutes |
| Adult Students – SLIP Levels 1–3 | 10-20 sentences | 6 minutes |
| Adult Students – miina, waapiko, m’skoci’faki, taami | 10-20 sentences | 6 minutes |
| Adult CLPs & Apprentices | 10-20 sentences | 6 minutes |
Tap/click each date below for more important information about these upcoming deadlines and Fair Day!
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