Aanii Biindigen. Miigwech baamaapii. Hello, come in. Thank you, until later.

Those traditional greetings in Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, were lettered on the front door recently at Out to Lunch, a breakfast and lunch restaurant in Harbor Springs, embracing the language of the people who first lived in Northern Michigan, according to the Petoskey News-Review ( http://bit.ly/19Jo5l1 ).

The move is one Odawa tribal members hope the local community in and around Harbor Springs — where the tribe is based — will potentially begin a movement to embrace its local Native American heritage.

“I think this is something that if other businesses see, they may say ‘I want to do that,'” said Carla Osawamick, director of the Gijigowi Anishinaabemowin Language Department for the Odawa tribe. “It brings culture to the business. Tourists really love that exposure to other languages and culture as well — so it would be a plus for businesses and acknowledge the Odawa from the area.”

Osawamick and William Ray Kiogima, author the book Odawa Language and Legends, have spearheaded the program for the language department. One of their goals is to make the language as easily accessible to non-speakers to help familiarize the language.

In addition to businesses, the tribe may ask for the city of Harbor Springs to consider using the language in some public facilities in the future.

“This being the first business in town, on my part, I think this is the beginning of something that should be recognized — being in the reservation boundaries,” Dexter McNamara, Odawa tribal

The Odawa tribal reservation boundaries cover both Charlevoix and Emmet counties.

McNamara talked with Out to Lunch owner Howard Pellegrom more than a year ago about putting the language in place. He says it is a good learning experience.

“Someday I would like to discuss our language with the Harbor Springs City Council and see if they would recognize our language on some of the public restrooms (and other locations),” McNamara said.

Osawamick says having the language embraced “goes a long way for the cultural sharing” would have benefits for both communities.