This “Guide to Indigenous Languages in Canada” was compiled by Owona McIvor (associate professor of Indigenous Education at the University of Victoria). This guide is part of a larger language revitalization project put on by 9 Indigenous-led communities and the University of Victoria. The guide highlights key facts about Indigenous languages in Canada as well as 8 ways anyone can support the efforts to revitalize so many lost and dying Indigenous languages.
Tag Archives: language
Module 2 Post 3: Voices on the Rise (Docuseries)
Voices on the Rise: Indigenous Language Revitalization in Alberta is a 3 part docuseries made in collaboration with Telus and Victoria filmmaker/visual artist Eli Hirtle ((nêhiyaw(Cree)/British/German). The series follows Eli and his journey of self-actualization by visiting his ancestors’ communities and learning more about his language. He focuses on the revitalization of Indigenous language and its intimate connection to culture, family, and life. Much can be learned from Eli’s story for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples alike.
Module 2 Post 2: Indigenous Corporate Training Inc.
Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. (ICT) is a B.C. based organization that provides training in the workplace with the goal of creating more informed and safer Indigenous relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike. I have specifically linked their blog post on guidelines for using Indigenous terminology, a place in which settlers may want to start when decolonizing their vocabulary. Their site contains paid and free resources that support Indigenous awareness and answers to questions many settlers may be too afraid to ask.
Module 2 Post 1: First Voices
First Voices is an initiative by the First Peoples’ Cultural Council that provides a library of Indigenous language learning tools and information. The site offers dozens of Indigneous languages to explore. Clicking into each language provides links to see, hear, and practice high frequency vocabulary through audio clips or games. This site will serve useful in the K-12 setting in which educators may discuss the decolonization of language in our school system.
Module 2 – Post 1
I shared this resource as a reference in my research statement and thought I would also share it here. In this TEDx Talk, Rebecca Thomas speaks about Etuaptmumk or Two-Eyed Seeing (8:34min) and how it came to be and later puts it together in a spoken word poem (11:10min). Etuaptmumk is about having one eye focused on Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing and the other eye focused on Western knowledge and understanding and then bringing those eyes together so that all can benefit from this combined knowledge.
Rebecca Thomas identifies as being a Mi’kmaw First Nation person. She is a spoken word poet and is also the Coordinator of Aboriginal Student Services at the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC). Rebecca shares how residential schools affected her own history and language and how she can share her voice of her culture with the public through education. In the information section below the TED TALK is a statement that she, “Believes that the arts and poetry can help people heal in ways beyond traditional therapies, “ and has stated, “Poetry can give a voice to the voiceless. Poetry can make a powerless person feel powerful. This is why I speak.”
TEDxNSCCWaterfront. Thomas, R. (2016, June 13). Etuaptmumk: Two-eyed seeing. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA9EwcFbVfg
Module 2 Post #5 Rooted in Honour and Deep Respect
Carolyn Roberts spoke on March 20, 2018. She was a result of the 60’s scoop. Her mother still does not hug. She went to St. Mary’s residential school. Carolyn Roberts’s children are the first in more than three generations that were not taken away from her. Aboriginal people make up 4% of the population but more than 60% of the children in foster care are of First Nations descent.
She asks an important question – Why does it matter? She goes on to say that we need to have this conversation and we need to educate ourselves. To educate yourself you need a sense of decency and a sense of justice.
What can you do?
- You as a Canadian can learn whose land you are on. You can learn the languages that the First Nations people speak where you work, live and play. Where is the community and how can you give back to them?
- Governmental systems in place today still hold back and suppress Indigenous people. Find out about the land claims and treaty rights and what does it mean to them? Ask questions and be curious – why does the Federal Government have two white non-indigenous females leading all departments in First Nations issues.
- The honourable Murray Sinclair states that education got us into this mess, and education is what will take us out of this mess.
We need to move together side by side and our decisions need to be rooted in honour and deep respect.