Tag Archives: Indigenous language loss

Indigenous Language Revitalization Weblog Post 4 – Kenny Jamieson

Indigenous Language Revitalization – Encouragement, Guidance and Lessons Learned

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/ILR/ILRbook.pdf

This resource is an extensive collection of academic articles focused on Indigenous Languages and revitalization efforts.  The articles cover a wide range of topics, looking at everything from linguistics, to specific community efforts, and examples of technology being used effectively.  One further positive with this collection of articles is that they focus on a number of different languages and communities and are not tied in to one specific geographic region.  The various articles highlight some of the excellent work being done to revitalize many Indigenous languages and shows various possible steps that communities can take to ensure that their ancestral languages do not go extinct.

The Silent Genocide: Aboriginal Language Loss FAQ

http://www.terry.ubc.ca/2013/10/16/the-silent-genocide-aboriginal-language-loss-faq/

This article goes into great lengths to highlight exactly what language extinction means for a culture and the wider communities.  The writer highlights the causes of language loss as well as showing how prevalent of an issue it actually is within Canada and British Columbia.  It shows how the problem can be traced to a number of different causes, including residential schools, government policies and the marginalization of Indigenous communities by mainstream society.  In addition, the writer also makes strong arguments for possible solutions to the issue, including creating legal protection for Indigenous rights and cultures, and providing better funding to support Indigenous language revitalization efforts.

The fight to revitalize Canada’s indigenous languages

https://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/fight-to-revitalize-canadas-indigenous-languages/

Though this article is a few years old, it highlights different methods being used to help revitalize Indigenous languages in Canada.  The main focus is on the Yawenda project, which had the goal of helping to bring back the Wendat language by offering language courses, teacher training, and instructional material for a small group of students wanting to learn their ancestral tongue.  Similar to other articles written about the topic in Canada, this one does highlight how language extinction is especially concerning in British Columbia where there is a small percentage of fluent speakers and most are over 65.  The article also argues that in order to help revitalize the various languages, the focus should be on funding community-based projects that connect different generations of people, and on improving access to early-childhood immersion programs.  The use of technology is also discussed as a possible positive option as it can help to bridge the geographic distances that separate many communities.

First Peoples’ Cultural Council

http://www.fpcc.ca/language/

This resource is a hub for a variety of other resources related to Indigenous People’s culture, some of which have been referenced in previous weblogs.  The First Peoples’ Cultural Council aims to support Indigenous communities in British Columbia that are attempting to preserve and revitalize their languages.  The organization works to fund different programs, such as the Language Nest, FirstVoices and the BC Language Initiative.  In addition, the organization is an advocate for immersion-education programs.  Beyond language, FPCC also has divisions for Arts and Culture and aim to provide programs and funding related to both those areas.

Say It First

https://www.sayitfirst.ca/

Say It First is an organization in Canada that is aiming to revitalize Indigenous Languages through connecting with communities and utilizing technology.  The organization focuses on developing resources that will be used by children and families that want to try and reclaim their ancestral languages.  The resources that they develop are designed to be used in school settings to help children work towards becoming fluent in their language.  As the main target for the resources is younger children, the organization has created a variety of children’s books and YouTube shows that help to teach children their desired language.  One of the excellent aspects of the books is that they combine the Indigenous Language, a phonetic break-down and the English translation of the words to help children learn.  Here is an example of one of their children’s books.

Module 2 – Post 1 – First Nations Technology Council Are Fighting to Preserve Their Culture by Kevin Andrews

Decades of oppression and forced assimilation have led to the steep decline of Indigenous languages but there is new hope as tech-savvy young people are fighting to preserve their culture. For generations, Indigenous families used storytelling as their primary way to pass down knowledge and language as elders would speak to the children in their language and the kids would naturally pick it up but that began to change in the late 19th century once the Canadian government passed the Indian Act. This law enforced colonial authority over First Nations peoples, partially to force assimilation through policies that displaced Indigenous people and removed them from their communities. Most notoriously implemented through church-run residential schools that aimed to erase Indigenous children’s cultures and connections to family, these institutions enforced a language ban. If Indigenous children were caught speaking their own language, they would face corporal punishment.

Forced assimilation largely contributed to Canada’s Indigenous language loss by barring people from continuing to pass down the language.

Denise Williams, First Nations Technology Council executive director, is aware that Indigenous memories of colonialism are inhibitors to the First Nations embracing modern technology. She is taking steps to change this.  As part of a 1982 Canadian constitution amendment that allowed the integration of Indigenous people’s right to self-government, it also allowed for the adoption of contemporary software and information systems. These tools imposed on communities, added on top of an already imposed government structure, became a sore point for many First Nations people and therefore, is now the mandate of Denise and her technology council members to change this.

Even though the First Nations Technology Council faces resistance from some community members who view tech as a symbol of colonial oppression Denise and the council has spent four years visiting over one hundred Indigenous communities in B.C. carrying out mobile technological training programs to overcome this deep-seated resistance, her team providing everything from Microsoft Office certification to PC repair training. The enthusiastic feedback she received made her view tech as a key tool for Indigenous empowerment.

Technology councils Instagram feed

On the council’s website, she notes that they have seen the profound effects of increased access to digital communication through movements like Idle No More and Stand With Standing Rock, which both achieved mass impact and galvanized activism. The council’s next mandate is to empower more Indigenous people to build communities and drive economic development online. Because of the work of this council, the future for technology has potential as Indigenous people gain the skills to partake in digital conversations while increasing reconciliation making a better world for all Canadians and Indigenous people.