Indigenous Languages Day

By: Christine Miskonoodinkwe Smith

Aanii Christine Miskonoodinkwe Smith nitishinikaas. Mashkedebeshki ni totem.

Hello, my name is Christine Miskonoodinkwe Smith. Miskonoodinkwe means Red Wind Woman. Smith is my biological mother’s last name. I changed my name several years ago because I never identified with my adoptive family’s last name and using it inflicted a pain that I felt that I could never let go of until I honoured the name I was given at birth. Yes, I still have traumatic memories of my old last name, but I have been trying to teach myself-not everything is in a name, and it is what we make of it.

The last day of March (March 31) marks Indigenous Languages Day. Indigenous Languages are vital to the survival of Indigenous people, within their families, their communities and worldwide because through the assimilationist policies of so-called Canada, the Indian Act, Residential Schools and the 60s Scoop, many Indigenous languages in Canada became endangered.

Though Indigenous people spoke a variety of languages before the settlement of European people, the speaking of our languages became endangered due to the Canadian government wanting to assimilate Indigenous peoples into mainstream society.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia ( Indigenous Languages in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia) “Many Indigenous languages in Canada are endangered because of a history of restrictive colonial policies such as the Indian Act and residential schools that prohibited the speaking of these mother tongues.”

Preserving Indigenous languages and being able to speak our languages are integral to our families and communities. Speaking our Indigenous languages are paramount to our survival.

What the so-called Canadian government also forgets is that through the removal of Indigenous children from their families and communities, this also contributed to the endangerment of our languages. This was the 60s Scoop where Indigenous children were kidnapped and adopted out to non-Indigenous families. In their non-Indigenous homes, Indigenous children were left without having a connection to family, community, ceremony and language. Being left without these ties to our families, communities and languages, Indigenous children grew up not knowing their languages, and that was exactly what the so-called Canadian government wanted-to erase our culture, ceremonies and languages..

As a 60s Scoop survivor, I didn’t know any of my language, and it was through not knowing my language that I believe led me to learn more about my culture, my community (where I came from) and my family.

In no means am I fluent in my language, but I do understand it a lot more than I used to. I took Ojibwe in my undergraduate years at the University of Toronto, and my journey since then has taken off. I’m cognizant of my culture, my family and ceremony.

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, there are around 70 distinct Indigenous languages in Canada, and they fall into 12 separate language families. In many nations or communities, there has been a decrease in language transmission. The decrease in language transmission from one generation to the next has led to efforts by Indigenous peoples to bring their language around again and make efforts to sustain their language.

It was in 2016, Statistics Canada reported that for about “40 Indigenous languages in Canada there are only about 500 speakers or less, but this number that I am quoting, however doesn’t “distinguish between fluent and learning speakers. As a result, the number of fluent language speakers of any Indigenous language might be less. There has been some improvement. Statistics Canada revealed that 260,550 Indigenous people reported the ability to speak an Indigenous language. This represents a 3.1 per cent increase from 2006.” (Indigenous Language Revitalization in Canada | The Canadian Encyclopedia)

To provide government protection of Indigenous languages in Canada, former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on December 6, 2016 stated that his government would introduce a law to preserve these endangered languages. On February 5, 2019, the Canadian government tabled the Indigenous Languages Act. Within the Indigenous Languages Act, it sought to protect and revitalize Indigenous languages in Canada. It wasn’t until April 7, 2022, that the Government of Nova Scotia introduced the Mi’kmaw Language Act. The Mi’kmaw Language Act became the province’s first language, and it supports efforts to protect and revitalize the language.

In closing, there are learning resources to help Indigenous people that may not know their language because there are revitalization efforts that are taking place for those who want to learn their language.

Learning your Indigenous language is and can be a powerful way to reconnect with and preserve your cultural heritage. I am a firm believer in the statement

 “It is never too late to learn”.

Baa maa pii (See you later)