EXPERIENCES CANADA

reconciliation Conversations

Language and culture

How many indigenous languages exist within the borders of what is currently called Canada?

There are over 70 indigenous languages in use across Canada

There are many factors that have contributed to the loss of Indigenous languages in Canada. Here are a few:

• The Indian Act
• Residential Schools
• The Sixties Scoop

The Indian act

• The Indian Act, created in 1876, is a federal law that affects all aspects of life for Indigenous peoples.
• It created the reserve system, which divided up families, houses and clans. It stripped people of their traditional names.
• It banned cultural practices and traditional ceremonies, such as Potlatches and Sun Dances, until 1951.
• It also introduced residential schools.

Residential schools

• In residential schools, Indigenous children were separated from their families and were not allowed to speak their languages or to practice their cultures. If they did, they were punished. They had to cut their hair, wear strange clothes, eat strange food, and learn strange languages and customs.
• Some children returned to their families during the summer or holidays, but some never saw their families again.

How did residential schools impact language and culture?

• Some people simply forgot their language over time.
• Some people became too scared to speak their language, even after they left residential school.
• Many people were not able to pass their language on to their children.

Sixties scoop

Children who were adopted out lost their birth names and became disconnected from their families, cultures, languages, and oral histories.

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“The Sixties Scoop tried to extinguish our culture, and our spirit. It failed.” - Crystal Semaganis a.k.a. Christine Cameron

• This refers to the adoption of thousands of First Nations and Métis children into non-native families, starting in the mid 1950’s.
• Government authorities and social workers often “scooped” children from their homes without consent, believing that their native families were inferior and not able to provide for their basic needs.
• While many children were apprehended by child welfare agents in the 60s, Indigenous children actually make up over half of children in foster care today.

How did the sixties scoop impact language and culture?

How can we help preserve

indigenous languages?

• Protect them legally*
• Talk to and record Elders who speak them**
• Teach them in schools***
• Practice them yourself and speak them at home
• Music!
• Can you think of other ways?

Activity: stories, songs and sayings

Discuss:

How are your own language and culture linked?

Are there words in your language that don’t exist in other languages? Is the sentence structure different?

How might your language impact how you view the world?

Is your language a part of your identity? In what way?

When a language disappears, what do we lose?

How can we ensure the survival of Indigenous languages?

How do you think learning an Indigenous language is an act of reconciliation?

Share:

Think of a story, a song, or a saying/expression in your native language that reflects your culture. Share it with the group. Is there a moral tied to it? Is there a historical aspect to it? How is it similar to others in the group? How does it differ?