Latest news with #languagePreservation
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
There's an app for that: Inside the technological battle to save Indigenous languages
'I will fight until the day I die for my language to survive and thrive.' Yvette Mollen's passion for championing Innu-aimun is unwavering. The professor, researcher, author and web content developer has dedicated most of her adult life to recording, preserving and passing on her ancestors' tongue, an Algonquian language spoken by some 10,000 Innu in Quebec and Labrador. One way she does this is by developing interactive online games that help children learn Innu-aimun, while also seeing how their people lived, and still could live, on the land. For Ms. Mollen — the recipient in 2024 of the Order of Quebec for her linguistic initiatives — Innu-aimun is the language closest to her heart, but all languages matter and deserve support to stay alive. 'Because if the Creator had wanted us all to speak the same language, he would have made it so,' she says. In fact, the United Nations estimates that of the 7,000 or so languages spoken worldwide today, some 47 per cent are threatened or endangered, most of them Indigenous tongues. In Canada, there are more than 70 distinct Indigenous languages spoken by First Nations, Inuit and Métis, but according to Canada's 2021 census, only 13.1 per cent of the Indigenous population reported knowing how to speak their traditional languages, down from 21.4 per cent in 2006. What's more, there is not a single Indigenous language in Canada that is not at risk, with the level of peril going from vulnerable (when a given language is still 'used by some children in all domains' or 'by all children in some domains') to definitely, severely and critically endangered (when only a few Elder speakers remain). On the critically endangered list are Haida and Tse'khene/Sekani, both with as few as a dozen speakers. But even Cree, which includes various regional dialects and has more than 86,000 speakers, is considered vulnerable. ('Cree' is the colonial name for these languages and peoples.) In Canada, the threats against Indigenous language use and proficiency are rooted in colonialism and assimilation policies. Historically, this was accomplished through residential schools, which forced children to speak only English or French and punished those who were caught conversing in their own languages. Consequently, many Indigenous people gave up speaking their mother tongues and did not pass them on to their children, a loss that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, declared a form of cultural genocide. But several communities and academic institutions across Canada are braiding tradition and technology to strengthen vulnerable languages, or even pull them back from the brink. The FirstVoices website, a joint project by the First Peoples' Cultural Council and the First Peoples' Cultural Foundation, has served as a platform for more than 50 Indigenous nations in Canada, the United States and Australia to share their languages since 2003. And increasingly, Indigenous people are creating websites, apps and online tools, including interactive dictionaries, YouTube beginner courses, grammar and pronunciation guides and archives of stories passed down from elders. Take York Factory First Nation (YFFN) in northern Manitoba. It wanted a way for members to easily access materials to learn Inineemowin, their dialect of Swampy Cree. Since most youth these days are attached to a smartphone, an app was the logical learning tool. But the First Nation also wanted a resource that would reflect who and where they are, and where they come from—an app steeped in history and the local context. So when Jordan Dysart, a Cree-Métis software developer with Winnipeg-based Vincent Design, was tasked with creating YFFN's Inineemowin language app, he looked to the nation's knowledge holders. 'To capture the specifics, you need to be sensitive regarding cultural knowledge and what you put forward,' he says, adding that the app, built mainly for YFFN's members, would also be out there for anyone to use. Together with a language committee and cultural advisers from the community, and in collaboration with the Winnipeg design firm HTFC, they workshopped ways to deliver grammar in a non-academic, grassroots way. The result features audio files and flashcards based on aspects, objects and activities specific to the nation's location and culture. Through its eight-module Learning Pathway, it guides beginners through basic Swampy Cree grammar, vocabulary and phrases through activities that would take place on the land, such as observing and tracking animals, but also through traditional skills like hunting and sewing. 'They wanted to share their story in their specific language,' says Mr. Dysart about York Factory First Nation. 'The Inineemowin app is a fingerprint of the community.' One in a regular series of stories. To read more, visit our Indigenous Enterprises section. If you have suggestions for future stories, reach out to IE@
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Late Metis elder from Saskatchewan honoured with Canada Post stamp
A Métis elder and Michif language keeper from Saskatchewan is being commemorated with a Canada Post stamp. Sophie McDougall, who passed away in 2023, was a teacher from St. Louis, dedicating her life to sharing her knowledge of cultures and language with others. 'She kept us all together,' said the honoree's daughter Peggy Parenteau at the June 17 stamp reveal. 'She taught us so many things. It's hard to believe that she's being honoured today. But she's well-deserved of it. She worked hard all her life.' McDougall was an elder with the Prince Albert Métis Women's Association (PAMWA) for 20 years, and translated books and written materials into Michif, all while engaging in other projects to preserve the endangered language. 'Working with Sophie was such an honour,' said PAMWA Director Noreen McBride in a speech at the stamp reveal. 'She took immense pride in these books, which were beautifully illustrated by local youth, and she was proud to share them with young people throughout Prince Albert and beyond.' The stamp was issued June 20, alongside two other stamps honouring Indigenous leaders. 'These honorees are widely loved, respected and admired in their communities across the country,' said Tyler Thomas, Canada Post's director of Indigenous and northern affairs. 'The Métis National Council selected Sophie for the latest stamp.' McBride used her speech to share more about McDougall's character. 'She was a woman of strength. She was a woman of wisdom. And she was a woman to be remembered,' she said. 'Her legacy lives on through her family, and her contributions to our language.'
CBC
21-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Late Michif language keeper honoured with new stamp
A woman from St. Louis, Sask., credited with sharing her knowledge of her Métis culture and Michif language with generations of students and community members over her life, is being featured on a new stamp. According to Canada Post, Sophie McDougall translated books and other materials into Michif for 20 years while serving as an elder with the Prince Albert Métis Women's Association. Michif is categorized as critically endangered by UNESCO. McDougall, who died in 2023 at the age of 94, also worked with organizations in Prince Albert to document and teach the regional dialect of Michif French. She appeared in the YouTube series Métis Women Stories in her late 80s — and later contributed to the creation of the Learn Michif French app. In 2023, McDougall received the Order of Gabriel Dumont Gold Medal in recognition of her lifetime of service to the Métis of Canada. "She was our storybook," said Angela Rancourt, a Métis educator and friend of McDougall's, in an interview with Canada Post Magazine. "She was a database of all our stories." Recalling the period before the development of the app, Rancourt said they needed to find a way for families to be connected to the language. "It was Sophie who said, 'Get it on the phone, get it on their phones!'" Rancourt said. Another friend of McDougall's, Métis researcher and educator Cindy Gaudet, said McDougall was "our kinship archives." "Everyone would go to Sophie if they needed to know something," Gaudet told Canada Post Magazine. "'Are these people related, how are we related, when did the church get moved, what was going on at that time, when was that event?'" According to Canada Post, McDougall was a descendant of the original settlers of the St. Louis area, approximately 105 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. Canada Post said the stamp features an illustration of McDougall based on a photo provided by her family. Photos of the St. Louis Parish, and the original St. Louis highway and railway bridge in her hometown, appear in the background. On a commemorative envelope that is also available, the postmark features an illustration of an old schoolhouse bell, in recognition of McDougall's years as a teacher — and the postmark location is St. Louis. Canada Post said its Indigenous Leaders series, launched in 2022, highlights the contributions of Inuit, Métis and First Nations leaders who dedicated their lives to preserving their culture and improving the quality of life of Indigenous peoples in Canada. It said this stamp is one of three Indigenous Leaders stamps that will be issued in time for this year's National Indigenous Peoples Day, which is this Saturday. The set is the fourth in Canada Post's multi-year Indigenous Leaders series. Last Friday, the stamp honouring Julia Haogak Ogina was celebrated in Ulukhaktok, N.W.T. On Thursday, the stamp recognizing Bruce Starlight was celebrated in Tsuut'ina Nation, Alta. Bronwyn Graves, Canada Post's director of stamp services, said it was the Métis National Council that suggested McDougall be honoured. "If you take a look at all of the honourees in this year's stamp series, there's a real focus on language preservation," Graves said. Graves said Canada Post recognizes how important it is to Indigenous communities to preserve their language as a means of preserving their stories and their traditional teachings. Canada Post hears from Canadians all the time who say they research someone featured on commemorative stamps if they aren't familiar with them, she said. Graves said that when the Donald Sutherland stamp came out in 2023, most people knew who he was, but there were a few who didn't, adding that perhaps younger generations learned about the late actor through that stamp. "Likewise, maybe people who are from very different communities, or who don't know their Indigenous history quite as well, may learn a little bit of something through these stamps about not just Sophie's life and contributions, but also the Métis community as a whole," Graves said.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Late Michif language keeper honoured with new stamp
A woman from St. Louis, Sask., credited with sharing her knowledge of her Métis culture and Michif language with generations of students and community members over her life, is being featured on a new stamp. According to Canada Post, Sophie McDougall translated books and other materials into Michif for 20 years while serving as an elder with the Prince Albert Métis Women's Association. Michif is categorized as critically endangered by UNESCO. McDougall, who died in 2023 at the age of 94, also worked with organizations in Prince Albert to document and teach the regional dialect of Michif French. She appeared in the YouTube series Métis Women Stories in her late 80s — and later contributed to the creation of the Learn Michif French app. In 2023, McDougall received the Order of Gabriel Dumont Gold Medal in recognition of her lifetime of service to the Métis of Canada. "She was our storybook," said Angela Rancourt, a Métis educator and friend of McDougall's, in an interview with Canada Post Magazine. "She was a database of all our stories." Recalling the period before the development of the app, Rancourt said they needed to find a way for families to be connected to the language. "It was Sophie who said, 'Get it on the phone, get it on their phones!'" Rancourt said. Another friend of McDougall's, Métis researcher and educator Cindy Gaudet, said McDougall was "our kinship archives." "Everyone would go to Sophie if they needed to know something," Gaudet told Canada Post Magazine. "'Are these people related, how are we related, when did the church get moved, what was going on at that time, when was that event?'" According to Canada Post, McDougall was a descendant of the original settlers of the St. Louis area, approximately 105 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon. Canada Post said the stamp features an illustration of McDougall based on a photo provided by her family. Photos of the St. Louis Parish, and the original St. Louis highway and railway bridge in her hometown, appear in the background. On a commemorative envelope that is also available, the postmark features an illustration of an old schoolhouse bell, in recognition of McDougall's years as a teacher — and the postmark location is St. Louis. Canada Post said its Indigenous Leaders series, launched in 2022, highlights the contributions of Inuit, Métis and First Nations leaders who dedicated their lives to preserving their culture and improving the quality of life of Indigenous peoples in Canada. It said this stamp is one of three Indigenous Leaders stamps that will be issued in time for this year's National Indigenous Peoples Day, which is this Saturday. The set is the fourth in Canada Post's multi-year Indigenous Leaders series. Last Friday, the stamp honouring Julia Haogak Ogina was celebrated in Ulukhaktok, N.W.T. On Thursday, the stamp recognizing Bruce Starlight was celebrated in Tsuut'ina Nation, Alta. Bronwyn Graves, Canada Post's director of stamp services, said it was the Métis National Council that suggested McDougall be honoured. "If you take a look at all of the honourees in this year's stamp series, there's a real focus on language preservation," Graves said. Graves said Canada Post recognizes how important it is to Indigenous communities to preserve their language as a means of preserving their stories and their traditional teachings. Canada Post hears from Canadians all the time who say they research someone featured on commemorative stamps if they aren't familiar with them, she said. Graves said that when the Donald Sutherland stamp came out in 2023, most people knew who he was, but there were a few who didn't, adding that perhaps younger generations learned about the late actor through that stamp. "Likewise, maybe people who are from very different communities, or who don't know their Indigenous history quite as well, may learn a little bit of something through these stamps about not just Sophie's life and contributions, but also the Métis community as a whole," Graves said. The new stamps and collectibles will be available at and select postal outlets across Canada, starting on Friday.
The Guardian
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘The language is part of my life': Gwenno shares songs in Cornish to inspire new generation
The Mercury prize-nominated Cornish/Welsh singer Gwenno Saunders has said that Cornish should be more widely taught to children in the far south-west of Britain to protect the language and preserve local culture. Gwenno spoke after visiting a school in the fishing village of Mevagissey on the south coast of Cornwall before a performance at the nearby Lost Gardens of Heligan. Year 5 pupils at Mevagissey community primary school joined her in singing. She covered an eclectic range of subjects, from the importance and vitality of Kernewek (Cornish) to rebellions of the 15th and 16th centuries – and cheese. Gwenno, whose parents are a Cornish poet and Welsh language activist, sings in Cornish, Welsh and English. She said: 'The children in Mevagissey weren't that familiar with the language because they don't have access to it. I think it would be really useful for it to be on the curriculum. It's really nourishing for children to learn about local heritage and history in a language that is from the place where they live. 'It's so easy in a very globalised world to feel like everything's the same and there's only one way of doing things. Having local strains of history and language and accents gives you a sense of place and sense of community and creativity.' Gwenno was nominated for the Mercury prize in 2022 for her acclaimed third record, the Cornish-language Tresor. She is appearing at the Heligan Homecoming festival on Thursday 19 June as part of a lineup of artists, comedians and thinkers exploring the themes of home and belonging. She last performed a gig in Cornwall at the Minack theatre in 2023. Among the songs Gwenno performed for the children in Mevagissey was Den Heb Taves, meaning 'a tongueless man'. Gwenno said: 'It's about losing your language and how that contributes towards losing your grounding and your footing.' She also spoke to the children of the Cornish rebellion of 1497, partly a response to hardship caused by the raising of taxes by Henry VII to go to war, and the Prayer Book Rebellion of 1549. 'Children love those sorts of really deep, dark, big ideas,' Gwenno said. 'I think that when you go into school and you're having a conversation it's really important to try and push it emotionally and intellectually. 'Often people think: 'Oh well, we've lost our language because it wasn't important or it was irrelevant' and actually, so often it's systematic and it's structural why a language dies or almost dies.' She said she wanted to convey to the children that Cornish was an integral part of her life. 'The language is something that's part of my life and part of my home life and I think if a language comes from that I think it has a real chance to thrive.' Cornwall council believes there are about 500 advanced Cornish speakers and 2,000 with basic levels of Cornish. It has designed a free initiative called Go Cornish for Primary Schools to promote the language and culture. It says Cornish culture is 'thriving' with more people getting involved with programmes and events celebrating Cornish food, heritage, sports and music. Gwenno also sang a rousing song with the Mevagissey children about cheese called Eus Keus? (Is There Cheese?). 'I thought we should probably lighten it. The thing about any language or culture is that you've got to find the absurd in it and the humour. It's really cathartic to shout about cheese. It was fun to do. I'll be singing that till I'm 90 if I'm still here.' The Heligan Homecoming festival takes place on selected dates between 13 and 22 June 13. For details go to
