Throughout Canada, Indigenous Language Month, celebrated each February, shines a light on the importance of preserving Indigenous languages and cultures. Educators and students are engaging with these languages through innovative projects and activities, ensuring they remain vibrant and relevant within their communities.
Andrea Harding, the regional Indigenous language and education coordinator for Yellowknife Education District No. 1, is fueling excitement during Indigenous Languages Month with creative educational initiatives. At her school, students from junior kindergarten to Grade 12 participate by learning and speaking words from their heritage languages, starting every morning with greetings like "K'omoodoo hoizii," which translates to saying hello. According to Harding, this is "a wonderful way to start the day."
To encourage language use and engagement, Harding's team has developed "talking bags" filled with games emphasizing Indigenous languages. For example, they adapted the classic children's game "four corners" to include settings inspired by local wildlife. When students play, they get to practice their vocabulary and sentence structures in Northern Indigenous languages. "Language and culture go hand-in-hand, and you can't have one without the other," Harding insists. "It's super important to keep the language alive and thriving. It's also really important as part of reconciliation to recognize the language of the land we benefit from and celebrate it."
While Indigenous languages face challenges, such as the cultural genocide and forced assimilation of past generations, recent years have seen increased efforts to reconnect with these mother tongues. More than 60 Indigenous languages are spoken across the country, with growing numbers of individuals picking them up as second languages; around 27 percent of Indigenous speakers reported doing so, which is up by seven percent since 2016.
Harding's approach reflects the broader movement to protect and promote Indigenous languages. Lorena Sekwan Fontaine, who has dedicated her career to analyzing the impacts of discrimination against Indigenous Peoples, highlights the importance of using educational platforms to confront these challenges. Growing up speaking English rather than her ancestors' languages—Ojibwe and Cree—Fontaine is devoted to ensuring future generations retain their cultural heritage.
To support them, language revitalization initiatives, such as the National Research Council of Canada's Indigenous Languages Technology Project, are becoming increasingly significant. Roland Kuhn, who leads this project, states, "We think of ourselves as stagehands for the teachers," offering tools and resources to aid language activists. Technology plays a role too, as tools like ReadAlong Studio provide educators with software to create engaging learning materials, able to bridge gaps where traditional resources may be lacking.
On February 21, Canada also observed International Mother Languages Day, established by the federal government to promote linguistic and cultural diversity across the nation. The day highlights the need to protect all languages and serves as a reminder of the struggles faced by Indigenous communities. Encouragingly, many individuals are working tirelessly—both teachers like Harding and advocates like Fontaine—to counteract the effects of decades of oppression.
While the integration of technology and education aids language teaching, Scott Patles-Richardson, who chairs the NATIONS Translation Group, also believes community efforts are key. NATIONS, which provides translation services for over 100 languages, uses AI and automation to improve language accessibility. "We are developing technology to enable our Indigenous translators to have access to these tools to optimize their participation, and preserve our languages and stories," he explains. "We’re trying to normalize Indigenous languages within society so they become as ubiquitous as French and English."
These combined efforts showcase the resilience and determination within Indigenous communities to safeguard their languages and cultures. With growing support from educational initiatives, technology, and community engagement, there is hope for the future of Indigenous languages. By prioritizing language preservation, students and educators are ensuring their histories are passed on for generations to come.
The commitment to preserving Indigenous languages not only supports cultural heritage but contributes significantly to the broader Canadian narrative of reconciliation and acknowledges the rights of Indigenous Peoples. With Indigenous Languages Month serving as both celebration and reminder of the work still needed, the voices of educators like Harding and Fontaine—and countless others—echo the significance of learning, speaking, and valuing these languages.