In an article for The Conversation, University of Manitoba Faculty of Education Associate Dean Frank Deer discusses the importance of prioritizing language education in the Residential School settlement in order to revitalize Indigenous communities. Reflecting on the recent $2.8B class action lawsuit settlement related to the residential school system, Deer notes the need to address the damage done to Indigenous communities and their culture and identities. This particularly needs to be done through language education and opportunities to use Indigenous languages in the community. “Children and youth should be encouraged to use Indigenous languages outside of school as well [as] through community laws, commerce, and media,” Deer concludes. “Such initiatives require the commitment of community members and the support of the Day Scholars Revitalization Fund may be well suited for this purpose.”
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