Universities launch Indigenous language initiatives to make learning accessible, fun

Four universities have launched Indigenous language initiatives to teach community members in innovative ways and make learning accessible. The University of Prince Edward Island is offering a free online Mi’kmaw language course to Indigenous PEI community members who want to learn the language, while Laurentian University is hosting an 8-day camp focused on learning the Anishnaabemowin language. Two First Nations University of Canada professors have written and translated a series of First Nations Language readers that tell traditional and new stories in languages such as Cree. Solomon Ratt joined the project to help with writing and translating the fourth book, which he hopes will help people learn to read in Cree. At the University of Victoria, Theatre Professor Kirsten Sadeghi-Yekta combined applied theatre techniques with language learning for an Indigenous Theatre Festival called Reawakening Language on Stage. Sadeghi-Yekta led a group of around 60 participants who developed their language skills in Hul’q’umi’num’ in order to perform fully in the language.