By Chelsey Sharpe, Jenna Neufeld, Jessica Younghans,

and Tanya Weller

Agenda
- Why are we wearing orange shirts? (Unknown author,
2016, September 16)
- How many Indigenous languages in Canada? Which are
most common? (Langlois and Turner, 2011)
- What is language loss?
- Consequences of Language Loss
- Impact of the residential schools
- Calls to Action
Menti.com
Go to Menti.com and use the Password 467511
What is Language Loss
To understand language loss there needs to be an
explanation of what language is. In Is everyone really equal?
An Introduction to Key Concepts in Social Justice Education
DiAngelo & Sensoy explains that language is the way we
construct reality (2012. P. 48). In other words, language is
key to our whole selves and the way we communicate with
one another. It is how we understand the world around
us. Further, it helps a society forge strong bonds together.
What is Language Loss
(contd)
Language loss not only involves the eradication of an
individuals or a whole groups mother tongue but includes
loss of their culture, loss of relationships with older
generations of their kin group, loss of their identity, and it
further increase[s] the dependence and subjugation of
the [Indigenous Peoples] (Pennycook, 1989. P. 593).
What is Language Loss
(contd)
Colonials imposing their language onto Indigenous
peoples (DiAngelo and Sensoy, 2012).
It is the alienation of the rights of Indigenous people to
speak their language at home and at school. (Phillipson &
Skuttnabb-Kangas, 1995)
The first stage in cultural genocide is removing all traces of
their cultures language. (Wiltse, summer 2011)
What is Language Loss
(contd)
Language loss is a linguistic wrong imposed on others
when their mother tongue is believed to be inferior to the
dominant language(s) being imposed. It is a process that
discourages the use of ones mother tongue, especially in
schools. It is, also, the loss of reading materials, lessons,
and conversations in a persons mother tongue. (Phillipson
& Skuttnabb-Kangas, 1995)
Consequences of Language
Loss
It is estimated that 6000 native languages will die within
the next 100 years.
The loss of language undermines a people's sense of
identity and belonging, which uproots the entire
community in the end (Wallace, 2017).
Colonization is number one cause of Language Loss in
Indigenous groups.
Consequences of Language
Loss (Contd)
John McWhorter Linguist at Columbia University argues
that the world having different languages spoken actually
causes less productivity do to communication problems.
(McWhorter, 2009)
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/article/cosmopolitan-tongue-universality-english

However, the loss in diversity is far worse.

The Residential School Impact
Intent of residential schools was to civilize
Aboriginal children
How:
1. Removed Aboriginal children from their
homes, without choice
2. Prevented the contact between children and
families
3. Forced Christianity
Punished the children when they talked back to
the teachers, tried to escape or, spoke in their
Residential Schools (Contd)
Edward Ahenakew
Again and again I have seen children come
home from boarding schools only to die, having
lost during their time at school all the natural joys
of association with their own families, victims of an
educational policy, well-meant but not over-wise.

(Canadas Residential Schools, pg. 180)

Residential Schools (Contd)
Personal Experiences
1. Edward Ahenakew
2. Louise Moine
3. Mary Sandoval
http://nctr.ca/assets/reports/Final%20Reports/Volume_1_History_Part_1_
English_Web.pdf
Calls to Action
Education
10. iv. Protecting the right to Aboriginal languages,
including the teaching of Aboriginal languages as credit
courses.
Treaty Education Outcomes
Grade 3:
TPP3.4 : Explore how the use of different languages in treaty making
presented challenges and how those challenges impact people today.
Grade 4:
TPP4.4 : Examine the objectives of the First Nations and British Crowns
representatives in negotiating treaty..
Grade 6:
SI6.2 : Analyze the importance of the preservation and promotion of First
Nations and Mtis languages.
Grade 8:
SI8.2 : Assess the impact residential schools have on First Nations
communities.
EAL Teachers Role
1. Communicating with the parents and families
2. Effectively conveying heritage languages to all students
as a positive, rather than a negative
3. Accurately and compassionately interpreting the
specific languages and their cultures within the
classroom
ESL Teachers Role (Contd)
There are numerous tasks which all ESL teachers must
complete to simply do the job. One of the most important
may not be related to the teaching of English at all. That is
the task of helping foster a climate of respect for
languages in general and strengthen, in the educational
domain, the learners ties to the specific heritage
languages from which they come (Anderson-Mejas,
2002).
Conclusion
Phillipson & Skuttnabb-Kangas, in their view, believe the
goal of a Universal Declaration of Linguistic Human Rights
is that everyone can:
- Identify with their mother tongue(s) and have this
identification accepted and respected by others,
- Learn the mother tongue(s) fully, orally...and in
writing
- Use the mother tongue in most official situations
(including schools)
Conclusion (contd)
- Everybody whose mother tongue is not an official
language in the country where s/he is a resident, can
become bilingual...in the mother tongue(s) and (one of)
the official language(s) (according to his or her own
choice)
- Any change of mother tongue is voluntary not
imposed. (1995)
Conclusion (contd)
What can you and I do?

1. Sign up for an Indigenous language class for credit at University of Regina

2. Follow Solomon Ratt - https://www.facebook.com/rattman1
3. Sign up for Cree language videos -
https://www.facebook.com/groups/100216916980387/
4. Attend free Cree classes - poster on display table.
5. Be aware of what is happening -
Possible Changes in Store for Regina Streets - news release on display
table
Conclusion (contd)
International Mother Tongue Day, 21 February/17
International Mother Tongue Day - February 21, 2017

Permission received from Arden Ogg to use this information for our
presentation.

Menti.com - One last question

We would like to hear from
you...
Do you have any questions or comments?
 Sources

Anderson-Mejas, P. L. (2002). The ESLTeacher's Role in Heritage Language Maintenance. The Internet TESL Journal, 8(10).
Retrieved February 13, 2017, from http://iteslj.org/Articles/Anderson-HeritageLanguage.html
Canadas Residential Schools: The History, Part 1 Origins to 1939. (2015). Montreal & Kinston: McGill-Queens University Press. Retrieved
February 9, 2017, from http://nctr.ca/assets/reports/Final%20Reports/Volume_1_History_Part_1_English_Web.pdf
Cree Language Camp. (2017, February 11). Retrieved from
http://www.northernspiritflutes.net/creelanguagecamp/About-Cree-Camp.html
Cree Language Videos. (2017, February 14). Public group. Retrieved from
https://www.facebook.com/groups/100216916980387/
Deerchild, R. (2016, September 4). Reclaiming Cree language lands teacher on shortlist for $1M
award. Unreserved. CBC Radio. Retrieved from
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/lost-found-and-shared-indigenous-language-speakers-on-the-rise-1.3410203/reclaiming-cree-language-la
teacher-on-shortlist-for-1m-award-1.3410769

DiAngelo, R., & Sensoy, O. (2012). Is everyone really equal? An Introduction to Key Concepts
in Social Justice Education. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Galloway, G. (2015, December 15). Trudeau vows to develop plan to put Canada on path to 'true reconciliation' Retrieved
February 13, 2017, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/truth-and-reconciliation-head-calls-for-
ction-as-final-report-released/article27762924/
Knox, Jules. (February 3, 2017). Possible Changes in Store for Regina Streets. Global News.
Sources (contd)
Langlois, S. & Turner, A. Statistics Canada. (2011). Aboriginal languages in Canada. Retrieved
from Statistics Canada website https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-314-x/98-314-x2011003_3-eng.cfm
Pennycook, A. (December, 1989). The Concept of Method, Interested Knowledge, and the
Politics of Language Teaching. TESOL Quarterly, 23 (4), 589-618.
Phillipson, R., & Skuttnabb-Kangas, T. (1995). Linguistic Rights and Wrongs. Applied
Liguistics, 16 (4), 483-504.
Saskatchewan Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from
https://www.edonline.sk.ca/webapps/moe-curriculum-BBLEARN/index.jsp
The Gathering Place. (2017, February 13). FREE Conversational CREE class begins again
TONIGHT. Join us at the Gathering Place at 6pm for this fun class with Darren Okemaysim. It will also be live streamed for those of you
who want to join in from home. Supper is provided. PLEASE SHARE!!!. Retrieved
from
https://www.facebook.com/233167146710332/photos/a.1263347507025619.1073741826.233167146710332/1656819757678390/?type=3
Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. (2012). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from
http://www.trc.ca/websites/trcinstitution/File/2015/Findings/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf
Undergraduate and Course Calendar. (2016-2017). University of Regina. Retrieved from
https://www.uregina.ca/student/registrar/publications/undergraduate-calendar/assets/pdf/2016-2017/Sections/ed.pdf
Unknown author. (2016, September 16). Orange Shirt day raises awareness about residential
schools. CBC News/Manitoba. Retrieved from
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/orange-shirt-indigenous-residential-schools-reconciliation-1.3766002
Sources (contd)
Vocabulary in Native American Languages: Cree Words. Retrieved from
http://www.native-languages.org/cree_words.htm
Wallace, Lane. (2017) What lost when Language dies. Retrieved from The Atlanic website:
https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2009/11/whats-lost-when-a-language-dieStatistics s/29886/
Wiltse, Lynne. (2011, summer). But My Students All Speak English: Ethical Research Issues
of Aboriginal English. TESL Canada Journal/Revue TESL Du Canada. Special issue 5.
Wiltse, Lynne. (2011, November 8). Dr. Lynne Wiltse [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_am-ZS7xEQ