Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization

Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization - Verna Kirkness

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of our final episode of the season with Elder Verna Kirkness. Elder Verna Kirkness is from the Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba. She is a Cree scholar and language advocate who has left an incredible legacy and body of work relating to Indigenous education policy and the importance of Indigenous language reclamation efforts both in Canada and around the globe.

Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization - Rev. Larry Beardy

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 20 with Reverend Larry Beardy. Rev. Beardy is from Tataskweyak Cree Nation on Treaty 5 Territory. Rev. Beardy is a former Cree language syllabics teacher.

 

Rev.Beardy shares how he entered teacher training in his own community and learned about the structure of the syllabics writing through the local Elders who used to teach the language. For younger students, he shares that it is important to focus solely on the oral form and to be in an environment where the language thrives, for example with transmission of the language through story-telling. Rev. Beardy shares how the language and the culture must be taught together and how important it is to teach it on the land, not just in the classroom. He talks about the history of the Cree syllabics language system, sharing: “My understanding of creating the syllabic system, it was created by our people. Our own people. They took the symbols of the land or the signs, what I call monuments… it’s all in the symbols of our syllabics.” Rev. Beardy thinks often about how to re-introduce the language back to the youth so that the Elders and the young can speak together. He says the language is healing and can be found within, it is just a matter of learning how to bring it out.

Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization - Kim Halcrow

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 19 with Kimberly Halcrow. Kimberly lives in Gillam, Manitoba and is a mother, a Cree language teacher and Pow Wow Instructor among other important roles.  

Kimberly has been teaching the Cree language in school for over 6 years. She loves the process and finding ways to get the kids feeling excited and engaged with the language. One method of teaching the language to her younger students is by translating English songs like The Itsy Bitsy Spider into Cree. Kimberly’s teaching strategy is creative, intuitive and supportive. Kimberly talks about how she uses the Total Physical Response method (TPR) and how it helps to communicate and understand student’s comprehension. As the only Cree speaking teacher at the school, Kimberly shares how important it is to go to conferences because they connect her to other language teachers. Her mindset goes beyond the classroom and into community efforts of making the Cree language more visible. She shares: “I always have new ideas to introduce Cree language, for them to have fun… I always try to speak it first because growing up we weren’t given a book in Cree or sheet to do. It was always spoken to us and it's a very good teaching.. you just have to listen and look around your environment and surroundings.” Kimberly is the kind of teacher students hope for! 

Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization - Kaitlin Arcand

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 18 with Cree language teacher Kaitlin Arcand. Kaitlin is from Alexander First Nation. Kaitlin embodies the spirit of community. Kaitlin shares of her world travels and the way it has informed the connection to her learning and teaching journey. This is an in-depth conversation you won’t want to miss!

Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization - Bonnie Hill

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 17, featuring Bonnie Hill. Bonnie is an Oneida language teacher of the Wolf Clan and is a member of the Oneida Nation of the Thames. In this episode, you will hear Bonnie speak of strategies that she has found successful for her students' learning and their language retention, as well as ways to foster language revitalization beyond her own community.

Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization - James Darin Corbiere

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 16, with James Darin Corbiere. Mr. Corbiere is an Ojibwe artist and former police officer as well as teacher of Native Studies and the Ojibwe language. Darin shares insights into the strategies of both learning and teaching Anishinaabemowin, and the intricate connection that language has to culture. 

Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization - Colleen Joe Titus

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 15 with newly retired teacher of the Southern Tutchone language Shȁnlaya Colleen Joe-Titus. Colleen is of the Crow Clan and a member of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nation. In this episode, Colleen shares great insight into the hopes of different levels of community working in concert with each other to build language revitalization for all ages and community members. Colleen’s First Nation declared language revitalization a priority and she says moves like this create opportunities for individuals to learn beyond a classroom setting, which is key to successful language revitalization.

Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization - Kawennakon Bonnie Whitlow

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 14, featuring Mohawk language teacher, Kawennakon Bonnie Whitlow. Kawennakon speaks of her dreams to learn the Mohawk language her whole life. From elementary all the way through to university, there was never an option to learn any ancestral languages native to the land. She was always searching. Of her language journey, she shares her experiences learning as an adult, and how it informs her teaching to students today.

Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization - Felicia Huff

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 13 with Felicia Huff. Felicia is a parent from The Chippewa of the Thames First Nation (COTTFN) and is an education trustee for her community. From a parent’s perspective, Felicia shares what has helped her children learn Ojibwe and what more could be done to support their learning.

Voices from the Land: Indigenous Peoples Talk Language Revitalization - Russel Iron

The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 12 with Cree speaker and parent, Russel Iron. Russel is from Canoe Lake Cree First Nation. Russel has taught his children the language, and some of them are now teachers themselves. He shares the strategies that helped him teach his children the language and his path in education.