To Wake Up the Nakota Language (Nakota Version)
“When you don’t know your language or your culture, you don’t know who you are,” says 69-year-old Armand McArthur, one of the last fluent Nakota speakers in Pheasant Rump First Nation, Treaty 4 territory, in southern Saskatchewan. Through the wisdom of his words, Armand is committed to revitalizing his language and culture for his community and future generations.
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“When you don’t know your language or your culture, you don’t know who you are,” says 69-year-old Armand McArthur, one of the last fluent Nakota speakers in Pheasant Rump First Nation, Treaty 4 territory, in southern Saskatchewan. Through the wisdom of his words, Armand is committed to revitalizing his language and culture for his community and future generations.
This short film sends a message about the necessity for language revitalization and culture, and can prompt class discussions, essays and research projects. What is the connection between language and cultural identity? How is this story relevant to the majority of Indigenous languages that span across what is now Canada? Research an Indigenous language group that is near or of interest to you. How many Indigenous languages exist within Canada and what laws, policies, beliefs and actions were taken by the Canadian government to contribute to the demise of Indigenous languages? The United Nations has declared a Decade of Indigenous Languages, beginning in 2022, to draw attention to Indigenous language users’ human rights. Why is it important to support the revitalization of Indigenous languages?