LIVING CULTURES
CULTURAL PROGRAM FACILITATOR
LANGUAGE SENSITIVITY
Some guests may have questions about Indigenous languages. They may question artists on the languages of their Nation and assume that they can speak it or that they should be able to. It is important to communicate that language can be a sensitive topic for Indigenous people. The deep-rooted history of the loss of language through colonialism and residential schools continues to impact Indigenous peoples today. However, it is equally important to explain that these languages are not “extinct” and that there are many efforts to revitalize them. Guests may also be interested in learning about the language revitalization efforts underway today, particularly in your area. Here are some resources on language revitalization: www.fpcc.ca/language www.ictinc.ca/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-indigenous-language-revitalization www.firstvoices.com
Connection-Building Activities
Bring language speakers and learners on site to help inform guests about the local language. Have signs that include basic phrases or words (e.g., hello, thank you, goodbye) in the Indigenous language of your area, or of the Nations that the artists are from. You may want to see if your local Nation has recordings available online with QR code links for pronunciation on signage, or include the phonetic pronunciation (consult local language speakers for assistance with this). Include images and words of animals or plants in the Indigenous language of your area that the artists may be depicting in their work (e.g., raven, orca, eagle). Continuous Scrabble game: Recreate or use a Scrabble board and have guests use letter tiles to spell words in the local Indigenous language. Have a dictionary or list of words for guests to use. Make sure you include letter tiles with local Indigenous alphabets and accents.
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Living Cultures: An Empathy-Building Toolkit
