Argument

Revitalizing language is key to restoring Indigenous practices and ways of life that were lost during the residential school period (Fig. 1). Children were punished for speaking their native language, and only English was allowed to be spoken (TRC 2015, 81). As a result, many could no longer speak their languages when they returned home, and could not communicate with their parents (TRC 2015, 83). The endangered status of a language is measured by the last generation who speaks it, children, parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents. The youngest generation not speaking their language caused many to start to become endangered. According to UNESCO, 37% of Indigenous languages in Canada are critically endangered (UNESCO 2010, 117). The loss of language then affects culture. North American Indigenous cultures are oral cultures. Traditions are passed down through storytelling and oral means. If a child does not speak the language of their grandparents, their cultural traditions cannot be passed on to them and will be lost.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission identified 8 different calls to action related to language rights, education, and access, marking it as an important step toward reconciliation. In the calls to action document, language was associated strongly with culture. In this Voyant Visualization (Fig. 2), the frequency of the word language (green) matches the frequency of the word culture (blue). The spike in section two is a call to action specifically targeting language. The fact that these two words are tied together shows how integral language is to culture. It was part of the cultural genocide during the residential schools era, and is a key to cultural revitalization now.