Loss of Language and Culture

Over a year ago, Halaw Group was at a youth workshop in a First Nations community, and a question was asked to the youth. What was their understanding and position concerning Culture within their community. A young lady responded, I am culture less, I am First Nations and that is all I know. With six hundred plus First Nations communities across Canada, more then half are on the verge of losing their language, because the young one's are just not speaking it. We feel if you can speak your language, you know and understand your culture. There are some communities that can speak their languages, and practice their culture and traditions, but today just not enough. We ask the question why is this? In most Indian/Aboriginal or First Nations circles, it would be said this has a lot to do with the Residential school process. The first residential school opened in 1840, and the last residential school closed in 1996, and its true purpose was intended to force the assimilation of the aboriginal peoples in Canada into European-Canadian society. In other words take the Indian out of Indians, again we would ask the question, did it work or has it worked? A lot of extremely negative outcomes came from this overall experience for First Nations people, that will probably take generations to overcome. Today society would ask how could this be? The Indian Act and its defined language gave permission, because the legal argument today is that a legal statue was followed by the government of the day. Apologies were given in recent time, which was accepted and not accepted in most Indian/Aboriginal or First Nations circles, a lot of negative history to overcome. There is the Indian Act again, at the forefront of a very trying time of history. This document has always led the way in a lot of negative history, but it has also had some positive outcomes as well (i.e. court cases and government process). Today we can use this document in reverse, use it to enhance our economic development, create jobs, create programs for the healing our communities, and a future not dependent on government assistance for our well being. It can be done, it can be done, imagine a future of true self government, true self reliance, and full fledged partners with our neighbors and the world.