Today, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Pablo Rodriguez, announced $11.2 million in funding, over two years (2021-22 to 2022-23) to support the efforts of Indigenous communities and Indigenous organizations in Saskatchewan to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen Indigenous languages.
This funding will increase the number of community-driven activities dedicated to keeping Indigenous languages alive, as well as the number of resources available to strengthen and revitalize these languages.
More concretely, this investment will allow language-learning activities to take place, including language instruction, language nests, language and culture camps, language development and translation, mentor-apprentice programs, and language training for instructors.
This investment through the Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program will also allow for the development of multimedia resources, dictionaries, online/digital language training, and strategic language plans.
Language and culture are at the core of one's identity and self-worth, and are integral to the foundation of healthy communities. These projects are made possible through the Indigenous Languages and Cultures Program, and more precisely under the Indigenous Languages Component. Through these and other initiatives, Indigenous people are reclaiming their languages and cultural knowledge, and continuing to use them as authentic and powerful tools to share their own stories, in their own words.
