The 13th annual Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre (SICC) Language Keepers Gathering began Wednesday at the Saskatoon Inn and Conference Centre.
The two-day conference was started as a networking opportunity and a place for language educators to share successful teaching methods.
Romeo Saganash, the NDP MP for Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou, was Wednesday’s keynote speaker.
“I think language is so closely connected to our identity as Indigenous people,” Saganash said. “I identify as Cree and I speak my language.”
Saganash also said he is continuing to push to have Indigenous languages spoken in the House of Commons and wants to make sure that they are treated the same as English and French.
“Language First: Keep the Spirit Alive” is the theme of this year’s conference.
“For First Nations languages and First Nation peoples across our ancestral lands, a huge component of our identity is our languages and the fluency. The passing of languages onto the next generation is key to keeping our lifestyle and our culture alive and strong,” says Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron.
“The best lessons are in our homes — passing the language onto our children. This is where true dialogue and true understanding of language takes place — within our homes, in our schools and with one another.”
The attendance of the Language Keepers Gathering has tripled since 2006.
(PHOTO: Romeo Saganash speaking at the conference. Photo by Brendan Mayer.)