Narratives of Language, Health, and Identity: Pursuing well-being through Indigenous language revitalization
Date
2024
Authors
McCreery, Dale
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Abstract
Over the past two centuries, the Indigenous communities of western Canada have faced monumental changes in the context of colonization and racism. While a small portion of these changes have been negotiated by these communities themselves, most have been imposed, resulting in rapidly changing identities and decreasing levels of well-being. One of the most prominent changes in the social domain has been the experience of language loss caused by practices and policies at Indian Residential Schools, and their aftermath for individuals and communities. For many communities the loss of voice is inseparable from several other significant experiences of disempowerment, all of which have left indelible marks on Indigenous identities. Within this context, today’s language activists are working to revitalize Indigenous languages, not simply to restore a symbol of identity, but for the much larger goal of undoing impacts of disempowering colonial experiences and narratives. This study argues that the methods involved in Indigenous language reclamation and resurgence should reflect the goals of building well-being for individuals and communities. It reviews how the formation and maintenance of Indigenous identity connects language and communication practices to well-being. It examines the undermining and replacement of practices that support well-grounded and agentive Indigenous identities, and then turns to what communities are doing in order to reverse these changes and restore agency and connection. Finally, it looks in depth at how similar programs can be adopted within the field of Indigenous language revitalization, including several concrete examples from the author’s specific context as an Indigenous person with wide experience in language documentation and as a teacher of the Nuxalk and Michif languages, ranging from curricula to unit plans to lesson plans to supporting resources and ways to adapt various common teaching methods. This study shares the author’s personal critical reflection on the use of methods and resources designed to increase the agency of learners, as well as reflections on how to develop and use materials and methods that also increase learners’ sense of security as Indigenous people and establish their grounding in place, in community, and in practice.
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Keywords
linguistics, applied linguistics, indigenous language revitalization, Michif, Nuxalk, well-being, health, indigenous health