Message to Educators
According to a United Nations (UN) report, the world’s Indigenous languages are under threat of disappearing, with one language dying every two weeks and many more at risk. Indigenous languages are key to ensuring the continuation and transmission of ecological knowledge, culture, traditions, values, beliefs, and most importantly, stories. This is key to Indigenous peoples keeping their heritage and identity alive.
During the UN’s Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (14th session) in 2016, the panel shared a stark warning, “Despite the formal recognition of […these obligations…], Indigenous languages continue to face extinction, and it is incumbent upon Indigenous peoples themselves to reverse this trend and to revitalize their own languages. Indigenous peoples around the world are doing so, often with limited resources, little or no outside support and in an environment in which a few major languages dominate the cultural and linguistic landscape, while they work to overcome decades or centuries of destructive policies and legislation.”
A decade later, little progress has been made in protecting the endangered languages. According to one estimate, there are 3,193 languages that are officially declared endangered. Inuktitut is considered vulnerable, and Inuinnaqtun is critically endangered. Other severely endangered include Assiniboine, Cayuga, and Michif. These are not just numbers. This is an irreplaceable loss of heritage, knowledge, traditions, culture, stories, and connections with the land.
Education plays an instrumental role in preserving languages, removing language bias and barriers, and providing preservation pathways to communities. The lesson plans in this issue of Root & STEM are designed to support educators in classrooms in revitalizing language and culture through intentional activities. These lessons encourage the students to connect with Indigenous culture through holistic wellness, teachings from the medicine wheel, games, and celebrating diversity.
We hope that this issue of Root & STEM inspires educators to recognize that language and cultural preservation are not just initiatives, but a cornerstone of continuity and reconciliation.
