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Norine Buffalo discusses elements of the Indigenous Languages Education program that includes languages, pedagogy, assessment at Alberta

Image courtesy of interviewee. March 20, 2024

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The speaker discusses the importance of indigenous language revitalization, particularly in the context of Cree culture and identity. They emphasize that language and culture are intertwined and essential for individual and community identity. The speaker shares their personal experience of learning the Cree language at home, despite attending a day school where the language was not spoken.

They highlight the historical impact of residential schools and governmental policies aimed at assimilating Indigenous peoples, which attempted to erase indigenous identities and languages. The speaker stresses the need for communities to reclaim and teach their languages, especially to younger generations, in order to preserve culture and identity.

They also point out that language education should be culturally appropriate and delivered by those who are genuinely knowledgeable about the culture, warning against cultural appropriation. The speaker calls for an education system that respects and incorporates indigenous perspectives, instead of imposing standardized, western methodologies. They conclude by reaffirming the vital connection between language and cultural identity, advocating for a future where indigenous knowledge and languages are celebrated and preserved.

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X-TIMESTAMP-MAP:LOCAL=00:00:00.000,MPEGTS=900000

00:00.035 --> 00:03.285
From my perspective and the way I've grown up,

00:03.285 --> 00:04.845
indigenous language,

00:04.915 --> 00:08.965
education is a revitalization process in which, many

00:08.965 --> 00:13.565
of our communities are in, reclaiming our languages

00:14.075 --> 00:17.005
because of, the Indian residential schools.

00:17.185 --> 00:19.965
And what has happened back then,

00:20.265 --> 00:23.685
the process in reclaiming our language is, is very important

00:24.275 --> 00:28.805
because educational language is different

00:29.185 --> 00:32.085
for many different, people.

00:32.545 --> 00:37.245
And for us in like in Musci, we're ak we're,

00:37.695 --> 00:40.765
we're CRE people and our language is cre

00:41.225 --> 00:42.525
and those are English terms.

00:43.305 --> 00:47.485
The, the terminology we prefer to use is

00:48.125 --> 00:52.485
for CRE people and AWA one for CRE language

00:52.675 --> 00:57.245
because those are not really translatable,

00:57.245 --> 00:59.285
but those are the English terms that have been used.

00:59.545 --> 01:02.085
So for this purpose, I'll be using Cree language

01:02.085 --> 01:06.165
and Cree, knowledge using that, those English terms.

01:06.965 --> 01:08.565
Language is a central component

01:08.565 --> 01:10.805
because you cannot have identity without language.

01:11.505 --> 01:14.885
For us in Musca cheese, our language

01:14.885 --> 01:16.725
and our culture are intertwined.

01:16.725 --> 01:21.385
And many of us have been fortunate enough to reconnect

01:21.795 --> 01:24.865
after going through residential school or day school.

01:24.865 --> 01:26.425
Like for me, I was a day scholar

01:27.645 --> 01:30.705
and I never heard the language when I was going to school,

01:31.245 --> 01:32.425
but I heard it at home.

01:32.585 --> 01:35.505
I was fortunate, like I'm one, a fortunate ones

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to have had my grandparents who were fluent speakers

01:38.885 --> 01:41.505
of the language and never spoke English.

01:42.245 --> 01:44.265
So I learned the language.

01:45.175 --> 01:47.995
And for me, being as young as I was,

01:47.995 --> 01:52.735
because I was living in two worlds, I was able

01:52.735 --> 01:55.095
to understand everything they told me in cre

01:55.555 --> 01:56.575
not being a fluent speaker.

01:56.595 --> 01:58.415
But I understood it. And as I grew older

01:58.955 --> 02:00.535
is when I started to use the language.

02:00.635 --> 02:04.215
And to me that taught me that those two are intertwined.

02:04.215 --> 02:05.735
You cannot have one without the other

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because when you go to our ceremonies, they're conducted in

02:10.435 --> 02:14.545
awa when, and English language is

02:15.145 --> 02:17.465
a language that's a board language that's not ours.

02:18.045 --> 02:22.945
So the language used in the ceremony are so sacred

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that that's what creates the identity piece

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is those two components together in making our identity,

02:31.375 --> 02:34.265
what what it is, language and culture.

02:35.755 --> 02:39.155
'cause you can't have a, a ceremony without the language

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because it doesn't have in that

02:43.295 --> 02:45.295
spiritual meaning if you don't have the language in the,

02:45.435 --> 02:46.495
ceremony.

02:46.915 --> 02:49.015
So that's, for me, the important aspect

02:49.015 --> 02:50.775
of this is having the language

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and the spiritual aspect of

02:52.895 --> 02:54.935
that language within the ceremony.

02:55.485 --> 02:57.935
It's been happening for over 500 years,

02:58.235 --> 03:01.205
but the major impact has been in the 18 hundreds

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with the introduction of the Indian residential schools

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and the Indian policy that the government came up with

03:11.045 --> 03:14.075
with, kill the Indian and the child.

03:14.225 --> 03:16.435
That was the education policy back then.

03:16.665 --> 03:19.155
Because they didn't want us living the,

03:19.215 --> 03:20.875
our ancestors living the way they did

03:21.265 --> 03:24.995
because they wanted us to be civilized.

03:25.615 --> 03:26.995
We were not considered people.

03:28.095 --> 03:32.275
So we were savages in their, in their eyes.

03:32.975 --> 03:36.915
And the way we lived was peace and harmony with nature.

03:37.815 --> 03:40.915
And they didn't want us do that because of the resources

03:40.915 --> 03:43.115
and everything that they wanted to take from nature.

03:43.995 --> 03:47.135
That's why those policies were put into place

03:47.715 --> 03:50.785
to segregate us from Canadian,

03:52.715 --> 03:55.255
people and first nations people.

03:55.515 --> 03:59.545
We were put on reserves land set aside

03:59.565 --> 04:00.865
for First Nations peoples.

04:00.925 --> 04:04.945
But even in those cases, many of the reserves were

04:05.875 --> 04:07.705
taken away and split apart.

04:07.765 --> 04:10.185
And what we're left with is, is the little pieces

04:10.215 --> 04:13.225
that we live, we live on, that's

04:13.225 --> 04:16.345
what you call reserves now is s lift over land.

04:16.965 --> 04:20.685
And even now those are what they wanna take from us.

04:21.265 --> 04:23.285
So they're coming up with new policies.

04:24.155 --> 04:26.535
And so we have to remember

04:26.535 --> 04:29.615
that our treaties are international treaties.

04:29.615 --> 04:30.855
They're not a national treaty.

04:31.435 --> 04:34.405
And with all the politics that goes on,

04:34.565 --> 04:36.565
they're making changes to suit them.

04:37.345 --> 04:40.685
And so we're slowly catching up and they're afraid of that.

04:40.785 --> 04:45.085
So they're always coming up with new policies to ensure

04:45.085 --> 04:48.485
that we have to follow their, their policies.

04:49.245 --> 04:53.505
But as in many indigenous people are becoming,

04:53.625 --> 04:58.315
sovereign, they, they're afraid that we'll all be in that,

04:59.885 --> 05:01.785
in that same boat.

05:02.445 --> 05:05.305
And they have to recognize our treaties.

05:05.685 --> 05:08.425
So they don't want us to be in that same boat with others

05:09.305 --> 05:11.505
recognizing who they are because we determine

05:11.505 --> 05:13.025
what happens on our lands.

05:13.685 --> 05:16.825
So that's one of the things that has happened is ensuring

05:16.825 --> 05:20.425
that all these policies do away with a lot of what we have.

05:21.055 --> 05:23.185
Communities need to speak the language.

05:23.535 --> 05:25.265
They know what little they know

05:26.285 --> 05:30.545
and seeking, other knowledge keepers or elders

05:32.175 --> 05:35.915
and ensuring that those practices are brought into the

05:35.915 --> 05:39.515
schools to be taught to the children as young as three.

05:40.455 --> 05:43.345
Because every little piece of language

05:43.345 --> 05:45.985
that they learn, they retain.

05:46.605 --> 05:49.585
And if it's not utilized, they lose it.

05:49.685 --> 05:53.745
And so it's always important that all of these be taught

05:54.985 --> 05:58.125
properly by everybody that's involved in that child's life.

05:59.035 --> 06:01.015
And for many of our people,

06:01.775 --> 06:04.455
colonization has had a big impact where

06:05.495 --> 06:10.025
they wanna live in a society that's rich in

06:10.935 --> 06:14.705
financially, but they forget who they are and they get lost.

06:14.765 --> 06:17.345
And so we have the problem that we have because of that.

06:18.365 --> 06:21.785
And we need to ensure that our future generations know

06:21.785 --> 06:25.105
where they come from, know our history, our perspective,

06:25.925 --> 06:29.635
not western education, but our perspective.

06:30.295 --> 06:32.795
And that's the importance in developing a lot of the

06:33.605 --> 06:36.675
curriculum that we do in use in our schools.

06:37.455 --> 06:40.235
And right now it's very important

06:40.235 --> 06:44.395
because in many communities we have

06:44.865 --> 06:46.515
limited number of speakers

06:47.295 --> 06:50.875
and our elders are, are passing on that

06:51.305 --> 06:52.555
that knowledge is being taken.

06:52.655 --> 06:55.515
And so we have to ensure that all of

06:55.515 --> 06:58.795
that know language knowledge is brought into the schools.

06:59.655 --> 07:01.355
And in some cases that's

07:01.885 --> 07:04.475
where it end ends up being in the school first

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because the people who know some

07:07.175 --> 07:08.255
of the language are teaching it,

07:08.255 --> 07:10.175
whereas many are not using it at home.

07:10.515 --> 07:14.655
And that's where we need to have more community

07:15.485 --> 07:17.575
engagements in letting the language.

07:18.315 --> 07:21.175
And in years past that was something that was done

07:21.225 --> 07:23.935
where we were re we've been revitalizing the

07:24.135 --> 07:25.415
language so many years.

07:25.515 --> 07:28.415
We have programs that go that don't succeed for long

07:28.415 --> 07:31.425
because other people are wanting to

07:32.145 --> 07:35.065
continue living in western society, that they kind

07:35.065 --> 07:38.545
of push back some of our language and cultural practices.

07:39.045 --> 07:42.335
And now they're realizing the importance of it

07:42.525 --> 07:45.655
because our students in some of our schools in quiche,

07:46.085 --> 07:47.775
they're learning the language

07:47.915 --> 07:49.055
and they're teaching the parents.

07:49.635 --> 07:52.455
So that's important concept that I've gotten from

07:53.275 --> 07:55.015
the language and working

07:55.015 --> 07:57.775
with it all these years is we have no choice

07:57.795 --> 07:59.615
but to do it in the school setting as well.

08:00.355 --> 08:02.175
And first and foremost, it most,

08:02.635 --> 08:04.495
in most families it is in the schools.

08:05.195 --> 08:08.365
And there's some families who are fortunate to be learning

08:09.025 --> 08:11.565
it at home from their parents and their grandparents

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and the extended family.

08:13.905 --> 08:15.605
We have some strong families that way.

08:16.225 --> 08:18.045
And that's what something we all need

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to work towards with Alberta.

08:20.305 --> 08:22.885
The language is that they have curriculum for

08:23.385 --> 08:26.275
and the pedagogy

08:27.185 --> 08:29.165
and the assessment, they're all,

08:30.395 --> 08:33.725
they all come from the western education perspective in

08:34.005 --> 08:35.285
standardizing the language.

08:35.945 --> 08:38.125
And that's not how the language is learned.

08:38.785 --> 08:41.955
The language is learned fluently

08:42.415 --> 08:45.395
and orally with people together

08:45.615 --> 08:49.695
and not, we don't teach our language,

08:51.265 --> 08:53.965
on a paper and a pencil, how it's done in the schools

08:55.065 --> 08:59.035
And Alberta education, they've done,

08:59.385 --> 09:01.755
they've done it so that they standardize it.

09:02.045 --> 09:05.515
Every language I've looked at,

09:05.825 --> 09:08.835
they follow the same curriculum and the same outline.

09:09.945 --> 09:13.665
And it's assessing those languages in

09:13.865 --> 09:17.885
that way is a lot of work and it doesn't need to be.

09:18.265 --> 09:21.205
And so I can understand why a lot of people don't like

09:21.205 --> 09:23.605
to teach the language in the schools,

09:23.605 --> 09:24.885
looking at the language

09:24.915 --> 09:27.885
that is being taught in the curriculum.

09:28.695 --> 09:32.145
It's so vast. And also we have to be careful with

09:32.825 --> 09:35.095
cultural appropriation just

09:35.095 --> 09:37.935
because something is taught to somebody

09:38.445 --> 09:41.295
that doesn't give them the right to go and teach it.

09:41.995 --> 09:45.895
And that's a lot of what I've seen, in the

09:46.905 --> 09:50.385
Alberta curriculum that a lot of people think it's okay,

09:50.855 --> 09:54.145
okay, I learned a little of this, I have the right to do it.

09:54.165 --> 09:58.055
And you don't when you're born with it, you have that right

09:58.055 --> 09:59.615
to teach it and pass it on.

09:59.635 --> 10:02.415
But somebody coming in saying, I've learned this

10:02.415 --> 10:03.935
and I've learned that and I'm gonna do this

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and I'm gonna do that, that's not okay.

10:06.145 --> 10:08.715
That a culture, that cultural appropriation is something

10:08.715 --> 10:10.715
that needs to be looked at.

10:10.895 --> 10:14.355
And it's, it happens a lot where many,

10:15.305 --> 10:19.195
like even on Facebook, you see all these people who are all

10:19.195 --> 10:21.395
of all of us, all of a sudden shamans

10:21.695 --> 10:23.715
and we don't use those words like that shaman.

10:24.345 --> 10:26.995
They're cultural people who are humble enough

10:27.175 --> 10:28.235
and they won't say nothing.

10:28.295 --> 10:31.995
But as for me, somebody identifying with who I am,

10:32.945 --> 10:37.535
there's times I get, insulted by some of the things

10:37.535 --> 10:39.575
that I see on Facebook and that

10:39.575 --> 10:41.455
because that's cultural appropriation,

10:42.205 --> 10:43.985
it should be taught by people who know it.

10:44.185 --> 10:47.465
'cause I wouldn't go teach a French language saying I'm a

10:47.685 --> 10:49.095
expert just

10:49.295 --> 10:51.375
'cause I learned a little, no, I wouldn't do that.

10:51.555 --> 10:53.855
I'd have to be fluent in it, understand the culture,

10:54.555 --> 10:58.735
but I wouldn't call myself a French person enabled,

10:59.235 --> 11:02.295
giving, giving the people what they want, right?

11:02.295 --> 11:04.015
Because I'm just learning a language.

11:04.715 --> 11:08.015
But I wouldn't say I'm a, I'm good at it

11:08.015 --> 11:09.455
and that I can do this and that

11:09.455 --> 11:13.535
because there's more to the French than what we see, right?

11:13.745 --> 11:15.455
Their culture is different from ours,

11:16.065 --> 11:17.995
whereas my culture is different from others.

11:18.135 --> 11:21.275
And I would be insulted with somebody trying to teach my,

11:21.695 --> 11:24.595
my culture, who has no idea

11:24.975 --> 11:28.875
who hasn't been on our nation to say that they know.

11:29.795 --> 11:34.095
So for me it's always those, the pedagogy behind it is

11:34.605 --> 11:37.675
ours is a spiritual, it's a spiritual being.

11:37.815 --> 11:40.355
And people don't look at at that aspect.

11:40.505 --> 11:42.715
They think they can write it all down and it's okay.

11:43.135 --> 11:46.475
And it's not. That comes back to too much of

11:46.475 --> 11:49.955
that is happening where people think they have the right

11:49.975 --> 11:51.075
to teach culture.

11:52.185 --> 11:56.625
Like, there's certain steps that you have to go through

11:57.245 --> 11:58.385
to gain this knowledge.

11:59.005 --> 12:02.185
And first and foremost, you need to be born into

12:02.185 --> 12:06.185
that culture because when you're born into the culture,

12:07.445 --> 12:08.745
you understand the culture

12:09.125 --> 12:12.975
and you're able to pass on that knowledge

12:12.975 --> 12:15.135
to others within the community.

12:15.635 --> 12:18.375
And that, that's why a lot of communities are strong

12:18.375 --> 12:19.655
that they're able to do that.

12:20.625 --> 12:25.155
And whereas us, we're fortunate, the

12:26.235 --> 12:29.635
cultural aspect of it has finally been, the door has kind

12:29.635 --> 12:32.715
of, kind of been opening up where people are sharing

12:32.785 --> 12:35.555
what they know and we're building a stronger culture.

12:36.655 --> 12:40.555
And that's the most important thing in,

12:40.835 --> 12:43.435
cultural education is having the people who know

12:43.855 --> 12:47.875
to pass it on to our future generations and not for use it

12:48.015 --> 12:50.795
and not to use it for cultural appropriation or gain

12:51.355 --> 12:55.485
because it's not, it's not right that it's, it's being done.

12:56.145 --> 12:57.605
And many times we see that.

12:58.575 --> 13:02.285
And for me it's important that culture

13:02.985 --> 13:04.405
and language are always together

13:05.105 --> 13:06.995
because they're intertwined.

13:07.095 --> 13:08.195
And if you understand

13:08.195 --> 13:10.275
that they're using the language more often

13:10.655 --> 13:13.995
and you can hear the pride when they introduce themselves.

13:14.015 --> 13:15.275
So that's, I love that.

00:00 - From my perspective and the way I've grown up, indigenous language, education is a revitalization process in which, many of our communities are in, reclaiming our languages because of, the Indian residential schools. And what has happened back then,

00:20 - the process in reclaiming our language is, is very important because educational language is different for many different, people. And for us in like in Musci, we're ak we're, we're CRE people and our language is cre and those are English terms. The, the terminology we prefer to use is for CRE people and AWA one for CRE language because those are not really translatable, but those are the English terms that have been used.

00:59 - So for this purpose, I'll be using Cree language and Cree, knowledge using that, those English terms. Language is a central component because you cannot have identity without language. For us in Musca cheese, our language and our culture are intertwined. And many of us have been fortunate enough to reconnect after going through residential school or day school. Like for me, I was a day scholar and I never heard the language when I was going to school,

01:31 - but I heard it at home. I was fortunate, like I'm one, a fortunate ones to have had my grandparents who were fluent speakers of the language and never spoke English. So I learned the language. And for me, being as young as I was, because I was living in two worlds, I was able to understand everything they told me in cre not being a fluent speaker. But I understood it. And as I grew older

01:58 - is when I started to use the language. And to me that taught me that those two are intertwined. You cannot have one without the other because when you go to our ceremonies, they're conducted in awa when, and English language is a language that's a board language that's not ours. So the language used in the ceremony are so sacred that that's what creates the identity piece is those two components together in making our identity, what what it is, language and culture.

02:35 - 'cause you can't have a, a ceremony without the language because it doesn't have in that spiritual meaning if you don't have the language in the, ceremony. So that's, for me, the important aspect of this is having the language and the spiritual aspect of that language within the ceremony. It's been happening for over 500 years, but the major impact has been in the 18 hundreds

03:01 - with the introduction of the Indian residential schools and the Indian policy that the government came up with with, kill the Indian and the child. That was the education policy back then. Because they didn't want us living the, our ancestors living the way they did because they wanted us to be civilized. We were not considered people. So we were savages in their, in their eyes. And the way we lived was peace and harmony with nature.

03:37 - And they didn't want us do that because of the resources and everything that they wanted to take from nature. That's why those policies were put into place to segregate us from Canadian, people and first nations people. We were put on reserves land set aside for First Nations peoples. But even in those cases, many of the reserves were taken away and split apart. And what we're left with is, is the little pieces

04:10 - that we live, we live on, that's what you call reserves now is s lift over land. And even now those are what they wanna take from us. So they're coming up with new policies. And so we have to remember that our treaties are international treaties. They're not a national treaty. And with all the politics that goes on, they're making changes to suit them. And so we're slowly catching up and they're afraid of that.

04:40 - So they're always coming up with new policies to ensure that we have to follow their, their policies. But as in many indigenous people are becoming, sovereign, they, they're afraid that we'll all be in that, in that same boat. And they have to recognize our treaties. So they don't want us to be in that same boat with others recognizing who they are because we determine what happens on our lands. So that's one of the things that has happened is ensuring

05:16 - that all these policies do away with a lot of what we have. Communities need to speak the language. They know what little they know and seeking, other knowledge keepers or elders and ensuring that those practices are brought into the schools to be taught to the children as young as three. Because every little piece of language that they learn, they retain. And if it's not utilized, they lose it. And so it's always important that all of these be taught

05:54 - properly by everybody that's involved in that child's life. And for many of our people, colonization has had a big impact where they wanna live in a society that's rich in financially, but they forget who they are and they get lost. And so we have the problem that we have because of that. And we need to ensure that our future generations know where they come from, know our history, our perspective, not western education, but our perspective. And that's the importance in developing a lot of the

06:33 - curriculum that we do in use in our schools. And right now it's very important because in many communities we have limited number of speakers and our elders are, are passing on that that knowledge is being taken. And so we have to ensure that all of that know language knowledge is brought into the schools. And in some cases that's where it end ends up being in the school first

07:05 - because the people who know some of the language are teaching it, whereas many are not using it at home. And that's where we need to have more community engagements in letting the language. And in years past that was something that was done where we were re we've been revitalizing the language so many years. We have programs that go that don't succeed for long because other people are wanting to

07:32 - continue living in western society, that they kind of push back some of our language and cultural practices. And now they're realizing the importance of it because our students in some of our schools in quiche, they're learning the language and they're teaching the parents. So that's important concept that I've gotten from the language and working with it all these years is we have no choice but to do it in the school setting as well.

08:00 - And first and foremost, it most, in most families it is in the schools. And there's some families who are fortunate to be learning it at home from their parents and their grandparents and the extended family. We have some strong families that way. And that's what something we all need to work towards with Alberta. The language is that they have curriculum for and the pedagogy

08:27 - and the assessment, they're all, they all come from the western education perspective in standardizing the language. And that's not how the language is learned. The language is learned fluently and orally with people together and not, we don't teach our language, on a paper and a pencil, how it's done in the schools And Alberta education, they've done, they've done it so that they standardize it.

09:02 - Every language I've looked at, they follow the same curriculum and the same outline. And it's assessing those languages in that way is a lot of work and it doesn't need to be. And so I can understand why a lot of people don't like to teach the language in the schools, looking at the language that is being taught in the curriculum. It's so vast. And also we have to be careful with cultural appropriation just

09:35 - because something is taught to somebody that doesn't give them the right to go and teach it. And that's a lot of what I've seen, in the Alberta curriculum that a lot of people think it's okay, okay, I learned a little of this, I have the right to do it. And you don't when you're born with it, you have that right to teach it and pass it on. But somebody coming in saying, I've learned this and I've learned that and I'm gonna do this and I'm gonna do that, that's not okay.

10:06 - That a culture, that cultural appropriation is something that needs to be looked at. And it's, it happens a lot where many, like even on Facebook, you see all these people who are all of all of us, all of a sudden shamans and we don't use those words like that shaman. They're cultural people who are humble enough and they won't say nothing. But as for me, somebody identifying with who I am, there's times I get, insulted by some of the things

10:37 - that I see on Facebook and that because that's cultural appropriation, it should be taught by people who know it. 'cause I wouldn't go teach a French language saying I'm a expert just 'cause I learned a little, no, I wouldn't do that. I'd have to be fluent in it, understand the culture, but I wouldn't call myself a French person enabled, giving, giving the people what they want, right? Because I'm just learning a language.

11:04 - But I wouldn't say I'm a, I'm good at it and that I can do this and that because there's more to the French than what we see, right? Their culture is different from ours, whereas my culture is different from others. And I would be insulted with somebody trying to teach my, my culture, who has no idea who hasn't been on our nation to say that they know. So for me it's always those, the pedagogy behind it is ours is a spiritual, it's a spiritual being.

11:37 - And people don't look at at that aspect. They think they can write it all down and it's okay. And it's not. That comes back to too much of that is happening where people think they have the right to teach culture. Like, there's certain steps that you have to go through to gain this knowledge. And first and foremost, you need to be born into that culture because when you're born into the culture, you understand the culture

12:09 - and you're able to pass on that knowledge to others within the community. And that, that's why a lot of communities are strong that they're able to do that. And whereas us, we're fortunate, the cultural aspect of it has finally been, the door has kind of, kind of been opening up where people are sharing what they know and we're building a stronger culture. And that's the most important thing in, cultural education is having the people who know

12:43 - to pass it on to our future generations and not for use it and not to use it for cultural appropriation or gain because it's not, it's not right that it's, it's being done. And many times we see that. And for me it's important that culture and language are always together because they're intertwined. And if you understand that they're using the language more often and you can hear the pride when they introduce themselves.

13:14 - So that's, I love that.

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