Harper Government Supports Blackfoot Language Learning Opportunities
LETHBRIDGE, Alberta, November 15, 2012 - First Nation children will have the opportunity to learn the Blackfoot Language thanks to support from the Government of Canada. The funding was announced today by Jim Hillyer, Member of Parliament (Lethbridge), on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.
With this funding, the Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society (OEIS) will develop Blackfoot language learning resources for children aged 6 to 12. This includes two animation projects, two fairy tale books, and two preschool picture books. The OEIS will use these resources to aid in the delivery of 72 weekly Blackfoot language classes for 45 participants. A family language preservation camp will also be hosted for 15 participants.
“This year marks the start of the five-year countdown to Canada’s 150th birthday in 2017,” said Minister Moore. “Our Government is proud to invest in projects that contribute to our collective identity and define who we are as Canadians. On the road to 2017, let us continue to celebrate all of the things that make Canada the united, prosperous and free country we are today.”
“Communities are best placed to develop the tools needed to take on the challenge of language transmission. I commend the Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society for developing a variety of learning activities to showcase the Blackfoot language and culture to youth and their families,” said Mr. Hillyer. “This investment will help increase the inter-generational transmission of the Blackfoot language, benefitting this community today and for many years to come.”
“Currently, less than 25 per cent of the 800,000 Aboriginal Peoples in Canada are fluent speakers of their Indigenous language,” said Tanya Pace Crosschild, Executive Director for Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society. “For the Blackfoot people, our language is inextricably linked to our cultural and spiritual identity. Opokaa’sin thanks the Government of Canada for the support in revitalizing and preserving the rich culture of our People through the Aboriginal Languages Initiative.”
The Government of Canada has provided $64,722 in funding through the Aboriginal Languages Initiative (ALI) of Canadian Heritage’s Aboriginal Peoples’ Program. The objective of ALI is to support community-based language projects that contribute to the revitalization and preservation of Aboriginal languages and increase their use in community settings.
For more information (media only), please contact:
Sébastien Gariépy
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages
819-997-7788
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca