Canada's cut in language preservation funding protested (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Canada's cut in language preservation funding protested

Posted: December 18, 2006
by: Shannon Burns / Today correspondent
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096414200

OTTAWA - Hundreds of Natives from across Canada and northern New York
marched on Parliament Hill Dec. 5, demanding that the new government
reinstate funding that had been earmarked for language preservation in
Native communities. The Canadian Heritage announced in November that it
would not be providing $172 million that Native communities were
expecting. Instead, $5 million a year for seven years would be
allocated for language purposes.

''Our people are frustrated and angry,'' said Assembly of First Nations
National Chief Phil Fontaine. ''And they have a right to be. We feel
betrayed and we simply can't be silent about this betrayal.''

Protesters, which included busloads of children, met at a hotel in
downtown Ottawa, Canada's capital city, and marched together to
Parliament Hill. Carrying aboriginal flags and signs critical of the
government cuts, the group of roughly 400 made their case known.

''This rally is to underscore that First Nations people are here to
stay, and that we will not remain out sight and out of mind,'' said AFN
Ontario Regional Chief Angus Toulouse. ''We want what all people want
for our children - good health, safety, education and equal
opportunity. We will not accept less.''

The rally, called the ''National Protest to Save Our Legacy,'' was
organized by the AFN and Chiefs of Ontario.

In 2002, the Canadian government announced that it was allocating $172.5
million to be distributed to Native communities over an 11 year period
for ''protection, preservation and maintenance of Aboriginal
languages.'' Native authorities were notified in October of this year
that government officials had dropped that to $35 million.

During the rally, speakers on both sides of the issue addressed the
crowd.

Using a bullhorn, Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice attempted to tell
the crowd that his department was not responsible for the cuts, but few
could hear him over the loud jeers and boos.

''This government is trying to do real work to improve the living
circumstances of aboriginal Canadians,'' Prentice said.

Sault MP Tony Martin braved below-freezing temperatures to lend his
support to the cause and defend the importance of language
preservation.

''When language and culture are in the community, people can become
healthy, in mind, body and spirit and the social problems will be
properly addressed,'' Martin said. ''First Nations people in my
community remind me of the importance of the language funding. This
keeps their language alive, for the children in their communities,
schools, and Native governments.''

Across North America, Native communities are struggling to retain their
languages; and over the past decade, extreme measures have been taken
to preserve a community's dying language.

In Akwesasne, the Ahkwesahsne Mohawk Board of Education implemented an
immersion program for elementary-aged students. Recent footage of
students participating in the program has shown that school immersion
can be successful.

''The program has taken on more of a holistic setting and is culturally
based,'' said Kanienkeha (Mohawk language) specialist

Kaweienonni Peters. ''Because we as Rotinonshon:ni [Iroquois] have a
strong oral history, the program is designed to focus more on creating
functional fluency among the students and less time on reading and
writing of the language.''

Students in the immersion program rely on resources that are not always
readily available. Over the past several years Peters has been
developing various books, compact discs and DVDs in Mohawk so students
in the immersion program have reinforcement of what they're learning.

Funding for developing those resources comes from the Canadian
government and the immersion program will be directly affected by
language funding cuts.

If the funding isn't there, Peters will have to find other sources to
help keep the immersion program successful.

Peters and students in the Mohawk immersion program participated in the
rally. The students, who were approximately 10 and under, carried signs
that read ''Respect Us.''

Canadian authorities have indicated that they hope to develop effective
programs to help 50 languages at risk of extinction.