<b>Once-vibrant Native languages now struggling in Canada<br></b><br>The Canadian Press | Oct 26, 2012<br><br>In a way, the chattering half-dozen First Nations youngsters are learning their mother tongue for the first time — and the future of the once-mighty Mohawk language is hanging in the balance.<br>
<br>The students are a critical component of a language-revitalization program at the Tsi Tyonnheht Onkawenna Language and Cultural Center in Tyendinaga First Nation that hopes to breathe new life into the community's original identity, one small voice at a time.<br>
<br>"We are quite a success story: We've built enough capacity in our programs that we are able to teach our own now," says Callie Hill, the cultural center's director.<br><br>"We were at a point where we had to call in teachers from other Mohawk communities because we didn't have anyone who could speak our language."<br>
<br>The program in this community east of Belleville, Ont., is a point of light in a national landscape once vibrant with the sound of more than 70 distinct First Nations languages.<br><br>Access full article below: <br><br>
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