Malwina, I wish I could convey the whole weight of how much I loved this post and how important I think it is. As the mother of an 8 year old who has to frequently explain « why he has to learn French » (because the British deported your Acadian ancestors and we owe it to our culture and those who survived) I really recognize the importance of Canada having TWO official languages. Recognizing this also helps me to understand what that means for the many Indigenous peoples who have not had their languages officially recognized by settlers, especially since those settlers tried to eradicate all those languages and all those cultures.
OMG Malwina, just SUCH an important post. I’m going to pick up your book. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Thank you for sharing, Natalie and for your kind and powerful words. I know in Canada, it is incredibly complex as exactly this, there are so many Indigenous languages that are not recognised officially and should be alongside French especially to help with revitalisation efforts. There are many linguists and people doing incredible work in Canada to highlight the languages that were stolen from so many communities but more needs to be done absolutely. You have inspired me to make sure I am up to date on the latest events and research in Canada as it is so important. Thank you again for reading and commenting.
Malwina, I wish I could convey the whole weight of how much I loved this post and how important I think it is. As the mother of an 8 year old who has to frequently explain « why he has to learn French » (because the British deported your Acadian ancestors and we owe it to our culture and those who survived) I really recognize the importance of Canada having TWO official languages. Recognizing this also helps me to understand what that means for the many Indigenous peoples who have not had their languages officially recognized by settlers, especially since those settlers tried to eradicate all those languages and all those cultures.
OMG Malwina, just SUCH an important post. I’m going to pick up your book. Thank you for sharing your insights.
Thank you for sharing, Natalie and for your kind and powerful words. I know in Canada, it is incredibly complex as exactly this, there are so many Indigenous languages that are not recognised officially and should be alongside French especially to help with revitalisation efforts. There are many linguists and people doing incredible work in Canada to highlight the languages that were stolen from so many communities but more needs to be done absolutely. You have inspired me to make sure I am up to date on the latest events and research in Canada as it is so important. Thank you again for reading and commenting.