The recent announcement that the Nova Scotia House of Assembly will proceed to draw up legislation to protect and support the Mi’kmaw language in the province is a very positive step forward.
In the past 20 years, we have seen great strides forward for Gaelic in traditionally Gaelic areas of the province, including the erection of bilingual Gaelic-English road signs. I hope that the Mi’kmaw language will enjoy a similar revitalization across the province. Having observed the revitalization of the Maori language in Aotearoa/New Zealand – where Maori and English co-exist as equals – I believe a similar model of language promotion in Nova Scotia would benefit all Nova Scotians, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.
What better way to understand and communicate the nuances of the landscapes, climate and history of what is now Nova Scotia than by using the language Indigenous to this land?
This piece was originally published in the Cape Breton Post on 2 November 2021.
