Q & A: Why this Indigenous woman is teaching Ontario students the Anishinaabemowin language
CBC
Nikki Shawana says she feels a sense of responsibility to teach the next generation about Anishinaabemowin culture and language.
She is Odawa nation, Eagle clan and calls Norfolk County home. For the next six months, Shawana will be part of a new Indigenous language program with the Waterloo Region District School Board teaching Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in Waterloo region and beyond.
Class takes place every Saturday and it's open to anyone in Grades 1 through 12.
She joined CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition to talk about why she wants to teach students about Anishinaabemowin culture and how to speak it.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
CBC Kitchener-Waterloo: Why are you interested in helping students learn Anishinaabemowin language?
Well, it's so important to me ... and why I'm so excited that the Waterloo Region District School Board is offering this program is because I know what it's like growing up in southern Ontario and going to school here.
And when I went to school, there was no access to Anishinaabemowin programs anywhere. There was no chance or opportunity, really, for you to learn if you were in southern Ontario and not close to an Anishinaabe community.
But there are many people who would like to learn this language. The fact that it is being offered now and that it's virtual and open to such a wide range of people, I think that's really important and it's just awesome that now it's accessible for people.
CBC K-W: What does it mean to be a part of a program that will give Indigenous students an opportunity to learn a language that, as you say, you didn't have a chance to learn growing up?
It means a lot. It's so important. I was I was looking at some articles yesterday that show when students see themselves in the classroom, when they see themselves in their school board, they do a lot better.
They feel a lot more comfortable and, like I said, when I was young, I didn't have those opportunities. I wasn't able to see myself. I think this helps, Indigenous students feel included and to be able to see themselves and feel really good.
I think it's going to have a positive impact on anybody who joins the class to learn about our language and to learn about the teachings that are in our language — because it's not only words, it's teachings. And it's the way that we see the world and the way that we respect the environment around us.
CBC K-W: Tell us what students are going to be learning about.
Premier Wab Kinew says Manitoba will hold a public inquiry as soon as 2026 into the former Progressive Conservative government’s post-election efforts to approve an environmental licence for sand-mining company Sio Silica.
Premier Scott Moe has led the Saskatchewan Party through two straight elections, winning majority governments each time.
Eight weeks after adding a GM BrightDrop van to the fleet of his plumbing and heating business, Marty Salliss has no complaints, only praise.
Nearly half of Alberta’s Grade 6 students failed the provincewide math test in 2024, three years after the province started rolling out its new elementary school curriculum.
Toronto could get new cars on the road whose drivers will never get frustrated by gridlock — because the cars would be driving themselves.
Amidst a cost-of-living crisis, some London-area organizations say they have noticed a decline in donations this holiday season.
Prominent northern leaders have been touting the Arctic economic and security corridor as a "nation-building" project that will bring economic benefits to the two territories it straddles, but others are split on how much good will come out of it.
When the federal government tabled its 2025 budget last month, it included a proposal that tax fraud experts say is long overdue — if also a belated acknowledgement that the Canada Revenue Agency has been repeatedly duped into paying out untold millions in bogus tax refunds to scammers.
Talking with an AI chatbot can successfully convince people to change their votes and could affect the outcome of future elections, according to a new study.
While some are writing wishlists for Santa Claus, a group of Newfoundland and Labrador youth are writing their wishlist for the provincial government.
A horse owner near Stewiacke, N.S., says the current shortage of hay in the province is putting pressure on her financially.
Victoria Volkanova was remembering Jewish resilience and courage by celebrating Hanukkah on Sunday.
Winnipeggers are still digging out from this past week’s winter wallop, but the wait for roadside assistance is almost over, according to the provincial motoring association.