Innu language courses help preserve heritage, open culture to locals

For Tshiueten Canap, improving his native language isn't just about being able to speak it it's a question of feeling connected to his community, identity and heritage.

Canap is one of 37 students enrolled in one of two Innulanguage workshops being offered for the first time through the Nikanite First Nations Centre at the Universit duQubec Chicoutimi(UQAC).

Originally from Pessamit, Que.,Canap moved to the Saguenay region to study at UQACin 2008.

"There are many Innu in Chicoutimi, but many people speak only the basic language, and need an expert to improve," he said.

That expert is Yvette Moellenfrom theEkuanitshitFirst Nation, located about 730 kilometresnortheast of Chicoutimi.

She teaches both the beginner and intermediate level workshops at the Nikanite First Nation Centre at UQAC, and has been instrumental in helping to develop the Innu writing system over the past 30 years.

"There are not a lot of people who speak the language and are also are experts in teaching methods," said Sukran Tipi, a researcher at the centre.

"It's a particular challenge when teaching the Innulanguage."

A new writing system

Tipi explained how the beginner workshops are for non-speakers while the intermediate level is for people who want to improve their proficiency in their language especially in matters of writing.

"Historically the Innu languages were passed down through oral traditions," she said.

"So the writing systems are rather new."

The courses offered through the Nikanite First Nations Centre at UQAC are not university credit courses.

Tipi said the workshops are a direct result of about $30,000 in funding from Canadian Heritage.

"It's a long process to establish credit courses," she said.

"While we're waiting, we felt there was a need for the Indigenous community in our urban context to have access to these workshops."

Tipi said there are a lot of Innu living in the Saguenay area who left their communities to work or study in the region.

"Those people need to have opportunities to practise their language," she said.

Non-Indigenous want to learn too

The Centre advertised the workshops specifically for Indigenous people living in Saguenay, but Tipi said she was surprised to see an overwhelming interest on the part of non-Indigenous people as well.

Tipi said there have also been several requests to join the workshops from people who work with Innu in the spheres of health or social work and live in communities on the North Shore.

Future workshops

The Centre has applied for renewed funding to be able to offer more workshops down the road.

But Tipi said because there is so much enthusiasm for the workshops, UQAC is pushing to develop university courses for credit.

That would be a welcome announcement for Canap, who said it's important for him to take every opportunity he can to improve his mother tongue.

"If an anglophone loses their maternal language,they can go to England to get it back, or a francophonecan go to France," he said.

"Our maternal language is here and we have to preserve it here."