Ē-pī-wīcihtāsowin ahpō ē-pī-wīchisowin: non-indigenous learners in Indigenous language-learning spaces

Abstract

While the 2019 implementation of Bill C-91 An Act respecting Indigenous languages is still unfolding and the impact it will have remains to be seen (Bliss et al., 2020; Fontaine et al. & 2019), there is much to be hopeful about for the future of creating new speakers of Indigenous languages in the territory colonially known as Canada. For example, the most recent Canadian census indicates that the number of Indigenous language speakers who learned their language as a second language continues to rise. In 2021, 27.7% of Indigenous language speakers learned it as their second language; this share increased from 24.8% in 2016 (Statistics Canada, 2023). Yet, along with these developments, come some ethical considerations. Are Indigenous languages in Canada languages for everyone or are they languages that should be learned only by Indigenous peoples? And if we accept or encourage Indigenous language-learning by non-Indigenous Canadians, are there parameters that might need to be implemented? At first, these questions might seem strange to anyone who has ever learned another language or worked in language education. In many present-day societies, learning of other languages can be seen as a way to improve social cohesion (Lo Bianco, 2009). Indeed, Canada has heavily invested in English and French second language education programs as a way to improve tensions between English-speaking and French-speaking Canadians (Hayday, 2005). Yet, we begin this paper from the position that there are contextual differences and considerations between learning an Indigenous language as a member of an Indigenous nation or community and learning an Indigenous language as a non-Indigenous person.