If you visit Elsipogtog First Nation, you will find two educators with a clear mission for the Mi’kmaw language. They want your community and theirs to hear it spoken everywhere. Krystal Francis and Elder Donna Augustine teach language and culture at the local community school. They recently shared their efforts with CBC News, highlighting the urgent need to bring the language out of the classroom and into daily life.

“The more we can speak it outside of our classrooms, outside of our health centres, the more of a chance we have to actually grasp the concepts of speaking language so openly anywhere in public,” Francis said. “My biggest thing is I want people to use it.”

Overcoming a Painful History

For Augustine, whose spirit name is Thunderbird Turtle Woman, this work connects deeply to her family history. Her father survived the residential school system. Authorities took him from his home and punished him for speaking his native tongue.

“He said, ‘I thought in our language and I dreamt in our language,'” Augustine said. “So when he came out, he had a lot of trauma. But he was stubborn in his language.”

Augustine grew up speaking only Mi’kmaw until she started school at age six. She notes that the residential school system taught children their language and culture held no value, which translated to a feeling of personal worthlessness.

Finding Identity Through Language

Francis took a different path to fluency. She learned Mi’kmaw as an adult. She started as an educational assistant before earning her bachelor of education. Growing up without the language left her feeling caught between two worlds.

“I felt like I was not enough,” Francis said. “I’m not good enough to be English, but I wasn’t praised to be [Mi’kmaq] either. So I had an identity crisis, per se.”

Learning and teaching the language gave her a profound sense of belonging. She sees this same pride in her students today. They try harder in school and show genuine interest in traditional ceremonies.

Modern Tools for Preservation

The community faces a significant hurdle. They lack fluent speakers who also have the training to teach.

“We need people that speak the language, that understand a curriculum, that understand lessons and teach it,” Francis said. “There’s not a lot of us left.”

To bridge this gap, educators use new formats to reach younger generations. Students learn through apps, podcasts, and a recording studio at the school. These modern tools sit alongside traditional oral teaching methods. Ultimately, both educators want to hear Mi’kmaw spoken at the health centre, in local stores, and at home. As Francis puts it, “We need to normalize it again.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Mi’kmaw language being taught in this initiative?

Educators teach the language at the Elsipogtog First Nation community school.

What tools do educators use to teach the language?

Teachers use traditional oral methods alongside modern tools like apps, podcasts, and a school recording studio.

What is the biggest challenge in preserving the Mi’kmaw language?

The community faces a shortage of fluent speakers who are also trained to teach the curriculum.