Over the past few weeks, our class has had our Indigenous Resource Teacher come in to teach us more about the land on which we live. We learned how the city of Burnaby is situated on the traditional and ancestral lands of the Coast Salish peoples which include the Musqueam, Squamish, and the Tsleil-Waututh.

We then practiced how to properly pronounce the names of the Musqueam, Squamish and the Tsleil-Waututh. The video below unpacks how to correctly say certain symbols and letters along with what ‘7’ is used for  🙂 ! Learning languages from different cultures is a great form of cultural exchange. However,  it was also important that we discuss the legacy of colonialism and the importance of  language revitalization. Many Indigenous families are still faced with trying to learn their traditional languages since that right was sadly taken away from them because of different government policies. This included the policy that students who attended residential schools were not allowed to speak in their traditional language and faced punishment if they tried. It is important for us to celebrate the resilience and remarkable efforts of all Indigenous groups who are fighting to recover their language.  The website, Native Land, is a fantastic resource for looking up the number of different Indigenous languages spoken in BC, Canada, and around the world!