Show latest news, more from December 2004.
Canada Council sponsors Aboriginal Conference
The Canada Council for the Arts, in collaboration with the En’owkin Centre, has sponsored a national conference on artistic creation, literacy and usage of original Aboriginal languages. The first-ever Original Languages and Literature Conference was held at the En’owkin centre on November 26-28, 2004. The Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO also supported the conference, which brought together Aboriginal language speakers, artists and academics. Federal statistics show that of Canada’s 50 Aboriginal languages, 47 face extinction within one or two generations. Delegates representing many of these 50 languages explored ways in which the arts can help revitalise languages, particularly for Aboriginal youth. Speakers include storytellers, media professionals, performers, musicians and advocated, all working to support the recovery of Aboriginal languages. Representatives of government agencies were also invited to attend, to provide information and observe the conference proceedings and activities. ‘Throughout the conference, we hoped to create an atmosphere of shared dialogue directed at the development and identification of key policy issues which support the revitalisation of original languages and literatures,’ said Jeannette Armstrong, Executive Director of the En’owkin Centre. The use of arts as a tool for cultural reinforcement is nothing new, but examining the pedagogy and method behind it is important. Faced with an incredibly rapid linguistic decline, the arts are playing a valuable role in cultural heritage. Their advantage then becomes twofold: Indigenous culture is preserved through Indigenous arts, and so is an important linguistic heritage. The success of the first Original Languages and Literature Conference bodes well for its future as a series, and the future of Canada’s Indigenous languages. The support of the Council for the Arts was instrumental in its success, and demonstrates their commitment to fostering the arts for a variety of reasons – and people – in contemporary culture. For more information on the Original Languages and Literature Conference, visit www.canadacouncil.ca
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