Why I am reclaiming my mother’s language before it’s too late

This First Individual article is the expertise of Rochelle Bragg who’s of blended Oji-Cree and Swiss-German descent. For extra details about CBC’s First Individual tales, please see the FAQ. 

Learn the column in Oji-Cree right here. 

ᐊᔭᒥᐦᑐᐣ ᐃᐍ ᑎᐸᒋᒧᐘᓯᓇᐦᐃᑫᐏᐣ ᐊᓂᔑᓂᓂᒧᐏᓂᐠ ᐅᒪ᙮

Just a few years in the past I observed a little bit handbook in my mom’s front room titled Pocket Oji-Cree. I began flipping by means of it and felt a deep longing. 

Anishininiimowin (Oji-Cree) is my mom’s first language. My household’s language is spoken in northern Ontario and components of Manitoba. 

However apart from the few phrases she spoke to me as a toddler — “niwiihsin” which means eat,” “ekwa nipan” for go to mattress, “pishan” for come right here — I used to be unable to grasp it. So I borrowed the e-book with excessive hopes of studying alone. 

Days, months and years handed, and the e-book sat patiently on my shelf, amassing mud. The need to talk Oji-Cree in my each day life was merely non-existent. I used to be not surrounded by household or buddies that spoke it. Like many Indigenous languages, Oji-Cree is vulnerable to turning into misplaced.

The 2016 Census Aboriginal Community Portrait reveals that solely 16 per cent of Indigenous folks in Canada converse an Indigenous language — a 5 per cent decline from 2006. 

During the last century, Indigenous languages have been regularly slipping away. This information has all the time weighed closely on me. Then a pair months in the past, I noticed that Nishnawbe Aski Nation was providing a six-week course on Oji-Cree language classes. The course was free and open to anybody . 

Till she was 11, my mom and her household lived a nomadic way of life transferring between summer time and winter camps within the bushes of northern Ontario. 

Then, the federal government displaced her group onto a reservation. Their lives utterly modified. As a younger lady, my mother skilled many hardships and left dwelling to attend highschool a whole bunch of miles away. 

Alone and afraid, she mentioned studying in an English-language college was troublesome. This problem grew to become too nice and midway by means of the varsity 12 months, she dropped out and returned dwelling to the reserve.

After marriage, my mother and father determined to stay off the reserve. They mentioned it was a troublesome determination, however is widespread to many First Nations households pursuing training. My mom immersed herself in an English-speaking world. She labored exhausting, graduated highschool, and later achieved her bachelor’s and grasp’s levels. 

However in doing so, she traded away her conventional lifestyle.  

Studying in an establishment that solely supported English audio system and curriculum, she hardly ever spoke her conventional language.

LISTEN | Rochelle Bragg’s mom, Linda, introduces herself in Oji-Cree.

She largely spoke English round our household however would lovingly sprinkle Oji-Cree phrases into on a regular basis dialog. Nonetheless, as time went on, talking Oji-Cree in our dwelling grew to become more and more troublesome as she was the one fluent speaker.

After I was younger, my household would journey to Muskrat Dam First Nation each couple years for Christmas or summer time trip. I might sit in rooms listening to the flutter of my kin talking in Oji-Cree. I may by no means have a full dialog with my Koomshoom, my grandfather, as he knew no English. 

I keep in mind the way in which he would chuckle my Oji-Cree title “Wabunn” into my ear as he hugged me. There have been many occasions I might sit subsequent to him in silence whereas he watched outdated Western motion pictures on his TV regardless that he could not perceive the phrases. 

I keep in mind sitting subsequent to his hospital mattress, holding his hand, stumbling over the phrase “Kisaakihin,” which suggests “I like you,” earlier than he entered the Spirit world. 

Studying Oji-Cree has been difficult and rewarding. Each Tuesday night for six weeks, I joined a Zoom name on my laptop computer from my kitchen desk whereas my kids ran round me. The following hour and a half was spent reviewing, studying, talking and writing Oji-Cree phrases. We have been inspired to take part and converse with our teacher. Listening to the language spoken and translated in actual time was a brand new and thrilling expertise. 

Having the phrases of my ancestors fill my dwelling and discover their approach into the ears of my kids is an irreplaceable reward. 

LISTEN | Rochelle Bragg introduces herself in Oji-Cree.

My want to be taught Oji-Cree is ignited and I plan to proceed studying. I perceive the tragedy Indigenous folks have confronted of their lack of language and tradition all on their very own land. I perceive how my mom’s language obtained misplaced within the pursuit of training. I perceive the alternatives and benefits she was giving us in doing so. I perceive it’s now my duty to be taught her language. 

I’m embarking on this language journey for my folks, for my kids, for my Koomshoom, and largely, for my mom.

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