Chartier Challenges Fellow Metis To Learn Michif

Friday, March 14, 2008 at 16:36

 

 

The president of the Metis National Council says there is no excuse for Metis people to not speak Michif.

 

Clem Chartier was speaking at the 7th Annual National Michif Language Conference in Saskatoon this morning.

 

Chartier admits he does not speak Michif himself, because he spent much of his childhood in boarding schools.

 

However, he says that is just an excuse.

 

Chartier says Metis people do not need the government to grant them the right to speak their language — so he says they have a duty to learn it, speak it, and teach it to others.

 

He is also promising to speak five minutes of Michif at next year’s national conference.