Ottawa is providing over $11 million for Indigenous language revitalization efforts in Saskatchewan.
Federal Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez made the announcement on Tuesday while taking a tour of the Saskatoon Indian and Metis Friendship Centre.
“Through these and other initiatives Indigenous peoples are reclaiming their languages and cultural knowledge to share your own stories in your own words,” said Rodriguez.
The funding will be available over the next two years and will be used for a wide range of Indigenous language programming including instruction, culture camps, language development and translation, mentorship programs and language training for instructors. instruction, language nests, language and culture camps, language development and translation, mentor-apprentice programs, and language training for instructors.
“Language and culture is who we are… who you are… and we need our children, our grandchildren, our great grandchildren to speak those languages,” said the Heritage Minister.
In the last two budgets, the federal government allocated over $840 million, from 2019-20 to 2025-26, to support the community based efforts of Indigenous Peoples to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen their languages.