"Step into learning when ready": Towards a strength-based approach to Indigenous language education in a university setting

Abstract

In the midst of nation-wide efforts to forge a path to reconciliation, Canadian universities have been working to transform the academic structures that perpetuate colonial patterns of domination and the erasure of Indigenous knowledges. Indigenization efforts often embrace the transfer of Indigenous languages as one of the critical pieces of Indigenous knowledge rejuvenation. However, for many Indigenous peoples, learning an Indigenous language brings up pain associated with family history and the legacy of residential schools. Language reclamation in a university environment occurs within the ongoing impact of colonial oppression and historic trauma transmission and therefore requires a trauma-informed approach. Based on qualitative research conducted at the University of Guelph with a goal to learn about the current Indigenous language education needs and challenges of the campus community, this paper explores a language revitalization strategy that accommodates different motivations and types of interest in Indigenous language learning as opposed to a “one size fits all” approach. The findings of the study point to a self-directed, non-penalty learning model aligned with Indigenous pedagogies. Within this model, language learning occurs in the right circumstances and at an appropriate time while respecting different levels of motivation and varied capacities for knowledge intake. The paper examines how an academic institution can shape the future directions in post-secondary Indigenous language programming by creating supports that address the impacts of intergenerational trauma and respond to diverse learning needs.