The Power of Unity, The Dignity of Difference

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Thursday, April 17, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MATAWA WAKA TERE (INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION) FACES THREAT OF FULL SUSPENSION

THUNDER BAY, ON – Today, Matawa First Nation Management’s (MFNM) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Sharon L. Nate announced that the Matawa Waka Tere (Indigenous Language Revitalization) program faces the threat of full suspension after being successfully offered in 10 locations across Matawa member First Nations and in Thunder Bay over the past two years. Due to a current lack of long-term funding commitments, the program is now operating under a scaled-down model until sustainable solutions are secured.

“Ten years ago, Matawa leadership prioritized the revitalization of our Indigenous languages as a nation building tool recognizing language loss as a historical trauma,” said CEO Nate. “After seven years of commitment, the federal Indigenous Languages Act—particularly Sections 8 and 9, which mandate federal responsibility to support the efforts of Indigenous peoples to reclaim, revitalize, maintain, and strengthen their languages—is falling short in providing long-term, sustainable support. The Government of Canada must be held accountable for these obligations.  We also urgently call on the Province of Ontario to recognize its role in advancing reconciliation by stepping forward with tangible investments,” she added.

Last July, Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict, wrote a letter addressing former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressing the immediate need for action around First Nation language revitalization. Chief Benedict stated that “as the Prime Minister of Canada, we implore you to recognize and entrench First Nations language rights into the Indigenous Languages Act and to ensure adequate funding is provided to revitalize and stabilize First Nations languages.” As we are currently in a federal election phase, we echo this and call on the next Prime Minister to prioritize First Nation languages.

Languages are the responsibility of the Federal government, with very little Provincial support or oversight.  Therefore, the majority of Matawa’s funding proposals have been submitted to various Federal and private funding agencies, and none have been supported for the 2025/2026 fiscal year and beyond. This affects 41 staff who are currently employed in Thunder Bay and in the Matawa member First Nations.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC): Calls to Action highlight the importance of language revitalization in reconciliation. Recommendation 14 explicitly calls upon the federal government to enact an Aboriginal Languages Act that incorporates the following principles which remain unmet:

• Aboriginal language rights are recognized as inherent rights under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982;
• The preservation, revitalization, and strengthening of Aboriginal languages and cultures are best managed by Aboriginal people and communities;
• Funding must be long-term and sustainable and reflect the diversity of Aboriginal languages.

Canada’s colonial legacy continues to echo through its language policies. While acts such as the French Language Services Act (Ontario) and the Official Languages Act (Canada) continue to protect colonial languages, there is still no equivalent commitment to the Indigenous languages that existed long before Confederation.

Matawa First Nations Management notes that in provinces such as British Columbia, strong partnerships between Indigenous communities, the provincial government, and organizations such as the First Peoples’ Cultural Council have led to tangible results in language revitalization.

“Given all the work MFNM has done—why can we not build a similar success story here in Ontario? We are calling on both the federal and provincial governments to act—now. We need a made-in-Ontario solution for language revitalization that reflects our unique histories and realities. This is not only a matter of culture; it is a matter of justice and reconciliation,” urged CEO Nate.

Like First Nations people across the country, First Nations in Matawa experience a significantly lower socio-economic well-being than other Canadians. Language disruption has been one of the historical experiences that has contributed to this. The revitalization of Indigenous languages is a powerful act of resilience and reclamation. It is also a key step toward fulfilling the Calls to Action of the TRC and upholding Indigenous rights under Canadian law.

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For more information, please contact Carol Audet, Communications Manager – Matawa First Nations at (807) 632-9663 or by email at caudet@matawa.on.ca.

OTHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

1. Indigenous languages within the First Nations in Matawa are classified as endangered according to language disruptions scales (only Elders speaking, and no new fluent speakers being created)
2. MFNM has developed unique Oji-Cree, Cree, Ojibwe language instruction curriculum with Māori Indigenous Language Specialists based on a methodology that has resulted in increases in fluent language speakers in Aotearoa/New Zealand and received accreditation through the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium.
3. 90 graduates graduated from this Year 1 language courses in 2024: Language students graduate from Matawa Education program – TBNewsWatch.com, a full video of the graduation can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/live/mbXq_LLW_j4
4. A Matawa Waka Tere Language Revitalization – Year One video is available for viewing.
5. The Ontario government has a French Language Services Strategy and a Francophone Economic Development Strategy but does not have similar strategies for Indigenous Peoples.
6. The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement approved in 2006 and implemented in 2007 did not have a specific component for language revitalization.

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