2021 Canada Census data shows some good news for language reclamation, and Cree language warrior Kevin Lewis makes us proud speaking with CBC Canada Tonight’s Ginella Massa, offering a Cree perspective on some of the drivers of positive change.
Solomon Ratt, meanwhile, spoke with Global news with an even better suggestion, that census data is underreporting the resurgence.
Regina Cree professor refutes StatsCan data on decline of Indigenous languages
And Doug Cuthand, in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, writes about the importance of embracing the opportunities that finally exist (that is illustrated with a photo of Solomon Ratt’s own desktop, preparing a lesson!)
For those with curiosity and patience, here’s a link to an interactive Stats Canada Infographic about Mother Tongues. Use the pull-down menus to choose the language name, or the geographical area, then click on the rectangles to find specific stats. It’s exciting to see that they now permit people to identify which Cree they speak using proper labels such as nêhiyawêwin (though “Cree n.o.s” (not otherwise specified) remains for those who simply use the label “Cree”.
https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/dv-vd/language-langue/index-en.html
