B.C. First Nation app revitalizing Indigenous language with modern approach
The Ditidaht First Nation on Vancouver Island is putting language and culture at people’s fingertips.
The nation’s app, Ditidaht Kids, is making use of new technology to share a centuries-old language.
"Preserving our language in modern ways is definitely needed to keep up with contemporary times," said Tina Joseph, Ditidaht Kids research and production manager.
"The app provides a way for kids to hear the sounds and for them to connect the words to images."
The free game has more than 2,000 downloads, she said. It takes kids on a canoe trip through Ditidaht’s territory, teaching them language, stories and songs.
"They’re playing characters who look like them on an iPad," Joseph said. "The representation is huge."
Tim Masso, 18, used apps while learning Nuu-chah-nulth. He said his niece is a fan of the Ditidaht app.
"She just has a delightful time playing their games," said Masso, a member of Tla-O-Qui-Aht First Nation.
"Apps are an amazing way to get language out there because people are constantly using a phone."
While growing up, Masso noticed a lack of learning opportunities for Indigenous languages in school. He took some classes through the University of Victoria, and ended up teaching Nuu-chah-nulth to his peers in high school.
Language is a key piece of his identity.
"When you’re growing up, you need to know who you are," said Masso, who has an Indigenous language revitalization diploma.
"I could understand the land that I was on. It made me feel more connected to the place that I grew up on," he said.
Masso hopes more people develop that understanding. To help make that happen, he wants governments to invest in teaching tools, from roadside signage to free online curriculums.
Onowa McIvor, an Indigenous language revitalization professor at UVic, said technology has a place in the field.
"But it’s not everything," she said. "You also need to [be spending] time together and hearing the language directly from people who speak it and spending time on the land and doing traditional activities."
Teaching both children and adults is key, she said.
"We have this gap of adults in our communities who generally didn’t have the opportunity to learn the language due to forces of colonization," McIvor said.
Between 70 and 90 Indigenous languages are spoken in Canada — some with thousands of speakers, others with just one, she said.
"In the spirit of reconciliation, everybody needs to be concerned about the disappearance of Indigenous languages," McIvor said.
"Everybody needs to be excited about the continuation of Indigenous languages and make efforts towards that."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.