Kwaï (Good morning), when it comes time to blow out the candles or make a wish at 11:11 a.m. I always wish health to those I love and my loved ones, because without health, few things are worth it . And it is this wish that I wish for you all.
On the other hand, if there was another wish that I would like to make for Quebec, it would be that each person take the time to learn one or more words in one of the 11 Aboriginal languages present on the territory of Quebec.
And if you stick with me until the end of the column, I’ll teach you a few.
This wish comes from the fact that I myself reconnected with my Abenaki roots only during my twenties. I grew up in Montreal, far from my culture and my traditions. It was only when I took Abenaki language lessons around the age of 27 that I discovered that not only was a part of myself missing, but that a gaping hole appeared in my soul and that with the language as a starting point, I might one day be able to reconnect, or even rediscover what had been taken from me. Learning my language was a turning point in my approach and I discovered the power of language. It was not for nothing that it was the first thing that the clerics prohibited for the children sent to the residential schools for Aboriginals.
I am not alone in extolling the importance of Aboriginal languages. Indeed, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) struck a blow in 2019 by naming that year the International Year of Indigenous Languages. I remember that 2019 was significant for the Abenaki language. The revitalization efforts within our community, but also the enthusiasm of the outside world and the media have done us good. Finally, we had a global platform to discuss language issues!
Well, imagine it was such a big success for UNESCO that they decided to make 2022 to 2032 the Decade of Indigenous Languages! We are therefore entering the second year of this decade. All this may seem small or sadly symbolic, but at the end of the day, if it gives us the opportunity to talk about it, to practice our languages and to raise awareness among the people around us, it is a victory and a step closer to a world where I can say that my language is still alive.
I will always remember the change I made in 2010 to the Wikipedia page for the Abenaki language, which said that our language had disappeared. In fact, there were four or five Abenakis taking courses to relearn it. So I wrote down that our language was rather “on the verge of extinction”. A small change in reality, but huge in my eyes, which demonstrated our resilience and our strength of character, because since then we have increased this number to more than two dozen Abenakis and Abenakis who are working hard to learn the language of our ancestors.
But this is where the non-natives come into play, that is to say you. When was the last time you consciously tried to learn a single word in one of the 11 native languages present in Quebec? No time ? Too hard ? You do not know where to start ?
Yet when you go to an all-inclusive in Cuba or road trip in the United States, you take the trouble to learn common words and phrases such as “Hola”, “Una cerveza por favor”, “Where is the bathroom? “. So why, once back in Quebec, is the language of the Nation of the unceded territory where you are located completely foreign to you and why wouldn’t you even think of learning it?
As an Aboriginal person, to see Quebecers take the time to learn words in our languages would be a first step towards reconciliation that would fill us with hope. Just this short stretch of road would allow us to establish a first bond of trust and respect. Reconciliation takes many paths and this is one that I find important.
So since I am Abenaki, here are a few words in my language. But do not hesitate to find out which territory you are in and learn words in this language!
- Hello: Kwai
- Thank you: Wliwni (pronounced olé-o-né)
- Goodbye: Adio (pronounced adeo)
- Yes: 8:8 (pronounced an-han)
- No: Nes