The leader of an association representing 49 First Nations says a historic address in Ontario’s legislature has reaffirmed the group’s commitment to revitalizing Indigenous languages.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler says it’s long overdue that an Indigenous language is spoken in the legislature.
Yesterday, New Democrat Sol Mamakwa addressed Queen’s Park in Oji-Cree, marking the first time a language other than English or French was allowed by officials in the chamber.
The legislator from Kingfisher Lake First Nation in northern Ontario, who was punished for speaking his language as a teenager in a residential school, called it a monumental day.