Thinking Seven Generations Ahead

151 Pages·2016·1.97 MB·English

Thinking Seven Generations Ahead:
Mi’kmaq Language Resurgence in the Face of Settler Colonialism

By
Ashley Julian

Sipekne’katik First Nation
BA, Dalhousie University, 2011
BEd, St. Francis Xavier University, 2014

Thesis in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of

Masters of Education (Critical Studies)

In the Graduate Academic Unit of Education

Supervisor: Ann Sherman, PhD, Dean of Education

Examining Board: Evie Plaice, PhD, Faculty of Education

Susan O’Donnell, PhD, Dept. of Sociology

Elder Miigam’agan, St, Thomas University

This thesis is accepted by the
Dean of Graduate Studies

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNWICK

March 2016

© Ashley R Julian, 2016
ABSTRACT

We are living in the 21st century and many Indigenous students across Canada live in
‘shame’, not knowing their language and culture. Indigenous students can feel like they
are living in two worlds when they leave their communities to pursue postsecondary
education. This can embed a fear in students that affects their public speaking,
pronunciation, and response in their mother tongue. Indigenous critics of settler
colonialism (Alfred, 2008; Battiste, 2013; Grande, 2004; Simpson, 2011) and critical
education theorists (Kincheloe, 2008) have identified that mainstream education is a
means of maintaining the status quo as represented by colonialism. A resurgence of
language is needed for First Nation learners and educators and this resurgence is
required if we are going to maintain, recover and reclaim Indigenous languages (Bear
Nicholas, 2008). Simpson (2008) asserts that, “we have to regenerate our languages so
we have communities of fluent speakers (p.17)… we need our Elders, our languages,
along with vision, intent, commitment, community and ultimately, action” (p. 23).

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Pjila’si – Welcome

This document represents a completed thesis proposal and a set of three articles in
partial fulfillment of my Master of Education degree. In addition to the course work I
completed, my Masters journey has included the process of proposal writing, contacting
Mi’kmaq Chiefs for community approval, and obtaining ethics approval from both the
Research Ethics Board at University of New Brunswick, as well as the Mi’kmaq Ethics
Watch, Unama’ki College, Cape Breton University. I have completed the research study
in the thesis proposal and have written my findings in three separate articles. The thesis
proposal is included here as accepted. The first article, Speaking with my Elder about
technology: Mi’kmaq language and culture has been presented at Congress 2015:
Ottawa University and the second article, Kina’muanej Knjanjiji’naq mu ntakotmnew
tli’lnu’ltik has been submitted for publication. The second article as well as the third
article, Thinking Seven Generations Ahead: language resurgence in the face of settler
colonialism, will be presented at Congress 2016. It is my plan that all three articles will
be published.

The focus of this thesis is exploring revitalization strategies for Mi’kmaq language
resurgence. Mi’kmaq language learners, speakers and linguists are concerned for the
survival of our languages for the seven generations to come from the 21st Century: for
me, that would be my great-great-great grandchildren. Currently First Nations students
across Canada and Turtle Island (North America) live in ‘shame,’ for not knowing their
culture and Indigenous identity. A resurgence of Mi’kmaq language here on Mi’kmaq
territory and within our Mi’kmaq communities is needed for First Nations learners and
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educators in mainstream education, immersion schools, language nests, and even more
so with the access to language online, using technology. Within the colonial context,
acts of remembrance by our Elders and speakers are resurgence. Resurgence is required
if Mi’kmaq people today are going to maintain, recover, and regenerate languages. The
acts of rehabilitation and acts of renewal and remembrance, along with vision, intent,
commitment, community, and ultimately action through relationship building with the
land are the foundations to language resurgence. In this thesis, I share stories and
conversations with three Elders, two seven generational youth, and three Mi’kmaq
immersion educators from across Mi’kmaq territory. Language resurgence in the face of
settler colonialism is depicted through a desire-based lens in three separate articles
drawing on the rich narratives of our Mi’kmaq people, in an attempt to respect our
Indigenous oral traditions.

In this thesis, I am responsible for any misspelled words in Mi’kmaq, they are my
mistakes.

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Dedication

I am a Mi’kmaq woman of the seventh generation who is an educator, activist, feminist,
coach, athlete, and Indigenous researcher. I am aspiring to maintain, recover, and
reclaim my own Mi’kmaq language.

I dedicate my thesis to the decade I spent writing and educating myself in the dominant
English language to satisfy Western discourses in mainstream education. I have felt guilt
for leaving my family and First Nation community, Sipekne’ktik, to attend private
school in Oakville Ontario, Appleby College, 2003-2005. At Appleby College, I was
their first Aboriginal student to attend this international private school.

I furthered my educational endeavors when I attended post-secondary studies. In
university, it remained crucial that I respected the living entities embedded in our
creation stories, Mi’kmaq knowledges, culture, and language. I attended Dalhousie
University, 2005-2011, St. Francis Xavier University 2012-2014, and University of New
Brunswick 2014-2016. I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Bachelor of
Education and am now completing a Masters of Education.

Throughout these educational experiences, I have felt tokenism, assimilation, and
continue to witness little to no access to my own Mi’kmaq educational courses on
culture and language. This dedication is special, as I dedicate myself to Indigenizing the
academy at both the secondary and post-secondary level within Mi’kmaw territory while
I pursue educating and coaching.
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Acknowledgements
In order for me to complete this thesis based on three articles, I would like to thank my
supervisor, Ann Sherman, Dean of Education for the guidance, edits, and support
throughout the entire progress of my Master of Education degree.

In my first article, I would like to thank my Grandmother from Sipekne’katik First
Nation for being my mother, elder, and protector, thank you for discussing language,
culture, pride, and identity for my research, but most importantly for teaching me our
ways of knowing, traditions, virtues, and language. My second article, I would like to
thank Eskasoni First Nation for collaborating in this study and inviting me to visit the
community to conduct my conversations. I would like to thank the Eskasoni educators
who participated in this study and shared their experiences with me, welalin Ida Denny,
Starr Paul, and Barbara Sylliboy for sharing the drive, dedication, and commitment
towards our language survival through immersion. In my third article, I would like to
thank my two Elders: from Listuguj First Nation, Joe Wilmot, educator and community
linguist, and from Metepenagiag First Nation, Spiritual ji’mn, sweat lodge keeper, for
reminding that I must take action in learning my Mi’kmaq language while they are alive.
I also like to thank my two nitaps (friends), seventh generational youth (age 20-35),
from Gesgapegiag Amanda Larocque, and from Eskaoni Al Jeddore, thank you for
reminding me that we are never too old to become fluent in our own languages.

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I want to thank Susan O’Donnell, my supervisor with the FNI project, for providing
helpful comments on the first two articles and for being an external examiner of my
thesis.

I want to thank Atlantic Canada’s First Nations Help Desk / Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey
for their valuable support of this project. These projects were conducted as part of a
larger First Nations Innovation (FNI) project (http://firstmile.ca). The FNI project is
funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
with in-kind contributions from the project partners: Keewaytinook Okimakanan (K-Net
and KORI) (www.knet.ca), the First Nations Education Council (www.cepn-fnec.com),
Atlantic Canada’s First Nation Help Desk / Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey
(www.firstnationhelp.com) and the University of New Brunswick (www.unb.ca).

Finally, I want to thank the Education Board and my community Sipekne’katik (Indian
Brook) First Nation for the educational contributions that funded me throughout my
educational journey.

Welalioq!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACT.......……………………………………………………………..….…..…..ii
Pjila’si/WELCOME...………………………...……………………………..….……...iii
DEDICATION……………………………………………………………....…………..v
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.……………………………………………..……..…..…vi
Table of Contents………………………………………………………...…………...viii
Photos………………………………………………………………....…………….........x
CHAPTER ONE Introduction…………………………………………….…………...1
1.1 Background and Significance………………………………………............1
1.2 Link to First Nations Innovations Project…………………………………3
1.3 Research Focus and Questions……………...……………………………...4
CHAPTER TWO Reviewing the Literature…………………………………………..6
2.1 Storytelling and Ceremony as Research……………………………….......6
2.2 Pedagogy as land and the land as Pedagogy……………………................9
2.3 Language Resurgence: Maintaining, Recovering, and Reclaiming…….12
2.4 Language Genocide / Linguicide……………………………………….....14
2.5 ICT and language resurgence………………………………………….….17
2.6 Educational Discourses: Western tools of colonization…………..…......20
2.7 Cognitive Imperialism……………………………………………………..23
2.8 Summary……………………………………………………………...……26
CHAPTER THREE Methodology……………………………………………………27
3.1 Indigenous Methodology…………………………………………………..27
3.2 Research Topic and Question.…………….……………………………....28
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3.3 Effects of Western colonialism on Research………………………….….29
3.4 Qualitative Research………………………………………………………30
3.5 Indigenous Auto-Ethnography: What are Oral traditions?……...…..…32
3.6 What is Narrative Inquiry?…………………………………………….…34
3.7 The process of interviewing and Creation stories………………..…...…35
3.8 Process of conducting interviews …………………………………….......36
3.9 Selection of Participants…………………………………………………...37
3.10 Connections to the Elders and community knowledge………………...38
3.11 Connections to the land…………………………………………………..39
3.12 Ethical Considerations…………………………………………………...41
3.13 Data Analysis ..…………………………………………………………...42
3.14 Conclusion.……...………………………………………………………...42
Thesis Proposal Reference.……………………………………………………………46
ARTICLE ONE Speaking with my Elder about technology...………………..…….51
ARTICLE TWO Kina’muanej mu ntakotmnew tli’lnu’ltik…….…………..……...82
ARTICLE THREE Thinking seven Generations ahead…...…..……………..……107
Curriculum Vitae or CV
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Photos

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