It was a day of celebration on Sunday at the Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest.
The group, which is focused on reviving and teaching at-risk indigenous languages, is receiving a grant of more than $90,000 to go towards their efforts.
“What the grant is doing is it’s providing us with an opportunity to create a program to create curriculum and experience,” said Kimberley Debassige, a language teacher with KILN.
She said this will further the work they do in teaching indigenous people, both young and old, about the languages they may not have had the chance to learn otherwise.
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“As they progress, as people progress with their language they might become language teachers themselves, and that’s really important,” added Debassige.
A member of provincial parliament for Kingston and the Islands was on on-hand Sunday. Ted Hsu says he feels it’s important to fund programs like KILN.
“Grants like this help organizations like the Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest to work to preserve and kind of revive languages, make sure they’re used. If you don’t use a language, you’ll lose it,” said Hsu.
At the event Sunday, which followed KILN’s annual general meeting, there was food, a sacred fire, and different artistic activities for the kids.
Debassige said for children and adults alike, learning the language goes much further than just that.
“When I speak the language, it builds me up. I stand more confidently in who I am as Anishinaabe, I begin to understand even more who I am as Anishinaabe,” she said.
Debassige said that her hope is that the work done at kiln will spawn more places like it, furthering their efforts to revive the languages.
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