Doig River First Nation, NLC host language revitalization event

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. —  Northern Lights College (NLC) will welcome Doig River First Nation (DRFN) to a two-day celebration of Indigenous language and culture on March 14th and 15th.

The Reawakening of Our Language Gathering event will be the first of its kind in northeast B.C. and will feature workshops, keynote speakers and a ceremonial tea dance.

Doig River councillor Justin Davis is enthusiastic about the event and the prospect of what this means for the future of the Dane-Zaa language.

“This initiative embodies our commitment to breathe new life into the Dane-Zaa language, a sacred thread that binds us to our cultural roots,” said Davis. 

“Our vision is that through this conference, the words of our ancestors will resonate, and the flame of our indigenous culture will reignite a spark amongst the Dane-Zaa people in the Peace region.”

According to Thomas Whitton, information technology and cultural manager for Doig River First Nation, plans for language revitalization projects in Doig River started back in the 1970s. 

The First Nation eventually put together a department based on culture, heritage, and language in 2019, with the support of Chief Trevor Makadahay and the band council.

“The main goal was revitalizing the language of the Dane-Zaa,” said Whitton. 

“Putting on events such as this is one way we can bring on additional capacity and support other bands in creating their own revitalization strategies.”

Set to take place in NLC’s atrium, Whitton says it will be similar in tone to language revitalization events Doig River has attended the past year across Western Canada, such as the Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR) held last March in Edmonton.

According to Whitton, the event is about building bridges between the Indigenous community and revitalizing the languages of Indigenous people.

“It’s about helping and assisting the bands in developing their own language revitalization pathways,” said Whitton.

The workshops will be split into four blocks. Two options will be set for each block, for a total of eight different options. Some of the options include technology and language revitalization.

Guests will include Christopher Parkin, the principal and business manager at the Salish School of Spokane.

The school is a private institution that focuses on the Colville and Kalispel languages as an immersion program. 

Whitton said Parkin was a keynote speaker in a language revitalization event in Whitehorse, Yukon, in 2023. 

Members of DRFN thought his presentation proved beneficial in helping them reach their own potential in language revitalization.

“Chris is from an area where the language was close to dying,” said Whitton. “[Language coordinator] Amy Acko was the one that reached out to him.”

“He got us thinking about how to take the steps in the right direction and get to where we need to be. How do we empower all generations, not just the youth or the elderly, but also that middle range?”

Lunch will be catered at the event. Admission will be based on donation only, and the event will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both March 14th and 15th. 

More information is available on the event’s page on Facebook.