Innu language courses help preserve heritage, open culture to locals

Innu language workshops in Chicoutimi allow Indigenous residents to stay connected to their communities and non-Indigenous students to learn something new.

Workshops in Chicoutimi popular among both Indigenous, non-Indigenous residents

Alison Brunette · CBC News · Posted: Mar 05, 2018 7:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 5, 2018

Yvette Mollen teaches both the beginner and intermediate level workshops at the Nikanite First Nation Centre. (Priscilla Plamondon Lalancette/Radio-Canada)

For Tshiueten Canapé, improving his native language isn't just about being able to speak it — it's a question of feeling connected to his community, identity and heritage.

Canapé is one of 37 students enrolled in one of two Innu language workshops being offered for the first time through the Nikanite First Nations Centre at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC).

Originally from Pessamit, Que., Canapé moved to the Saguenay region to study at UQAC in 2008.

He speaks his native language fluently, but admits he's lost some words. Canapé said he's happy to have the opportunity to practice now that he's living in Chicoutimi.
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"There are many Innu in Chicoutimi, but many people speak only the basic language, and need an expert to improve," he said.

That expert is Yvette Moellen from the Ekuanitshit First Nation, located about 730 kilometres northeast of Chicoutimi.

Tshiueten Canapé (right), a student taking part in the workshops, says it's important to him to seize every opportunity to speak in his mother tongue. (Priscilla Plamondon Lalancette/Radio-Canada)

She teaches both the beginner and intermediate level workshops at the Nikanite First Nation Centre at UQAC, and has been instrumental in helping to develop the Innu writing system over the past 30 years.

"There are not a lot of people who speak the language and are also are experts in teaching methods," said Sukran Tipi, a researcher at the centre.

"It's a particular challenge when teaching the Innu language."

A new writing system

Tipi explained how the beginner workshops are for non-speakers while the intermediate level is for people who want to improve their proficiency in their language — especially in matters of writing.

"Historically the Innu languages were passed down through oral traditions," she said.

"So the writing systems are rather new."

Tipi highlighted the need to have a writing system to preserve and revitalize the language, especially for passing it on to the youth who she said do not generally speak their native tongue well.
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The courses offered through the Nikanite First Nations Centre at UQAC are not university credit courses.

Sukran Tipi is a researcher at the Nikanite First Nations Centre, at the Université de Québec à Chicoutimi. (Priscilla Plamondon Lalancette/Radio-Canada)

Tipi said the workshops are a direct result of about $30,000 in funding from Canadian Heritage.

"It's a long process to establish credit courses," she said.

"While we're waiting, we felt there was a need for the Indigenous community in our urban context to have access to these workshops."

Tipi said there are a lot of Innu living in the Saguenay area who left their communities to work or study in the region.

"Those people need to have opportunities to practise their language," she said.

Non-Indigenous want to learn too

The Centre advertised the workshops specifically for Indigenous people living in Saguenay, but Tipi said she was surprised to see an overwhelming interest on the part of non-Indigenous people as well.

"We are talking about reconciliation and working together and better knowing each other," she said.
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Tipi said there have also been several requests to join the workshops from people who work with Innu in the spheres of health or social work and live in communities on the North Shore.

Future workshops

The Centre has applied for renewed funding to be able to offer more workshops down the road.

But Tipi said because there is so much enthusiasm for the workshops, UQAC is pushing to develop university courses for credit.

That would be a welcome announcement for Canapé, who said it's important for him to take every opportunity he can to improve his mother tongue.

The project received funding from Canadian Heritage. While it was aimed at Indigenous people, several non-Indigenous students signed up. (Priscilla Plamondon Lalancette/Radio-Canada)

"I've made it my responsibility to keep the Innu language alive," he said, adding that he wants to be able to pass it on to his daughter and be an inspiration to others in his community. How do you describe a hockey game in Innu?

"If an anglophone loses their maternal language, they can go to England to get it back, or a francophone can go to France," he said.

"Our maternal language is here and we have to preserve it here."