Manitoba First Nations’ Mandate
In March 1999, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs conducted The Manitoba First Nation Languages Survey to determine the status of First Nation languages in 63 First Nation communities. The survey was developed and administered to Manitoba First Nation households and communities.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs passed a resolution in support of a First Nations Language Strategy. In the First Nations Language Strategy titled, “Angomizik Inwewin”, five areas were identified to be the leading themes for First Nations Language Initiatives at the community level for Manitoba:

1.    Community Language Planning;

2.    First Nations Language Curricula;

3.    Community Language Programs and Services;

4.    Certification and Training of Language Teachers and Instructors;
5.    Ongoing and Consistent Language

With the mandate by First Nations Community Leaders, and its Language Strategy, which focuses on Language Immersion, community members aged from birth to 30 years of age are the target group. All five language groups of Manitoba are to produce fluent speakers by 2015.
Collaborative efforts from the community, schools and leadership are necessary for the survival of the First Nation languages in Manitoba communities. First Nation organizations and government have recognized the survival of First Nation languages as a priority. After years of struggling with government and the need for recognition of First Nation languages, there is an agreement on the need for First Nation languages to be community based and community controlled. The time has come to implement past, present and future recommendations for revitalizing and maintaining First Nation languages.

 

First Nations’ Language Education
We believe we can and must play a role in providing the necessary support to First Nations so that we can provide quality education to our youth and children and begin to restore our languages to their rightful places in our children’s lives. We see First Nation communities as full and active participants in the process of improving language education in the school system and encouraging children’s and youth’s interest in learning their language.
Support is critical for school-based language education programs and all community members must play a key role in language revitalization.
This requires young parents to use the language in their homes so that children will arrive at school using their language. Children must be exposed to out-of-school functions in the language so that the language continues to have relevance and value.
It is critical that the lessons be taught in school and become part of community and family life. Otherwise, we risk seeing language education become compartmentalized and isolated from broader community processes, with very little benefit to long-term language revitalization.
Success in language programming in schools or in the community cannot be achieved without the support of the Elders and the community. Community members are to be actively involved in the planning, organization and implementation of all language programs.
Successful programs that involve the community members, the parents and the Elders are built on extending the educational experience beyond the school and into the daily lives of the students.
Community-based language programs will be an important part of a long-term strategy to revitalize languages.

Present & Future
The critical state of First Nation languages is widely recognized throughout Canada. Many of our languages face extinction and the fluency level of speakers is diminishing. Our statistics show that most First Nations communities have no speakers under the age of 30.
First Nation languages have been an integral support system for past generations and in order for the survival of future generations, languages must be in our communities as it transmits our culture and our traditions. The restoration and preservation of our languages will assist in ensuring our youth reclaim their identities, ensure our cultural survival and assist in improving our social networks in our communities.
The key to ensuring the survival of our First Nation languages is to fully immerse our
languages in our homes, schools, communities and higher learning institutions. A unified approach must be taken
on the part of individuals, families, communities and leadership if successful language programs are to be developed and implemented.
In order for all projects to succeed, spiritual, ceremonial, traditional and territorial protocols must be followed and taught to the children and young adults in each community.

These protocols provide an understanding on one’s identity.

First Nations Language Initiatives Specialists
Our First Nation Language Initiatives Specialists can provide assistance in:
1.    Achieving language fluency in our communities through immersion programs;
2.    Working with Elders to provide their knowledge in teaching and preserving our languages;
3.    Promoting the teaching, learning and the use of languages; and
4.    To provide training needs of the language teachers at the community level in Information Technology and Immersion Programming.