The Alberta Teachers’ Association

Language and culture cannot be separated.

That’s the message in the latest release in the Stepping Stones series, entitled Indigenous Language Diversity and Revitalization.

Along with a summary of the different languages that have been spoken in Canada for thousands of years, the document outlines that Indigenous languages are at risk of extinction and the efforts that are underway to revitalize them.

“We recognize that language is culture,” says Melissa Purcell, executive staff officer in charge of Indigenous education.

“Language connects us to our history, to the land and to our families. If we don’t protect Indigenous languages, we will lose them.”

The Stepping Stones series consists of 13 documents, with several still in development. They’re part of the ATA’s Walking Together project, which strives to connect Alberta’s teachers with the First Nations, Métis and Inuit knowledge required as part of the new Teaching Quality Standard. However, as Purcell explains, reconciliation in education is more than memorizing data about Indigenous people.

“We all have a role to play in reconciliation, and we all have to start where we are,” she said. “The Stepping Stones provide foundational knowledge, but they also encourage teachers to continue their learning journeys.” ❚

These challenges can be met only by a strong commitment from all members of the educational community to work together to fully realize the partnership’s aim—to meaningfully address the needs of students living with mental health illness—and to put in place pathways for the Healthy Minds, Bright Futures initiative to succeed.