Language is land, land is language: The importance of Indigenous languages

This collaborative opinion piece, written from the authors’ personal perspectives (Anishinaabe and Gàidheal) on Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe language) and Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic language), discusses the importance of maintaining and revitalizing Indigenous languages, particularly in these times of climate and humanitarian crises. The authors will give their personal responses, rooted in lived experiences, on five areas they have identified as a starting point for their discussion: (1) why Indigenous languages are important; (2) the effects of colonization on Indigenous languages; (3) the connections/responsibilities to the land, such as Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), embedded in Indigenous languages; (4) the importance of land-based learning and education, full language immersion, and the challenges associated with implementing these strategies for Indigenous language maintenance and revitalization; and (5) where we can go from here.

Crippled Two-Tongue and the Myth of Benign Translatability

This is an Anishinaabemowin (a.k.a. Ojibwe language) translation story. A story concerning the disabling consequences of Eurocentric translations through the process of redaction, reduction, and refraction of meanings. This story includes baby birds covered in faeces, Ships of Empire, a swamp, an Oracle, a Crippled Two-Tongue, a Tradish Nish, a fraudulent credit card, and one giant animal called Anishinaabemowin that everyone wants to eat but no one wants to share. A story of forced dislocations and the startling journey to re-articulate all the parts of the language. Disclaimer: some baby birds were narratively harmed in the making of this article, but in the end they turn out fine.