The number of people able to have a conversation in a traditional Indigenous language across Canada has increased 45 per cent since the federal government allocated funding directly to Métis nations for classes and programming.
Taleeb Noormohamed, parliamentary secretary to the Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge, said the Michif language has seen a resurgence because of Manitoba Métis Federation’s efforts.
“That shows that these types of efforts, these types of initiatives, have a profound impact,” Noormohamed told reporters at a Winnipeg news conference Thursday to formally announce the funding and provide an update on the program.
The Liberal government announced a new model to support Métis languages in April 2023 that directly allocates the funds to the Manitoba Métis Federation, allowing them to implement a language strategy that addresses their unique priorities and redistribute resources to Red River Métis organizations and community groups.
Andrew Carrier, Minister of French and Michif Language Protection for the MMF, said there are fewer than 1,000 people in Manitoba who still speak Michif and the funding will support the language’s advancement.
“With the help of the federal government we’re able to give the Michif language a chance to survive and to prosper,” he said.
Michif is a combination of French nouns and Cree verbs and is spoken by Métis people in several provinces and territories across Canada.
Currently the MMF has funded classes through community organizations and the universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba, with plans to expand its offerings to school divisions.
Noormohamed said one of the challenges with funding for language education in the past was that it had been done on an ad hoc, short-term basis that didn’t give applying organizations the time and capacity to plan programs properly.
“So this model, I think, is one that is transformative in that regard, and because it is driven by the federation it allows a lot more planning and program development,” he said.
The MMF currently has a request for proposals on its website for individuals and communities to apply for funds to enhance Michif education.
In October 2023 the federal government announced more than $15.3 million over five years to the MMF to support the revitalization efforts of the language.
nicole.buffie@freeepress.mb.ca
Nicole Buffie
Multimedia producer
Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College’s Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole.
Every piece of reporting Nicole produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.