20th Language Keepers conference kicks off in Saskatoon

Jeremy Warren · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 04, 2025 6:37 PM EST | Last Updated: November 4

Darlene Brander says there’s inactive a batch of enactment needed to revitalize Indigenous languages successful Canada, but determination are moments that punctual her the enactment is worthy it.

“We cognize the enactment is moving erstwhile we perceive the voices of the younker speaking the language,” said Brander, president of the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre.

“Nothing's sweeter to the receptor erstwhile you're proceeding idiosyncratic who's 8 oregon 9 oregon 12 years aged speaking the connection with intent and pride.”

The yearly First Nations Language Keepers Gathering runs Tuesday and Wednesday astatine Prairieland Park successful Saskatoon. The lawsuit — present successful its 20th twelvemonth — is organized by the Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre and brings unneurotic educators, academics and others moving connected Indigenous connection preservation and revitalization.

They’re warring the “erosion of language” that’s happening successful municipality areas and among youth, Brander said, adding that the situation close present is processing and placing connection resources successful communities.

In Saskatchewan, 31,250 First Nations radical reported being capable to talk an Indigenous language, according to the 2021 Statistics Canada census. The fig of radical successful the state who tin talk immoderate of the Cree dialects dropped 7.4 per cent to 22,730 successful 2021 compared to 2016.

“There's that aged adage, you request to usage it oregon other you suffer it,” Brander said. “We privation to marque definite that radical are speaking their languages due to the fact that there's a quality successful speaking your language.… You're capable to unrecorded the ineffable way.”

Nationally, Indigenous radical who tin talk an Indigenous connection good capable to person a speech declined astir 4 per cent to 237,420 successful 2021 compared to 2016, according to Statistics Canada. 

But that aforesaid census information shows much Indigenous radical are choosing to larn an Indigenous language. Second-language speakers accounted for 27.7 of each Indigenous connection speakers successful Canada, an summation of 6.7 per cent from 2016, according to the 2021 census.

Commissioner Ron Ignace, of the national Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages, gave a keynote code astatine the 20th yearly Language Keepers Gathering successful Saskatoon connected Tuesday. (Jeremy Warren/CBC)

Canada’s Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages is creating a “road map” communities tin usage to thatch a caller procreation of speakers, said Commissioner Ron Ignace.

“Fifty per cent of the languages successful Canada are either critically endangered oregon endangered and adjacent the viable ones are not safe,” Ignace said aft his keynote code connected Tuesday.

He said Canada should look astatine connection immersion acquisition models utilized successful New Zealand and Hawaii for inspiration. Language erosion is astir much than losing words, helium added.

“We suffer our soul. We suffer our tone due to the fact that our connection is the cradle of our tone arsenic Indigenous peoples.”