Photo: Qias/Wikimedia Commons
Nova Scotia recently proclaimed the new Mi’kmaw Language Act which officially recognizes Mi’kmaw as the province’s first language. The act, to take effect on Oct. 1, was passed by the provincial legislature in April. Mi'kmaq Chiefs signed a resolution to uphold it on behalf of their communities. "I felt like I was being a party of history," said Pictou Landing First Nation chief Andrea Paul. "Just decades ago, our language wasn’t welcome here in this land," said Eskasoni First Nation chief Leroy Denny. "We were forced to lose our language and not to speak it." Premier Tim Houston believes the act is another important step to reconciliation. "It's a step along the journey for the community to know that their province supports them and sees the importance of their language in this case, but their culture in general." It will make the Mi’kmaw language more visible not just in Mi’kmaq communities but also in schools throughout the province. "It sets a precedent for the other provinces, I'm hoping," said Paul.
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