Students find their voice – in Ojibwa – Winnipeg Free Press

A group of students ranging in age from under 18 to over 70 are Red River College Polytechnic’s newest class learning the power of the Ojibwa language.

About 26 students enrolled in the evening Introduction to Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwa) course that was held this spring and concluded on June 20. Thanks to private funding, the course was tuition-free.

Instructor Corey Ralph Whitford said it felt like a community, not a classroom.

“When students come there, they are looking for community, they are looking for recognition, and that is what I offer (through the course),” he said.

Whitford, who belongs to the Sandy Bay First Nation on the western shore of Lake Manitoba, grew up speaking Ojibwa as his first language.

He spoke mostly English until he was 15, when he moved away to attend boarding school. Now his language skills and ability to teach in a practical, dynamic way are in high demand. There were waiting lists for the final two terms of the course, and Whitford said he has taught 150 students since 2018.

“I was born with it and I lived it. It wasn’t until I got this job that I realized I have a unique talent that is very rare,” he said. “It gives me a sense of purpose, it gives me a sense of responsibility and I want to do my part.”

It starts with the basics: the 27-letter Anishinaabemowin alphabet, the Ojibwa online dictionary, real-time conversations, skits and shared reading circles.

“That’s where the real magic happens. People feel like they’re finding their voice there; even people who were shy before.”

“It wasn’t until I got this job that I realized I had a unique talent that very few people have.”–Corey Ralph Whitford

Chantel Reles was one of the students who completed the course this week and presented a 12-page animal-themed Anishinaabemowin children’s book as her final project.

“It means so much to me and is very touching. It’s not just about the language, it’s about connection and community,” Reles said, praising the energy Whitford brought to the class.

“It was so special to make those connections and see the joy and how people were able to open up. I think that’s what I really took away from it: having confidence and speaking the language better and seeing my Indigenous friends and being able to greet them.”

The non-Indigenous Red River College Polytechnic employee said she signed up for the course because she wanted to join the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s call to action and do her part to help Indigenous peoples reclaim their languages.

“It’s not just up to Aboriginal people to learn. I think it’s up to other Canadians, newcomers and settlers, to be aware and participate.”

“It means so much to me and touches me deeply. It’s not just about the language, it’s about connection and community.”–Chantal Reles

Reles has seen what a difference it makes when you can greet people in their language.

“Now that I have this knowledge, I can pass it on to my friends,” she said.

“I think we as settlers still have a responsibility when it comes to Indigenous language, particularly when it comes to truth and reconciliation. That should be something we all think about in Canada.”

In-person classes have helped foster a sense of community in the classroom, Whitford said.

“We know that the language is alive, that there is a spirit in it, and that is how we treat it,” he said. “We decolonize it by presenting it as an indigenous teacher would.”

The lecturer congratulated the class of 2024.

“We know that language is alive, that there is a spirit in it, and that is how we treat it.”–Corey Ralph Whitford

“We said goodbye in a kind of gentle, subtle way – it’s not a goodbye. Actually, there is no word for ‘goodbye’ in our language. Instead we say: See you again: Giga Wabamin Miinawaa.”

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