Negotiating Indigenous Language Narratives from Canada and South Africa: A Comparative Approach

Abstract

Indigenous cultural and language negotiations ongoing in the contexts of South Africa and Canada are documented in two studies, one sharing narratives from Black parents in South Africa and the other sharing narratives of Métis Elders in Canada. Black parents’ perspectives on Indigenous language and cultures and the role of education in postapartheid South Africa are explored. Métis Elders’ perspectives examine the negotiation of identities through Indigenous languages in Métis contexts, importance of sharing stories in Indigenous languages, and understanding Michif and language negotiations in colonial and neocolonial times. We compare across these Indigenous contexts their complex and evolving language histories, racial categorization and repression of identities, demographics and impacts on languages, roles of languages in relationships to self and culture, and roles of English dominance in relation to Indigenous languages. Conclusions suggest the importance of nurturing and respecting Indigenous languages in both nations.