Language of the Land
Nisg̱a’a
If time is a river, our language is a current that flows through us—from our ancestors to our children and grandchildren.
From 1870 to 1996, the government and Christian churches worked to disrupt that flow. They removed Nisg̱a’a children from their families and sent them to residential schools established with the express purpose of erasing Indigenous language and culture. This resulted in humiliation, abuse, and, for many, the loss of their mother tongue.
Despite it all, Nisg̱a’a is still spoken. This is a result of foresight, determination, and love.
Today, as always, our elders are busy teaching a new generation the language of our ancestors—the language of the land.
