“Startling and Depressing”: AIAI Looks to Bootstrap Struggling Indigenous Languages Sector

By Alex Murray Writer The Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians (AIAI) Language Lead Kimberly Snake told the AIAI General Assembly last week the low number of high proficiency speakers of Indigenous languages is “startling” and “depressing.” “It really makes all of us think and take a step back,” Snake told the assembled delegates during Day 3 of the assembly on Thursday (July 23) at the Mohawk Community Centre on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. “We want to normalize the language in our communities. Normalize it, make it every day,” she added. Snake was presenting an update from AIAI’s Langu…