4.0 Efforts to Support Aboriginal Literacy
Many organizations are involved in supporting Aboriginal languages and
literacy. We have chosen to look at what two other literacy coalitions in
Canada do,
what the federal government and
the GNWT do, and what language communities themselves have set as their priorities.
4.1 Models from other literacy coalitions
Literacy organizations in other parts of Canada reflect the importance
of Aboriginal literacy to varying degrees. Saskatchewan and Nunavut, the
two organizations we will look at, are in very different situations, and have taken different approaches to supporting
Aboriginal literacy.
Saskatchewan
In Saskatchewan, in the 1996 Census, out of almost 1 million people,
just over 110,000 were Aboriginal (11.4%). Although non–aboriginal
people are
by far
the majority, the Aboriginal group
is the fastest growing group in Saskatchewan. In recognition of this,
the Saskatchewan Literacy Network has established a Provincial Aboriginal
Literacy
Steering
Committee to guide a two–year
Aboriginal Literacy Project. It believes that Aboriginal literacy services
must "… recognize and
affirm the unique cultures of Native Peoples and the connections between
all of creation" . Not all
activities are in an Aboriginal language. The project goals are:
- To identify and share information about Aboriginal literacy programs and initiatives
through the development of a directory of programs
- To identify strengths of current approaches, gaps and areas for improvement
- To organize and host an Aboriginal literacy gathering
- To develop a mechanism to provide support to Aboriginal literacy programs
- To create links between Aboriginal literacy programs and practitioners
- To establish connections with Aboriginal initiatives at the national level
- To develop a public awareness strategy to recognize, support and sustain the
Aboriginal literacy initiative
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