Canada History Week 2021 Learning Tool

1. As a class, watch the Lillian Elias video and take notes on how Lillian talks about language. 2. After viewing, have a classroom discussion and answer the following questions: • How does Lillian see language preservation as an act of resistance? • How does this video use symbolic imagery to represent Lillian’s experience? • How does Lillian’s experience show the importance of language preservation for Indian Residential School survivors? 3. Using Lillian’s story as your inspiration, research language preservation, thinking about it as an act of resistance and an example of resilience. Think about the importance of language to your own culture, and look at examples of Indigenous language preservation campaigns and initiatives to further inform your research. Using what you have learned, create a poster, song, or poem showing how language preservation is an act of resistance and resilience for Indigenous peoples. Your creation should be accompanied by a short, written description that shows your understanding of the importance of language preservation for Indigenous peoples, and explains how your work embodies their strength and resilience through generations of colonial oppression. Language preservation is the process of preventing language loss to ensure its survival. Language revitalization is the process of reviving an endangered language. 10 Activity 3.2 continued Illustrations by Andrew Qappik, RCA. Stills from Lillian Elias: A Residential School Survivor’s Story video (Historica Canada).