SERPENT RIVER FN—A grassroots effort being coordinated by Serpent River First Nation band member Quinn Meawasige, along with a group of Robinson Huron Territory First Nations members, is proposing allocating a portion of the $10 billion Robinson-Huron Treaty Litigation Fund (RHLTF) settlement be put into an Anishinaabemowin Language Trust.
“We are lobbying some of the chiefs and trustees of the 21 First Nations (including all those on Manitoulin Island) to put funds into an Anishinaabemowin Language Trust,” Mr. Meawasige told The Expositor. “They will be meeting on April 22, chiefs and trustees for all the Robinson-Huron Treaty (RHT) First Nations (including all First Nations on Manitoulin Island) and we have put this proposal forward for their consideration. They have all seen and know about the proposal because community members have indicated their support to them in voting in favour of the proposal.”
“Yes, there have been community leaders, language advocates and teachers, a wide range of support from people from across RHT who support the proposal to use funds to take action to educate and save the language,” said Mr. Meawasige. “The Anishinabek Nation had declared about 15 years ago that our language, Anishinaabemowin, was in a state of emergency.”
“With this agreement in place, we would have the opportunity to take action and educate to save the language,” said Mr. Meawasige. “We are only looking for two percent of the amount being provided. Research and a needs assessment would need to be undertaken to determine how best the funds could be utilized, and how make sure the language is ongoing 20 years and even further into the future.”
Mr. Meawasige said, “Imagine the transformative impact of dedicating a mere two percent of the $10 billion RHT settlement towards the revitalization of our language? This would represent a $200 million commitment to developing a comprehensive language strategy that benefits not only current RHT communities but also the broader Anishinaabeg. We could even invest this two percent and generate a much smaller but still substantial four to 10 million dollars annually, depending on interest rates and investment strategy, for language revitalization.”
A press release explains the proposal also requests that the RHTLF chiefs and trustees invest the equivalent of two days of interest of the total settlement being held in Trust (approximately $3 million) of the settlement into a needs assessment regarding preserving Anishinaabemowin as a first language. “The RHT beneficiaries propose investing the remaining funds into existing Anishinaabemowin programs.”
“Saving Anishinaabemowin requires working with current first language speakers, a coordinated revitalization strategy that has immersion opportunities,” the release continues. “It needs a commitment from our leadership and communities, and needs resources—it needs zhoonyaa, meaning money,” Mr. Meawasige said in a press release.
Members of the movement anticipate that a vote on the proposed amendment will take place at the RHTLF Special Chiefs and Trustees meeting on April 22. A support letter template is being circulated amongst the beneficiaries and members of the RHT First Nations to send to their respective chiefs, councils and trustees.
The Expositor contacted several Island chiefs and trustees of the Robinson Huron Treaty on Manitoulin Island, who all said they wish to not comment until the proposal comes before them at the meeting table on April 22.
Mr. Meawasige stressed, “my name is attached to all of this but there a lot of folks in the background who have worked on and are supporting the proposal.”
