Mar 27, 2024
Kiiwetinoong MPP recalls being punished for speaking Anishinaabemowin in residential school
For the first time in the Ontario Legislature’s history, MPPs can now speak Indigenous languages at Queen’s Park.
While members were previously allowed to speak one of Canada’s two official languages – English or French – an amendment passed Tuesday morning allows them to also address the Speaker in an Indigenous language spoken in Canada.
For Sol Mamakwa, MPP for Kiiwetinoong, it means speaking a language that was forbidden when he attended residential school.
“I remember sitting in detention. I remember doing chores as punishment because of who I am, because of me speaking my language,” Mamakwa said Tuesday while addressing the legislature.
Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/ontario-queens-park-anishinaabemowin-1.7156130