Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/899551
Heritage Matters 10 Recently, the Ontario Heritage Trust sat down with France Picotte, Acting President of the Métis Nation of Ontario, to discuss the connection between language and culture and how that reflects on one's sense of identity. "I think if you lose a language, you lose a big part of your culture, because the words and expressions [of a] language – like our Michif language – are not just words. It's words, but it's also body language. When you lose that, you lose a big part of your culture. To truly experience your culture, the language of your ancestors reflected in the stories you get from your ancestors is so very important. That's the connection; it's a very integral part of who we are. Language isn't just language. It's language, culture, history; all that comes to inform it." When asked how she was taught Michif and how the language is passed down today, Picotte replied, "Michif in Ontario is in a unique situation. Our language was taught from our parents, our grandparents. That's how the language came down. In Ontario, for a while it really wasn't cool to be Métis because you were either too Indian, too French or too Catholic. I remember my grandmother saying not to talk about it in public because you'll be ostracized and they'll come and take you away. So our language was really restrained to the family." "Our language in Ontario wasn't passed down officially to the next generation. Some families refused to let their children speak the language. They would send their children to the French school and the children would be laughed at and ridiculed because of the way they spoke. We have generations [who have] lost some of that language, but they remember hearing their parents and grandparents speaking it. When we have a chance to speak it in A Thirst To Learn By France Picotte Photo: Métis Nation of Ontario