-- Photo credit to pîkiskwêwin.ca. Original Art by Kevin Spencer Cardina

Today the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv), through the Indigenous Communication Arts (INCA) program, formally launched the pîkiskwêwin podcast project. pîkiskwêwin, which means “language” in Cree, is an Indigenous and community-led initiative that is helping to further FNUniv’s mission to preserve, protect and interpret the history, language, culture, and artistic heritage of First Nations. pîkiskwêwin’s family of podcasts are different from the majority of those available in that they are produced in Indigenous languages.

The vision for the project is revitalized Indigenous languages and culture for the next seven generations. “We have joined an amazing circle of language teachers and language keepers,” said Avison, “For most of them, podcasting is a new format to use. Some of our podcasters are fluent but some pîkiskwêwin podcasters are language learners. It’s so exciting to give them training and technology to do interviews in their ancestral languages for the first time,” said Shannon Avison, Project Supervisor and INCA Assistant Professor, FNUniv.

According to UNESCO, three out of four of the 90 Indigenous languages in Canada are endangered, many critically. In Saskatchewan, the Saulteaux, Nakota, Dakota, Lakota and Michif languages are considered the most critically endangered.

“There is an urgent need to actively work toward Indigenous language preservation and revitalization – before we lose more of our Knowledge Keepers, fluent speakers and teachers. With this podcast project, there’s an incredible opportunity to facilitate and support increased teaching, learning and sharing of our Indigenous languages, not just in our home Territory of Treaty 4 but in all territories across Turtle Island and the world,” said Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann, President, FNUniv.

With funding from Heritage Canada and support from the FNUniv, this initiative is also providing broad opportunities for education and employment for Indigenous businesses and professionals, Knowledge Keepers, language teachers, and students.

People can listen to the first podcasts at pikiskwewin.ca. They are also available on Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and Spotify, and the Michif cooking show, Mawmaw Sachweezin, is also available on YouTube. Currently, there are podcasts available in Michif, Cree, Dene, Dakota, and Saulteaux. More podcasts in these and other languages will be released ongoing as they are produced. Listeners can also get to know the pîkiskwêwin team and podcast hosts through the “Beyond the Mic” blog, which offers personal stories and insights as they relate to language, culture and identity.

The current project funding for pîkiskwêwin extends to March 2023 but Avison hopes to find ways to make the podcasts sustainable, so language learners and teachers can continue to connect, learn from one another, and share their languages with the next generations.