Wabanaki Languages
Wabanaki languages hold intimate teachings about the world around us. Lessons about how to prepare medicines, what activities happen as we transition from one moon to another, who our relatives are, and what the land and waterways mean to us are all passed on when we speak our languages. We work with Wabanaki language carriers to cultivate language learning in our communities and heal from the harm caused by colonial school and religious institutions that led to a generation of non-language speakers.
Weekly Passamaquoddy Language Class
Open to the Public. Our online language classes are led by Dwayne Tomah, a Passamaquoddy language carrier from Sipayik who has been learning from and revitalizing teachings from 130-year old wax cylinder recordings of Passamaquoddy ancestors. Dwayne works with students to break down the meanings of Passamaquoddy words and phrases, often incorporating stories and music into his lessons.
Language Immersion Gatherings
Open to Wabanaki Communities. Seasonal language immersion gatherings bring Wabanaki community members together to learn the different Wabanaki languages – Passamaquoddy-Maliseet, Penobscot, Mi’kmaq, and Abenaki – in a language immersion setting. Through song, dance, games, outdoor learning, listening, and movement-based activities, student learn from language speakers from different Wabanaki communities.
