Concordia students mark National Indigenous Languages Day with a guest lecture from Canada’s Governor General

As the first Indigenous Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon says her main role is to foster dialogue because of the country’s dark history of colonization and residential schools. That was her message to Concordia students in a guest lecture she gave over Zoom, live from Rideau Hall, in honour of National Indigenous Languages Day on March 31.

The students present were enrolled in one of two courses offered this term by part-time instructor Emanuel Lowi: Indigenous Peoples of North America (ANTH 204) and Indigenous Resurgence (SOCI/ANTH 303).

“Her Excellency spoke to students about topics directly connected to their coursework and took their questions,” shares Lowi, who teaches in the departments of History; Sociology and Anthropology; Geography, Planning and Environment; as well as the School of Community and Public Affairs.  

“It was an honour to hear from Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General,” says Poppy Le Blanc, who was among the 75+ undergrads present for the lecture.

“She shared several interesting, informative and eye-opening narratives surrounding Indigenous self-determination, sovereignty and reconciliation.”

‘Language grows within you’

Her Excellency tied the topic of Indigenous languages to her own attachment to Inuktitut, which her mother and grandmother exclusively spoke when she was growing up in Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik. For her, the way to promote languages is to learn what you can and then use what you’ve learned immediately.

“Language grows within you,” Simon said. “Indigenous children were forbidden to speak their languages and forced to become what they were not. This had a devastating impact.”

She added that “Indigenous people and languages should not be merely surviving, they should be thriving, and land is of utmost importance for that.”

Simon didn’t shy away from talking about some of the ongoing atrocities facing Indigenous people in Canada today, including gendered violence. She discussed the Indigenous women whose remains were recently found in a Winnipeg dump, crediting Premier Wab Kinew — who is also Indigenous — for his persistence in pursuing this discovery on behalf of the affected families. 

Lowi says Simon attributed the ongoing violence toward Indigenous women and girls to the legacy of residential schools in Canada.

‘Work that has not been completed by any means yet’

The Governor General also stressed the need to push for reconciliation through actions not words and pointed to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s 94 Calls to Action, which she called “work that has not been completed by any means yet.”

Students in both classes were assigned oral presentations based on these calls to action and Lowi is pleased to see them already incorporating Her Excellency’s lecture into their work. He says he believes the presentation and question period made a lasting impact.

"As an Indigenous student, I really appreciated having the chance to address Her Excellency,” Josephine Matoush Pepabano shares.

Find out more about Concordia’s Office of Indigenous Directions.