Junaid Khan is one of a growing number of non-Indigenous Canadians learning Indigenous languages, in settings that range from Zoom lectures to university classrooms.
But no one seems to be tracking the much higher numbers of non-Indigenous people who study Indigenous languages as a second language.— over 100 public schools, colleges and universities offer Indigenous-language courses, according to the First Peoples' Cultural Council. Those classes are open to students of all cultural backgrounds.
"If I want my language to be a national regional language in Canada, it can't just be Anishinaabeg who speak it," said Staats Pangowish. "In the past, non-Indigenous people have learned Indigenous languages so that they could promote their careers without giving back to the community … that's really problematic," said McDowell.
However, language teachers, often few in number, can get lured away from Indigenous settings when public schools or universities offer classes. "We need more non-Indigenous people learning Indigenous languages who can be certified by Indigenous people to teach languages to non-Indigenous people," said Staats Pangowish.