The Legacy of Hope Foundation Presents – Voices from the Land Season 2 Episode 16 with James Darin Corbiere

(Ottawa, ON) – March 22, 2023 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is pleased to announce the release of episode 16, with James Darin Corbiere. Mr. Corbiere is an Ojibwe artist and former police officer as well as teacher of Native Studies and the Ojibwe language. Darin shares insights into the strategies of both learning and teaching Anishinaabemowin, and the intricate connection that language has to culture.

Darin is from The Wikwemikong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island. If there is one way to describe Darin, it is that he is willing, helpful and able to rise to a challenge.. Becoming a teacher was a responsibility he honoured and aimed to do good by. He sees learning one’s own Indigenous language as: “holding onto a life buoy for dear life.” He mentions how Wiikwemkoong was often a source site to learning the Ojibwe language. As a teacher, the high school he was teaching at was in need of a language teacher, and though this was not his training, he answered the call. Referencing Basil Johnson and the Fiero Sound Chart as good learning tools, he also notes the need for a compendium of resources to exist for successful support of language teachers. One barrier he touches on, is the manner in which curriculum is evaluated and how the performative base nature of it puts unnecessary pressure on students. Successful language integration for students must involve immersion in the language outside of the classroom. Though this opportunity is not often a reality for students, he hopes to see more of it in the future.

You can listen to the episode here:

Voices from the Land is an Indigenous Languages Revitalization Project funded by Canadian Heritage. Over the course of the winter months of 2022, host Gordon Spence spoke with Indigenous language teachers, adult learners and parents and caretakers of children learning their Indigenous language. From Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe); to Nehiyaw (Cree); the Michif language; Kanien’kéha (Mohawk); Onʌyoteˀa·ká (Oneida); and Dȁn k’e (Southern Tutchone), language learners, teachers and parents across Turtle Island share their insights and experiences. The goal of these 21 interviews was to gain a sense of the barriers and successes to learning one’s own language. We invite you to hear their voices and learn from their truth, as the languages have taught them so much and they want to share.

The LHF is a national, Indigenous-led, charitable organization that has been working to promote healing and Reconciliation in Canada for over 22 years. LHF’s goal is to educate and raise awareness about the history and impacts on 7 generations of Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) children, their families and communities from attending Residential and Day Schools and the subsequent Sixties Scoop. By fostering empathy and understanding, LHF encourages people to address discrimination and injustice and contributes to the equity, dignity, and respectful treatment of Indigenous Peoples.

The LHF has more than 25 educational exhibitions that promote awareness of Indigenous history that are free to borrow and is working on making exhibitions available online. LHF also has curricula for K-12 and for adults, along with Activity Guides, Workshops and Training, and Podcasts all aimed at educating Canadians about Indigenous history and the shared history of Residential and Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, etc. in order to offer solutions on how to be an ally. The LHF works to develop empathy and understanding so as to eliminate racism against Indigenous Peoples. 

Pour les demandes médiatiques, contactez :
Teresa Edwards, B.A., LL.B. JD. Directrice générale et conseillère juridique interne Fondation autochtone de l’espoir Courriel:info@legacyofhope.ca Téléphone:613-237-4806, poste 303