Aaniin, Boozhoo, Shé:kon, Hello my friends! 

For those who don’t know me, Ozhaawashkozi-anangkwe ndizhinikaaz, Meskwananiisi ndoodem, Nbisiing ndoonjibaa, Ojibwe Anishinaabe ndaaw. My English name is Laura Couchie and I’m Ojibwe Anishinaabe, Redtail-hawk Clan from Nipissing First Nation. I’m also Scottish and German. Home is expansive for me as a long distance Nbisiing Ojibwe. I was born in Niagara Falls, grew up in Caledonia and Hamilton with life-long family friendships with Six Nations and Mississaugas of the Credit and urban Indigenous communities. I'm accountable to all of these communities. 

As a lot of you may already know, I’m doing my Masters in Indigenous Language & Culture Education with an emphasis in Language Revitalization. The program is online through University of Hawaii (Hilo). This allows me to be able to stay home with my family and community, and keep doing the work I do. I’ve also mentioned that I’m not covered for much funding because I’m enrolled in a university outside of Canada. To learn more about the systemic barriers I’m currently dealing with, please see my FAQ and Appendix A, below.

The sole purpose of the internment centres otherwise known as “Residential Schools” was to eliminate Indigenous language and culture from children, sever connections to land and assimilate them to “civilized society”. Our languages are now endangered as a direct result. 

My Mishomis (grandfather), Wilfred Couchie-baa and his siblings were Anishinaabemowin first language speakers. He did not pass the language on to my father and his siblings because of what he suffered at the internment centre. My Mishomis’ sister, Annie Couchie-baa contracted Tuberculosis at the “school”. She was transferred to a Toronto hospital on Nov 8th, 1927 and stayed there until she died one year later Nov 22, 1928. Annie-baa was only nine years old. She was buried by the hospital in an unmarked mass grave with nine other children in Toronto. Our family was finally able to properly lay her to rest in 2022 after an investigation of records pieced together what exactly happened to our Annie-baa after 94 years of traumatized silence.

Every child matters. My grandfather, his siblings, my Auntie Annie-baa. The Anishinaabemowin they spoke matters too. My favourite sound in the world, is children speaking our languages. They can’t do that without adults who can speak too. My father Don Couchie, began his language journey in the 90s and teaches Anishinaabemowin in elementary school while continuing his decades of study. I am continuing our family legacy of language reclamation. I am living a life that my family members that came before me could not imagine and that the government never intended for me. 

I have struggled to learn Anishinaabemowin for years because consistent, structured and effective Anishinaabemowin learning programs do not exist where I live in Hamilton, Ontario. The closest formalized study programs are located in London at Fanshaw College (2 hours south of Hamilton) and Barrie at Georgian College (2 hours north of Hamilton). This is not because there is a lack of Anishinaabe people wanting to learn. What it does mean though, is that periodic drop-in style classes do not offer the consistency and teaching methods that result in successful language acquisition and this is all urban Anishinaabe people living in the Hamilton and surrounding area have access to. This also does not mean give up. 

My Masters education will give me the skill and capacity to advocate for and support effective, accessible and sustainable remote and in-person language learning opportunities, networks and resources for all Indigenous people who want to learn (and there are MANY who do!) regardless of where they live. It’s what we all deserve. Additionally, Anishinaabe representation in Indigenous language scholarly work is underrepresented. Language reclamation is an all hands on deck effort, requiring many diverse skill sets and strategies. It is not a single solution situation and language reclamation isn’t only about schools.

The loss of our languages will result in a catastrophic blow to ecological knowledge systems we will rely on as the climate continues to change. My intention is to do my best collaboratively in an abundance mindset and with love. We have a lot of healing to do while we do this. I'm trying to be the best ancestor I can be to the faces yet to come.

I’m seeking support in shouldering the personal cost that I bear in doing this work.

This is my first time asking the public for personal financial support. The financial impact of taking this program is a personal sacrifice I am choosing to make, but I shouldn’t have to carry this cost alone, all things considered. The burden feels extremely heavy in September with the orange economy of shirts and donuts which proceeds don’t make it to the people doing the hard, slow and unglamorous work of language reclamation. 

This year, I invite non-Indigenous folks not to pack away the Orange Shirts and let the day fade in the collective mind until next year. Let’s put some tangible support toward someone who’s trying their best to collaborate with others in the reclamation of our stolen languages. #languageback

FAQ

Why take a program in the US? Why not study in Canada?

There are no graduate level Indigenous Language Revitalization programs in Ontario. The ones that exist on this side of the invisible line require relocation and/or extensive travel which is not possible for me due to my family responsibilities. Please see Appendix A.

Don’t Indigenous people get their education paid for?

Can’t you apply for tri-agency (SSHRC) research funds?

No. The Canadian tri-agency research funding bodies do not support scholars enrolled in non-Canadian institutions:

"Without exception, CGRS M awards are tenable only at eligible Canadian institutions."

What about other grants, bursaries and scholarships?

• Most do not support scholars enrolled in institutions outside of Canada .
• Indspire (funded by fossil fuels) and the Future Generations Foundation (National Indian Brotherhood) are the only two funders I’m aware of that support scholarship outside of Canada, and these funds are in very high demand. If I’m successful in my applications, they might cover the cost of one course combined or at most one course each.
• Fullbright:The main finding body for international research and study changed their requirements this year and will no longer support remote/virtual programs and require researchers and scholars to reside in the US or the country they are studying in. Yes, including the Honouring Nations program. They even have entire policy brief dedicated to expressing the need for Indigenous Language Revitalization efforts.

APPENDIX A:

Comparative list of Indigenous Language Revitalization Graduate Programs in Canada vs. University of Hawai’i.