CULTURE AND LANGUAGE REVITALIZATION

Learning Ojibwe III – Language classes

Ms. Esther Diabo, an Ojibwe language speaker, Elder, and educator, is committed to cultural reconnection and healing for her community.

Having spent nine years in residential schools, she understands the profound impact of language loss on Indigenous identity and today offers Ojibwe language classes as a pathway to healing and cultural revitalization.

Thanks to Ms. Diabo’s efforts and support from the Indigenous Reconciliation Fund (IRF) in 2023, members of Kitchitwa Kateri Church in Thunder Bay, Ontario, already completed two successful Ojibwe language courses. Building on this momentum, Ms. Diabo is now looking to blend the Catholic faith with Anishinaabe spirituality and culture by offering lessons on Ojibwe words associated with sacramental and religious objects.

Additional funding provided by the IRF will cover expenses such as a teacher honorarium, hall rental, and classroom materials and supplies. 

By reclaiming their language, Indigenous people are reclaiming their identity and agency in the face of historical trauma. Speaking Ojibwe becomes a form of deeper healing, offering a peaceful path to forgiveness and reconciliation in the wake of the residential school legacy.

Diocese of Thunder Bay

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