Our Work

Protecting Culture, Language, and Land

Protecting Culture, Language, and Land

At PEI ORC, we are dedicated to working with our partners, including community leaders, Elders, educators, and youth, to help preserve and revitalize our Mi’kmaq culture and language. Collectively, we are also focused on ensuring the continuation of our 10,000+ year connection to the land and our deeply-held commitment to caring for the natural world that we are a part of.

Culture and language are not just symbols of who we are as a people; they are integral elements of our communities that support healing, pride, and strength. By the same measure, our relationship with the land is spiritual, practical, and rooted in centuries of stewardship. These three elements are at the heart of our Mi’kmaq identity—they connect us to our ancestors, ground us in our traditions, and guide the way forward for future generations.

A future where our language is spoken, our culture is thriving, and our land is respected is a future where our communities can stand strong and proud as Mik’maq.

The Challenges

Our communities have faced many challenges in protecting our culture, language, and land, including:

  • The loss of language and cultural practices due to harmful practices and policies, including residential schools.
  • Losing access to traditional lands and the resources they provide.
  • A lack of long-term funding and support for cultural programming and community-led initiatives.

What We're Doing

Together with our partners and leadership across Epekwitk and beyond, we are:

  • Advocating for full implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act to ensure the protection and revitalization of our Mi’kmaq language.
  • Supporting community-driven language programs, cultural events, and land-based learning.
  • Engaging with governments to protect Mi’kmaq land rights and honour our role as caretakers of these territories.

Milestones

The AFN’s advocacy for language revitalization has helped raise national awareness and bring more funding to Mi’kmaq language programs on PEI. These efforts are helping restore the use of our language in schools, homes, and community spaces.