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Fund launched to revitalize endangered Wolastoqey language

Chris Googoo, of the Ulnooweg Indigenous Communities Foundation, speaks in Halifax on June 7, 2018. Chris Googoo, of the Ulnooweg Indigenous Communities Foundation, speaks in Halifax on June 7, 2018.
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The Ulnooweg Indigenous Communities Foundation in Nova Scotia has launched a new designated fund to revitalize the Wolastoqey language, which UNESCO classifies as severely endangered.

According to a press release from Ulnooweg, it is estimated that fewer than 100 people fluently speak the Wolastoqey language and many of them are more than 65-years-old.

The Ulnooweg says it’s created the Wolastoqey Land Fund to directly contribute to programs and initiatives that support Wolastoqey language development.

"In order to preserve a language, we must come together as a community,” said Chris Googoo, CEO of Ulnooweg. “As a child, I was fortunate to grow up in an environment rooted in Mi'kmaq language, and the combination of human connection and the land inspired me to continue learning the language. As a result, we realize how significant it is to build generations of speakers."

“A language is always worth saving.”

The press release cited the Wolastoqey land-based immersion school at Killarney Lake in Fredericton called Kehkimin as an example of something that seeks to preserve and strengthen the Wolastoqey language.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.

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