Tsitewatá:ti: Let Us Speak Again! Indigenous Language Symposium | April 23 and 24, 2026
On April 23 and 24, Թ’s Faculty of Arts Institute for Indigenous Research and Knowledges held its inaugural symposium. Tsitewatá:ti: Let Us Speak Again was a two-day event, presenting research focused on Indigenous language revitalization and reclamation. The purpose of this symposium was to centre the ongoing work to maintain and pass on Indigenous languages and cultures, by sharing stories and research practices in various topical panels. Additionally, these two days allowed participants, including speakers, attendees, and organizers, to share their diverse experiences and bear witness to the processes of language work. The symposium brought together speakers from many different places, including some who travelled from as far as New Zealand and Hawaiʻi. The program committee included Mia Fischlin, Arihwisaks Colin Benedict, Caleb Moses, Zoe Regnier, and Dr. Noelani Arista.
Across the two days, speakers explored topics ranging from Indigenous Languages and Dictionaries to Language Technologies, Language and the Archive, Language Funding, and Language Futurisms. The symposium also included local Indigenous vendors selling beadwork, seal fur earrings, cedar soy candles, and other handmade items. The talks were livestreamed, allowing community members who could not attend in person to watch from elsewhere.
The first day of the symposium was opened by Kontiwennahá Women’s Singing Group, a renowned traditional Haudenosaunee singing group from the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory. The opening was followed by the first session on Indigenous Languages and Dictionaries, featuring Cameron Adams, Nikola Wharerau, and Šišóka Dúta as panellists. The three introduced themselves in their respective languages as well as English. “I [just] realized I was speaking Cree,” said Adams, after introducing himself entirely in Swampy Cree, thus receiving a laugh from the crowd. Each panellist shared their contributions to various Indigenous language dictionaries, emphasizing different ways in which languages have been documented historically and currently. Each presenter shared their process, working on documenting knowledge of first-language speakers, coding apps or using software like ABBYY, and reclaiming archival materials. Cameron emphasized that religious missionary efforts documented Indigenous languages, creating a corpus of language materials developed to convert populations through language to Christianity. Each panellist wrestled with the implications of early colonial documentation of Indigenous languages for harmful purposes; instead, they argued that something positive can emerge from these negative processes.
The panel on Language Policy and Planning emphasized the importance of sustainability, whether that be finding alternatives to government funding or ensuring continued opportunities to live in one’s language. Niiyo Mosay Gonzalez stressed the importance of building one’s life at home to remain a speaker. “We have to be our own heroes,” she said.
A Language Archive Exhibit was organized in collaboration with local archives, the Թ Rare Books and Special Collections team, and FAIIRK. Each institution provided manuscripts and records from its collections, presenting various sources of Indigenous languages, including Swampy Cree and Inuktitut, for attendees to view and learn from.
During the Language Technologies session, panellists highlighted the importance of equity in data collection and equitable access to information. Caleb Moses asked how we can use language technology to uplift rather than oppress, concluding that technology can expand our perception of the world.
The final session, Plenary: Language Futurisms, was a panel entirely in Kanien’kéha, with live translation into English. Panellists introduced themselves and joked among themselves, creating a lively and layered exchange as Kanien’kéha speakers responded in the moment, while non-Kanien’kéha speakers followed along through the live English translation on screen. During this panel, speaker Ryan DeCaire also shared a video of his toddler speaking the language, offering a moving example of language being carried forward by the next generation.
Tsitewatá:ti: Let Us Speak Again created space for speakers, researchers, community members, and organizers to gather around the ongoing work of Indigenous language revitalization. Across the two days, the symposium highlighted not only the challenges of language reclamation, but also the creativity, care, humour, and commitment that continue to shape Indigenous language futures.
Watch the Event on Youtube