National Indigenous Languages Day

​March 31 marks National Indigenous Languages Day, a time to celebrate, protect, and revitalize the rich diversity of Indigenous languages that are central to the cultural and linguistic heritage of this land.

Indigenous languages carry the stories, teachings, and worldviews of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. Across North America, there are approximately 296 Indigenous languages in 58 language groups, with 70 distinct Indigenous languages spoken in what is now Canada (Statistics Canada, 2023). These languages are living connections to land, culture, and community.

However, many Indigenous languages face serious challenges. Due to colonization, forced assimilation, and systemic barriers, all 70 Indigenous languages in Canada are considered somewhere on the spectrum from “At Risk” to “Critically Endangered” (UNESCO, 2010). One of the most devastating contributors to language loss was the residential school system, where Indigenous children were forcibly removed from their families and prohibited from speaking their language under threat of punishment. These policies were designed to erase Indigenous identities and sever cultural continuity, resulting in deep intergenerational impacts.

Despite this history, there is hope. Indigenous communities have always resisted, protected, and carried their languages forward. In 2019, the federal government passed the Indigenous Languages Act, supporting revitalization, reclamation, and strengthening efforts. While the number of people reporting an Indigenous language as their first language continues to decline, there has been a significant increase in second-language learners, demonstrating renewed commitment and pride. Some languages, Michif for example, have seen remarkable growth, with speaker numbers increasing by more than one-third since 2016 (Statistics Canada, 2023).

Across the country, Elders, Knowledge Keepers, educators, and community members are leading language revitalization through immersion programs, community classes, cultural centres, and digital platforms. Globally, this work is being supported by the United Nations International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022–2032), which calls on governments, institutions, and individuals to take action in preservation and promotion efforts.

Language is more than communication. It is identity, relationship, and belonging. For many Indigenous Peoples, a language never goes “extinct”; instead, it becomes dormant. Indigenous languages come from the land, and as long as the land exists, the language endures. Revitalizing Indigenous languages is an essential part of reconciliation, healing, and cultural empowerment, ensuring future generations can speak, live, and understand the world through the languages of their ancestors.

Getting Involved this Year: Try Gamified Language Learning

Innovative approaches such as gamified language learning are playing an increasingly important role in Indigenous language revitalization. Indigenous-led companies like Revital Software, run by sisters Kahentawaks and Wennekerakon Tiewishaw, are using video games to create engaging, accessible ways for learners to practice and strengthen Indigenous languages.

Revitalsoft is building a free, community-accessible video game library for Indigenous language learning that can be used both online and offline, helping reduce technological barriers. Developed in collaboration with Indigenous speakers and educators, their first games focus on Kanien’kéha (Mohawk) and feature modern retellings of Haudenosaunee stories such as The Flying Head, showing how traditional teachings remain relevant today.

By integrating language into storytelling and gameplay, gamified learning creates immersive, low-pressure environments that support confidence, engagement, and intergenerational learning, particularly for youth and second-language learners. Initiatives like Revitalsoft demonstrate how technology can support language revitalization while upholding cultural integrity and Indigenous sovereignty, ensuring communities lead how their languages are shared and sustained.