'Magical' Michif: First kitchen party connects keen learners with Mtis language

A group of unconventional students huddled around makeshift kitchen tables at the University of Manitoba'sIndigenous learning centre on Saturday for a lesson in Michif.

Dozens ofparticipants, both young and old, gathered at the Michif kitchen party held at Migizii Agamik on Saturday evening to connect with the traditional Mtislanguage, whichis only fluently spokenby aboutfive to 10 per cent of Mtispeopleacross the country.

Laura Forsythe, theMtisinclusion coordinator at the University of Manitoba, is bringing people together to keep the mixture of Cree and French words alive.

"The flame has just started now to actually rebuild and reclaim our language as a whole, as a nation," she said.

Michif is spoken by communities living acrossMtishomelands, not limited to Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

"They understand that it's a valueand it's unique to our cultureand it's important," Forsythe said.

Twenty-eight university students are currently enrolled in the school's Michiflanguage program, including individuals from Russian, Polishand Filipino backgrounds, Forsythe said. The university has been hosting monthly workshops where they invite elders to teach attendees howto introduce themselves and how to discuss the weather and their families, but it didn't have a space for everyoneto get together and practice their speech.

So Forsythe decided to switch things up and throw a kitchen party.

Learning language over food

One woman who attended the Michif kitchen party was thrilled to connect with her Red RiverMtisheritage on the Prairies.

Monique Courcelles, who was born in British Columbia, moved to Manitoba in 2015 to be closer to her relatives.

"Belonging is a big part of my life. This is part of who I am," she said.

Courcelles said the kitchen party provided herfirst direct experience with Michif. She said she picked up some useful phrases while sittingaround a table withtwo other women as well asstudents who are taking the Michif course.

"With the fiddle music and the singing and the spoons, it was just overall magical," Courcelles said, adding that they played games and ate a meal consisting of meatballs, vegan chili, fresh produce and bannock with jam.

Another participant said the most impactful thing about the night for himwas seeing how the language brought people together.

"It was not an average gathering. Everyone felt like family, even if I had not met many of them," James Lavalle wrotein a message.

"Truly an amazing experience. Inspires me to keep learning and actively [make] opportunities for the language to grow and strengthen our community," Lavalle said.

Learn more about diverse Indigenous languages across the country herein the Original Voices series by CBC Indigenous.