Saving Michif: How one family is helping keep their ancestral language alive

On this edition of APTN News InFocus, host Cierra Bettens explores one Red River Métis family’s mission to help save the Michif language.

Grant, Ben and Aynsley Anderson are the creators of Save Michif, a project developed through funding from Heritage Canada and the Manitoba Métis Federation. The father, son and daughter trio from Manitoba are using digital tools and Elder-led recordings to help revitalize their ancestral tongue.

Michif, which blends French nouns with Cree verbs and structure, has just a handful of fluent speakers left. Among them is Elder Norman Fleury, who lends his voice to the Andersons’ flashcard sets and learning materials.

Grant and Ben Anderson join us to talk about the urgency of language preservation and how they’re working to ensure future generations can carry Michif forward.

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