The Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest’s (KILN) efforts to maintain and preserve the languages and cultures of our urban indigenous population were the focus of the club’s weekly speaker, Carol Ann Budd.
Budd, a chemical engineer, and former employee of Dupont Chemical is currently a consultant with Veritable Wealth Advisory but spoke to us as a volunteer with The Kingston Indigenous Languages Nest.Carol Ann lost her ability to speak the language of her grandparents growing up in the Northern Ontario town of Levack and had no one in Kingston with whom she could learn or practice it, that is until she met up with the driving force behind KILN, Maureen Buchanan.
KILN’s major initiative is the Dibajimowin: Urban Indigenous Languages Revitalization Project. Housed on its website the project has three main components: a collection of thirty digital stories about culture and language made by community members, supported by a collection of ‘language activities’ and ‘cultural teachings’.
Budd, however, talked about her experiences with “Walking the Path of Peace Together”, a plot of land on Hwy 15 where aboriginal individuals from all backgrounds can gather in community. The land was donated by Faith United Church in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Over time activities have expanded to include gatherings, children’s events, food sovereignty, and tree planting.In addition, Carol Ann described how the Language Nest has conducted classes as best they can during the pandemic by holding several outdoor activities around the city.
She said they are also finalizing arrangements for a facility at 610 Montreal St. to conduct their future courses and training.