If you are told something in English, you do not understand it fully. You were only taught from books how to speak and nothing was shown to you. The way you were brought up by your family, if you are really observant, you will see what the English language doesn’t carry
- Nelliane Cromarty
Nelliane Cromarty
Nelliane Cromarty currently serves as a Grandparent for the Manitoba Aboriginal Language Strategy (MALS) representing the Anisinineemowin language group. She is thankful to have retained her language in spite of her residential school experience and has spent her whole life dedicated to teaching and sharing her mother tongue, Anisinineemowin. Nelliane was born on a trapline at Island Lake, Manitoba. She began in 1969 as a teaching assistant to begin incorporating the language into the school in her home community of St. Theresa Point. She continues working there today in an elder advisory capacity.
At various times, Nelliane took breaks from teaching to take on leadership roles in the community. A language warrior, she has been a staunch advocate of language revitalization for more than forty years, long recognizing the importance of language documentation. Nelliane hopes that the Speak Indigenous campaign can encourage young people to take up their language, and she endorses the use of technology to attract learners and to spur language revitalization to take root in the community. Nelliane reminds us that being proactive in holding onto the language shows respect and honours who we are as First Nations people.
