Resumen de ‘Nehiyawewin Askîhk’: Cree Language on the Land: Language Planning Through Consultation in the Loon River Cree First Nation
This article examines the parallel development of language planning and land planning within the Loon River Cree First Nation. Loon River Cree territory, located in north-central Alberta, Canada, is an area where major oil and gas industry, as well as logging and mining are constantly encroaching. The community, who still use Cree in their daily lives, completed a Traditional Land Use Study in 2004 which documented the historical and contemporary relationship the Loon River members have with their land. The study compiled oral histories from 20 elders, all in the Cree language, and also included site visits to important locations, digital mapping and archival research. The Traditional Land Use Study has since resulted in the creation of a Consultation Unit. The role of the Consultation Unit, which consists mostly of Loon River Cree community members, is to be an intermediary between industry, the provincial government of Alberta, and the First Nation. However, the Consultation Unit's goals also include, ‘Protect[ing] the culture, language, and lifestyle of the Loon River First Nation community and membership’ (Loon River Cree First Nation, 2006, Consultation Unit, Policies and Procedures, emphasis added). The increase of industry on Loon River Cree land will inevitably lead to an increase of English being spoken in their territory, and it is the lands and resources sector of their community that is assigned the significant task of protecting the Cree language and planning for the future.
