Reconciliation Week in Lethbridge promoting Indigenous languages September 15-20

Sep 10, 2019 | 11:30 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Oki to Lethbridge News Now!

Oki, pronounced OH-KEE, is the Blackfoot word for “greetings” or “welcome”, explains the City of Lethbridge’s Indigenous Relations Advisor Perry Stein.

Stein is helping to put on the third annual Reconciliation Week festival, which aims to highlight Indigenous languages.

“Languages are meaningful in building connections between people, in sharing culture and sharing stories and sharing knowledge, language plays an important role in how people feel pride in their community, how people connect to each other. We’re using language as a jumping-off point to build better bridges and build stronger connections between all peoples in our community.”

Following the film screening of “Our People Will Be Healed” and an art exhibit at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery on Sunday, September 15th, one of Perry’s most anticipated events takes place.

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The Reconciliation Flag will be raised at City Hall at 10:30 am on Monday, September 16, which will be followed by a Walk for Reconciliation to the Galt Museum.

From there, the festival’s keynote speaker, Eugene Brave Rock will make his presentation.

“Eugene is a well known Blackfoot actor an he’s been in some recent Hollywood pics,” says Stein.
“He’s been in The Revenant and he was in Wonder Woman, and he’s been able to share his Blackfoot language and culture on the Hollywood screen, which is amazing.”

In Lethbridge, more than 600 people have knowledge of an Indigenous language, about 263 of whom say an Indigenous language is their mother tongue.

Blackfoot is the most common Indigenous language in Lethbridge. In Blackfoot, Lethbridge is known as Sikoohkotok.

For more details on the Reconciliation Week festivities, see the poster below:

The Reconciliation Week 2019 poster. (Supplied by City of Lethbridge)

by David Opinko