Anishinaabemowin Animacy: The Metalinguistic Beliefs in Language Revitalization Websites

Anishinaabemowin Animacy:  The Metalinguistic Beliefs in Language Revitalization Websites

Elspeth Geiger

Language revitalization programs seek to increase the number of fluent speakers of indigenous languages.  Languages that were once widely spoken are now in danger of disappearing.  However, within the last twenty years, organizations have worked to re-build and strengthen the number of native speakers. Anishinaabemowin (Anishinaabe language) is an example of an Algonquian language that has become the focus of language revitalization efforts. While a number of language revitalization programs for Anishinaabemowin target children or offer language immersion programs, many speakers of Anishinaabemowin are learning it as a second language.  Should adults not have access to classes, internet resources could be one of the only options for learning the language.  However, the difference between animate and inanimate nouns is difficult for students to learn without access to a native speaker.  Unfortunately, animacy is rarely taught through online sources.  Websites claim that it is important to work with elders for assistance with the use of animate or inanimate nouns.  Sources also highlight the spiritual and cultural importance of the language.  However, in the online sources that do discuss animacy, the ways that animacy is presented for each site differ greatly in message and theme.  This paper seeks to understand what types of metalanguage exist within the ways animacy is taught through online Anishinaabemowin language revitalization websites.