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'Every word is life': Folks gather to learn Wolastoqey language

People had a chance to celebrate the Wolastoqey language together at the Paul Pyres Centre in Neqotkuk First Nation this month.

Learning the language is about encouraging each other, Ann Paul says

CBC News ·
A woman with short, white hair sits at a table smiling.
Elder Carole Polchies attended a language gathering at the Paul Pyres Centre in Neqotkuk First Nation (Tobique). (Ann Paul/CBC)

This is part of a series called Ann's Eye, featuring the work of Ann Paul, a Wolastoqey content creator. You can see more Ann's Eye pieces by clicking here.

A year ago, Ann Paul wouldn't introduce herself in Wolastoqey. 

But after months of learning — both by herself and from her grandchildren, who go to an immersive Wolastoqey school and bring the language home to her — Ann now feels comfortable standing up in sharing circles and speaking in her language. 

"I'm taking my power back and I"m learning it," she said. "I'm using it whenever I can, and I will eventually be a speaker."

WATCH | Hear the stories of people trying to learn Wolastoqey: 

Ann's Eye: The music and stories of a language gathering

7 months ago
Duration 2:10
People gathered at the Paul Pyres Centre in Neqotkuk First Nation to share stories about learning the Wolastoqey language.

Language gatherings like the one recently held at the Paul Pyres Centre in Neqotkuk First Nation (Tobique) are important, Ann said, because they can empower people who are afraid to try speaking Wolastoqey. 

Scroll through the photos and watch the video to see what happens at a language gathering.

A man wearing a blue sweater holds two puppets. Behind him, women sitting on chairs are laughing.
Wolastoqey Grand Chief Ron Tremblay teaches the language using puppets. (Ann Paul/CBC)
A group of people sit in a circle in a room with wooden walls. A man wearing a green sweater walks among them feathering smoke onto their faces.
The language gathering began with some smudging. 'We ask the ancestors to come with us and to help us be in a good way,' Ann Paul said. (Ann Paul/CBC)
A group of women sit on black folding chairs in a room with wooden walls. Some of the women hold hand drums.
'Being in the circle is just as important as speaking in the circle,' Ann Paul said. 'Your presence is important. You’re in a circle of elders, and that alone is amazing.' (Ann Paul/CBC)
People sit around circular white tables in a room with wooden walls.
When Ann Paul was younger, she says, other kids would laugh if someone tried speaking the language and stumbled. The attitude now is different, she said. People want to encourage speakers. (Ann Paul/CBC)
A woman with long brown hair drags a feather down a man's back.
Wolastoqey is an animated language, Ann Paul said, so having spaces to practise conversation can be helpful in learning it. 'It sounds different. You have the emotion, you have the laughter, you have the tears. Every word is life.' (Ann Paul/CBC)
A group of people sit on folding chairs in a room with wooden walls.
People of all ages went to the gathering. Language has come full circle within four generations of women in Ann Paul's family. Her parents and grandparents went to residential schools, her own generation went to Indian day schools, and now her own children and grandchildren are boldly reclaiming the language. 'They don’t have what we had, which is the fear,' Ann said. (Ann Paul/CBC)
A woman with short brown hair spoons soup into a Styrofoam bowl.
'There's always food when we gather,' Ann Paul said. (Ann Paul/CBC)

Ann's Eye

Photographer Ann Paul brings an Indigenous lens to stories from First Nations communities across New Brunswick. Click here or on the image below to see more of her work. 

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