Sahtu Secretariat resolution urges language to be officially called Sahtu Dene Kǝdǝ́
Delegates passed the resolution at meeting in Fort Good Hope, N.W.T. in late September
In Fort Good Hope, N.W.T. on Sept. 25, the Sahtu Secretariat Inc. (SSI) passed a resolution recommending that governments and organizations no longer refer to the Sahtu Dene language by its former name.
The move is the latest step of Indigenous organizations and governments to decolonize names. There have also been calls to remove the word "slave" from Great Slave Lake.
"The government and everybody else refer to the language as North Slavey, but it's always been a word that we kind of don't like," said Leonard Kenny, who is part of the Délı̨nę Got'ı̨nę government's Kaowǝd ó Kǝ (main council) and was at the SSI assembly, where the resolution was passed.
The directors who make up SSI, the organization responsible for the Sahtu land claim, voted in favour of recommending that the old term no longer be used.
Leonard says instead they want it called Sahtu Dene Kǝdǝ́.
"We no longer want to use that term anymore, not only ourselves, but including the federal government, territorial government and all organizations, including the other Dene that live in the Northwest Territories," Kenny said.
Kenny said there are different dialects in each community, but Sahtu Dene Kǝdǝ́ encompasses all of them.
In an email, N.W.T. Languages Commissioner Brenda Gauthier says her office hasn't received this recommendation, but added she's willing to assist any way she can.