Hope, unity and language: Eskasoni elder on his dreams for the future

This story is part of a series from CBC's Eskasoni Community Bureau, based out of the Sarah Denny Cultural Centre. This series comes from weeks of conversations with community members about what they feel is important to see, hear and read on CBC's platforms.

An Eskasoni elder has many hopes and dreams for his Mi'kmaw people.

Chief among them is a desire to rejuvenate the Mi'kmaw language, while protecting the planet for future generations. 

At 83, Albert Marshall is a well-respected elder, environmentalist, residential school survivor and a fluent Mi'kmaw speaker. 

"It's the language that really informs you of who you are ⁠— informs you of why you are here ⁠— and it's through the language that's going to govern not just how you are going to survive, but how you are going to behave," said Marshall. 

Marshall sat down for a conversation with CBC reporter Erin Pottie and CBC community coordinator Maisyn Sock at the Sarah Denny Cultural Centre.

Speaking in his Mi'kmaw language, Marshall covers a range of topics including hope, unity and language.