First Words: Bryson Syliboy speaks Mi'kmaw
First Words is a weekly podcast focused on Indigenous languages. Each week, we welcome a new guest into the hosting chair to teach us three words in their language.
Bryson Syliboy has cassette tapes somewhere with recordings of he and his grandmother singing Silent Night in the Mi'kmaw language.
Syliboy, who is a two-spirit Mi'kmaw from Sipekne'katik First Nation, grew up exposed to parts of the language — but wasn't able to speak it fluently before his grandmother died.
To continue learning the language, Syliboy started tweeting out one Mi'kmaw word a day — the word will generally be related to something happening in the world, whether it's his own or what he sees around him.
"I just wanted to share my language with people. I wanted to make it fun, and I wanted to learn it at the same time," Syliboy said.
Syliboy said a lot of the language, history and stories are shared orally — now, in the digital age, sharing language via Twitter is one way he feels he contributes to the solidification of the Mi'kmaw language.
"It's great to see this — especially this revitalization of every language," he said.
While learning a bit of the language as a kid, Syliboy found it challenging to stay focused. But as an adult, he's found the time to learn it, even if it takes a little longer.
"It's part of my identity," he said. "It's who I am. It's part of my core."