Interview with a group of young adults from Wendake. A picture of them graces the sound of their voices.
Megan Lukaniec
I would just like to raise the point on language, because I'm biased. I'm working on language, but it's like France said earlier... Yes, that we’ve... We've lost our language, but we're reviving it. And the other nations are also losing their languages. That's what... We've experienced a lot of things, events which perhaps occurred before other Indigenous nations, because of our geography, our location. And I think it should be part of the exhibition. Like... how we rebuild our culture, our traditions and our language. And how this is done, when you’re surrounded by a dominant society. It's a special case. It's not... It's not something that happens every day. Well um, at least I think what we do with the Wendat language isn’t something that’s done every day... It's... We're rebuilding a language that hasn't been spoken for 150 years. No one speaks it... we only have documents... we don't have phonetics. We don't have anyone to tell us the exact pronunciation. But we have the interest of the community. Why? It's not like...There'll be another place to visit where, and we'll be able to talk in Wendat. It must first happen in Wendake. It's not like a language of, of...
Louis-Karl Picard-Sioui
We're not going to use it at Wendake Beach right!
Megan Lukaniec
Yeah. Right!
Louis-Karl Picard-Sioui
No one speaks Wendat at Wendake Beach.
Interviewer
But now I'm trying...
Louis-Karl Picard-Sioui
Wendake Beach exists y’know! Well yes! It’s like Palm Beach. Wendake Beach.
Interviewer
I'm trying to bridge the gap between what you just stated about the language and what was being discussed earlier, ok, the union of values, etc. I wonder what does the Wendat identity mean to you nowadays, uh? We talked about blood bonds, earlier. We're talking about language. We talked about values. What is it today? Where does it stand? When we stated that there are requirements, uh, dictated by, uh, by the government or by... others, to state, uh, “You belong to the nation. You don't belong...” What would be your criteria, regarding being Wendat?
Louis-Karl Picard-Sioui
I don't think there are two people in the community who completely agree on this subject. [Laughter]
David Sioui
We agree on that!
Louis-Karl Picard-Sioui
We agree that people don't agree. No, but that's how it is.
Megan Lukaniec
Well, I think it’s mainly people who are rebuilding the Wendat identity. Because, often... as in past generations, in my family, there was a great loss of this identity. It's like my grandmother who told me, “When we went out dancing, we didn't say we were Indians, because nobody would want to dance with us eh, with me and my sisters. We didn't say anything about it. If we were able to..."
Louis-Karl Picard-Sioui
I would have danced with her!
[Laughter]
Megan Lukaniec
I'll pass on the message to my grandmother. If I understand correctly... You would go dancing with her. [Laughter] No, but that's it… it's like…the attitude towards it has changed a little as well. Because it's certain that in the past, being Indian, being Indigenous, it wasn't a good thing, but I think it’s no longer that way. We’re more and more... accepted as we are, and our desires, our interest in… our heritage has changed as well. So that’s it. I think that language is an integral part of that, of what we’re talking about, what we’re doing, we’re reincorporating... Because, if I go to an exhibition, there should be words in Wendat or expressions in Wendat accompanying the text given. Because, otherwise, it won't showcase the flair of my people. That's what will be missing.
David Sioui
Because, at the same time, what I’ve noticed when you, uh, when you speak the language, it’s that it connects us to stories from our past, to our way of thinking, which is different...
Megan Lukaniec
Yeah! Yeah.
David Sioui
...you also explain this in depth during class...
Megan Lukaniec
Yeah!
David Sioui
... that we had a different way of thinking, and how... how the words are placed reflects that.
Megan Lukaniec
Yes, that's right. All, all the grammar, the semantics, behind expressions. It shows us that exactly. It makes us discover... rediscover, uh, the thoughts of our ancestors somewhat. That's it.
David Sioui
Ways of seeing the world.. values.
Megan Lukaniec
Yes, yes. It's like with relatives. It's always the oldest person who’s like the officer and the youngest person, the patient. So, it's somewhat like subject-object; respect for elders, which is really part of grammar. So, uh, that's what I find interesting. And I think that should be part of our knowledge as a people, too, to retrieve that knowledge.