Let’s speak Michif!

Did you know that the St. James-Assiniboia School Division now offers an Indigenous language program? Piikishkweetaak aan Michif! / Let’s Speak Michif is a partnership between SJASD and the Manitoba Métis Federation, launched at the beginning of the 2025-26 school year.

In 2024, SJASD received a grant from the MMF to create and educate a cohort of 25 to 30 teachers within our school division dedicated to learning Michif and bringing what they learn into their classrooms.

In the 2025-26 budget, the SJASD board of trustees approved ongoing, year-over-year funding for an Indigenous language teacher position. The Michif language teacher provides language exposure to each kindergarten class across all 15 early years schools. They cycle through each classroom, spending one week at a time at a school. Working alongside classroom teachers, they introduce students to Michif language and Red River Métis culture through songs, stories, and play-based learning.

In our division, the proportion of students who self-declare as Indigenous continues to rise. This year, 22 per cent of our total student population self-identified as Indigenous, and nearly half identify as Red River Métis.

Michif is an integral part of Red River Métis identity and history, preserving the rich traditions of the nation. The language is a unique blend of Ininimowin (Cree) and French — drawing primarily on French for nouns and grammar, and on Ininimowin for verbs and sentence structure.

The number of fluent speakers has declined significantly.Currently, there are fewer than 100 fluent Michif speakers in Western Canada. The language is now considered endangered. Teaching Michif in schools is a proactive step toward revitalizing and maintaining the language, ensuring it is passed down to future generations.

Piikishkweetaak aan Michif! / Let’s Speak Michif is part of SJASD’s ongoing commitment to reconciliation and to honouring the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as well as our strategic focus area, Ma Mawi Anokiitaw Miinawaa (We will work together again).

Tara Smith is the chair of the St. James-Assiniboia School Division board of trustees. Angela Dunn is the vice chair. Holly Hunter is a trustee. All are elected East Ward representatives.