Every year on March 31, Canada celebrates National Indigenous Languages Day. This day recognizes and honours the more than 70 Indigenous languages from 12 distinct language families spoken in Canada.  In the last census, 189,000 people reported speaking an Indigenous language as their first language at home, and 237,420 Indigenous people reported speaking an Indigenous language well enough to conduct a conversation. These statistics indicate that many people are learning Indigenous languages as a second language. Learning a second language, however, is a lifelong undertaking that takes de ..read more

Stories are one of the most important ways people connect to and explain the world around them. Saskatchewan has declared February as Indigenous Storytelling Month, and National Storytelling Week will be celebrated nationwide from January 30 to February 6, 2024.  Indigenous Peoples have a strong tradition of sharing knowledge from one generation to another through storytelling. Traditional stories can communicate many different types of knowledge and practices, varying from the sacred to the historical. Many stories are filled with humour and told because they are entertaining. Others may ..read more

As we start a new year, we want to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve achieved together in 2023. It’s been a fantastic journey, filled with exciting projects and collaborations with our valued community partners across Turtle Island. During 2023, we worked on 63 projects, forging connections with 30 unique community partners. We continued collaborations with 21 existing partners and started work with nine new communities.  We love visiting communities and engaging with our partners face-to-face. In 2023, we took 20 trips to 14 communities across three provinces. Whether engaging with ..read more

As 2023 draws to a close, we would like to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your continued partnership and support throughout the year. This holiday season, we extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May the spirit of joy and togetherness fill your homes with laughter and happiness. As part of the winter holiday season, please be advised that our offices will be closed from December 25th to January 1st inclusively. During this time, our team will take a well-deserved break to recharge and spend quality time with family and friends. Wishing you a joyous holida ..read more

In 2016, the province of Ontario passed legislation to declare the first full week of November as Treaties Recognition Week. This year, Treaties Recognition Week is November 5-11, 2023. So, what is a Treaty, and why is it important to recognize and acknowledge them?  Treaties are legally binding agreements that set out the rights, responsibilities, and relationships of First Nations and the Federal and Provincial Governments. Treaties with Indigenous people include: historic treaties with First Nations (70 historic treaties in Canada were signed between 1701 and 1923), and modern treatie ..read more

Learning Bird will be at the Indspire National Gathering for Indigenous Education from November 15-17, 2023 in Montreal. This event is a unique gathering for educators and industry partners to come together to help improve outcomes for K-12 Indigenous learners. This year’s gathering will take place in Montreal at the Hotel Bonaventure. Stop by the Learning Bird booth in the exhibit area and meet our team. We would love to learn about your initiatives and explore how we can support you. To book a meeting with us, please send an email or give us a call at 1-888-844-9022. The post Visit Us at the ..read more

Our team will head to Winnipeg next week for the First Nations Education Administrators Association (FNEAA) National Gathering Conference: iSTEM. This event is the first national conference focused on Indigenous science, technology, engineering, (art) and math guided by Indigenous language, knowledge and science. This event is open to all First Nations education administrators, and it has an impressive roster of speakers. Learning Bird will have a booth in the exhibit hall, and two of our team members will be onsite. Stop by our booth to say hello, or reach out by phone (1-888-844-9022) or to ..read more

Learning Bird recently had the opportunity to work with the Munsee-Delaware Nation to create this short video that highlights the names of 11 animals, insects, and amphibians in the Munsee Lunaape Language. This video is part of a series of language videos that we are creating with the Nation. The Lunaape (Munsee or Delaware) language is endangered, with only one first-language speaker and fewer than 100 second-language learners who understand the language at various levels. It is on UNESCO’s critically endangered language list. We are honoured to be working with the Nation to help them devel ..read more

Our team will be in Thunder Bay this week at the Matawa Education Conference at the Valhalla Inn. Come by our booth in the exhibit hall and say hello. Come chat with our team to learn how we can help you with curriculum development, digital resource creation, digitization of media, video production, and more. Learning Bird’s Merrill Kost is also presenting a Place-Based Learning and Literacy PD workshop on Thursday, March 9th. Be sure to add her session to your schedule. If you would like to set-up a meeting with our team at the show, please contact Andrea at 1-888-844-9022 ext. 808 or by ema ..read more

Educators can prepare for this important topic right from the beginning of the year! While our learners may still be enjoying their summer vacation, many educators begin thinking about the beginning of the school year well before their holidays have ended. There are many things to consider as we welcome learners back to school. Something we should not overlook is September 30, or Orange Shirt Day and National Truth and Reconciliation Day. Are you wondering how you can discuss such a heavy topic with learners you are just getting to know at the beginning of the year? Keep reading for some ideas ..read more