This is the next instalment of Indigenous Next Door, well, Caribbean Next Door in this case. Kaidie (or Kai) and I decided changing the name to Caribbean instead of "Indigenous" would be more accurately reflective of Kai's West Indian heritage.
Without further adieu, meet Kai from Dominica, not the Dominican Republic. In this video, she talks about three languages of the island that are lower prestige and have been or are being displaced by Standard English. Kwéyòl and Kokoy are both creoles and not mutually intelligible. They both developed out of the transatlantic slave trade however separately. Whereas, Kalinago or Island Carib is the indigenous language of the island, which is unfortunately, no longer spoken. However, it does survive in vernacular phrases and place names.
One question Kaidie asks is central to these productions: "Where are indigenous languages?"
This is a large question, and I encourage you all to try to find the answers relating to where you are. I also challenge you all to investigate whether you speak a language or maybe even languages that was/were once low prestige. The histories behind languages are important to understanding identity and for future action in revitalisation. Start by investigating English; many might be surprised.
Making these productions has been a treat. Scheduling, shooting, and editing was a bit painful at times, but the products (at least one of them) have already made an impact. Maggie's video about Ojibwe and her heritage was shared through her family and community as well as featured on NationTalk: a Canadian indigenous news/communication network.
I hope that Kai's will get some buzz as well. Who knows?
For Maggie's video and more information about Indigenous Next Door, click here. I hope to make more of these videos, as I would like it to be at least a mini-series. However for now, we are going to Rwanda and Israel! I also got a job at an up and coming food truck in Vancouver, so get ready for some fun and information about that as well. Right now, I have exams coming up, but posts will pick up as we begin our transcontinental adventure. So, get excited because I am!