Canadian Students Perform ‘Blackbird’ by The Beatles in the Indigenous First Nations Mi’kmaq Language

During The International Year of Indigenous Languages in 2019, music students at the Allison Bernard Memorial High School in Eskasoni, Cape Breton, Canada, performed a beautiful cover of The Beatles‘ iconic song “Blackbird” in the indigenous Mi’kmaq language native to the area.

The International Year of Indigenous Languages is a United Nations observance in 2019 that aims to raise awareness of the consequences of the endangerment of Indigenous languages across the world, with an aim to establish a link between language, development, peace, and reconciliation.To bring awareness to this important cause students at Allison Bernard Memorial High School in Eskasoni, Cape Breton recorded Paul McCartney’s Blackbird in their native Mi’kmaq language.

The school had introduced their Digital Mi’kmaq program a year prior in order to make school more accessible to children from First Nations across Nova Scotia.

Since Digital Mi’kmaq launched in January 2018, thousands of Mi’kmaq students from Pre-School to Grade 12 have been introduced to a vast array of hand-on digital programs in First Nations communities across Nova Scotia. From Computer Science to Animation, Big Data to 3D Modeling, Mi’kmaq students are learning many of the core fundamentals of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). As a program focused on building foundational capacities for students, we will continue to expand student’s knowledge by delivering ongoing qualitative educational programs.

via Boing Boing