Municipal initiatives highlighted on National Indigenous Languages Day

Traffic signage, corporate signature plans mark ongoing RMWB commitment

(Fort McMurray, AB – March 31, 2021) – The Municipality continues to work with communities and partners to revitalize and strengthen Indigenous languages as part of its ongoing commitment to advancing Reconciliation.

• In the coming weeks, more than 60 multilingual Indigenous language stop signs will be installed in Fort McKay, Anzac, Conklin, and Janvier. Indigenous languages were included on traffic signage for the first time in the Region when signs in Fort Chipewyan were replaced with signs written in Cree, Dénesųłiné, and English last November.
• Changes are also being made to the RMWB corporate email signature to include Indigenous languages and a land acknowledgement for Wood Buffalo. The Municipality is currently engaging with the Reconciliation Advisory Circle, which champions reconciliation in the region, on the appropriate language for that acknowledgment.
• Today, March 31^st, Municipal representatives will take part in a special virtual celebration for National Indigenous Languages Day, acknowledging the importance of land, language, and culture to the well-being and resilience of Indigenous Peoples and communities, and to all of us.

“These are initial but important steps, and as we continue building relationships with communities and Indigenous partners, we believe they will lead to larger initiatives in the future,” noted Dennis Fraser, Director, Indigenous and Rural Relations. “We understand that recognizing, preserving, and strengthening traditional Indigenous languages is critical to Reconciliation.”