New Democrat Sol Mamakwa spoke to the Ontario legislature in Anishininiimowin (known in English as Oji-Cree) on Tuesday, the first time a First Nation legislator addressed Queen's Park in a language other than English and French.
Members of the media may directly contact:
Darren O'Toole (English, French and Ojibwe)
Associate Professor, Faculty of Law - Common Law Section, and School of Political Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences.
dotoole@uottawa.ca
Professor O'Toole's expertise focuses on Aboriginal law and Indigenous legal philosophy.
"This is a powerful, historical moment for Indigenous Peoples in Ontario. It enhances the symbolic capital of Indigenous languages (often relegated to the private sphere and to the past); overcoming the shame associated with Indigenous languages."
Robert Falcon Ouellette(English and French)
Associate Professor, Faculty of Education