Introducing: Discovery Language – Canadian Geographic

Apr 09, 2025

A new Canadian Geographic series in print and online will take readers on a linguistic journey across the lands and waters we now call Canada

Indigenous languages must not only be revitalized — they must be championed. These languages hold diverse worldviews and connect generations. Canadian Geographic’s new Discovery Language series uplifts stories of language preservation and reclamation to show the heart of our identities as Onkwehón:we (Original Peoples). Brought to you by the Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages and fiercely fought for with dedication, grit and innovation, these stories need to be told.

Shé:kon! My name is Gin Sexsmith, and I am a mixed-Kanyen’kehá:ka, Indigiqueer novelist, songwriter, language learner and journalist from Kenhtè:ke, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, and a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte First Nation. I am also the Discovery Language editor for this new series, which will share stories from nations across what some of us call Turtle Island. In Canada alone, more than 70 distinct Indigenous languages are spoken among First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. South of the border, there are more than 160 languages.

In a world that often homogenizes Indigenous people, celebrating our diversity is a vital step from reconciliation towards reconciliaction — not only to teach non-Indigenous people about our multi-faceted cultures, but to be a source of representation for language learners and speakers within these communities. The hardest part of my job so far is deciding which stories to tell when there are so many.