Traditional Indigenous language and the latest technology have come together in a new digital app aimed at sharing the Anishinaabemowin language.
Presented to Lambton Kent District School Board trustees March 31, the unveiling marked National Indigenous Languages Day, recognizing the board’s ongoing commitment to Indigenous language revitalization and reconciliation.
According to a recent media release, trustees were treated to a presentation from board Indigenous lead Dallas Sinopole and elementary Indigenous Language Teacher Jessie Plain. Trustees watched a video showing how the app helps young students move beyond isolated vocabulary into full sentences and authentic conversation in Anishinaabemowin. The app was released to students in January.
The board is also developing a second app to teach the Lenape language – the language spoken by Delaware First Nation at Moraviantown. It will be released in September 2026.
The Anishinaabemowin app represents a major milestone for LKDSB, which has long committed to providing culturally relevant and responsive educational services for all students, including those of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis ancestry. This work is grounded in meaningful, long-standing relationships with the board’s four First Nation partners: Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Eelunaapeewi Lahkeewiit (Delaware Nation), Kettle & Stony Point First Nation, and Walpole Island First Nation.
National Indigenous Languages Day underscores the urgency and importance of this work, the release stated. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, along with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), affirm the inherent right of Indigenous peoples to speak, learn, and pass on their languages.
LKDSB officials view the role of language not as symbolic, but as an essential responsibility tied directly to reconciliation and student success.
“This is not just language. It is customs, it is culture, it is identity,” said Sinopole in the release. “When students know their identity, they soar in all areas. This is student success.”
The Anishinaabemowin app contains 30 fully developed instructional units designed to build proficiency over time. Each unit includes a topic introduction, vocabulary practice with authentic audio exemplars, listening and reading comprehension tasks, writing activities, and a summative review to support assessment.
