Heritage Beyond Words: Acts of Nonverbal Decolonization

ancestral language revitalization continues to play a central role in Indigenous decolonization and self-determination across turtle Island. We were able to witness this firsthand in 2011, while working with young Indigenous hunters in the Inuvialuit settlement region, Northwest territories, Canada. as part of a project studying Western arctic Inuit language and identity, we had the privilege of collaborating with the Inuvialuit Cultural Centre and the aboriginal Culture and Language Instructor Program at aurora College in Inuvik. For many learners, reclaiming the language of their people had a healing effect, especially in light of the intergenerational trauma created by residential schools across the North. Language not only helped solidify a sense of collective belonging; it also reconnected people to Inuit Nunangat (ancestral lands and waters), which are dotted with Inuvialuktun toponyms. successful learners of Inuvialuktun were able to reconnect with the land through their newly acquired language skills. But there were also those who had been less successful in their learning. some were discouraged, feeling stigmatized for their limited language proficiency. among them, we encountered several young monolingual hunters with strong ties to the land. For us, this raised several questions: How important is language in establishing a sense of belonging with one’s community and with the land? Can some of the pressure experienced by learners to revitalize ancestral languages be linked to a eurocentric overemphasis on language as identity? What about the revitalization of nonverbal communicative skills? Why do we hear so little about nonverbal interspecies communication as a feature in community efforts toward selfdetermination? Many Indigenous societies maintain a deep sensitivity to forms of nonverbal interaction, which we argue is equally important to document, protect and pass on, regardless of whether colonial institutions are able to recognize their importance. Inspired by this emphasis on the unspoken, and following the work of Balanoff and Chambers1 on nontextual literacies, we would like to call for renewed attention to all things unspoken in the Circumpolar North. What we have in mind is a heritage that extends not only beyond words but also beyond the species boundary. We are limited here to the use of written words,