Teaching the Mi鈥檏maw language holds two very special purposes for Curtis Michael: to retain his language and to ensure it continues to be learned and spoken by others.
Michael, a resident of the Sipekne鈥檏ati First Nation (Shubenacadie) since childhood, says his maternal grandparents were among the few families in the area that could speak L鈥檔ui鈥檚uti 鈥� the Mi鈥檏maw language 鈥� and they did so with him and his cousins, balancing out the English they spoke in day school off reserve.
When Michael was just 10 years old, his grandfather passed away.
鈥淭hat hit me hard 鈥� still does,鈥� he says. 鈥淢y wish is, when I go into Wa鈥檚o鈥檘 鈥� the light [afterlife] 鈥� I want to speak Mi鈥檏maw to him. That鈥檚 my drive. I just want to speak to him in our language because he spoke it to me when I was a little boy.鈥�
Michael鈥檚 paternal side of his family lives in Eskasoni, Cape Breton. When he would go there, he鈥檇 visit his grandmother, whom they all called Dr. Granny.听
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Known as 鈥渁n icon of the language and the culture,鈥� Michael would ask her questions about Mi鈥檏maw words, tenses and meanings 鈥� and with those explanations, he鈥檇 learn more about his culture, people, beliefs, histories and more.
鈥淪o that鈥檚 what I do when I鈥檓 teaching,鈥� says Michael. 鈥淚t shows people, 鈥楬ey, here鈥檚 my culture. Here鈥檚 how we believe.鈥欌��
Keeping learning fun
Michael taught the Mi鈥檏maw language to children in his community for years, so when he started as an instructor at Dal in 2021, he brought a lot of teaching practices he鈥檇 developed earlier with him. That meant keeping things fun and engaging.
He says his students enjoy the mechanics of learning the language and the relationship between the language, nature and tribal wisdom. He describes the makeup of his classes 鈥渓ike a collage,鈥� with both domestic and international students and some being of Mi鈥檏maw heritage.
Several Dal staff and faculty members have taken his courses, including Dr. Margaret Robinson, Indigenous Studies program coordinator in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS).
Margaret Robinson, left, and Curtis Michael.
Dr. Robinson saw first-hand how language loss affected her own family鈥檚 connection to culture, noting her grandmother had lost her language because of day schools.
鈥淪tudying with Curtis was a way for me to connect with the worldview and values embedded in our language,鈥� she says.
Studying with Curtis was a way for me to connect with the worldview and values embedded in our language.
She said it was also 鈥渢he most fun鈥� she has had as a learner. He brings the language to life using motions and expressions, making learning easier and more memorable, she says, adding that he learned all his students鈥� names.
鈥淗is levity and positive feedback lowered my stress and made it easier to learn.鈥�
Preserving language and culture
Curtis teaches both of the Mi鈥檏maw Language for Non-Speakers courses (INDG 2901 and 2902), offered in FASS. These courses are accepted towards the language requirement for Bachelor of Arts students and can be taken towards a minor in Indigenous Studies. They are part of the many language course offerings open to both degree and non-degree students. The courses are open to students from Saint Mary鈥檚 University, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and Mount Saint Vincent University as well.
听鈥淲hether you have Mi鈥檏maw roots to nourish,听or you want to support Indigenous language revitalization, these courses are the place to start,鈥� says Dr. Robinson. 鈥淐urtis brings L'nui'simk听alive, showing it鈥檚听a vibrant, living language.鈥澨�
Michael was appointed a full-time assistant professor in FASS in 2025. FASS Dean Dr. Jennifer Andrews notes how special Michael鈥檚 courses are.
Curtis Michael performs at Daniel Paul portrait hanging event in fall 2023.听
鈥淚 am incredibly proud and pleased to have Curtis Michael teach the Mi鈥檏maw language classes,鈥� she says. 鈥淗is lifelong passion for the language is something he shares everyday with his students and community.鈥�
Michael says to him, teaching 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 feel like a job.鈥�
He says sharing his joy of learning and teaching L鈥檔ui鈥檚uti holds an important place in his life as it helps ensure the language will continue to be spoken and taught and so, too, will the stories and cultures that go along with it.