Mi’kmaw Language Revitalization Strategy

ATN Strategies was engaged by the Mi’kmaw Language Committee and the Province of Nova Scotia to help address an urgent, long-recognized challenge: the need for a coordinated, long-term strategy to revitalize, protect, and promote the Mi’kmaw language across the province. Community leaders and governments were investing in programs, but lacked a shared roadmap to align efforts, close gaps, and sustain momentum for future generations.

Working collaboratively with Mi’kmaw leadership, we designed a process that was both community-driven and informed by international and national best practices in Indigenous language revitalization. ATN conducted a full environmental scan, reviewing existing policies, programs, and supports, and mapping how Mi’kmaw language learning was currently offered in schools, communities, and families. We also examined successful models from other Indigenous language initiatives to identify approaches that could be adapted to the Mi’kmaw context.

Central to the work was broad engagement. We reached all 13 Mi’kmaw communities and urban Indigenous populations through surveys, meetings, and conversations with Elders, language keepers, educators, youth, and community organizations. This engagement surfaced priorities around intergenerational transmission, access to learning resources, teacher capacity, and the visibility of Mi’kmaw in public spaces and institutions.

The resulting Mi’kmaw Language Strategy provides clear, actionable recommendations to expand learning opportunities at all ages, increase the public presence of the language, support language workers, and embed Mi’kmaw more deeply in education, services, and daily life. It offers a practical framework for both community leadership and provincial policymakers to coordinate short- and long-term initiatives.

Through this work, ATN helped create a shared, data-informed roadmap that supports the resilience of the Mi’kmaw language and strengthens cultural continuity and identity for Mi’kmaq across Nova Scotia.