The rise and spread of Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics: Perspectives for minority-language writing systems

Abstract

<p>The Indigenous alphabet or writing system of Canada – known as ‘Syllabics’ – is unique in that it was learnt by and disseminated among previously nonliterate Indigenous peoples with extreme rapidity. There exist well-documented first-hand reports of Indigenous people having learnt Syllabics within one or two weeks and, in turn, teaching it to their friends and family in an informal and non-institutional setting (Poser, 2003), to the extent that, by the late 1800s, certain Indigenous Canadian groups likely had the highest literacy rates in the world at the time (Rogers, 2005).</p>

<p>Today, the use of Syllabics among Indigenous Canadian peoples has declined somewhat due to past governmental assimilationist policies and forced English-language schooling. Nevertheless, the writing system continues to remain not just culturally significant, but also linguistically and pedagogically intriguing. Particularly interesting is the question of what it is about Syllabics that made it so easily ‘learnable’, in terms of both its structural as well as cultural features.</p>

This talk will provide an overview of the structure of Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics, delve into the process of its rapid spread, and examine the properties of the writing system that likely encouraged its spread. Further research into these aspects holds promise for the teaching and learning of minority-language writing systems, including those of Indigenous Australian languages.