Longing to Belong: An Examination of the Connection Between Language and Belonging in a First Nations Community

• Main Author: Nazerali Hilborn, Jamila
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: City University of Seattle (CityU) 2017
• Subjects: First Nations; indigenous; language; belonging; truth and reconciliation; Coast Salish; social identity theory; theory of dislocation; education; cultural diversity; colonization; Canada
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11803/728

The intent of this thesis is to outline the ways in which language can create an enhanced sense of belonging amongst a First Nations Community in Vancouver's Lower Mainland. Due to colonization, a vast amount of First Nations Communities have not only lost a connection to their languages, but many languages are now extinct. Further, there is a lack of research within this field. It is proposed in this thesis that the integration of First Nations Language, specifically in a school setting has a positive effect on First Nations children. This thesis is an attempt at being able to display the necessary connection between language and belonging, whilst advocating for future research within this field. A proposed study is also included to further depict the ways in which research could move forward in understanding the connection between language and belonging within this indigenous population. Due to the recent political agendas of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015) this research is pertinent to counselors, teachers, academics, and Canadians.