First Nations Translator Workshop

First Nations Bible Translation Capacity-Building Initiative

In November 2022, from across Northern Ontario and Northern Quebec, First Nations Bible translators gathered at the Bible Conference Centre in Guelph, ON for five days. They received training from Wycliffe, SIL, and CBS (Canadian Bible Society) to serve as translation project facilitators and Bible translators in the Oji-Cree and Naskapi languages. 

The Canadian Bible Society along with Wycliffe Bible Translators and SIL have been organizing yearly capacity-building Bible translation workshops for speakers of First Nations languages since 2015.

The workshop aims to help participants become more effective in communication and prepare materials in their own languages. Additionally, the workshop strives to help improve their knowledge and skills in translation principles and connect them with others engaged in Bible translation and language development projects.

This workshop focusses on the practical application of translation principles in developing language materials and builds on topics taught at earlier workshops. Both beginners and experienced translators find that their own skills can be improved with the topics covered and reviewed. The theory and practice of translation into Indigenous languages are central to the workshop.

In addition, the workshop also includes training to use digital tools effectively, developing audio and video storytelling materials for Bible translation, developing books for literacy, and using translation helps and other resources.

The workshop was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. It resumed this year with a one-week workshop for speakers of First Nations languages at Guelph, Ontario.