Scriptures and Scriptural Resources in Indigenous Languages
“Without the language, we are warm bodies without a spirit.”
– Mary Lou Fox, Ojibwe Elder
Since the beginning of CBS (Canadian Bible Society), it has been our mission to help all people hear God speak through His Word – in a language closest to their heart.
Over 1.6 million people in Canada are from Indigenous groups, 63% of whom self-identify as Christians. Being able to access the Bible in their own languages is particularly important to the spiritual and cultural life of these communities.
In Pikangikum, an Ojibwe First Nation, the local minister reports that she cannot keep up with the demand. “I have never seen such hunger for the gospel. I cannot keep up with handing out Bibles!” – Colleen Estes, missionary in Pikangikum for 23 years.
The need for the Scriptures in Indigenous languages has never been higher. We are honoured by the invitation to work alongside Indigenous partners to advance language reclamation efforts.
As per data released by Statistics Canada from the 2021 census, about 243,000 people reported being able to speak an Indigenous language. It is a decline from the 2016 census when that figure was around 251,000. In 2016, for about 40 Indigenous languages in Canada, there were only about 500 speakers or less.
“Our church is the only place remaining where Inuinnaqtun is used; so, this translation project is an important calling.” – Edna Elias, team member, Inuinnaqtun Scripture revision.
CBS is currently engaged in Bible translation in four Indigenous languages. One of the projects is to finish the first complete Bible in Mohawk by Summer 2023. Today, Mohawk is spoken by an estimated 10% of the 30,000 people that make up the total Mohawk population. The Mohawk Bible will go a long way in preserving both the language and the culture.
Read more about our Indigenous Bible translation projects here.
Helping people hear God speak in their heart languages is foundational to CBS.
Reclamation of Indigenous languages is key to healing and restoration. “Bible translation is a key component of bringing languages back. We are pleased to be working in partnership with the Indigenous communities to make that happen.” says Jeff Green, Director, Scripture Translation, CBS.
An Inupiaq Bible Translation Story
Mourning the loss of their language and wanting to preserve it for their children, a team of women, some over the age of 80, began translating the Old Testament into Inupiaq.
They are now supported by CBS translation specialists but at the outset they had no guidance. Yet, they strongly felt God’s presence, says Molly Pederson, one of the translators. “You know we could not just do this by our own strength. God shows us that He’s right there with us. I know that we are not doing it alone. “
“We are inspired. We are given words. He is there helping us. We are so overwhelmed. It becomes alive. You cannot prevent yourself from saying ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ God is so good. God is so great,” says Ida Olemaun, a translator from the community.
“With everything our people have had to endure, I believe we cannot hang on to the hurt of the past,” notes community leader Crawford Patkotak. “We cannot afford to pass that hurt on to the next generation. And the only way we can do that is through the Word of God.”
Watch a video from Alaska about the Inupiaq Bible translation
We are grateful for the opportunity to support Indigenous communities to unlock the gift of God’s Word in their languages and contribute to language reclamation.
An Inupiaq Bible Translation Story
Mourning the loss of their language and wanting to preserve it for their children, a team of women, some over the age of 80, began translating the Old Testament into Inupiaq.
They are now supported by CBS translation specialists but at the outset they had no guidance. Yet, they strongly felt God’s presence, says Molly Pederson, one of the translators. “You know we could not just do this by our own strength. God shows us that He’s right there with us. I know that we are not doing it alone. “
“We are inspired. We are given words. He is there helping us. We are so overwhelmed. It becomes alive. You cannot prevent yourself from saying ‘Amen. Hallelujah!’ God is so good. God is so great,” says Ida Olemaun, a translator from the community.
“With everything our people have had to endure, I believe we cannot hang on to the hurt of the past,” notes community leader Crawford Patkotak. “We cannot afford to pass that hurt on to the next generation. And the only way we can do that is through the Word of God.”
Watch a video from Alaska about the Inupiaq Bible translation
We are grateful for the opportunity to support Indigenous communities to unlock the gift of God’s Word in their languages and contribute to language reclamation.
