There are only a few documents from the 18th century written in the Abenaki language, including Father Joseph Aubery's manuscript of choir songs. (Ministère de la Culture et des Communications )

Restoration of 18th-century choir book in Abenaki language may help revitalization efforts

The restoration of an 18th century manuscript of liturgical choir songs written in the Abenaki language will be an important resource for language revitalization efforts for Odanak, Que., according to those working to save the endangered language.

“These documents are very precious,” said Sylvain Rivard, a French-Canadian and Abenaki artist.

The manuscript was written in 1750 by Father Joseph Aubery, a Jesuit priest from France assigned to the Saint-François-de-Sales Roman Catholic mission from 1709 until he died in 1756. It’s one of the few and earliest documents available in Aln8ba8dwaw8gan, the Abenaki language.

Rivard said the document is an important source for old words not used anymore… Read more

By Jessica Deer, first published on July 20 2019 on www.cbc.ca

Categories: Indigenous
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