Nı̨̀ı̨̀kè! Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories introduces stop signs in English and Wiliideh
At some Yellowknife intersections, drivers might linger a little longer.
If they do, it may be because the city has new bilingual stop signs that say “stop” and “Nı̨̀ı̨̀kè” in English and Wiliideh (Wıı̀lıı̀deh Yatıı̀), the dialect spoken by Yellowknives Dene.
Listen to Chief Sangris say “Nı̨̀ı̨̀kè” here:
Reconciliation plan based on community feedback
The signs are part of the city’s reconciliation plan, based on community feedback that Wiliideh should be more present in Yellowknife, said Mayor Rebecca Alty.
The city has ordered 40 stop signs, said Alty. The plan is to put them up downtown, in Ndilo and in Dettah, and to use them in the future to replace current stop signs as they age.
Other kinds of bilingual signs may appear in the not so distant future.
The city has reached out to both the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and the North Slave Métis Alliance about names for future streets, said Alty, and the city is developing a plan for building names, too.
With files from Avery Zingel
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Publisher in Arctic Canada putting Inuit-language books online amidst COVID-19 closures, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Budget cuts threaten international Sámi language cooperation, Yle News
Norway: Walt Disney Animation Studios to release Saami-language version of “Frozen 2”, Eye on the Arctic
Sweden: Can cross-border cooperation decolonize Sami language education?, Eye on the Arctic
United States: Inuit leaders applaud UN move to designate International Decade of Indigenous Languages, Eye on the Arctic
