School should have an Ojibwe class

Letter to the Editor:
I am upset that our school does not offer an Ojibwe class. There are more than enough aboriginal students in the school to attend this class if there was one.
First, there are classes that offer indigenous issues and indigenous beliefs. So why isn’t there a class for indigenous language(s)? The district school board says that they support native americans, so why don’t they have a class to learn the language of my native tongue?
Secondly, the University of Winnipeg made it mandatory to take indigenous studies, so why don’t they do the same here? I couldn’t see it as a problem, I actually see it as an opportunity. It would bind the native students together and maybe they would get motivated to interact more with their own culture and push forward with their education knowing that they’re fully supported.
Yes, we have our elders that can speak fluently but they aren’t always around and soon they won’t be around for good. Yes it may seem harsh to say but it’s the truth. We are losing our language, sacred teachings, and ceremonies with every new generation.
In conclusion I believe the school should at lease have a class for Ojibwe language. Not only for the native students but maybe non-indigenous people are interested as well? We’ll never know until it gets put into action. So I highly recommend that the school and school board push for an Ojibwe class.
–Sincerely,
Danier Andy (age 16)
Rainy River, ON