Students to sing national anthem in Ojibwa at Winnipeg Jets hockey game

WINNIPEG — The national anthem before this Friday’s NHL game in Winnipeg won’t quite sound the way it usually does.

A group of students from the city’s Riverbend Community School are set to perform O Canada in Ojibwa.

Gloria Barker, who teaches at the English-Ojibwa bilingual school, says it’s a real honour to be able to promote the Indigenous language.

The Winnipeg Jets will also be sporting new jerseys with Indigenous logos during the pre-skate for their game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

It’s all part of a night to acknowledge the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre.

Barker says she is proud of her students and hopes they will inspire other Indigenous people and groups to support their traditional languages.

“Language is a very important part of who we are and our identity.” (CTV Winnipeg)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 15, 2020

The Canadian Press