There are over 1.4 million aboriginal people in Canada, with the majority of the population now under 25.

More than 45% of on-reserve youth say learning a First Nations language is very important to them, and just over half of them can understand or speak a First Nations language.

A 2014 report from the British Columbia Language Initiative – which seeks to revitalize the province’s First Nations languages – found that the number of semi-fluent speakers had risen by nearly 10% since 2010.

The embrace of the language comes as Canada’s aboriginal youth are increasingly finding their voice in culture and politics.

“As an aboriginal youth of this generation, we’re saying culture, language has to be on the forefront of our approach to exercising our rights, the healing that needs to happen within the community,” he said.

“It’s a wave of young people who want to retain their language, who want to contribute to Western society but also make sure they’re rooted and grounded in their culture,” said Meawasige. Indigenous activism has taken many forms, from the electronic powwow music of A Tribe Called Red to the flash mobs of the Idle No More movement.

Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/18/canada-indigenous-youth-activists-first-nations