Cree Elders Get Emotional When I Speak Their Dying Language

Thanks for the sponsorship, Skillshare! The first 500 people to click my link will get a 1 month free trial: skl.sh/xiaomanyc02241
Anyway, I was challenged to come out in the middle of the ice cold winter to remote northern Saskatchewan to learn Cree, one of the world’s most difficult and highly endangered languages, by Patrick, a dancer from Canada’s indigenous Cree people, and then try to give a speech in Cree in front of a room full of skeptical elders. We also went dog sledding, sweat lodging, and moose eating - a truly unique First Nations / Native American experience! If you want to learn some Cree, Patrick and his family have Cree courses available at repeataftermecree.com
0:00 Introduction
0:21 Sponsored by Skillshare
1:31 Buying gifts for the tribe
3:00 Talking to random strangers in Cree
6:23 Speaking Welsh in Canada
7:56 Going dog sledding
8:52 Eating moose and rabbit
10:22 Meeting the village elders
12:09 An emotional moment
13:08 Saying goodbye to the elders
13:51 Experiencing sweat lodge
16:15 Ordering in Chinese at local Chinese restaurant
18:46 How hard is Cree to learn?
21:13 How do I learn languages?
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[@TreachRake]

As a Canadian it disgusts me how much our government doesn't care about Native languages, you have done more with this video to promote Cree than our government has done, I thank you for learning and promoting this beautiful language.

[@frankvonfrauner]

They pay millions every year to help preserve the languages. They've even gone so far as paying scholars to anglocize an alphabet for a lot of First Nations languages so that they can be used more widely. I listen to a native owned radio station and every day they have vignettes teaching you words and Cree, Blackfoot, Sioux, and a couple other languages, and that's paid for by the government of Canada. Maybe save your disgust for what they actually do.

[@tamd5670]

@@frankvonfraunerhow about ignoring the mass graves? How about leaving indigenous people to live with no real support and no clean drinking water? How about every time people twist the governments arm to help indigenous people, or to make reparations for their crimes against them, they barely lift a finger or just say “my bad”? Helping support their language and culture is not enough. You saying that is so insane because you’re just saying that the government is kinda doing something small for them and then using that as an argument to be like “we do enough” get fucked

[@mmoogl3547]

@@tamd5670 that's what his disgust should be saved for. The person above you made a good point that the Canadian government is doing things to promote the language; more than this video has for sure, and you made a good point that there's a lot of things about the government that actually warrants a disgusted reaction.

[@z0mbaeee]

As a fellow Canadian, I haven't heard a word a the government doing any of these things; so they don't publish, talk about or promote it. Ever. Never heard a single thing about it. What gets me is - why are we almost forced to learn "french" when we SHOULD be taught these languages. We want Truth and Reconciliation? Let's start actually doing the things.

[@brando8086]

Clean drinking water for sure, and sanitation. But those graves in my hometown haven't been proven to be actual graves and there is evidence for the contrary due to a septic system's weeping tiles. Not discrediting the injustice our first nations people have experienced but I'd personally like actual proof on a major talking point and not just ground penetrating radar images of proof.

[@MontagZoso]

Xiaoma speaking Cree, then switches to Chinese and teaches the Chinese woman how to say “Hello” in Cree to her customers, then teaches the Cree man how to say “Thank You” in Chinese. Just, wow. 😳❤️ Like Xiaoma said, “Bringing the world together.” 💯

[@endeeray4295]

Don't forget the smattering of Welsh!

[@dingaia]

humans aren't separated by languages, they're connected by them.

[@donniebacklund6743]

Y wife is chinese and taught math and science in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan. I was blown away when they went the Chinese restaurant OMG. Amazing. The Chinese people are everywhere. I thank you for going and doing it was a great idea to have you as their guest. It works. I have a great respect for first Nations people. They are the best. I love your show. Thanks

[@historygirl2343]

That was my favorite part!

[@MeachPango]

That was honestly one of my favorite parts.

[@ShinobiGaijin]

"If this white guy can learn to speak Cree, then we can teach out children." ❤ ... Thank you Xiaoma for teaching the world the importance of respecting, learning, and embracing other cultures. You just don't miss.

[@cognoscitivos]

bro thats real1!

[@Amaliel_Mirael]

I was in tears with this woman 🥹

[@OleHopkinsBirdMilk]

For real. This guy learns so much it must be insanely difficult to learn and remember that much. For someone who is mixed it makes me want to sit down and try to learn again It'll still be difficult for me in my own way but that shouldn't stop me. also that he is sharing it out there to the rest of the world is amazing.

[@benhaggerty8707]

I can imagine why the Welsh lady's jaw dropped, imagine you move from a country where the langauhe is getting rarer for natives to speak to a native American reservation in Canada and a mam from New York approaches you and starts speaking Welsh when he finds out where you're from That must've brightened her year

[@lunacielo7680]

That was beautiful to watch!

[@welshfae1249]

Until the recent past Welsh children were physically punished in schools if the spoke in Welsh. The powers that be tried to erase our language

[@tarnokka]

​@@welshfae1249common thread around the world

[@otherwize12]

@@welshfae1249 That's so sad, I hope in the future everyone in Wales will be fluent in Welsh.

[@lachie8784]

@@welshfae1249 its the same with scottish gaelic I read, quite sad and there are probably many extinct languages of the past that shared the same fate in the ancient world.

[@ashsmee]

As an Indigenous person who doesn’t know their native tongue this made me emotional. Please learn more and share the beauty of North American Indigenous Languages. Thank you. Edit: I was adopted at birth so if I ever find my tribe I’ll learn my language. Thanks for all the encouraging comments.

[@oxlip]

yo i hope this inspires you to pick it up -- if you're willing to share, what's the language of your people?

[@YoreHistory]

It is never too late to learn. Learning the language is like carrying your ancestors with you. I did the same with my ancestral tongues.

[@sylvilaguscunicularius3155]

Learn! Learn! Do it!

[@bigploppa154]

@@oxliplanguages are fascinating. ive been considering picking up nahuatl as of late despite not being indigenous to any extent. something about it really draws me in

[@kradylladel2785]

Same here, I am cree but only know a few words.

[@PowwowTimes]

Was such an amazing time hosting Ari to come to our homelands and not only learn Cree but help promote our language.

[@UndrwearBomber]

This is now one of my favorite videos from Ari. Thank you for having him come meet your people. I hope I have the opportunity to meet your people some day too.

[@cadillaccasper]

Good job bro. The ending was powerful. Language immersion is so important. And AI might help sometime in the future but for now the elders, uncles and auntys are the way to go.

[@oO0X2K0Oo]

It looks pretty there

[@fammue]

Truly hope, it'll bring young people to learn the old languages and revive their usage! I remember once watching a woman doing birch biting art in Vancouver and still remember it vividly, because it was so awesome and fascinating. The old cultures have so much wisdom and knowledge, which I hope will be rediscovered.

[@beccal.5369]

What an amazing video.... much respect to you and your people for trying to keep your language and traditions for the future generations .... I pray your language and traditions will always be here and your people will always happy. 💜

[@your_local_loner]

As a Plains Cree youth I thank you for motivating me to try to learn my dying language. It is very important to me that I can give my future children an identity of where they come from, traditions that were taught to me, and for the knowledge and language to be passed on.

[@robgoose]

Best of luck to you. Wishing you success.

[@GirlWthGlasses]

It's great fun to learn a native language especially when it's your own... It makes you feel closer to the history and people you came from and knowing your roots kinda gives you a sense of pride in continuing that history and passing it to the next generation. 😊

[@Seebeejeebees]

You got this! I'm sure it'll be hard, but you'll be so happy you did it and so will your future generations. Best of luck!

[@isaiahinthewoods7458]

I’m not Cree, I’m Lakota. But I treat all tribes as my Brothers and Sisters. This made me emotional, and it’s a beautiful testament to preserving the culture of my peoples. Thank you Ari.

[@rustykoala]

You made a grown man cry Ari, I used to be a hater but after watching some of your videos I realized that the hate was unwarranted. You're connecting people and uplifting Indigenous people from around the world. It's beautiful man ❤

[@rttp-righttothepoint6656]

Why would you hate this in the first place. It’s just a genius going around promoting different cultures.

[@rttp-righttothepoint6656]

Anyone that blinks like that is super intelligent

[@ZebSound]

may i ask what did you hated on him? i am really curious because its just a channel about learning languages and connecting :)

[@PS-cq8qr]

For some they see this as cultural appropriation because hes white instead of seeing an inquisitive young man with a mind for languages that not only learns them but learns about the cultures and traditions.

[@joshua91811]

Wait how would you hate a person for language learning? (No pressure)

[@FLoooT]

I'm a Cree native from Saskatchewan, and I'm very grateful to have people like you who don't let cultures like ours die or be forgotten. Thank you and I hope the Creator grants you happiness and peace in your years to come.

[@isailwind3471]

Why can’t the Cree people keep their language alive?

[@vBrazzyy]

Alot of the Youth hasnt learned the language from their elders. They speak English only mainly now. Im ignorant in this topic and am only speculating. I've never met a Cree native.@@isailwind3471

[@jenniferluong5898]

@@isailwind3471 many Cree people have lost their language capabilities because of residential schools and the lack of people speaking it anymore to learn it.

[@isailwind3471]

@@jenniferluong5898 I don’t know about after 2008 or so but i lived and worked in several northern communities and every single person could speak Cree, kids included. So if the language is dying it has to be in the last 10 years or so.

[@FLoooT]

@@isailwind3471 It is a self-made problem as many of the youths in recent years haven't been taught about our language or culture and unfortunately, it's widespread so it has led to a severe lack of native Cree speakers but also like Jennifer said, the generational trauma and the forced stigma about our culture has made many of the older generation unwilling to teach the youths the language.

[@wl7855]

This is my grandparents language, their native language is Cree and were forced to learn English due to residential schools. It really surprised me when my granny told me her first language was Cree and not English, she said she spoke it in secret to her friends while in school. It never really dawned on me since her English was perfect. My mom moved us from the rez and into the city when I was about 7. I remember understanding some Cree as a kid, but then the other kids in the city would bully me over my accent and I was told it was a dirty language. I changed my accent completely when I was a teenager in order to sound more like a white person and stayed ignorant with my language. I received many back handed compliments from other Canadians and my own people on how "white" I sound. This video stunned me, you've come a long way from when I first subscribed and I would've never thought in a million years you would learn Cree. I really want to thank you for doing this. Now I know how other subscribers feel when you learn some of their native language. :)

[@Aevilbeast]

Same here, my father is first nation Ojibwe from Canada (Mississauga of the credit) and my Grandmother was actually taken away from her parents and put in a residentual school where speaking her native language and basically anything to do with her native culture was not only not allowed but actually severely punished and like many so many others she was severely abused and taken advantage of while there. As child and even now as an adult it's hard to understand what that must of felt like and how that would effect someone, and even moreso how or why someone could do that to someone else Understandably it hurt her on a level that affected her her whole life and something I know she never fully recovered from. And while things have changed there is still that prejudice is still around, and while I live in America, I do go to Canada on a fairly frequent basis and I'm always taken back when I go there and feel it firsthand. It's hard to imagine how something like that can still go on in this day and age. I'm so thankful that things are changing and for everything my people have to done to push for those changes no matter how hard things got. It's something I can never truly be grateful enough for and something I have really hard time expressing my gratitude for it. They protected and saved our culture though such hard times so it could continue for our future generations, and it's now our duty to not only keep it going but to make it stronger. As it's the least we can do to show our gratitude and our pride for our beautiful culture.

[@peaceisnature]

Man, this was emotional. I'm a white guy from England and all I know how to speak is English. I've watched many of your videos but this is the most emotional I've seen. To be able to connect with people all around the world, to be able to communicate with people from all kinds of different countries and people from different walks of life is a beautiful thing to witness. And in this video, you sharing the Cree language with us your viewers and promoting a native language that the Cree speaking population is first to admit is dying out, is amazing. The English language is often forced to feel like the default. Everyone MUST know English. And while it may be common and even useful to know English, in my opinion it shouldn't mean that native languages are not given the respect and educational resources they deserve. I didn't even know there was a language called Cree. Now I do.

[@riseagainphoenix]

Never too late for you to pick up an online course on Gaelic or Irish or Manx or something! Lots of indigenous languages near you also in danger of dying out due to English, and we have technology now to help make learning easier than ever. Even knowing a few basic phrases would mean you're contributing to keeping the diversity of human thought alive!

[@iolitelight]

No one from outside our community has ever attempted to speak Miq'maw to me. I was stunned watching this man speak Cree. And how the people reacted. They know their language like mine doesn't have more than a couple generations left, if that. But to see someone come in with respect and curiosity and even love, it put a lump in my throat. I'm so thankful my grampa encouraged me to speak with him.

[@Mama-tea]

I think people like ourselves (uk) are unwilling to learn but expect every country to speak English, we are very selfish imo

[@iolitelight]

@@Mama-tea Well, it's very much like that in Canada too. We are officially bilingual but very few English Canadians learn to speak French fluently and just about no one learns the indigenous languages. Quite honestly French is at risk here too, not anywhere near the urgency of indigenous languages, but Canada is very much an English speaking country and there seems to be little interest in other languages. I guess it's due to English being so international, we can get by being monolingual English. That being said, at least French is recognized and taught and our French speakers can influence our government while our indigenous peoples have much less influence politically and are often shut down and ignored even by this so called progressive liberal government under Trudeau. He lied to get the First Nations vote but lost our trust when he basically back tracked on everything he promised. And that makes it worse in some ways, at least most of them were honest and said that we can just sit back down, they don't care about us. Because what the First Nations know is that we need autonomy on our lands and more of our land needs to be returned. That is the foundation of our survival, but that hurts Canada financially so they will not ever take real steps to preserve our cultures. Our Parliament is conducted in two languages and the French speakers will not speak English, they demand recognition of their language and want to answered in French too. No such consideration for indigenous people.

[@YesSir-ms3uk]

Thank you to the Anglo Saxons for making this beautiful language we all speak god bless english

[@killereverb3928]

I’m not going to lie; I cried when Ari was speaking to the Cree elders. Speaking another’s language is a way of communicating, “I love you” and “I care” which, of course is universal. Thank you so much.

[@biggestcomplainer]

You need to get outside and enjoy the world if something like that brings you to tears. Maybe a chemical imbalance?

[@bela-sofia34]

​@@biggestcomplainer There may be truth to what you say...that said we don't know for sure. And if it *is* true, maybe there's no other way to experience the world except through these videos. That's the reality for many of us.

[@user-ps1ft1hy4j]

@@biggestcomplainer Don't be a piece of garbage on the internet. It's been done.

[@Miyoswin462]

Me too! ❤

[@DirectorNeumiller]

same. this dude is pretty amazing

[@DownEastSaw]

That welsh girl’s smile could have drown out the sun when Xioama started speaking Welsh. Language is such a beautiful connector of people.

[@maximus6622]

​@Akari_Reinhart That's not strictly true, sorry but you need to travel around Wales more. I'm English and have lived all over Wales. If you go down the west of North, Mid and South Wales, you'll find majority of small towns/villages, their first language is Welsh, especially amongst the farming communities. I met dozens of elderly Welsh folk who struggled struggled to speak fluent English and rightly so. The Welsh language is actually on the rise, more Welsh speaking schools and teachers. Yes the Rhondda is predominantly English speaking, I live in Porth, but in my experience there are still lots of Welsh speakers in Wales and that's a good thing. I've not been to Aberdare for years, a bit scary driving over Maerdy mountain in the fog and rain lol. 👍

[@Sholto69]

Agreed, I live mid-Wales and all the locals speak Welsh. Even the English expats are taking classes.

[@GwladYrHaf]

Many don’t bother in Aberdare, elsewhere it’s a different story. But as for main language, Wales is no different from the rest of the UK. Germanic is the main language group.

[@FightingCoward]

@@GwladYrHaf Welsh stems from Brythonic not Teutonic, it developed into recognisable Welsh in about 400AD.

[@DarthJynx115]

@@Akari_ReinhartIt’s been English because of the English control of Wales. Same goes for Ireland and Scotland. Before England’s control, they all had their own languages that they mainly spoke. The reason everybody primarily speaks English is because of the English and their control over so many nations at one point in time

[@rileyr5984]

From someone who is from Saskatchewan, I am going to make a significant effort to learn the language of my ancestors. I was never born into Indigenous culture, however, after learning more about their culture and ways through university, I want to make the effort to learn. Thank you for this video.

[@user-uglyyygoddess]

as a Cree Native from Saskatchewan , thank you. 🖤

[@kra_hme]

Hello! I’m Cree and Dene, my family is from treaty 8 territory, My family lives closer to BC but I’m from Alberta! My father’s side (Dene) is from NWT. I am so thankful that you hear and speaking a language that I cannot speak at all. It makes me hopeful for my culture and that it will not die. Please keep learning about our culture, it would mean so much to me and all my relatives if you did. Thank you thank you thank you

[@SketchyAsFunk]

Please learn your own language. It is up to each generation to learn and continue the language and traditions. I bet it would mean much more to your reletives than some randome dude on youtube learning basic cree for a short time.

[@kra_hme]

@@SketchyAsFunk I am mentally not able to do so. My disability makes it EXTREMELY difficult to learn new things due to memory. The only way I could learn a language, is if I was taught it from birth

[@maudevachon3658]

Big love from Yellowknife!! We are not native but my Dad was a pilot for Air Tindi over 20 years ago and his first week on the job he realised there was no point in giving the flight safety briefings in english because most of his passengers only spoke Tlicho. He picked up a translation dictionary, learned just enough to communicate and give a good safety briefing in the native language. The best part of native culture is being welcomed with open warms when you show love and respect, which is what happened with my father. I feel so lucky to have grown up in a community where your beautiful cultures and languages are still spoken even a little bit, and I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to learn as much as possible on everything that happened, how to help and be an ally. LOVE YOU SO MUCH ❤️

[@denejones1394]

Every time I see the word Dene, it’s a shock to my brain lol. My name is Denè and it’s pretty rare especially with that spelling.

[@sihotech]

You gotta learn it... no excuses.

[@Gingermycat]

He spoke 3 languages in one spot. It's amazing that he is helping bring awareness to the dying languages. Edit: OMG an American spoke English 😲 so it's 4 languages! 🤦‍♀️

[@jmo53214.]

Four if you count his native english! (Cree, Welsh, Mandarin Chinese ((I think)) and English)

[@jeremybenoit759]

One of those languages was either mandarin or Cantonese aka chinese, not exactly a dying language lol

[@notcrazy6288]

@@jeremybenoit759 Welch is definitely a dying language. Two in one video ain't bad.

[@sadhu7191]

Bro it's not normal to learn Language so fast. He needs to have t9n of kids.

[@sadhu7191]

The comments. Bro this is to much I barely can speak English my first language lol

[@Mr59J]

The Cree can be some of the friendliest, funniest and warmest people you'll ever meet. Fantastic storytellers too. Shout out to XIaoma for helping to put Indigenous people's stories out there, hes a good man. Doin his part as "moony ass" lmaooo

[@markmullen1852]

Beautiful Cree people. Please don't lose your language. Teach your kids. It's priceless.

[@Rmx-tq5vi]

*There are KZbinrs who waste their time promoting stupid stunts or pranks for clout.* *Then there are KZbinrs who spreads awareness, knowledge and happiness to the world.* *Thank you Xiaoma.* 🙏

[@SGC511]

much respect

[@houseofchinn6112]

You act like every YT'er should be like this channel. Why? What's wrong with people having success on their own. Pretty pretty for some random commenter to shame others that they don't follow your personal opinions

[@unicw21]

@@houseofchinn6112Stay mad hater

[@houseofchinn6112]

@@unicw21 cry

[@angelstyle9677]

@@houseofchinn6112they didn’t say those other channels shouldn’t exist. They are thanking him for using his platform to spread awareness. Which is something you don’t see a lot of youtubers do, especially like learning a dying language and traveling to Saskatchewan to speak to the natives on his own dime.

[@brianajohnson1689]

This made me so emotional. I am from the Chippewa (ojibwe) in Wisconsin. Our language is dying and most of us know some basic words but not as a native tongue. Our grandparents and great grandparents lived through being put into residential schools and having our customs and religion stripped. All of our languages are dying and its so hard to keep them going. Our elders were able to start creating guides with the University of Minnesota and Rosetta Stone to keep our language alive. Writing this is making me so emotional as well. Miigwetch Miigwetch Miigwetch for presenting this as an important content for people to understand that our languages are dying and how important Indigenous peoples are.

[@catheriney6209]

❤

[@dominoglenrio5650]

You might also approach Duolingo about adding Chippewa learning to the app. I know that a lot of younger people seek out languages on there. The Dine’ people recently got Navajo added as one of the options on there.❤

[@brianajohnson1689]

@@dominoglenrio5650 This is a great idea! Maybe I can pitch the idea to duolingo. My Grandparents are gone now so me learning how to speak it fluently is a lot harder. My dad doesnt speak any thing other than a few words.

[@D1zZit]

Fellow Ojibwe in Canada. Boozhoo ! There is a lot of good resources online for learning.

[@CndnHippo]

Miigwetch! I'm not Ojibwe but my name is and went to the town in the Manitoulins who's name I bear last year to celebrate a milestone birthday. It was such an emotional time and I can't wait to go back. I feel such a strong connection to the Anishinaabe people and it would be lovely to learn some of the language 🥰

[@pingponghappytime]

And just look how friendly these first Nation people are, after everything that's been done to them. Amazing people. Long live Cree culture

[@foxibot]

What a sweet people. She cried and that is so touching.

[@missdann]

I’m sure the woman who unexpectedly had a welsh conversation with you so far from Wales felt a piece of home! You share so much with your passion for languages thank you for always wanting to share it with us!❤️

[@chrism45]

I'm so curious how she ended up working there.

[@mikedown1250]

sounded like chinese welsh to me.

[@noahlebaron9337]

​@@TheDogGoesWoof69zero. There are no innocent settlers lol

[@Eskii_NZL]

You could tell by the way she lightened up around him that him speaking her language to her in his country touched her heart

[@patrickcolin7073]

​@@noahlebaron9337what are you accusing this random lady of?

[@ActivelyMike]

This is a beautiful thing you did. Thank you for being so compassionate and bringing people together ❤

[@nonnynani2766]

Oh wow

[@thenedley0913]

Dang Mike!

[@Mystery69]

this is very generous of you, however Xiaomanyc has 6 million subs and makes a literal killing from this KZbin channel. 100 bucks is just a drop in the bucket

[@Saberx1993]

@@Mystery69don’t be an ass lol. Someone’s hard earned money isn’t something small when they give it away.

[@linneamooney3090]

@@Mystery69it’s about more than just the money, it shows gratitude for this beautiful thing he has done. To be able to give that much shows just how grateful they are.

[@CP-tq3hu]

It's very easy to teach any baby/child to speak different languages. From the time they are born one parent will speak their native tongue, the other parent will speak the different language. The baby will speak both languages without any difficulties.

[@djwilliams7935]

That shoulder grab by one of the elders. You honored them greatly! He was proud.

[@Its_iQ]

You know, having a local take you to their reservation is actually a HUGE sign of respect and comfort. We do that to introduce you to our family, friends and even our ancestors so that you feel more comfortable and at home. We seriously appreciate this, as a Wisconsin local who loves to learn about our history, ekosani, Ari.♥️

[@allytrudie864]

Maybe on American reservations but certainly not Canadian ones. I’ve been on many a reservation- they used to hold illegal “fights” and I was brought in to be a waitress for the events many many times 😂 I didn’t belong there and they no one invited me. I was simply hired. As a teen you often end up on reservations to party outside away from the eyes of the police- again, we aren’t invited but we are certainly welcomed.

[@user-js5rz3gp1s]

That's very true.

[@austindoolittle2914]

As a Mohawk man from Canada who has been wanting to learn my language this gives me hope that I can learn and not let my culture fall away

[@neenalouise2633]

Yes do it! 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

[@user-pp4ve6qo1b]

What the hell are you waiting for then???? Just DO IT.

[@orlandoblacksmith5297]

There's quite a few apps and websites you can use, bro! A lot are free too. First Voices comes to mind

[@jaysoneway]

Well, you aren't going to regret it.

[@lukearts2954]

If you manage to perpetuate your culture, you will have to change your name to Austin Doo Much.

[@user-gw8ss6dh9g]

As a Canadian and an Indigenous ally and advocate, this meant a lot to see on your channel. Thank you 🥹🇨🇦

[@spookyzombae]

I'm sobbing. I really want to learn my native tongue. My grandmother had dealt with so much trauma from residential schools, that she refused to teach my mom, therefore my sisters and I never got the chance to learn. I'm going to look into these lessons and learn my language. I'm a full-time streamer and would love to also teach my community my culture, and to hopefully have cree/english streams. It's really a dream of mine. I want to break the cycle. I want to learn more about my culture, and if I ever have children of my own, I hope to teach them as well. Thank you so much for learning our language and promoting this. This inspires me, and I'm sure it will inspire the youth in the communities as well. I can't thank you enough for such a beautiful video. ❤

[@rickbel645]

Dude is extremely modest. He definitely has a gift that very very few people can even grasp.

[@OdinWannaBe]

Of course he has a gift to quickly learn language, and he does the practice for our entertainment too.

[@greasher926]

Yes, but his point still stands, anyone can learn a new language if they are consistent with it, and verbally practicing and not afraid of making mistakes in public and making a fool out of themselves. The main difference is what takes him a month probably would be a year for an average person.

[@Jake-bt3fc]

@@greasher926 I don't think it would actually take an average person multiple years to do this. He speaks a lot less than you'd think. He just knows exactly what he needs to learn to be able to buy something from a store and explain that he's learning the language etc. He uses a lot of the same phrases over and over again. When people try talking to him about off topic things he didn't expect to talk about you can see it gets pretty rough.

[@deehznuhhtz5053]

It's not a gift. You too can learn multiple languages. You just can't be stubborn, don't procrastinate and actually focus on learning. To simply just say he has a gift technically is implying you're dumb yourself.

[@lunacielo7680]

@@Jake-bt3fc How many phrases do you know in different languages? How many countries have you visited? Stop being jealous!

[@shawnrosler2408]

At 13:51, when the elder pats him on the shoulder...that broke me. Language is the key to elevating any culture, and @xiaomanyc continues to prove he's one of the greatest to ever do it.

[@FrankieDee-hc8ji]

An absolutely honest display of love and appreciation.

[@pennywitt5417]

It brought a huge smile to my face. Culture is so important. ❤❤❤

[@brendacollins1315]

This man is a true polyglot. Much respect to him; his gift brings people together.

[@osiang2919]

as a welsh speaker in cardiff this is awesome!! you've made more of an effort to learn our language than most natives!

[@drereacts3879]

Xiaomma this is my home town!! The women Julia is my grandmother. This makes me so happy to see

[@desperanzza]

❤

[@savageson2]

@@desperanzza❤

[@freyjablue.]

Danseh!

[@drereacts3879]

@@freyjablue. tansí, this T in our language is pronounced D

[@freyjablue.]

@@drereacts3879 Thank you !

[@jasonsheath3294]

50 year old lawyer here. Dealt with indigenous clients as criminal defense lawyer and in my current role of prosecutor. Have a front row seat to so many heartbreaking situations with lost and broken indigenous young people on bad paths. Seeing this is so uplifting. So meaningful to see Ari honour and connect with those elders (warriors!) fighting for their young and to preserve their culture. Got something in my eye after watching this video. Good humans on display here

[@siphious2911]

any tips for a young lad going into your career field, currently going onto my 3rd year of college for Political Science, and I hope to go into law school afterwards

[@jasonsheath3294]

@siphious2911 can I ask if you are in Canada or USA? I am Canadian and would be glad to help but if you are American I am probably less helpful.

[@siphious2911]

@@jasonsheath3294 USA unfortunately🤙

[@Erin-te8bl]

Oh yes Ari! You went visited native american tribe and community. I love native americans! They deserve so much better, they deserve more support more kindness and fairness! Sending my love and hugs to the Cree and native tribes. I love you beautiful people 🫶

[@ahhdash69]

As a fellow young Cree speaking adult i applaud and thank you for sharing our beautiful language ❤️ you truly are amazing.!

[@DubstepSigma21]

I’m a young teenager learning more cree each day, im hoping to pass it on to my baby cousins and siblings/kids. This is cool to see, Mwestas

[@imagamerchick]

Shout out to my Cree cousins! Blackfoot here, makes me so proud to hear our culture and traditions carried on! 10 years ago most tribes were worried about losing our language one day, the passed couple years i feel so much hope because theres been so many more people interested! Thank you for shining a light on our cultures!💖

[@yaphi999]

I love the blackfoot ! They where some scary mtf back in the day lol you better where not caught passing on their territory 😂

[@MrHammerman97]

Did the cree and blackfoots kill each other before?

[@RadicalRamblings]

Oki!

[@ayronnreko2345]

Ok'!

[@SarahHodgins]

@@MrHammerman97 possibly several hundred years ago...not so much now tho :)

[@TheVTrider]

@7:26 "You speak Welsh!" You're a polyglot from far away in the middle of Saskatchewan meeting & speaking to the community via their native language when you meet a beautiful Welsh girl & introduce yourself in her native celtic (and just as ancient) native tongue! - You sir are my hero, If only I had your skills when I was your age the world would be mine!

[@louish2037]

He’s over 30 lol

[@user-ji7vn1ps8j]

@@louish2037lol and maybe the OP is over 60?

[@Howwerelivingfishing]

@@louish2037bro I’m 31 and u making me sound like a dinosaur 😂

[@louish2037]

@@user-ji7vn1ps8j Yeah that’s reasonable, I’m under 30 tho so he seems old to me

[@katrabbit]

You're not too old. The world can still be yours!

[@pty8s]

Auntie made me cry. I lived on a Res for a long time, trapline and chasing your beautiful Cree girls. Métis side of Res didn’t like me, because I’m a machisk. 55 years ago, and I’m so sad to hear of some of your you peoples ills. I sometimes wish I had never left N.Manitoba. The Bees the Donkeys the Spences the Linklaters such beautiful people.

[@xEPICxNESS]

I’m so humbled to see you know what to gift our Elders. Blessing them with sweet grass and tobacco like our ancestors have for millennia.

[@KendallM0219]

There’s something so special about a people being touched by his efforts. When the elder grabbed ahold of his jacket and held it at 13:49 for a second or two it really touched my heart. It’s a show of emotion I haven’t see in a long time.

[@aye3678]

Yeah that was powerful.

[@kookiekris]

Yessss! You can really tell they are grateful

[@aceflores4533]

Im glad you brought it up, i was going to say the same that gesture alone is a powerful message and not many ppl seem to understand and will miss the meaning of it. I have to pause and see it 3 times to make sure i wouldn't miss that. Xiomannyc has a gift not many possess.

[@kiingblue]

​@@aceflores4533 I felt that too. It's so interesting how a display of respect/gratitude can be felt by so many of us, while it seems Xiaoma himself was a little confused lol. No hate to him, I know it's a cultural difference and to an American/non-native being grabbed like that would seem aggressive or not at all like a kind gesture. Still, you can tell how deeply they appreciated his efforts to learn the language and help keep their culture alive. Their culture- the Cree language, their way of life, and the land they live on IS who the Cree people are. It is so important for native/First Nations to have their identity

[@jkrillz6571]

@@kiingblue yea its only a split second of confusion though, the thank you seemed very understanding.

[@ericbrett3095]

Ari, you need to work for the UN as a goodwill ambassador. Your personality and language skills will foster world peace.

[@wolfeyezontheprize2658]

But he’s American tho, doesn’t he have to be European to join the UN? Or is that not a rule over there? I’m American myself so I’ve no idea

[@austinperez9408]

@@wolfeyezontheprize2658 The US is a founding member of the United Nations and the headquarters is in New York. You're likely thinking of the European Union.

[@scorpionformula]

😂 they are corrupt

[@gerardmccann9135]

@@austinperez9408you’ve done extremely well to make some sense out of his ignorance. I honestly wasn’t sure if he was been sarcastic, but you mentioning the EU at least gives an idea to his chain of thought. The comment still reflects poorly on the state of the US education system. A poorly educated population will always be a weakness for any democracy and I can’t help but feel that in the US, this is very much the intention

[@paulamccarthy9511]

@@scorpionformula Yup All any one has to do is research the r-ape of women and children by UN soldiers in various countries ie: Haiti and Kosovo

[@Mayyde]

I love I can hear the subtle similarities between Cree and Ojibwe. Despite not hearing Cree that much in my life, I picked up on words like rabbit immediately, since it's so similar to how we say it in my area. I've heard multiple dialects of Ojibwe for all of my life and have been surrounded by speakers, so a lot of the words are forever going to stick with me. From my family speaking around the house, to friends joking in the language, and from it being taught in our schools on the rez. Miigwech for inspiring me to keep going on this journey to be fluent! It means so much to me. You are an incredible person.

[@Elliottklassen]

I am from Saskatchewan, and while I am not Indigenous, I think arguably Canada’s worst historical stain was how it attempted to erase these cultures and languages from existence. My wife’s family actually has a cabin at loon lake, so it definitely hit closer to home for KZbin to suddenly come right to my backyard. My ancestors came as refugees from Russian Ukraine during the Bolshevik revolution, and our people (mennonites) also have our own language that is near extinction as well. I don’t know any Plautdietsch or Cree, but I will say that this video has given me some increased motivation to learn more of one/both of them (Though learning Cree does scare me, to be honest).

[@YesSir-ms3uk]

The aboriginals of Canada achieved nothing hence why the British were able to take over if they had developed advanced society they wouldn’t have lost

[@kurtminault8564]

THIS VIDEO HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST WATCHED VIDEO IN CANADA RIGHT NOW!!! Everyone is posting it on social media. Thank you sir for coming to Canada and speaking to those elders, they appreciate it more than you know I'm sure

[@unitythespider]

Someone is peeling onions in here The elders words were so raw and real. The language was damaged when colonization stole it. I will smudge and give thanks for the Cree language, a gift to the people.

[@chubbrock659]

Are you native?

[@grabble7605]

They didn't steal it. They don't even know it.

[@vidterminator22]

​@grabble7605 I don't think it was meant as being stolen as in they use it, but rather that they were not permitted to speak it.

[@psyckchyck]

I think I must live near you. Those onions are getting to me, too.

[@Clenato]

As a white Canadian I carry so much anger and shame towards my government and their abject failure to empower our indigenous peoples to hold onto and celebrate their cultures. We all know the horrific, systematic cultural genocide our government put them through, and still our government wont support put in the work. Thank you for bringing awareness to this precious language and culture. Seeing their faces come alight when you speak, and the exchange in that restaurant bringing cultures and peoples big hearts together, truly beautiful.

[@suns_and_moons_husband]

OMG THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING OUR NATIVE LANGUAGE IT MEANS ALOT

[@boyjimini11]

A native woman's laugh heals all your emotional wounds. It comes straight from the heavens 🙌

[@IanMcCausland]

I love it when they joked that the rabbits came from the pet store! LOL!

[@organiccitric7632]

The elder man at 13:51 grab his shoulder with a firm grip after hand shake hits me... he really appreciate you learning cree.

[@sassbrat]

Same here. He earned his respect when the Elder did that. You could hear the respect in the gesture

[@same4585]

that part made me emotional as heck

[@ssc4153]

Xiao....I sure hope you can inspire the younger generation to continue to learn their language. The Native Americans continue to have difficulty with this and I hope that by seeing you it will spark their interest!.....I would love to learn how to speak several Native American languages!

[@ngatiharty1]

This is beautiful. I come from Aotearoa New Zealand and I really deeply need to learn my native language it's vital I think in the preservation of culture tradition and the future. Thank you for uploading I sincerely hope the Cree language gains more speakers and thrives ❤

[@phillyphan1225]

The fact Ari was so afraid of dogs and respected the plan enough to just go along with what they had ready for him to do says so much!

[@vividness4202]

He’s incredibly open minded and adaptable. 😅 Did you notice that when he came out of the sweat lodge he wasn’t afraid of the dog coming up to greet him 💁‍♀️ 😂 not sure he even registered that the doggo was there 🥵😆

[@mikethurman3147]

The bit with the Welsh lady was amazing. The Cree elder talking about teaching children Cree was heartfelt. But having multiple fluencies at the Chinese restaurant and building relationships with "hello" and "thanks" was inspired and hopefully long lasting. Small steps matter. Thanks for doing what you do. I think I need to practice my Greek now

[@tdb4763]

That's building bridges that will last a lifetime. You can't put a value on that, it's immeasurable. Beautiful human connection.

[@hobbypotter]

Exactly!!! That one moment in the restaurant, where he helped it new friend and then the restaurant owners. You just created "community" in less than 5 minutes. Genius!

[@SolanaDevon]

His tears when they are complimenting him is so sweet. You can tell he is genuinely touched and so are they that someone would want to learn their beautiful language. I hope his visit helps them keep their language alive.

[@matthewkendrick8280]

This man single handedly revives languages

[@IanMcCausland]

watching this in Manitoba with tears in my eyes, that elder crying sums up so much. Thank you for bringing attention to Cree.

[@Aallarie]

Watching from Manitoba as well!

[@luvely1062]

From winnipeg, hope to move back one day

[@wee_haggis6374]

This one made me cry, the indigenous people here have had so much stolen from them, so much of their culture robbed, it was a blessing to see you respect them like this. When the lady talked about teaching her grandchildren Cree I welled up, when the old man grabbed your coat the tears started. I was expecting another novelty video, this was so much more, thank you 🖤

[@tdb4763]

Yes and it's for the better it was taken that's how manifest destiny works. Now we have civilization and technology we wouldn't have had otherwise.

[@julesjones2442]

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@funnyperson4027]

That part was so impactful

[@noahlebaron9337]

​@@tdb4763civilization isn't linked to technology, it's universally human. But stay ignorant ig.

[@TheTroygarg]

I felt the same, very tearful for me, and having him bridge the languages of the restaurant owner and the people they serve... amazing

[@Odeyraful]

I am so amazed watching this! This is like watching home! I am from Finland and we aren't very well known for our traditions and location. Our language is one of the hardest ones to learn too! We live in cold climates with lots of snow just like these people in the video. And what stunned me the most was this thing they called "sweat lodge".. That's literally Sauna which Finnish people invented some over 2000 years ago. Maybe we were not the only ones, maybe not even the first. I absolutely love Cree speaking people, they are literally just like us Finns. Food looks a lot like ours too! I love these people.

[@starlawilson9011]

It is absolutely beautiful that you have taken the time to learn Cree, and go there to present it to their elders.

[@helenestraca4007]

This made me so emotional. I'm Apache and Spaniard and I have no idea how to speak either language. Shame on me for not learning and shame on me for not passing on the language to my children. I'm never too old to learn and teach to continue any traditional language I was born into. Cree sounds like a beautiful language and I have learned a valuable lesson watching this video. Thank you.

[@giftofthewild6665]

I'm part Spanish and I'm learning the language now in my 40s. It's never too late to start 😊

[@LJBSullivan]

Today is a good day to start and teach kids as well

[@vaec58]

My family on my Mothers side was from Ireland, wish I could’ve learned a bit of Gaelic

[@SD-fj2mu]

That shame isn't for you to carry. You don't know because you haven't learned because you weren't taught. What's important is that now you have tools and the ability and wisdom to seek out that knowledge now and take steps to learn. See how quick that shame dissipates when you take action. You've got this!

[@annamccart4639]

I've always been interested in learning more languages. There are SSOOO many programs available, and I don't know where to start, but I'm looking for indigenous languages as well as the standard stuff. I think every tribe should make their language a requirement in the schools their children will attend.

[@jaadee596]

DUDE SHE CRIED!! THAT WILL STICK WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.... GOOD ON YOU.

[@jeromyw8075]

That and the old man patting him on the shoulder and clutching his coat. That little interaction spoke so loudly.

[@steve021883]

This might literally the best video I’ve ever watched on KZbin. It resonated so much to me as a Canadian born Chinese. I think there are many things that tie me to my culture but learning and understanding the language is definitely a part of developing my connection to my ancestors. Thank you for such an amazing message. Thank you for introducing me to the amazing Cree community in Saskatchewan.

[@podunkest]

Man, I say this every so often over the years but your channel truly embodies everything good they said the internet would be before it became such a staple in our lives That beautiful woman getting emotional hit me hard, don't ever stop man.

[@sallycormier1383]

Teaching a Chinese lady how to say hello in Cree was so cool. Bringing people together, one language at a time. Nice!❤

[@nativecutechick]

As a mi’kmaq First Nation woman, this warms my heart as you are so willing to learn so many languages which I love to watch, especially when you freak them out by speaking their language!!!! There are so many beautiful languages in North America that I hope that you will learn more, especially our mi’kmaq language which is from the Algonquin language. Algonquian languages, North American Indian language family whose member languages are or were spoken in Canada, New England, the Atlantic coastal region southward to North Carolina, and the Great Lakes region and surrounding areas westward to the Rocky Mountains. Among the numerous Algonquian languages are Cree, Ojibwa, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Mi’kmaq (Micmac), Arapaho, and Fox-Sauk-Kickapoo. The term Algonquin (often spelled this way to differentiate it from the family) refers to a dialect of Ojibwa. Algonquian languages have been classified by some scholars as belonging to a larger language group, the Macro-Algonquian phylum. See also Macro-Algonquian languages., also you should know that our language which is mi’kmaq were not allowed to use in the residential schools as they( the children)were beaten out of by the priest, and nuns, this happened across turtle island.. 😞 I know some are advocating to keep our language alive!!! Thank you so very much

[@VioletSun77]

I am Mi'kmaq also❤ New Brunswick area my Grandfather was born. I am in USA. ❤

[@kathymitchell2822]

Weliegsitpu'g 🌞☕ Tleiawi Listuguj 😊🤝🏾 Mi'gmaq First Nation

[@mimimonster]

So interesting! Thanks for sharing

[@VioletSun77]

@@kathymitchell2822 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@LM-nm7xj]

Thank you for this explanation. My 9th great-grandmother was Mi’kmaq. My first ancestor (French) to arrive in North America arrived at Prince Edward Island in the early 1640s. She married his grandson, and they had 3 children.

[@catspece4933]

Excellent!! I have watched your channel for 2-3 years. It is great to see people get excited over your speaking their language and speaking it well. Language is a key to many many doors!

[@brandonhiraeth4537]

You honestly showed these people so much so much respect. Seeing two of them hug EACH OTHER after hearing you speak their language just shows the immense impact and validation this brings.

[@Hana-jo1ev]

Of course what Xiaoma did is touching but equally as touching is Patrick’s gesture to his community and youth. What an amazing community member and leader to have ❤️

[@MultiCowboy2012]

It's an huge honor to be invited to the lodge. Good on you.

[@rcaddict2.0]

As a Canadian, this was touching. Thank you for lending your platform. Our native languages need all the help they can get. ❤

[@samaaaa1]

I rewatched the Welsh lady's reaction about 75 times

[@thinkfact]

There's something just so darn cool about having an Asian language, a North American language, and a European language all being shared and discussed with in the same spot. The world is so big, yet so small.

[@Hurricayne92]

the way Ari can bring them all together as well is amazing

[@larrysnyder2273]

They're not just impressed, they're proud of you. Looks like you have new brothers and sisters in Saskatchewan.

[@alanahendrick4550]

This was so moving. The way you validated and respected their language and culture - you could see how much that meant to them.

[@KatrinaKingsOfLeon]

I was emotional during this whole video, this is so special and important. You're amazing for doing this for their community

[@dgendm2736]

Well done Ari! As as a Saskatchewanian, I'm so glad you visited our province - and even more glad that you spent time in one of our First Nations. More than ever, we need to highlight and preserve the cultures that were nearly eradicated by past governments. There is still prejudice and racism, and in Canada, much of that is targeted at indigenous people. Only knowledge can help remove prejudice, and you are helping spread that knowledge.

[@claireschramek5522]

My favourite part is how he was so terrified of the dogs when he went sledding but when he got out of the sweat lodge the husky ran up to him and he just put his hand down and didn’t even react. Sweat lodge was truly transformational.

[@SANITIZEDINC]

Nice observation.

[@Joeysaladslover]

That’s called being tired lmfao what are you going on about?

[@elenajewel3]

@@JoeysaladsloverHe has a fear of dogs. That is not something selective. He has to be extremely relaxed to just ignore the dog like that. This isn’t the first comment I’ve seen acknowledging that he wasn’t fearful of the dog (probably because he was distracted by the experience, he seemed very excited and euphoric about it)

[@zataritamods7499]

I LOVE the comment about practice being more important than talent. I speak German and French and a lot of people say they would never be able to handle another language, but it's like learning to ride a bike or a car. At first you have to think "turn on turn signal, hit the breaks, check for pedestrians, turn the wheel, straighten the wheel, hit the gas pedal", but eventually it reaches the point where you go "i want to turn" and the muscle memory does the rest. Learning a new language is IDENTICAL. At first you think "I translate the words, and rearrange the syntax" but after a while it just clicks into the other language. You aren't translating anymore you're actively expressing your thoughts and forming the sentence in that language. Practice is 100% the only way to become fluent in a language. You could learn all the words, learn the grammar, and sentence structure, but if you don't actively try speaking it and putting all the parts together you will never get to the point you want to be at.

[@edmontonhermit1156]

This is so good to see, thank you for coming to do this. Language revival is SO important for many First Nations.

[@michaelhughes9145]

Save the Cree Langue. When i started school in Louisiana back in 1973, the state was trying to save Cajun French . For years kids were beat for speaking our version of French and the language was dying. Today it is promoted. Lets save the almost lost languages.

[@randomvintagefilm273]

Their language will never die. It is recorded forever.

[@cheshireisghosting8338]

Just because we have languages recorded doesn't mean they're not dead. A dead language is one that is no longer used in everyday language, for example: even though there are ppl who can speak latin, it is a dead language because no one speaks it casually. Since many indigenous tribes have been forcefully assimilated, many of the members of these tribes who do know the language fluently don't teach it due to trauma so it's very hard for the young people to learn. It is still a dying language as the amount of people who speak cree (along with many other dying languages) is shrinking, it's a wonderful thing that we have so many people now passionate about reviving these languages forcefully forgotten by colonizers. I think one of the saddest statistics ive seen is that more people in the world are learning irish on online apps than there are native speakers alive. I believe that that goes for most languages and cultures forcefully erased by colonizers.

[@hrothgarnogar]

That's not what constitutes a dead language. It's a term that has a specific meaning. Latin is still understood and we have record of it but it's a dead language.

[@1johnnygunn]

Being spoken in common use is a living language, all else is mere guesswork.

[@cheshireisghosting8338]

@@hrothgarnogarA dead language is defined as: a language that is no longer used for ordinary communication or a language that is no longer spoken by anyone as their main language which is essentially what I said but in different wording. And yes, latin is a dead language. I used latin as an example for a dead language that we have records for. I don't know why you repeated what I said about latin as if I didn't already state that?

[@cheshireisghosting8338]

@@1johnnygunnExactly. I didnt say Cree was a dead language, I said it was a dying one, as most languages belonging to people who were colonized are. I mainly made my initial comment to explain how just because we have records of languages doesnt mean that they arent dead or will not die.

[@kiiyann0]

Ari shows so much respect to every single person he encounters regardless of who they are or what language they speak. Watching him bring joy to people as well as shed light on a dying language was absolutely amazing. The nice encouragement at the end was awesome, too! I'll go get back to my language learning. Thank you for this amazing video, Ari, and thank you for everything you do to connect through speaking.

[@pablocamille]

This gets me so emotional.our Indigenous brothers and sisters have had so much crap done to them for so long and they still remain strong ✊🏽❤️🌾

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

I'm white Québécois and I've been thinking about learning Inuktitut for some years now. This video is definitely giving me motivation to actually get on it. ❤

[@br6480]

I had an elderly gentleman( Mr.Togaluk) as a patient at the Montreal General in the 80’s. He would always put his blanket on the floor and have me sit with him and teach me Inuktitut. He would always wear his mukluks.

[@VioletSun77]

Crow profile pic is awesome...My Grandfather was from Shediac...🎇

[@Zultzify]

@@VioletSun77 nb? nice! my family is from st george + surrounding areas!

[@eshep2943]

my god good luck. that language is just as hard, if not harder to lean

[@eshep2943]

he is canadian, learning a language that is unique to his country. He already IS learning a language from where he is from@@user-eqwl2htry45Il

[@just-a-generic-username]

This one and the video in Ireland really tore me up. The pain of having your language and culture suppressed for so long is palpable in these communities. This is such a beautiful reminder that their languages live on and how much value there is in taking the time to learn.

[@francestaylor9156]

I was JUST thinking about the Ireland video too.

[@triarb5790]

My grandma grew up being told to only speak Gaelic behind closed doors with other Gaelic speakers. We never heard her speak it, until she got Dementia. Then she only spoke Gaelic. All the English had gone. It was actually beautiful because it was like hearing decades of oppression just fall away.

[@just-a-generic-username]

@@triarb5790 That's both beautiful and sad. I'm sorry she didn't have the opportunity to express her culture before then, but happy to hear that she did eventually.

[@CLabmusic]

The connection you make with these families must feel incredibly rewarding❤

[@rainiedog]

This is one of the most beautiful, raw videos I’ve seen in a while. Thank you.

[@BrightonsPriest]

I’m Potawatomi tribe, to see someone trying to protect languages makes my heart melt

[@blaiseutube]

I noticed that after the sweat he ignored the dog walking around him. No more fear.

[@elenajewel3]

I love how he is making them feel like their culture is so beautiful and appreciated! It’s one thing to love your own culture, but watching others enjoy it is so rewarding!!

[@bradwillis7031]

Loved the inspirational conversation at the end regarding learning languages!

[@thesitdownquilter]

I lived and worked with the Cree people in Northern Manitoba for over a decade. Some of the kindest, most caring people that I’ve ever met.

[@fanficspoofers]

YES! I am originally from Ontario and moved to Saskatoon Saskatchewan several years ago. I do not speak Cree nor am I indigenous but I know how important it is to preserve the Cree language. This video is amazing to see, it warms my heart. Thank you

[@JawshS]

Please Please Please do more of this content! I would love to see more videos of you connecting with this community and the elders, I've never had the opportunity to learn and now that I'm in university my freetime is even less and I still need to learn french on top of everything else. But to see you learn a language close to my culture is really cool and heartwarming

[@elenajewel3]

This has got to be your best video man! This is so beautiful and amazing!