Lost for Words: Revitalizing Languages in a Warming World

Abstract

This thesis argues that Indigenous language revitalization is vital not only for the cultural survival of Aboriginal communities in Canada but also for preserving ecological knowledge critical in the face of the climate crisis. Drawing on philosophical frameworks—including Wittgenstein’s concept of language-games, Buber’s I–Thou relational ethics, Mugerauer’s environmental understanding, and Indigenous epistemologies—the thesis explores how Indigenous languages carry and generate place-based knowledge systems and worldviews rooted in reciprocity and adaptability. It examines how settler-colonial violence and linguistic imperialism have systematically eroded Aboriginal languages, leading to both cultural disintegration and ecological harm. Ultimately, the thesis defends revitalization efforts and cross-cultural collaborations as necessary for restoring worldviews vital to resisting environmental degradation and envisioning more relational, sustainable futures.