Anishinaabemowin teacher recognized by TikTok Canada

By Ella Miller

TORONTO — When Nathalie Wajashk-Restoule discovered that there weren’t enough children’s books in Anishinaabemowin that she could give to her young students, rather than accept the injustice, the multi-talented teacher decided to write her own.

“I just really love being creative,” said Wajashk-Restoule. “That was just always a part of me ever since I was little. I love drawing and singing. I was just always using my hands to create and imagine stuff.”

Wajashk-Restoule is a primary school teacher in Okikendawt (Dokis First Nation), but her teaching doesn’t stop in the classroom. She now has over 100,000 followers on TikTok where her bio reads “here to Indigenize & decolonize”.

TikTok Canada recently took notice of Wajashk-Restoule’s work helping her followers learn Anishinaabemowin. She is one of three Indigenous content creators in Canada to be honoured in this way alongside Sherry Whitehawk and Crystal Harrison Collin.

“I was really taken back,” said Wajashk-Restoule on being recognized by TikTok. “It was just another moment for me to reflect. The voice that I share is really impactful and important.”

One of Wajashk-Restoule’s refrains throughout her videos is to “speak what you know.” She says that this is inspired by her own journey of learning Anishinaabemowin.

Wajashk-Restoule’s home community only has two remaining fluent Anishinaabemowin speakers. For Wajashk-Restoule, practicing her language is not always about being perfect, but instead, sharing knowledge and culture with her loved ones.

“I’ve witnessed that change in the classroom every single day,” said Wajashk-Restoule. “These kids really took it upon themselves and took that seed, planted [it], and grew something beautiful. I’ve seen it firsthand how just speaking what you know can really make a huge impact on your community.”

Besides being a full-time teacher, content creator, and mom, Wajashk-Restoule has also recently become a delegate for Miss Indigenous Canada.

She says that the leadership and outreach opportunities are the main reasons for her participation in the program.

Wajashk-Restoule has used her platform to further discuss language revitalization, including producing a short animation about learning and teaching Anishinaabemowin.

“At first, I was a bit hesitant,” said Wajashk-Restoule on her decision to participate in Miss Indigenous Canada. “I was like, ‘Do I have enough time to commit to this?’ And I realized that, you know what, I’m already kind of doing this job. It’s just about amplifying the work that I’m already doing and sharing the work that I’m doing.”

The final showcase for Miss Indigenous Canada is on July 24 in Brantford with tickets to the livestream and in-person showcase available for purchase online.