This chapter explores ethical issues involved in language revitalization. Revitalization projects have different implications for different groups (including outside researchers, local activists, community members and sub-groups within the community) and should be planned in a way that is sensitive to the community’s needs, perspectives and knowledge systems. In cases where there is past or present oppression, discrimination or related traumas, only the community can decide whether and how they wish difficult topics to be brought up. Other issues discussed include the political positioning of researchers working with minority groups, legal issues, ownership, consent and the appropriate sharing of documentation resources. The capsule recounts ethical lessons learned through a collaboration with indigenous researchers in Friendship Centres in Ontario, Canada. The emphasis is on practical involvement in everyday activities so that research is grounded in long-term, reciprocal relationships with the knowledge keepers.

This book is for anyone interested in stopping local languages from falling into disuse. It provides practical guidance on how to approach and plan language revitalization. It is for community members and language activists, as well as educators, students and academics interested in developing fair and non-patronizing ways of responding to communities’ initiatives and needs. The book stresses that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution and that every language situation is different. It presents case studies and examples of language revitalization in a broad range of contexts. The book is practitioner-oriented and aims to provide multiple perspectives on approaches and issues to consider when planning language revitalization. Founded in the profound respect the authors have developed for different knowledge systems and approaches, it aims not only to decolonize research and practices in language revitalization contexts, but also to help develop more effective language revitalization strategies. By encouraging critical discussions about new ideas and real situations, the intention is to provide readers with the tools they need to make their own decisions.