Terry Sapp realized she needed to brush up on her peoples' Dene Zhatie虂 language soon after she moved back to Fort Providence from Edmonton, a little over 10 years ago.

She had recently started working at the local Deh Gah School at the time, and one day, while substitute teaching in a language class, found herself struggling to come up with the Dene Zhatie虂 words for common objects in the room SA国际影视传媒� like windows and doors. 

"The only word I had in my mind [in the language] was 'table,'" she said. SA国际影视传媒淭hat was a real eye-opener for me."

Sapp, who holds a cachelor of education from the University of Victoria, is Indigenous on her mother's side. Her mom, a residential school survivor, speaks Dene Zhatie虂. However, there was "a lot of English" in their family home when Sapp was growing up. 

"I became really envious of my mother, who spoke fluently, and also all the other adults in the community," she recalled. "It was always something that was instilled in me, that I wanted to have that language."

To realize, as an adult, that she still did not have the ability to speak the language of her ancestors comfortably caused Sapp to grapple with her sense of identity. 

"When we lose so much of ourselves, who are we?" she said. "That, in our language is 'Ami铆 ath铆t'e?', or 'Ami铆 anet'臋?' for 'who are you?'"

That is a question Sapp also asks her students at Deh Gah School, where she is now the principal. Having spent several years brushing up on her Dene Zhatie虂, in large part through the community's language revitalization program, she's determined to promote the language among local young people. She is an ardent supporter of the school's immersion program. She also strives to ensure the language is used as often as possible outside the classroom, in places like the hallway.

She encourages students to "stay in the language rather than switching to English," by exchanging basic phrases with them, such as "itSA国际影视传媒檚 good to see you," or "this morning, ISA国际影视传媒檓 happy to see you."

"How do we become more immersed?" she said. "How do we make language part of our everyday life, like how it used to be?"

Sapp believes most of Deh Gah School's students are pretty receptive of the staff's collective effort to promote the Dene Zhatie虂 language. She senses that they feel proud and connected to their culture when they have breakthroughs with the language.

That includes her own kids. Her eldest son, whom she often practises with at home, "just glows" when he notices he's making progress with the language, she said SA国际影视传媒� especially when he remembers a word his mother couldn't come up with. 

"He's really honoured," she said. "I see it a lot in my own kids. One of the things that I see in my kids is a sense of identity, and that pride that comes with it."

Helping her own children and her students connect with their identity has given Sapp an immense sense of purpose, which is something she often pined for in her younger years, like when she was working in construction in Edmonton. 

"I went out onto my patio [in Edmonton], and standing there, prayed to my grandfather, who had passed when I was in my late teens," she recalled. "I was saying SA国际影视传媒業 know what ISA国际影视传媒檓 doing right now is not my purpose. What is my purpose? Please help me find my purpose.SA国际影视传媒� Within two months I moved back to my community, and I also called [the former principal] and asked if there was a position at this school.

"I was so honoured to have my prayers answered," she added. "It gives me a feeling of wholeness."

Sapp and her colleagues will continue to do what they can to promote and protect the Dene Zhatie虂 language. While it's not always easy, she's "really confident" that they are connecting with the kids in their care, and that the language will thrive for generations to come as a consequence. 

"ItSA国际影视传媒檚 knowledge that is passed on from our ancestors and our Elders," she said. "One of the things that one of our Elders would always say is SA国际影视传媒榠tSA国际影视传媒檚 not for us to keep.SA国际影视传媒� Our knowledge and our language is an asset. If you know it, and you know it well, itSA国际影视传媒檚 not yours to keep. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 yours to pass on.

"If we can remind our youth of these things, our language and our culture will thrive through them."