Chief Sunrise Education Centre has been back in action over the last couple of weeks since the Covid break and February appears to be a perfect time to revive learning for Indigenous Languages.
Principal Deborah Reid said that while this month is being officially celebrated and recognized to promote the use of Dene Yati, it is also helpful that the GNWT Department of Education, Culture and Employment is tying the theme of the month to LetSA国际影视传媒檚 Go Fishing.
The department stated in a news release on Feb. 1 that in partnership with the NWT Literacy Council, students are being encouraged to use reading resources with Indigenous languages including fish-related cookbooks.
Reid said that her school regularly has students helping at home prepare meals and the use of fish recipes at reserve homes was an added way to practicing the language.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e been handing out fish to each family as they come available because it is hard for harvesters to catch enough, like 30 at once,SA国际影视传媒� she explained. SA国际影视传媒淲henever fishers go out for the day to clean up their nets SA国际影视传媒� ISA国际影视传媒檝e also been purchasing fish from a commercial fisher person and then the fish are delivered to families of kids at the school.SA国际影视传媒�
Reid said the aim is that by the end of the month, every family will get a fish and teach their children the way that they like the fish prepared.
Throughout the month students will learn in school different words around the theme of fish from describing the taste of fish to experiencing the act of fishing.
Reid explained that promoting and encouraging the use of the traditional language is an important part of the school throughout the year but having themes to reference helps students put words and phrases into context.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 nice to kind of have a hook to put this celebration of language onto and weSA国际影视传媒檝e been trying to rejuvenate and enhance the language learning as much as possible in the school, especially our school,SA国际影视传媒� she said.
SA国际影视传媒淲e want the language to be alive, not a language where it is always talking about the past.
SA国际影视传媒淲e want the language to be a living language where kids can walk down the street and talk to each other or to their parents or people that they know and say SA国际影视传媒楪ood morningSA国际影视传媒� or SA国际影视传媒楬ow are you?SA国际影视传媒� and feel confident in the responses and how they pronounce things.SA国际影视传媒�
The school is also promoting the Dene law of SA国际影视传媒淟ove One Another As Much As Possible.SA国际影视传媒� which is also providing other opportunities to use the language.
Every month the school focuses on a different Dene law and promotes the language around those themes.
Students have been creating ValentineSA国际影视传媒檚 Day cards to send to elders and people at Woodland Manor.
Reid said she has also kept up her Christmas tree in the school and rebranded it as an SA国际影视传媒淓veryday Tree.SA国际影视传媒� It not only allows the school to have another part of nature inside, but it also serves students the ability to put up positive affirmations that help keep morale up.
SA国际影视传媒淲hen February rolled around we had kids make decorations and put them up for using Dene Yati language for SA国际影视传媒榣oveSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒榢indnessSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒榮haringSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒榟elpful.SA国际影视传媒�
