Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Apr 12/02) - As part of a program to promote the eight official languages of the NWT, the winners of this year's language leaders were announced Monday.

Education, Culture and Employment Minister Jake Ootes congratulated the efforts of the eight, who have chosen to lead by example.

"This year's community language don't just talk about the importance of their languages, they live and work in their languages daily," Ootes said in a statement. "Their example reminds us that it is people who make languages live and sing."

Each year the department recognizes individuals from the eight official languages. This year's winner representing Inuvialuktun, was Inuvik's Rosie Albert.

With an English grandfather and Inuvialuit grandmother, Albert has been speaking two languages all her 68 years.

"My mother talked to us in Inuvialuktun, so we learned to switch," Albert said. "All six of us are bilingual.'

She attended residential school, but was allowed to speak in her original language.

After working with her husband on the Dew Line, Albert went back to school in 1979 to earn a teaching degree.

She taught at Sir Alexander Mackenzie elementary school for 17 years and interpreter-translator for the CBC for 12 years.

"I also worked with the Berger Inquiry, the National Energy Board, Science Council of Canada," she recalled.

She retired from the school in 1998, but never quit teaching. She holds regular sewing classes at Ingamo Hall, where each Monday and Wednesday the women learn traditional sewing and learn Inuvialuktun.

She says language is the root of every culture and people must know where the came from before they can determine where they are going.

"I think that's why we have a lot of problems with the younger people," she added. "They don't know where their roots are."

"I know education is very important, but you shouldn't have to forget who you are, in order to become professional."