Dene language course comes to Sir John
Credits will be applicable to high school diploma
Kirsten Fenn
Northern News Services
Thursday, November 10, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A first Dene language course that students will be eligible to apply toward their high school graduation credits opened at Sir John Franklin High School this month.
Madelaine Pasquayak, left, Mikayla Pitt and Keira Grandjambe sit around a circle of flash cards during Pasquayak's Grade 5 and 6 aboriginal language class at Mildred Hall School on Wednesday. Pasquayak has been hired to teach a new Dene language class at Sir John Franklin High School. - Kirsten Fenn/NNSL photo
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"A lot of indigenous kids have been taking the language program at Mildred Hall all the way from kindergarten to Grade 8 and there was no option at the high school other than French," Yk1 aboriginal education co-ordinator Scott Willoughby told Yellowknifer.
The school board wanted to provide students beyond the elementary level with an opportunity to learn the Weledeh dialect in the Tlicho language, said Willoughby, as well as implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's recommendations around language and culture.
"So to honour those, we'd like to get the program in the high school," he said.
The course is being targeted at Grade 9 students since it is a pilot program and in its first year. As the course evolves, the school plans to offer it to students in Grade 10, 11 and 12 as well.
That depends heavily on finding enough resources.
It can be difficult to find instructors who are qualified to teach indigenous languages, Yk1 assistant superintendent Ed Lippert told Yellowknifer following a discussion of the new program at the district's board meeting Tuesday night.
Yk1 is excited to have Madelaine Pasquayak on board to teach at Sir John, he said, adding that promoting indigenous language and culture is part of the school district's strategic plan and is important in reinforcing cultural identity.
"We feel a program like this will go a long way towards promoting that," Lippert said. "We want our indigenous students to be welcome in school and feel part of our community."
Pasquayak has been teaching aboriginal language and culture to elementary school students at Mildred Hall School since 2014 and also has a wealth of experience in interpretation.
But with the high school students, "the approach will be totally different," said Pasquayak.
She plans to introduce them to vowels, consonants, days, seasons and numbers in Tlicho through a conversational type of class.
"That's the whole idea, so we can get them talking," she said.
Once students are able to recognize basic words, the hope is that they will be able to form sentences. Eventually, Pasquayak wants to introduce them to geography and books by Dene author George Blondin.
While she focuses on teaching the students about Dene language, another staff member will be on hand at Sir John to involve the students in cultural activities like drumming and handgames, Willoughby said.
"The languages are dying," Pasquayak said.
By sharing her knowledge, she hopes to preserve and revive them.
