Leaders recognized for contributions
Kirsten Murphy
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jan 22/01) - The 2000 Community Language Leaders awards announced last week recognize six individuals and two groups for promoting the Northwest Territories' 11 official languages.
Revived after a three year hiatus, the program gives successful nominees $250 and a certificate. Winners were selected by their communities.
"I'm just trying to keep the Inuvialuktun language alive," said Brian Rogers of Inuvik. Rogers offers drum nights to adults and children twice a week.
Forget classrooms and notebooks. These award-winning individuals incorporate song, dance, biblical translations, video dubbing, computer fonts and tool making.
"Less and less people are speaking Cree," said Raymond Beaver of Fort Smith. "Young people are losing it and I'd like to see the language continue."
Melody McLeod, official languages coordinator for the department of Education, Culture and Employment, commended ordinary people for making extraordinary contributions.
"It's extremely important to recognize people dedicating themselves to ensuring their language is kept alive," McLeod said. "The communities have recognized these people and now the public can."
The winners are:
- Former Salt River First Nations Chief Raymond Beaver of Fort Smith for teaching Cree Traditional Knowledge and Living Off the Land classes to school-age children.
- Protestant missionary Jim Stauffer of Wha Ti for translating the bible into Dogrib and developing Dene computer fonts.
- Orator Bertha Francis of Fort McPherson for promoting Gwich'in at meetings and on the radio.
- Holman's Mary Okoakhion teaching of traditional Innuinnaqtun at summer language camps for children.
- Ann Kochon-Orlias of Colville Lake for her work on a North Slavey dictionary and identifying legends behind traditional place names for the Sahtu Land Use planning board.
- Fort Providence's Margaret Vandell who records elders' South Slavey stories and working on the book "Naheh- cho'kch - Our Elders."
- Brian Rogers' twice-weekly Inuvialuktun drumming classes in Inuvik for adults and children.
- Fort Resolution's Deninu Kue Chipewyan Langauge Working Group. The 14-person group opened a language resource centre and promoted the daily use of the Chipewyan language.
- Yellowknife Association of Francophone Parents for it's on-going efforts to promote the French language and culture.
