Hay River (Feb 28/05) - Since there are not many Slavey-language books, the school on the Hay River Reserve is creating its own. A project is underway to put Dene stories into a series of booklets, which are being illustrated by students.

Bryson Tecomba, a Grade 10 student at Chief Sunrise Education Centre on the Hay River Reserve, shows some of his illustrations for Slavey-language booklets. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

"The books will tell legends and stories of the old days," principal Brent Kaulback explains.

Kaulback says the stories will be written in a simplified form of Slavey, "so children can read them at an earlier grade level in their native language."

Grade 10 student Bryson Tecomba, one of nine students drawing illustrations, believes the books are a good idea.

So far, he has drawn mostly animals, such as deer, caribou, lynx, fox, buffalo, porcupine and fish. "I just draw them sort of realistic."

His favourite animal is the eagle. "They're amazing creatures."

Diane Tourangeau, the Slavey language teacher at Chief Sunrise, is happy the school will soon have more teaching resources. She has had to borrow Slavey books from schools in Fort Simpson and Fort Providence, but South Slavey is slightly different than North Slavey.

"Finally, we'll have our own stuff to use," Tourangeau says, adding it will be a big help in teaching the language.

Kaulback says the school is trying to build up resources to help preserve the language and create interest among students. The school has a library full of books in English, but only a "handful" in Slavey, he notes. One of the first new books will be "How the Moose Lost Her Horns," a story told to students by elder Pat Martel. Another will be a story once told to students by the late Anne Buggins on how Halloween was celebrated in the past.

"We're hoping by the end of the year to have 10 books completed," Kaulback says, noting each will be 10-16 pages.

The project is being undertaken with about $7,200 from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment's aboriginal languages programming.