John King
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 30/05) - A community school for Ndilo has been a dream for Reanna Erasmus ever since her daughter was a young girl.

"This has been a school 30 years in the making," Erasmus said.

It was her daughter's hope to attend a school in her own community that inspired Erasmus to lobby on behalf of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation for the new school.

The Ndilo school will help to teach generations of Yellowknives Dene about their heritage, said Angela James who is the principle of K'alemi Dene school in Ndilo.

James is also the spokesperson for the New School Committee that has worked with the Yellowknives Dene First Nation Chief Fred Sangris and council on the community school project.

"This new school will very much reflect the culture and language of the Yellowknives Dene First Nations," James said.

With the Chief and council passing a motion to approve the site for the school in Ndilo, said James, the next step is to work with project architect, Pin-Taylor, on the school's design.

"The new school will be located right behind the existing building. There is an out-cropping of rocks, and the new school will go there," James said.

Originally intended as a joint kindergarten and adult upgrade facility, K'alemi Dene school has changed twice to meet the growing educational needs of the Yellowknives Dene.

The school first provided for K-6 students and later incorporated Grades 7 and 8.

The new school will offer K-12 with an emphasis on training that will give students the skills to find employment, whether it's as an administrative assistant or tradesman, said Erasmus.

Construction is to start in April 2006, and the school is to open in late 2007. The budget is $4.6 million.