FORT SMITH - Mary Cardinal uses singing as one way to teach the Cree language in Fort Smith.

Since October, Cardinal has been the Cree language instructor at Paul William Kaeser High School.

Mary Cardinal, of Fort Smith, teaches high school students how to sing in Cree. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

She teaches Cree to students in Grades 7 to 12, and taught Cree singing to a mixed class of Grade 10 and 11 students.

"That's who I taught the Cree singing to for Christmas," she said, noting about 10 students learned how to sing "Silent Night," which she had translated into Cree.

She and Grade 10 student Dallas Fraser sang the song at a Christmas dinner for elders presented by Smith's Landing First Nation.

Cardinal said the elders were pleased to hear the song in Cree. "They thanked us for singing it."

Fraser, 16, said singing in Cree helps her learn the language. "It definitely helped me learn a few words."

She is hoping to learn more songs in Cree. "Probably for next year another Christmas song."

While Cree singing is not unknown in the South Slave, it is not as common as singing in Chipewyan and Slavey.

For six years before moving to the high school, Cardinal was the Cree language instructor for the Aboriginal Head Start program in Fort Smith.

"We used to do Cree singing there," she said, noting she taught the children Christmas songs translated into Cree.

Cardinal believes singing is a good way to help young people learn a language.

"They enjoy it," she said. "They learn pretty fast."

Currently, Cardinal is translating another song - "You Win Again" by Hank Williams.

She also knows many traditional Cree songs. "But I don't sing them all the time."

Many of the Cree songs come from the South and are in Plains Cree, not the Bush Cree dialect spoken in Fort Smith.

Cardinal, 54, recently installed a recording system in her home.

She is planning to record three or four songs in Cree and send them to northern radio stations. "I'm hoping by next month."

Cardinal also teaches guitar and singing at her own MC House of Music.

She said she would teach Cree singing to adults, but nobody has yet asked her.

Cardinal was born in Fort Fitzgerald, Alta., but has lived in Fort Smith since 1973.

"I've been singing ever since I was about 10 years old," she said, adding Cree sounds nice when it is sung.