THEBACHA/FORT SMITH - A teacher in Fort Smith has won the NWT Teachers' Association Aboriginal Education Award.

Eileen Beaver, who teaches Chipewyan language and culture at Paul William Kaeser (PWK) High School, said she is honoured to have received the award for her efforts to preserve Chipewyan.

Eileen Beaver, a teacher in Fort Smith, is honoured by the NWT Teachers' Association for her efforts to preserve the Chipewyan language and culture. - Paul Bickford/NNSL photo

It is struggling because it's not being used as the dominant language in the community, she said.

"I'm trying to keep the fire burning, even if it's just a little spark somewhere."

Beaver said, when she hears her students speak Chipewyan, she feels she is doing something that is helping to make a difference.

Many people in Fort Smith can speak and understand at least some Chipewyan, she added.

"They just don't use it. It's just too convenient to use English at home."

Beaver learned to speak Chipewyan, Cree and French at home, before speaking English.

This past school year, she taught about 80 students, both aboriginal and non-aboriginal.

PWK also has a teacher the Cree language and culture.

The NWT Teachers' Association Aboriginal Education Award is designed to recognize teachers and others who display a strong belief in and support for aboriginal education.

In the five years the award has been presented, all the winners have been teachers.

Beaver said she was surprised when she was called up to receive the honour during PWK's year-end awards ceremony on June 12.

She said she was nominated for the award by her peers at PWK several months before, but had forgotten about it.

"When they called my name, I was really surprised," she said.

David Reid, the president of the NWT Teachers' Association, presented the award to Beaver.

"She has strong beliefs in aboriginal education," said Reid. "She has promoted aboriginal education all her life."

Beaver, 53, has degrees in Indian social work and native studies from the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, which is now known as First Nations University of Canada.

She has been the Chipewyan language and culture teacher at PWK for four years.

Before that, she offered Chipewyan instruction as a classroom assistant at PWK and Joseph Burr Tyrrell School.