DEH CHO
Three months ago a conversation in South Slavey didn't hold Joyce McLeod's interest for long, with many of the word's meanings lost on her.
But now when she hears the language she can't help but listen.
"I'm finding myself paying more attention and asking lots of questions. 'How do you say this? Can you repeat this again?'" said McLeod, adding she pays particular attention to pronunciation.
"It's more meaningful now."
McLeod is one of 17 students enrolled in the Aboriginal Language Revitalization program offered by the University of Victoria in partnership with Dehcho First Nation (DFN) and the Dehcho Divisional Education Council.
Upon completing the second year, students who begin with varying degrees of language proficiency earn a diploma. After the fourth year, they receive a degree.
The students are required to attend formal classes, held in Fort Providence and Fort Simpson, and also spend 100 hours practicing South Slavey with a mentor of their choice.
At the start of the course in January, Dahti Tsetso knew how to introduce herself, count to 10 and not much else. But after working with Violet Jumbo she's able to have short conversations on specific topics and understand parts of sentences spoken by fluent speakers.
"I have a long, long way to go but even just that improvement has been really encouraging," said Tsetso.
The pair often meets at the DFN office where Tsetso works and they converse while sewing, cooking or doing other activities.
To avoid using English, Tsetso relies on an arsenal of survival phrases such as, 'What is this? Can you say that again?' which students developed early on in class.
Instructor Andy Norwegian, who was inducted into the NWT education hall of fame for his work in promoting and revitalizing South Slavey, said this is the fastest he's seen students progress in a language program.
"I'm really encouraged by it, just to see how much the students have picked up in such a short time," said Norwegian.
"I'm hearing a lot of positive things about the students who are enrolled in the program. People are coming up to me and saying, 'This person was at a meeting, going around and introducing herself in the language.' It's very good to see."
The number of South Slavey speakers in the territory is in decline. According to a 2006 report from the NWT Bureau of statistics, 1,285 people in the territory speak the language, with 66 per cent over 40 years old.
In the Deh Cho, where the majority of South Slavey speakers are concentrated, the number of aboriginals 15 years and older who can speak an aboriginal language dropped to 58.2 per cent in 2009, from 78.6 per cent in 1989.
Educators in the region are concerned and a meeting of language coordinators was held last year by DFN.
"A concern was raised during this meeting that in a year or two we wouldn't have any certified language instructors and the ones at the schools here in the Deh Cho are due to begin retiring," recounted Alison de Pelham, DFN executive director.
The Aboriginal Languages Revitalization Program was seen as a solution to the problem.
The instructors encourage the students to share their knowledge with others and to use the language in everyday settings, such as at the dinner table or the grocery store.
By the end of the course, Tsetso said she hopes she won't be the only one in her house speaking South Slavey.
She wants her two children, who are five and seven-years old, to learn it too.
"The methods they're teaching us to learn the language and eventually be able to teach are really simple so it makes those goals seem possible."
As the program co-ordinator for Aboriginal Headstart in Fort Providence, McLeod is also concerned with passing on South Slavey to the younger generations.
She knows basic commands and greetings and is learning more through the program with the hope of becoming fluent.
She feels the language will help her build a better connection to her culture and wants to share that with the children.
"I've learned so much as a non-fluent speaker," said McLeod.
"I can't wait to see in the next year or two to see how far we have gone or how far I've gone."
Both Tsetso and McLeod praised the program, saying it's long past due and they hope other regions take note.
"I have a young family so for me to have to travel south to go into a program it makes it harder to access those sorts of programs. So the fact it's delivered here in the Deh Cho, I can just drive over to Providence and do the two-week intensive and then come home and do the program from my community," said Tsetso.
"Programs like this are giving people like me and people in our communities a lot of hope about making sure the Dene language gets stronger and stronger as we move forward."
