Dene Zhatie passed on
Fourteen graduates plan to bring language back to their homes
Sarah Ladik
Northern News Services
Thursday, October 1, 2015
INUVIK
Fourteen graduates are celebrating the next step of their adventure into the traditional language of the Deh Cho Dene.
The graduating Deh Zhatie class and their instructors include Joyce McLeod, from left, Bev Bagnall-Hope, Nimisha Bastedo, Kim Hardisty, Cheryl Cli, Lory-Ann Bertrand, Cecile Bonnetrouge, Dahti Tsetso, Belinda Sabourin, Terry Sapp, Patricia Bouvier, Nicole Perron, Evelyn Sabourin, Leonie Sabourin, Sarah Tsetso and instructor Amber Blenkiron. - April Hudson/NNSL photo
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The students, along with instructors Amber Blenkiron and Kim Hardisty, gathered in Fort Simpson on Sept. 25 to present what they hope to do with the Dene Zhatie language - the final step in the first year of the indigenous language revitalization program.
The program, offered through the University of Victoria's bachelor of education, is what the school refers to as a "laddered program," with the first year culminating in a certificate and subsequent years resulting in a diploma and finally an education degree in indigenous language revitalization.
Graduates this year include Evelyn Sabourin, Joyce McLeod, Nimisha Bastedo, Leonie Sabourin, Cecile Bonnetrouge-Deneyoua, Terry Sapp, Bev Bagnall-Hope, Dahti Tsetso, Nicole Perron, Lory-Ann Bertrand, Belinda Sabourin, Patricia Bouvier, Cheryl Cli and Sarah Tsetso.
Perron, from Fort Providence, said she plans to bring Dene Zhatie into her home where she can speak it with her family.
"My language goal is to work on myself. This program brought up a lot of things I was pushing under the rug that I didn't think would come up," she said during her presentation.
"I'm still on a long, long journey walking as two people."
The late Tlicho Chief Jimmy Bruneau popularized the saying "strong like two people" to describe the importance of adhering to aboriginal tradition while adopting a modern lifestyle.
Young adults and children
Bertrand, from Nahanni Butte, said she will be facilitating programs in her community to revitalize Dene Zhatie and hopes to use some of the learning techniques she took away from the class.
"Not a lot of young adults my age in Nahanni Butte are inspired to take the whole culture and language. I want to be that role model for adults in my community to look up to and say, 'She's young, and yet she knows the language,'" she said.
"(I hope to) start bringing young adults and children together and get them motivated to be in the culture and in the language."
For Sapp, the program's worth will show itself as she teaches what she has learned to her four young children.
"Now that I've been through the course, I'm no longer an outsider looking in," she said.
"One of my goals is to become fluent. If I bring (Dene Zhatie) into my home ... it will be all around me. Once it's introduced, it will be a lifetime for me, my kids and community members."
Students bounced back and forth between Victoria, Fort Simpson and their home communities throughout the year, which began in January.
Blenkiron, from southern B.C., was one of a handful of instructors the students learned from.
She said this was the first time the course has been extended to the Deh Cho.
"We had a lot of passionate, dedicated students working hard and overcoming so much to be in this program," she said. "They've been really supportive of each other. Now, they'll be looking for support outside."
