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Health workers learn Tlicho basics
Stanton Hospital celebrates Aboriginal Languages Month

Dana Bowen
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 16, 2016

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Nurses, doctors and speech therapists alike gathered on the second floor at Stanton Territorial Hospital last week to learn a little bit of an indigenous language.

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Speech language-pathologist Anita Reiss is taking weekly Tlicho lessons at Stanton Territorial Hospital as part of Aboriginal Languages Month. - Dana Bowen/NNSL photo

In celebration of Aboriginal Languages Month, the Aboriginal Cultural Liaison is offering free Tlicho and South Slavey lessons, otherwise known as Dene Zhatie, for staff at the hospital.

Stanton is hosting the lessons "simply because of the large number of aboriginal patients here in the hospital we are dealing with," said Florence Ram, aboriginal cultural liaison supervisor. "So it's to give them a basic idea to learn the basic body parts and how the language functions."

Ram teaches the class with Bertha Jaeb, a Tlicho liaison worker.

The two meet with eager language-learners each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays to teach the basics.

During the group's second meeting, students played Bingo with a Tlicho twist. Participants filled in Tlicho words and phrases as they were called out.

Students also mixed Tlicho words with pictures to help them memorize each one.

While the teaching mechanisms may seem elementary, the results have been positive.

"We are giving them the verbal; listening to the sound of it and getting them to repeat the sounds and then we introduce them to the written just so they have a good understanding of how the written works," said Ram after the second lesson last week. "Even now they question certain letters and make certain sounds and stuff like that, so there's a lot of curiosity and questions."

Among the students attending was speech language-pathologist Anita Reiss who attended her first class last week.

Reiss said she has always been interested in learning new languages and thought attending the class would benefit her in both her personal and professional life.

"I like taking language classes because I can meet other people and in this case meet other hospital staff I wouldn't have otherwise met," she said.

"In terms of my career, I'm not going to be fluent from a few classes but I think learning a couple of key phrases is a good way to show respect for clients' language and culture."

While the lessons are being held solely for the month of March, it teaches staff the very basics of Tlicho and Dene Zhatie, for working with elders who only speak those languages.

"We are not here 24-seven so the nurses or staff that are on in the evenings - they need to be able to communicate with that person," said Jaeb.

During their second lesson, students learned how to ask if someone is in pain, where they are in pain and specific body parts, while also getting a better understanding of the written vocabulary.

The classes will continue on tomorrow until the end of the month and its instructors said they hope to offer the lessons once again next March.

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