N.W.T. considers teaching aboriginal languages in preschools (fwd)

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N.W.T. considers teaching aboriginal languages in preschools

Last Updated: Monday, March 19, 2007 | 10:14 AM CT
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2007/03/19/nwt-language.html

The Northwest Territories' education department says it wants to
introduce traditional languages and culture to younger children by
incorporating them in day care and preschool programs.

As early childhood educators across the territory met in Yellowknife
Friday to discuss how they could help stem aboriginal language and
culture loss in children, the territorial government says it wants to
improve training for child-care providers.

It may incorporate ideas used in Margaret Kagyut's day care in
Ulukhaktok, in which children learn the Inuvialuktun language through
regular activities and field trips.

"I've got lots of feedback from parents that children are using the
language in some ways at home and that the parents are learning from
their children too," Kagyut said Friday.

She said she started incorporating simple things such as labeling
objects around the classroom in Inuvialuktun, because she found young
people in her community were losing their language.

But Kagyut added that the school system must continue what work is
started in preschool.

"I noticed that when they go into the school system, they're losing what
was taught at preschool," she said. "So I think it's very important that
the school system ... keep trying to continue speaking the language."

Friday's workshop, which took place during Aboriginal Languages Month in
the Northwest Territories, was sponsored by the territorial government
and Aurora College and featured northern experts in early childhood
development as well as specialists from the University of Victoria.
Adults have a role

Onowa McIvor, a University of Victoria PhD student and aboriginal
language researcher, told the gathering that adults have an important
role to play in keeping their languages alive.

"To say, 'You are the future, you are the way, you need to carry on the
language,' what a tremendous responsibility to put on a
three-year-old," she said.

"They have the right to their language and as adults we owe them the
opportunity to learn their language, but we can't come along and put
that entire responsibility on that generation."

McIvor, who said she is struggling to learn her own Cree language,
recognized that there is no quick-fix solution to language loss, and it
requires hard work and a solid commitment to learning.

"People don't realize that it takes a tremendous amount of time and
effort," she said.

"We're all busy; we all work or go to school, or we're caring for our
families or some combination thereof. But unless we actually carve out
space in our lives for learning our languages, there's no other way to
do it."