A three-month project in the Chilcotin has successfully brought language teachers from five First Nations communities to work together.
Project co-ordinator Selena Myers, the language teacher at Yunesit’in ?Esgul (school), said the project enabled the teachers to look at how to enhance their language programs within their classrooms.
They also worked on common lesson plans to teach their students how to be emergent Tsilhqot’in language speakers.
“Language and culture go hand in hand,” Myers said. “Learning our Tsilhqot’in language is important because the language is culture and our whole well-being. It gives us identity.”
For truly effective learning, a language program must include both language and culture, Myers said.
Customs and traditions are an integral part of the language program, she added.
Participating communities included Yunesit’in (Stone), Tsi Del Del (Redstone), Tl’etinqox (Anaham), Alexis Creek and Xeni Gwet’in (Nemiah Valley).
There are not enough First Nations language teachers today, said Myers.
“We need to teach others that are willing to read and write the language.”
Teachers also need monthly meetings with other language teachers and that was something the project made happen.
Jessica Setah-Alphonse, a community counsellor and Yunesit’in ?Esgul’s Kindergarten teacher, said during the three months each of the schools in each community created signage in the Tsilhqot’in language and the language teachers also developed a yearly calendar together.
“Selena has been able to do a couple of field trips onto the land with the students,” Setah-Alphonse said. “She really wants us to utilize our traditional teachings, and focus on the rules and protocol and make sure we are doing traditional activities in the classroom.”
Myers also encouraged Elder involvement and wants to bring back the cultural week at Yunesit’in where the students learn horsemanship, how to cook traditional foods, trapping, berry picking and traditional medicines, Setah-Alphonse said.
“Selena also brought in Joanne Setah, one of our youth, to teach the children art and they worked on a Mother’s Day lesson plan,” Setah-Alphonse said. “Joanne also worked on the school’s signage incorporating the four seasons, the medicine wheel, even identifying the washrooms.”