Nehiyawewin: Cree Language and Culture Guide to Implementation

Publisher: Alberta Education
Date: 2006
Pages: 678You are about to explore, with your students, the beauty and diversity of the Cree language and culture. The Cree people are the largest First Nations group in Canada, with over 80,000 Cree speakers. A significant number of Métis also speak Cree. Cree-speaking people are spread over a vast geographic area so there is a remarkable diversity in the language. Any language spoken over a large area develops regional differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar. Adaptations of the language materials in this guide may need to be made for your community. Your students need to be aware that Cree speakers have political and economic advantages, both at regional and national levels, in being able to communicate in more than one language. Cree is one of the core languages for Canada listed in translation services. Cree is also now accepted at several Canadian universities and colleges for second language entrance requirements in certain faculties. Encouraging authentic voices in the classroom is crucial to the success of this language program. Whenever possible, use Elders and other community Cree speakers to enrich the language learning. Having students interact with other Cree speakers helps students bring their language knowledge out of the classroom and into the realm of
communication. Language learning and retention takes place through using the language. Students need to hear, speak and communicate in the language in order to maintain the language. Therefore, it is important to involve parents and community resources to build a supportive relationship for Cree language learning. Most of all, as a teacher, model using Cree as much as possible. Please familiarize yourself with the important information in this introduction. It will help you implement a successful Cree language program in your classroom.