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Métis Nation–Saskatchewan expanding early learning program province-wide

The flag of the Metis waves in the morning breeze shortly after a ceremony at RCMP headquarters in Regina. (David Prisciak/CTV News Regina) The flag of the Metis waves in the morning breeze shortly after a ceremony at RCMP headquarters in Regina. (David Prisciak/CTV News Regina)
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Métis Nation–Saskatchewan (MN–S) is expanding its early learning language program to bring Michif and Dene to young students across the province.

Six more school divisions are partnering to provide additional language learning opportunities in all 12 regions of MN–S, the Métis government announced in a news release Tuesday.

“Our Métis Nation-Saskatchewan government partnered with the Saskatchewan School Boards Association (SSBA) in 2018 and has been working in tandem along with elders to integrate distinctions-based Métis cultural content and perspectives in the classroom,” MN–S President Glen McCallum said.

“The language programs are a result of that cooperation.”

Cree programs will be offered in the northern region. The six new school divisions include Living Sky, Northern Lights, Horizon, Good Spirit and Prairie Valley.

The Provincial Métis Council approved the program’s expansion at its March meeting. During the program’s pilot year, the Michif and Dene early learning language programs supported 130 pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. The program expanded in the 2021-22 school year supporting over 300 Metis children with Heritage Michif, Northern Michif, French Michif and Dene.

“To be able to nurture cultural revitalization through our children to their family unit is extremely gratifying,” McCallum said in a news release.

The expansion of the early learning language programs is expected to attract more than 600 young students across the province.

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