Saskatoon students get unique approach to learning Cree
Students are being given a chance to learn the Cree language in Saskatoon schools thanks to a University of Saskatchewan program.
They learn Cree in science class by using a star chart.
“It’s looking at it from different angle so we’re able to combine Indigenous languages with a science lesson,” Cree Longjohn, science outreach coordinator, told CTV News.
The U of S program brings Indigenous teachings to the elementary science classroom. One of the main components is teaching Plains Cree.
“Symbols correlate to a sound in Cree so the science part comes in where the students use the star chart as a key or cypher to unlock a code of syllabics,” Longjohn said.
Instructors go into 40 classrooms around the city engaging both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students with. One thousand students have taken part this year.
Micaela Champagne is one of the science outreach instructors and is taking her masters in archeology.
She says being a role model for students is rewarding.
“I think this program is one of the most amazing things to happen in Saskatoon because it really is giving them a taste of the different aspects of science,” Champagne says.
The science outreach program has been running for more than 10 years with the goal of opening doors for students who might want to get into the sciences after high school.
“I’ve had students come up to me after class or on our last day of the program and tell me how much they want to go to university,” Champagne said.
Longjohn and Champagne see endless possibilities with their program, hoping it gives more students the chance to learn Indigenous languages.
“Being a part of this has brought so much pride and its actually encouraged me to learn more of my native language from my mushum and kokum,” Champagne says.
With some of the Cree dialects such as Michif at risk of being lost, this pair credits the program with providing hope that their language will be found again by young students.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."