Involving Community Members to Develop Culturally Relevant Word ...

GrAde twO/three:
• Children about seven or eight used to listen to legends and oral stories. Children learned
through stories and legends; they knew to sit still and to listen while legends were being
told to them. Through legends, children learn how certain places got their names and
how other objects got their Cree names. Other ways that children were taught were by
telling them about everyday things, and eventually they were taught about religion and
how the world was made and other living things. As they got a little older, I told my
children not to be disrespectable and to have respect for others.
• I encouraged my children to address their relatives by kinship term, not by their first
name. Some examples include: nohkom (my grandmother), nitōsis (my aunt), and nistīs
(my older brother). Through these terms, children learn words and concepts about
relations and about respect.
• I taught my own children not to hate other people, not to spread rumours or to talk
unflatteringly about other people. This should be talked about to students at schools,
how words can destroy people. Children need to be taught appropriate behaviour and
how to get along with others.
• Children should be encouraged to visit Elders; they will learn from them and it is okay
to tell children repeatedly about the same lesson.
GrAde FOur:
• When a child is immersed in a language from preschool age to 11 years old, they should
develop practical conversational skills.
• The children will acquire language that is used at home, in the community, and at school.
They learn from observing and conversing with relatives, friends, community members,
and teachers at school.
• The students can begin to read story books written in the language.
• Songs are very important teaching methodologies; sing songs with students.
• mistahi kita-kī-kiskinwahamowāwak kwayask kita-nīhithowīcik. Children can be taught
a lot on how to speak Cree.
Copyright Gift of Language and Culture Project, 2009
12 RESEARCH REPORT: Involving Community Members to Develop Culturally Relevant Word Lists for First Nations and Métis Students