A Cultural Program for Children
Every day, 10 to 20 toddlers and preschool children gather at the Katl'odeeche First Nation Children's Centre on the Hay River Dene Reserve, Northwest Territories. They are learning South Slavey, the language originally spoken on the reserve. They make crafts and sing songs based on legends and traditional life. They learn about local ceremonies and take part in community events. Culture and language are interwoven into every activity.
Elaine Rene-Tambour, coordinator of the centre, has been working in childcare for 35 years. She says she's convinced that the centre is making a difference to the children involved. "The children are excited and proud to be speaking South Slavey and learning about their culture".
The Katl'odeeche Centre is part of a larger movement in Indigenous communities across the country. Child development experts know that children with positive self-identity are more likely to grow up healthy and Indigenous leaders have believed this for some time. What's more, they believe that raising children with a strong sense of cultural identity is key to healing the wounds in their communities – and to the survival of their culture.
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