Revitalizing Dakelh and Sekani in our communities has been a central priority in the Carrier Sekani First Nations’ government-to-government negotiations. As a result of these negotiations, the Pathway Forward Agreement (PFA) was signed in 2017 between the 7 CSFNs, and Pathway Forward 2.0 was signed in late 2019. Socio-cultural funding has been an integral part of government-to-government negotiations for the CSFNs, and totaled $12.5 million in PFA2.0. That funding was divided among the CSFNs, each community is identifying their own programs and services to fund.
Our languages inform the way in which we see the world and connect to one another. Dakelh and Sekani come from the land, just as we are a part of the land. This is part of the reason why colonization targeted language in residential schools: to take away our connection to culture and our communication with one another. However, our resiliency has ensured our survival today. We are at a critical time to ensure our future generations hold onto language in our changing world.
Funding allocated for each community has allowed for creative ways to ensure a connection to the language. For example, Saik’uz and Nadleh Whut’en have both spent time doing a formal assessment with their communities on their well-being, connection to the culture’s current state and goals for the future. Together these communities have taken similar approaches such as designating a space called the “language nest” for children from birth to age five to offer a language immersion in a home environment for children to interact with fluent speakers. This space showcases an important investment in our future generations’ and a way to extend elders’ knowledge. The transfer of language between elders and children in the language nest is the same way in which we have traditionally spent time learning with our knowledge-holders at an early age. Additionally, both communities are facilitating a silent speaker’s program to reclaim language for members who understand but cannot speak their language. All these initiatives are so important for the preservation and transfer of knowledge. It is a difficult task to uplift every member from babies to elders. One program cannot meet all needs which is why the variety of programming is so important to support the goal of revitalization.
Other, important initiatives include the partnership of communities on our shared goal of language revitalization and supporting access to resources. Stellat’en and Nadleh Whut’en have partnered to develop an app compatible with apple for members to access the Dakelh language. Furthermore, Nak’azdli Whut’en has created a program called ‘Everyone’s a teacher’ to allow any speaker in the community to teach and meet as a group online or locally to practice. This program is flexible for all participants to meet individually or in a group. It acknowledges the knowledge holders in the community and provides a flexible learning environment to reduce barriers to learning. All initiatives by the communities are not listed but, showcase the nation’s efforts to revitalize language and continue the culture.