Excerpts
Language and culture share a harmonious relationship.
This relationship is one of the building blocks that form one’s identity, explains Marsha Shilling, language leader for the Chippewas of Rama First Nation and administrator at the Waasa Enaabijig Zaswin daycare centre.
Shilling is involved with the immersion program at Waasa Enaabijig Zaswin, where children learn Anishinaabemowin alongside the English language.
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A mentor, fluent in Anishinaabemowin, works with the children for three days, and a new speaker attends for one. Shilling describes the new speaker as someone who is still building their way toward speaking the language fluently and often from another reserve.
This synergy is akin to the adage that when one teaches, two learn.
Waasa Enaabijig Zaswin is Anishinaabemowin for “the ones who are looking ahead,” explains Shilling.
The immersion daycare program started as a pilot project in 2022. Organizers researched the Ontario school curriculum and visited other immersion schools to understand the functionality.
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Knowing the language at an early age helps carve out a sense of confidence that can’t be taken away, and Shilling says many parents want that for their kids.
“I know my language. I know about it, I know my culture and I’m more confident because of that, and I can go and introduce myself to anybody in this world and tell them who I am and where I’m from. That’s hugely important for who I am and who I want these kids to be,” she says.