A partnership between Northern Lights Public Schools (NLPS) and Portage College is enabling more students and staff to learn the basics of the Cree language. The course, Introduction to Cree 101, is offered to students within the NLPS school division and provides not only language instruction but also insights into Indigenous culture and history.
Cree 101, focusing on nēhiyawēwin I (Plains Cree), introduces students to beginner-level Plains Cree, with a primary emphasis on speaking and listening.
The course is delivered online, which offers flexibility for students.
“Students develop basic conversational skills through online instruction, group practice, and contextualized language use related to home, school, and community settings,” said Nicole Garner, the communications and public relations manager for NLPS.
The course employs Standard Roman Orthography to aid in accurate pronunciation and vocabulary development.
“Cultural protocols and community-based contexts are integrated to promote respectful language use and ongoing language revitalization,” she explained. “Students are not only introduced to the specific dialect focus of the course but also to the broader diversity of Cree dialects across different regions.”
Introduction to Cree 101 is open to all students, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. The course allows students to earn high school credits, as well as college or university credits that are transferable to programs at Portage College, the University of Calgary (INDL 301.02), the University of Alberta (NS 105/NS 152 or 100-level junior electives), MacEwan University, Mount Royal University, and Athabasca University (100-level junior elective credits).
“The partnership with Portage has allowed us to offer this program sustainably,” Garner said. “We can have students from multiple schools accessing the program simultaneously, fitting it into their schedules or participating outside regular school hours.”
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