CLFN Language & Culture Department

About

Denesųłiné Yatíe (Language) chu (and) Ch’ąníe (Culture)

Language and Culture

A group of Cold Lake First Nations elders sat together and created a mission statement in 2014. They talked about what they believed to be the most essential values by which people can live. This statement reads as follows:

“Sekwi t’ąhi ʔąłu ghedełi beba”

“Yedariyihe Łuéchok Túé Denesųłįné neją nuh k’e ninuxįnila nit’a ełk’esį nuhnéné k’e xąk’ahuldu, hok’esoridliʔu, eyi hot’a sehoʔą. Nuhxeyatíe u, nuhch’aníe u, t’ąt’u eghasoredi bes’udi xa yąnįsįʔu, duhų, xeł tth’i yąnathe t’ahots’ęn hots’ęn Denesųłįné dahidlį. Ekohuʔą sį hok’etł’a hule hots’en”.

“…For the Unborn Children Travelling Towards us”

“The Creator placed us, the Cold Lake First Nations Denesųłįnę, on this land to freely govern ourselves with equality, respect, honor, and harmony. And to uphold and maintain our Denesųłįné language, culture, and beliefs like the past, for the present, and for the future generations to come. That’s the way things are until there is no tomorrow.”

This mission statement speaks to our world view “that the Creator placed us on this land: to be free people; to be able to govern ourselves; to worship freely, and to place and maintain our language, culture, and beliefs in a place of honor with respect and harmony; for the future generations.”

What we do for the Nation:

• Teach Denesųłiné to staff and community members
• Do translations
• Create and develop Denesųłiné curriculum
• Make presentations on various aspects of our culture
• Teach children and adults through land-based education
• Implement culture camps
• Work with Elders on various language projects
• Attend Language Conferences and make presentations
• Volunteer at Nation events such as: Treaty Days, Heritage Days, etc.
• Apply for grants for Cultural Programming
• Provide opportunities for members to work in our camps
• Helped create Bachelor of Arts in Denesųłiné at University Nuhelot’ine Thaʔe Hots’į Nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills
• Provide cultural programming for LeGoff School, Catholic and Public Schools, and the community

Why we are here:

• Out of approximately 4000 people on Cold Lake First Nations, 70 people can understand and speak Denesųłiné.
• Our long range goal is to create speakers, and to re-establish Denesųłiné as the first language on Cold Lake First Nations.

Lynda Minoose

Director