A portrait of the Trotchie family. (From left to right : Leo Trotchie , Becky Trotchie , Helen Trotchie and Chloe Trotchie) (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

MICHIF EDUCATION

‘That’s my language’ : Michif Prekindergarten opens in Battleford aims to revitalize Indigenous languages

Oct 11, 2024 | 4:47 PM

The Living Sky School Division celebrated the grand opening of the Michif Prekindergarten Program at St. Vital Catholic School in Battleford, marking a step in allowing the new generation of Métis to embrace their heritage.

Friday’s unveiling of the prekindergarten symbolizes a significant step forward in promoting reconciliation within the community. For Helen Trotchie, it brought a sense of relief, knowing that her grandchildren would be spared from the oppression she had endured.

“There was a kid bothering me, saying I’m not supposed to talk my language. That’s my language, and that was your language,” Trotchie recalled.

Despite being fluent in Michif throughout childhood, she was never allowed to speak it in school. Under such oppression, she surrendered and only spoke English to her kids, hoping they would fit in.

“It is cruel because we didn’t have any other language,” she said.

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Helen Trotchie poses infront of the mural painted by Sherron Burns. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

Becky Trotchie, Helen’s daughter, is thrilled to see society embracing Michif and other Indigenous languages through programs like the Michif Prekindergarten. As a grandmother, she is also grateful that she can now pass on her culture to her grandkids without the worries of them feeling rejected.

“The Métis Nation as a whole has been wanting to revitalize the Michif language, so this is the start of it, and hopefully, it’ll bring more into schools,” said Becky.

“This pre-K is giving an opportunity for my mom’s great-grandchildren to learn the language, and hopefully, my grandchildren and my children will learn it.”

According to Shayln Fedler, a pre-K teacher at St. Vital Catholic School, the children attend four full days a week, from Monday to Thursday, allowing them to immerse themselves in the Métis cultures and the Michif language.

It also allows the children to engage in different activities, including outdoor play, weekly smudging ceremonies, and other cultural rituals. She said the goal is to nurture a sense of pride in their Métis identity.

The playroom of the pre-K classroom. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

As Trotchie and Becky are optimistic about Michif’s growing tendency, Autumn Laing-LaRose, Minister of Youth and President of the Provincial Métis Youth Council (PMYC), believes that raising awareness of it is now critical as the language could go extinct.

“I positively can say less than 100 fluent (Michif) speakers, and maybe even less than that, maybe even like less than 20 fluent speakers,” she said.

Laing-LaRose believes that to expand the growth of the Michif program in the school system, the first step is to focus on enrolling students and encouraging parents and community members to attend events to raise awareness about the pre-kindergarten class. As basic as this seems, she believes it will spark interest for people and lead to its growth.

She also emphasized the importance of close collaboration between the provincial, federal, and Métis Nation governments, highlighting the necessity of this partnership to jointly fund programs and allocate resources to support language revitalization efforts.

Autumn Laing-LaRose, Minister of Youth and President of the Provincial Métis Youth Council (PMYC). (Kenneth Cheung / battlefordsNOW staff)

“Canada has prioritized other languages, such as French or even, like other Indigenous languages, but Michif language,” Autumn Laing-LaRose said. “We have lower fluency rates than Cree and Dëne in our province. So, really, for the Michif language, It is something that we need to start prioritizing soon.”

Parents can learn more about getting involved with the program on The Living Sky School Division website.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com