By Angela Brown

Cree Word-A-Day Calendar aims to help bridge cultures

Nov 22, 2018 | 11:00 AM

North Battleford residents Liz and Les Hurlburt hope to see more people discovering the Cree language with a new Cree Word-A-Day Calendar they will be launching Friday.

Liz, who is Cree Métis herself, said she taught Cree at St. Mary School in North Battleford for many years, so she hopes the calendar will help carry the language forward more in the community.

She added a big part of the project was to support the ongoing national reconciliation efforts, to help improve the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Sharing the Cree language, Liz believes, would be a good start. The aim of the project is to promote awareness and appreciation of the Cree language, she said.

“It’s so we can bridge cultures,” Hurlburt said, adding that the Battlefords as a whole could also especially benefit from the project.

She added many people in the local area speak Cree, so the calendar could also be used to help the younger generation know more about the language of their heritage too.

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“We are losing the language so this was another reason why we thought that this would be good, even in my own family,” Hurlburt added.

She said people of various backgrounds may be interested in learning the Cree language as well.

From Beauval, north of Meadow Lake, Liz who is Métis said she learned Cree as a child growing up. She was also a student at Beauval Residential School, and lived with her family near the school. Her siblings also speak Cree.

Last year, Liz and Les completed the Cree word-a-day calendar for their family, similar to the new calendar they are now releasing. Liz said they revised the calendar and made some improvements for the new version that will be available for the general public.

“We started off with it just for the family. Friends saw it and said: ‘Oh, you should make one for everyone, to sell,’” Liz said.

She added the new calendar also has a better design and construction. Liz added since it’s a perpetual desk calendar, people can use it again and again.

She said people have been calling from across the Prairies wanting to purchase the calendar since word about the project has been spreading. Some local schools also expressed an interest. Liz said the calendar would also make the perfect Christmas gift.

The calendar will be available for purchase at the launch Nov. 23 starting at 7 p.m. at St. Joseph Calasanctius Church in North Battleford. 

People can also enquire about ordering a calendar online at: White Birch Productions Facebook page.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW