2004

2004 marked CILLDI's five year anniversary. From July 5th to July 23rd, the University of Alberta housed undergraduate and graduate course for students from Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and the Norwest Territories. Fifty-nine students from Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and British Columbia enrolled in either one or two of the following seven classes:

NS 380: Immersion in Cree Literacy (Instructor Donna Paskemin, Teaching Assistant Joyce Dene)

NS 380: Web-based Resource Development for Indigenous Languages (Instructor Jordan Lachler, Teaching Assistant Ron Cleary)

LING 101: Introduction to Linguistics for Aboriginal Language Speakers (Instructor Darin Howe, Teaching Assistant Betty Harnum)

LING 399/599: Practical Semantics (Instructor Sally Rice)

EDES 401/501: Literacy and Drama in Aboriginal Language Education (Instructor Diana Steinhauer, Teaching Assistants Darrell Wildcat and Maureen Belanger)

EDES 395: Introduction to Language and Literacy Development (Instructor Susan Walsh)

EDEL 445/595: Teaching Second Languages in Elementary School (Instructor Barb Laderoute, Teaching Assistant Laura Burnouf)

CILLDI 2004 maintained the practice of holding a Cree Language Immersion Day Camp for children, along with a Visiting Elders program. Under the guidance of Donna Paskemin, Elder Myron Paskemin, and Maureen Belanger, the children in the day camp performed a bilingual play in Cree and English depicting a traditional oral history event. Helena Meyers, an Elder from Stoney First Nation in British Columbia, demonstrated the practice of tanning a deer hide.

On July 14th, the mid-point of the institute, CILLDI hosted a forum entitled "Ensuring Language Learning Opportunities for Indigenous Children: A Mini Symposium." This one day event, attended by approximately 100 participants, provided a forum for discussion of issues surrounding the instruction of Indigenous languages as a part of the newly created Alberta Learning Second Language Initiates.

Languages spoken by students at the 2004 Institute included Cree, Dakota, Dene Suline, Dogrib, Michif, Nakoda, North Slavey, and Tsilqut'in.