b'The Kindergarten to Grade 2 students spend 60 minutes a school cycle learning Ojibwe and Cree words and concepts.A big part of the elementary school program is It opens up opportunities forhaving the teachers and educational assistants in Indigenous staff to learn from eachthe learning circle participating with their students. other. Our vocabularies are growing. Teachers are implementing language even whenKelsey Lenaghan we are not there, said Kelsey. The Indigenous language program is one step towards combating racism and giving Indigenous When the program first started, they used astudents representation. nature-based approach to learning. When KelseyIt is our goal to get this program in all 30 took over the program development, she and theelementary schools, said Kelsey. We are creating team restructured the learning approach to followsafe spaces for Indigenous and non-Indigenous the Anishinaabe 13 moons and what is happeningstudents to learn, celebrate, and use language.on the land. In 2022, Kelsey and Rosemary Bird, an Indigenous Each new moon represents a month followingSupport Instructor and Language Carrier, started a the 28-day period, said Kelsey. We teach whatGrade 9-12 Indigenous language class. is happening on the land by tuning into what the plants and animals are doing during thatWe have one class of around 15 to 20 students at moon cycle. We teach language and traditionalDakota Collegiate, said Kelsey. Most of the kids Indigenous practices by using creative and hands- call us Auntie. on activities on the land and within the classroom. The high school students learn basic In 2022, Courtney Kirkness joined the Indigenousintroductions, family terms, and counting, along Language team bringing Cree with her. Courtneywith participating in cultural traditions such as is currently translating the program and teachingsmudging, visiting a sweat lodge, and researching it to Kindergarten to Grade 2 students in fourIndigenous communities. schools. Eventually she will be writing Cree units. The kids are medicine, said Kelsey.35'