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High school language competition hopes to preserve First Nation dialect

Jun 2, 2017 | 1:32 PM

LADYMSITH — The words and teachings of a nearly forgotten coastal B.C. Indigenous language were sustained by more than 100 students eager to demonstrate what they’ve learned.

Ladysmith Secondary School’s Language and Land-based learning class was one of 14 teams demonstrating what they’ve learned in the fourth Hul’q’umi’num language competition at their school on Thursday, June 1.

Led by teachers Mandy Jones and Bill Taylor, the class competed and for the first time also put on a play entirely in the First Nation language.

Taylor told NanaimoNewsNOW even though the class triumphed in the competition by winning first place, it’s more the message rather than the trophy which matters.

“Having all the people there, feeling uplifted by the language-which is connected to the heart, spirit and land-was amazing,” he said.

Jones said it was overwhelming to see how far her students have come, from struggling with single words at the beginning to being able to perform a full play in the Hul’q’umi’num language.

Student Josiah Green said getting to this point has been one of the most challenging things he’s ever undertaken, but knowing he was helping restore a language compelled him to keep with his studies.

“There’s this feeling of disconnection between the language and the land and the people who were there before,” he said. “We’re working really hard to bring these things back together. It’s something we add to every day.”

Nanaimo-Ladysmith Public Schools board trustee Bill Robinson said it was an inspiring day.

“All too often our kids are too shy or embarrassed to speak their language and talk about their culture. There was pride yesterday in that whole room. We had more than one hundred students proud to be First Nations, proud to be learning their language.”

 

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit