Cree youth inspired at WE Day Montreal

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Harland Kitchen was among 13 Cree youth at the WE Day Montreal event on Feb. 21 at the Théâtre Saint-Denis.

The 17-year-old said he heard inspiring stories from speakers who were young and old, but one person who stood out for him at the event was Lisa Charleyboy.

Charleyboy is an Indigenous woman, who spoke about embracing her heritage and being proud of one’s identity.

Kitchen said he knows that he’s different from the rest of Canada, but he wants to preserve the Cree language, culture and values.

“We need the Cree language and Cree culture to empower the next generation, to be ambassadors for our nation and inspire the youth to preserve the language and culture.”

Kitchen said it’s challenging for him to get resources for Cree language due to the lack of Cree teachers. “I have four months left of school,” he said, “and I still haven’t done most of the work.”

He said the solution is to hire more Cree teachers and have engaging resources for the students. “Our language and culture are really important because that’s who we are.”

Kitchen pointed out a difference between the two high schools he’s attended. Where he learned his Cree up to Secondary 5 was in Waswanipi’s Willie J. Happyjack Memorial School.

“But here, we are only given English and French,” he said about Mistissini’s Voyageur Memorial High School. “It’s hard to preserve our language because we’re getting it in the community and not in the school.”

Mistissini Youth Chief Samantha Awashish said it’s the first time she attended an event like WE Day Montreal with her youth.

Awashish learned that Cree people should prioritize the Cree language in Eeyou Istchee. “We should talk to our kids in Cree,” she said. “That’s the most basic thing that we can do.”

She said young children will learn Cree while they’re in daycare and learn some English words. “But it shouldn’t stop there. Once they’re finished daycare, we should continue to speak to them in Cree.”

Awashish hopes that parents continue to speak to their children in Cree and create interactive videos where people can learn the language.

“Practice it, whenever you can,” she said. “We should always remember to go back to our roots, go to the bush, learn Cree history from an Elder, it will help you identify yourself as a Cree person.”

She said she will continue to work with the youth by coordinating events, conferences and conducting games about Cree language.

Awashish said that the next step is have key people to find solutions about Cree language for the upcoming Michiminihtaau Chitayimuwininuu: Eeyou Istchee Language Engagement Session in Oujé-Bougoumou March 13-14.

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