The University College of the North (UCN) will be offering several virtual classes on conversational Cree starting Sept. 8.
Classes will be taking place virtually on Zoom with a live instructor. The course will be taught by UCN Cree instructor Robert Ross who is also a member of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation.
“Here at the UCN, about 75% of our students have declared as Indigenous. So, we know our student population numbers are high when it comes to Indigenous people,” said UCN Training Solutions Coordinator Diane Pelly.
“We also have a lot of non-Indigenous people who work closely with our Indigenous students, and both have expressed a very keen interested in being able to have the skill to converse in Cree at an introductory level.”
There will be a total of three sessions that interested students can choose from. The various sessions are from Sept. 8 to 12, Sept. 15 to 19 and Sept. 22 to 26.
Around 15 students will be accommodated per session. As of now, the third session is full. Students can register for the course whenever as there is no particular deadline for the sessions.
Pelly added that UCN is likely to add a fourth session because of the high demand UCN is getting for this particular course.
Due to classes being virtually offered, UCN will be hosting students from across Canada such as Calgary and Flin Flon.
“The course will be very interactive. Students will be expected to participate orally in class. They will learn about grammar and language functions of the Cree language, particularly, the Swampy Cree dialect as well as numbers and basic conversation,” said Pelly.
“It is innovative in the sense that they will learn through games, assignments and conversations. They will have a refresher on basic Cree introductions. The instructor covers the weather, and they will also provide teachings in terms of the dates and times. Students will learn a bit about sentence structure as well.”
Pelly believes this Cree course is unique as it meets the needs of people living in northern Manitoba.
“Having a second language and getting the basic understanding as who we are in regards to language, is key for many people. There are a lot of people who are new to the northern region and really want to get a sense of inclusion. This course provides them with the opportunity to do so,” said Pelly.
“We have been very fortunate to have people that are well-skilled and are more than willing to share the language. It is a beautiful language, and people always say that one Cree word can speak volumes. It is a very descriptive language.”
Each session lasts for about 15 hours. The cost for each session is $103.50 plus GST.
