The immersion classes offered at the Listuguj First Nation’s Alaqsite’w Gitpu School and adult education program are helping to revitalize the Mi’kmaw language and ensure families can learn and speak Mi’kmaw together. Fewer than 300 people in the First Nation are first-language Mi’kmaw speakers and CBC reports that the majority of those who are fluent are over 60 years old. Adult Mi’kmaw immersion teacher Carol Metallic shared that the adult program was initially designed for parents, but a wide range of students have been drawn to the course. The adult program has also reportedly helped to train new immersion teachers. Kindergarten Mi’kmaw immersion teacher Brenda Germain explained that she decided to learn the language after enrolling her children in the Mi’kmaw immersion stream at the school and noticing that “when I was helping my son even with his simple kindergarten homework that there was a definite disconnect.” Now, Germain teaches the school’s land-based Forest Kindergarten program where students develop their language skills and vocabulary while outdoors.
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