‘I wanted to be the best I could be in my language’ – Cabin Radio

May 22, 2025

Elders Dora Grandjambe and Cathy Pope have spent the past year developing a Dene language workbook.

The project – carried out by the Norman Wells Historical Centre to help people understand simple words – is inspired by Repeat After Me Cree, another workbook that allows readers to listen to narrated words in Cree.

“We started off in a different way, getting opinions from other people that it should be done like this,” said Grandjambe, a longtime K’áhsho Got’ı̨nę language specialist.

“It’s just like, no. If this is going to be ours, let’s do it the way we want. We want the language where you can hear it, and where you can see it, and where you can read it, where it’s meaningful. That’s the way you’ll learn this, hands-on.”

Read More: https://cabinradio.ca/237184/news/education/i-wanted-to-be-the-best-i-could-be-in-my-language/