The Idaa Ts’ade gathering at Behchoko in March presented many opportunities for youth to learn from and listen to Elders.
It openly revived the intergenerational connection that our Tłicho knowledge system traditionally thrives upon. This is where I was gifted the chance to have a spirited discussion about language revitalization with Behchoko Elder Rosa Mantla. This is the first in a two-part series featuring Mantla’s recollections of her life.
“I grew up with my parents out on the land. My teachers were my parents, my grandparents, and people that live among us out on the land, especially my friends, because when we live on the land there were always children my age, and even the Elders were always there,” says Mantla.
“The land has really taught me as well too, because with natural animals and the birds singing, it’s so beautiful that when I think about it I feel so fortunate.
“I like to see where I was born, up the river. Also I like to see the barrenlands, that’s where our people harvest caribou every year. Also there’s so much richness, if you know the land, especially when you love the land for a purpose.
“We live our culture even to this day because we have people that practice our living, also our traditions. It’s just ongoing, especially for celebrations, traditional way of doing things together — we’re together.
“Strong advocating for people to speak the language, and support, is something that we need. For many years, I used to work here as a classroom assistant, since the ‘70s. At that time, we didn’t have cultural or language programs. But there were many of us that still have that gift of knowledge.
“Sometimes I think about all the young people, especially the youth now, that don’t speak their language. And if they continue not to use it, or to save their language, and cultural or even traditional lifestyle, they won’t be able to have it.
“And like I said in the classroom, if they don’t speak their language, they’re not Tłicho. They have no identity. That’s what our Elders used to tell us when they talk to us.
“When I went to Victoria, there’s many young people your age, male and female. There were many of them that lost their language. So they were taking the course to gain it back. So they found a lot of ways of taking information, working with Elders, doing research in the library, or even from their history where they can find it.”
“To see other people struggling, maybe our people are not seeing that, so they feel that our language will always be with us. It won’t be. They need good instructors. Like, we have the Tłicho yatii program in our school for many years. At the beginning, it went really well because we were trained and we also worked with Elders, and the support was there. Now we have so much rotation.”
“If they provide funding for these programs and have many of our people trained, especially if they’re going to be making a commitment to become teachers for language and cultural, that would be a miracle. Richard Van Camp talks about miracles, maybe that’s what I need.”
“When they offer courses, some are not really there to learn. They participate, but over the last few years we’ve been observing a lot of courses that have been offered. They’re not really there with their heart. Their passion is not there. You have to have passion to do what you love and for the future. If they don’t have passion for learning their own language and culture, it won’t work.”
Next week: ‘You can’t give up on yourself or the kids.’