Cree language class reconnects people with their heritage

Prince Albert residents now have the chance to learn the Cree language at St. Alban’s Cathedral.

For people who may have lost their language somewhere along the lines, it’s an opportunity to get back in touch with a piece of their culture.

Samuel Halkett, from Little Red River Reserve, is the instructor of the classes and a deacon for many Anglican churches in northern Saskatchewan, including White Fish Lake, Little Red, and Montreal Lake. He has been teaching Cree since he graduated high school many years ago. He hopes that people who attend will be able to be more in touch with their culture, through language.

“Language and culture are two things that can’t be separated. You intermingle with the language and the culture. The most powerful way that the language can be learned is through hands-on cultural activities,” said Halkett.

He said that Cree people who attend will benefit greatly from learning the language.

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“I think it gives them a sense of pride, and they know where they came from, versus where they lost their language and didn’t really have an identity, so an identity crisis was kind of the ordeal part of it. So bringing back the language and culture, they have a sense of direction and an identity. So I think that’s the important thing.”

Halkett was raised by his grandparents from the age of two on and said he has them to thank for learning and retaining his language.

“They are the backbone of this course that I’m doing right now. I thank them everyday for having taught me the culture, and the language.”

He also said that teaching the language itself keeps it strong for him and he is able to stay updated with it that way.

Rev. Kenneth Davis from St. Alban’s Cathedral in Prince Albert organized the classes. He applied for many grants for funding, and was denied, before finally getting a grant from the Anglican Healing Fund.

Even though he is not of Cree descent, the Cree classes are still very important to Davis.

“More than half of the people in Prince Albert have a First Nations background, so those are my neighbours. And, because I’m a priest, those are half or more of the people I minister to everyday,” he said.

With his ministry, Davis said he often travels to reserve churches, as most are Anglican. He wants to be aware of their language to be more connected to those people.

He also said that the majority of Anglican’s in Saskatchewan are Cree Anglicans, even though it is known as an “English” church originally.

Davis hopes the class will do a part in healing old wounds left by the residential schools, by rebuilding some of the culture that was lost during that time. That was one of the reasons that he wanted to provide the class to the members of his church, as well as other people in the community.

“If it’s going to be healing, it has to be for everybody,” said Davis. “There are probably six or seven members, and e a few priests from the diocese, who have no Cree heritage, but everybody else in the room seems to have a stronger history than we do, so it’s their language.”

Kristin Brass, 22, refers to herself as an “urban Cree.” She said she was motivated to take the class because many of her friends speak Cree. She also works at a hotel where she sees many Cree customers on a daily basis, who often try to speak to her in Cree. 

“A lot of people speak it. [Prince Albert is] the gateway of the North. A lot of people come here to shop and stuff,” said Brass. She said because many Cree people are here so often, she wants to be able to use their language to make them feel more at home.

Brass said no one speaks Cree in her family anymore. Although her maternal grandmother could speak it, she never taught any of her children, and the language was lost for them.

“It would be nice to get to know what it’s about and learn the things that they knew,” she said, speaking of her ancestors and Cree elders. “We don’t really know the meaning of Cree, but for them that was all they learnt and that was all they knew. So to me that would mean a lot of respect for them.”

Brass has already recommended the class to others. “It’s hard learning a new language, but he makes it easy…I’m really enjoying it.”

There are currently more than 60 people that attend the class every Wednesday. Because they are offering it to all members of the community their class is jam-packed in the basement of the church. They had originally planned, and received funding, for about 20 people.

They also have the class catered by Halkett’s wife. According to Davis, it was very important they enjoy a meal together before each class, to connect everyone, and he says it is big part of Cree tradition.

They will be offering 39 weeks of classes. Davis said they plan to reapply for funding next year in hopes to continue to offering something similar.

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