Sask. Cree language camp attracts participants from around the world
Cree camp is in its 11th year
A second language specialist is breathing life into the Cree language this summer by teaching at a camp in the bush at Little Pine First Nation.
For the past decade, Belinda Daniels has organized a language camp in her home community of Sturgeon Lake, but she is taking it to a new location this year to encourage people in other communities to embrace indigenous languages.
Daniels said some participants come from Europe, or across North America. The group is kept small to have a low ratio between fluent speakers and those learning.
"The feeling is so different than being in a classroom," she said. "My mind becomes so crisp, and everything becomes so clear."
Daniels said people don't just learn the language, they also learn about the way of seeing the world as a Cree person.
"It's just being connected to the environment, to the birds and the wind," she said. "It's amazing."
The camp starts on Sunday.