The rehearsals are complete, the stage is set, and the kids probably have butterflies in their stomachs ahead of Thursday’s annual Cree Language Festival.
The festival is hosted by the Lac La Ronge Indian Band education board and is in its 20th year.
Students from the La Ronge area, Stanley Mission, Little Red River, Sturgeon Lake, Sucker River, Hall Lake and Grandmother’s Bay will meet at Bell’s Point Elementary School to perform a song, drama piece or poem in Cree.
LLRIB Director of Education Simon Bird and LLRIB Chief Tammy Cook-Searson are set to emcee the event that begins at 10 a.m.
“It is important to promote the Cree language, so the students have a place to perform and to showcase the language,” band curriculum developer Minnie McKenzie says “This is one way to promote it and revitalize the language.”
She adds most performers will end up with a cash prize or medal and everyone who attends the event is eligible for a door prize just by saying a Cree word.
“They (the students) are excited every time we have a Cree language festival,” McKenzie says.
She says teachers have continued to introduce new material to the students.
“We have more entries that are a little different than years before. They are learning new Cree songs and coming up with new Cree words and new poems.”
This year the audience will be treated to 20 different performances with performers ranging from kindergarten to Grade 8.
Judges Elder John Halkett, Sucker River teacher Angie Charles and prevention and recovery member Cornelius Ballantyne are Cree language instructors.
While the volunteer team tallies up the votes for the winners in different categories, the audience will have the opportunity to watch a jigging contest, a new activity added to this year’s festival.
The education board aims to hold four Cree language festivals during each school year.
“We have had winners from Pre-Cam School (Northern Lights School Division) as well,” McKenzie says. “We have had entries from Gordon Denny School (NLSD), so we have invited provincial schools to come and enter and they have won.”
The categories include group and solo oratory, group and solo song, and group drama.
The United Nations has declared 2019 to be the International Year of Indigenous Languages.
(PHOTO: A poster welcoming participating schools in the Cree Language Festival hosted by Sally Ross School in February 2019. Photo courtesy of LLRIB Cree Language Resources Facebook page.)