ākamēnimon ci-nakawēyin (do your best to speak) Program was created to revitalize and preserve our nakawēwin language and culture for the community of Yellow Quill First Nation. The numerous activities throughout the year has provided opportunities for our Traditional Knowledge Keepers, Language Keepers, adults, youth, children to come together through language and culture. Approximately 170-200 band members on reserve were involved with the many activities that were delivered as part of the proposal package.
A two-year grant application was approved by Heritage Canada, allowing Yellow Quill First Nation to implement the ākamēnimon ci-nakawēyin (do your best to speak) Program. The program began on June 20, 2022, and concluded on March 31, 2023 (completing the two-year program within a nine-month period).
Year one proposal package for ākamēnimon ci-nakawēyin (do your best to speak) Program consisted of teaching the sacred language techniques for Traditional Knowledge Keepers and Language Keepers, Traditional Knowledge Keeper’s cultural teachings, a summer camp, a winter camp, adobe creative cloud training for youth and adults, creating 60 page picture dictionary, 50 flashcards, and gathering of twenty stories from our Traditional Knowledge Keepers.
One picture dictionary and a set of flashcards provided to every household on the reserve.
Video-recordings of our Traditional Knowledge Keepers stories have been uploaded onto ākamēnimon ci-nakawēyin Youtube channel and the links added onto our tabs in appropriate headings of oral history, language, culture, and traditional stories.
A copy of the picture dictionary is posted on our front page; this copy can be downloaded and printed for our band members.
Year two proposal package consisted of program deliverables of Traditional Knowledge Keepers’ cultural teachings, a summer camp, a winter camp, app development training, word-press training, nakawē traditional parenting workshop (to help our young parents learn how to teach nakawēwin to their children), developing a nakawēwin language app and a ākamēnimon ci-nakawēyin website.
Our nakawēwin language app is comprised of basic nakawēwin words as a starting based to begin learning our nakawēwin language. The voices in the language app consist of our Traditional Knowledge Keepers, Language Keepers and our language app development team.
ākamēnimon ci-nakawēyin (do your best to speak) Program developed this website to promote, revitalize and preserve our nakawēyin language and culture for our community of Yellow Quill First Nation.
ākamēnimon ci nakawēyin 