THE SENĆOŦEN MASTER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
The Master Apprenticeship Program, which is made possible by the First Peoples Heritage, Language and Culture Council, has provided a means for us to learn SENĆOŦEN language through an immersion setting with fluent speakers of the language.
Through different games, such as with playing cards, flash cards and total physical response, we have been able to engage in SENĆOŦEN language conversation. Through trial and error our knowledge of the SENĆOŦEN language has grown. At other times language lists are examined and discussed, making corrections, looking deeper into the word meanings, context, use and structure.
The Master Apprenticeship Program has provided an outlet for language carrying elders to use language in-spite of its scarceness, as well as an effective method of language revival through active engagement of emerging learners with elders. PENÁĆ – David Underwood
ABOUT THE APPRENTICE STUDENTS
The SENĆOŦEN Apprentices were hired to join the team of teachers who had been working for years in SENĆOŦEN language revitalization. There were 3 positions open for SENĆOŦEN Apprentices positions. After the teachers reviewed the applicants and resumes the teachers decided to hire all 7 apprentices. The main purpose of the positions was to support the language revitalization efforts. The Language teachers have been working in the language for 20 plus years and the hiring of these apprentices was something that was long overdue. It has been 2.5 years since the hiring of the SENĆOŦEN Apprentices and the important work of language revitalization has been moving forward in a positive way.
The philosophy and mission statement for the SENĆOŦEN department is to continue to build the house of SENĆOŦEN language. There are many exciting initiatives and on-going work in our department. We do our best to inform our communities of what we are doing. One thing is important for us. We follow traditional protocols within our department. Therefore, we do not move forward with any initiatives without first meeting and talking with our newly formed Language Authority which is comprised of the Elders, political bodies of the SENĆOŦEN speaking nations and our language teachers. We are working on a new mission statement that will be done in collaboration with our community members.
Our goal is simple. KEEP OUR SENĆOŦEN language alive. We move forward with initiatives to support communities, families, children and leaders to speak in SENĆOŦEN, to think in SENĆOŦEN, to sing and share our history in SENĆOŦEN. We are here to support our communities to learn our mother tongue. We the apprentices are here to support any initiatives.
