Learning Story – How Language Shapes How We View the World
The Week of November 12th, 2024
What Happened?
Cathy Modeste Short joined us today to read her book Dechı̨ta Náıdı́: Medicine from the Land. Earlier that morning we had discussed how language shapes how we view the world. In the Tłı̨chǫ language, there are six seasons and the words focus on the the different hunting seasons.
Łok’e or Xo or Xok’e- winter or year
Edaèk’ǫ – thaw/early spring
Łık’e -ish camp (spring/early summer )
Įmbe – harvesting berries (Summer)
Tǫtsoa – season of thin ice (Ice is beginning to freeze, but you can’t walk on it)
Xat’ǫ – Fall – it is over at the first snowfall
We were curious if Cathy’s language also had more than four words to identify the seasons. She said she thought there were five seasons. We also discussed how in the story she had learned about medicine from her mother andthat knowledge had been passed down from generation to generation, just as the words for the different seasons had been.
With all the talk about the seasons, many of the Bushkids were eager to go visit a space by the Healing Camp that they had played a lot in during the fall season. They were curious to see if there was ice or if the mud was still there. Once there, they realized that they would need some tools to check to see if it was completely frozen, so they went back to the site and gathered what they needed.
“How thick is the ice? It’s an inch.”
“Q, you should use the other side to carve the ice, the sharp side.”
“Stand back! I’m going to jump on it to break it?”
“Look at the hole!”
“Can I have a turn digging?”
“The mud is wet!”
“The mud smells like poop?”
“Why does it smell like poop.”
“Look how deep I can stick my hand down the hole!”
Why is it Important?
Language helps us understand the world we live in and shapes identities. Over the past few weeks, we have spent a lot of time discussing the start of winter. Those conversations helped us to understandthat Tłı̨chǫ Yatı̀ı̀ has a different way of identifying seasons and time than the English language, just one example of differing worldviews. It makes us curious to understand how other languages describe the seasons, understanding that Land will dictate this and helping us see that language comes from Land.
What Does This Mean For Next Time?
We will spend more time learning Tłı̨chǫ Yatı̀ı̀ and explore how the words reflect a worldview where language comes from Land. We will take time to practice and play using the language with the Bushkids in meaningful ways. We will also continue to notice how the Land changes and ask language teacher Georgina Frankie for words and phrases in Tłı̨chǫ Yatı̀ı̀ to help us better understand these changes.The staff at Bushkids are working hard weekly to practice Tłı̨chǫ Yatı̀ı̀ together with other partners such as the Tree of Peace and the Literacy Council. We will apply for more funding from Hotıı̀ Ts’eeda to continue this partnership in the new year!