A Red Deer program is promoting aboriginal culture and language.
Wichinahin Kohopikiwan Play School, operated by Red Deer Child Care Society, introduces Plains Cree language to aboriginal children age 19 months to five years.
Program co-ordinator Yvonne Peebles hopes it will help revitalize the dying language.
“It’s important for us to implement (Cree) here. However, it’s even more important for parents to begin implementing it at home and then we can reinforce it here,” Peebles said on Thursday.
Wichinahin, formerly called Aboriginal Head Start, is funded through Central Alberta Child and Family Services Authority, and started in June 2008.
The goal is to become funded under Health Canada’s Aboriginal Head Start program.
Peebles said at one time there were many aboriginal languages and hopes children will share the language with their parents and family.
Cree is shared through activities, play, song and books. Three elders also visit to share traditions and wisdom.
Currently, 26 children of either First Nation, Inuit, or Métis descent are enrolled in the program that can accommodate 40. She said enrolment has gone up and down.
Originally, there were no fees and it operated on a drop-in basis. Two-day programming now costs $75 per month and three-day is $100.
Some people may not still not be aware of the play school that runs at Golden Circle but it has attracted families outside Red Deer as far away as Ponoka and Innisfail, she said.
For more information call 403-314-0716.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com