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People's Center Salish language classes pass on the language

By B.L. Azure

SKC Salish language and elementary education student Linda Ferris leads a class at the People’s Center. The classes give the Salish language students a chance to practice their teaching techniques. (B.L. Azure photo)

PABLO — Their mission is an important one, a monumental one. Saving the Salish language by learning it then teaching. They are the students enrolled in the Native American Language Teaching Institute at Salish Kootenai College. They are also enrolled in the teacher education program at SKC so they can be effective teachers. They are Linda Ferris, Echo Brown, April Charlo and Mali Matt.

The SKC/NALTI students are currently practicing teaching while learning at the People’s Center this summer. They are helping others learn some Salish language while learning teaching skills by leading the classes.

This summer there are 19 students participating in the summer Salish language program. Participants included Nkwusm staff and students, SKC staff and students, Ronan High School students, educators from area schools as well as people interested in learning Salish.

“We are all teachers in training,” Ferris said. “We are trying to get our teaching skills down and this helps build our skills. We are working all the time to do that.”

The key components to teaching the Salish language are the 18 teaching modules the student/teachers use to learn the language. They have incorporated them into their teaching lessons. Ferris said Sophie Mays, Salish language teacher developed the modules to use at the Nkwusm Salish Language Immersion School in Arlee. Each is subject focused. For instance, food, shelter, weather, animals and so on.

“The lessons are like building blocks for learning and teaching Salish,” Ferris said. “Here we start out focusing on high usage words, things people say everyday.”

The morning is spent teaching and doing activities tied to the teaching modules as one big group. In the afternoon the students and teachers break down into small groups with various focuses such as music, literacy and games.

SKC student Echo Brown conducts a hands-on Salish language lesson with visitors at the People’s Center. (B.L. Azure photo)

Echo Brown said she planned on becoming an elementary school teacher when she entered the SKC teacher-education program. While there she enrolled in the NALTI and added the Salish language to her list of things to learn.

“It’s been fun to get up in front of the students and take the responsibility of teaching them,” Brown said of the realistic teaching at the People’s Center summer program. “We test the students daily to see how effective we are and we constantly ask for feedback on our teaching methods. It helps us gauge our effectiveness.”

The students also guide the subject matter a bit. “We want to teach what the students find most interesting,” Brown said.

Mali Matt became involved in learning and teaching the Salish language while attending SKC. She enrolled in the Salish language class being taught by Alec Quequesah.

“I was having problems learning, just flailing around trying to learn Salish. It was hard,” Matt said. “But Alec never gave up on me. He told me, ‘You need to learn this.’ He was very patient and encouraging. Then I began to grasp it and soon the more I learned the happier I got.”

Matt who grew up in a non-Indian foster home in Valley View said learning the Salish language and culture has helped her discover who she is as a person.

“I was very fortunate to be raised by a nice family but I was totally in the dark about who I was as an Indian person. I never went to a powwow until I was 18 years old,” Matt said. “I saw the keyhole there to who I was. Language is the key to unlocking it.”

It’s been hard at times but it has always fun, Matt said.

“It is a hard language to learn. I have learned a lot from my mistakes,” Matt said. “Learning the language has helped me and it could help a lot of other people. I encourage others to not to be intimidated by it. Don’t be afraid and don’t miss a class because it can be so hard to catch up. Show up and participate. Being involved is a very effective way to learn. The language is so precise that a slight mispronunciation or inflection can change the meaning of what is trying to be said.”

Matt is also assisting Alec Quequesah in his Salish language classes while attending SKC. She said he is a perfect mentor for her because of his patience and knowledge of Salish language, traditions and history. They are all important to Matt but language is the thread and glue that links the generations and solidifies the culture.

“I think without the (Salish) language we lose our culture,” Matt said. “It is so important to preserving our culture.”

University of Montana linguist professor Leora Bar-El assisted in the classes.

The SKC/NALTI Salish language summer program goes through the week of Aug. 18-22.