Teachable Moments 📚✏‼
🔴My oldest daughter, Charley, read this book at school called Stolen Words.
🔴 I can speak very little of our Nakawē language and I try to teach her words I know. She is forming her own thoughts & questions about the world and wonders why she only speaks the English language ⁉
🔴Today my girl asked, "how come our words are stolen?" and I told her to ask her Kohkum Joan (my dad's eldest sister) that question because she is the best person to answer you - she went to residential school. My girl was surprised to learn her kohkum went to residential school and could answer her question.
🔴 Charley asked her kohkum, "why are our words stolen?" And her kohkum replied because I went to residential school which was like a jail and they slapped me when I spoke my language - I had to speak the English language.
🔴Our Elders are the best teachers and resources for answering questions we have about culture, language and history.
💯💯💯 I am so grateful my 83 year old aunt is still alive to share her experiences ❤ and her teachings 💯👍📚✏ with us.