Gijiht'aii (try), says 23-year-old taking year off to learn Gwich'in

The Gwich'in language seems to roll off the tongue when 23-year-old Arlyn Charlie speaks, but according to Charlie, "Gwiintsl Dinjii Zhuh jhtth'k, ts'at gwiintsl shiginchik' zht ginikkhi." ("I understand and can speak some of the language.")

When he first started learning Gwich'inthree years ago, he read dictionaries and books to get familiar with the words. He started speaking and writing common phrases and words.

Then some elders in his community ofFort McPherson, N.W.T.,started to help, correcting and scratching out whatever he got wrong on paper.

"Sometimes you couldn'teven see my own writing," he said.

This past September, he decided to take a year off before starting a post-secondary degree for teachingand focus completely on learning the language. He's taken a Gwich'in class and spent time on the land at his jijuu's (grandmother's) fish camp, where he feels he's learned the most.

"You know, we have the ability to say 'Jijuu, I'm going to go make dry fish,'" he said, describing a phrase he'd say in Gwich'in while at the camp.

"And so being out on the land for a number of days allowsfor all these opportunities tolearn and to practice and really provide that basis of hands-on learning."

Teaching others online

Charlie says ever since he started learning, he's passedon his knowledge after all, that's how he first got interested in learning the language.

Part of his job working for the territory's department of culture one summer was to listen to and transcribe old interviews with elders.

"That really educated me and got me interested in Gwich'in culture and customs, history."

Not long after, Charlie started writing a blog and posting photos online about culture and life in Teet'lit Zheh (Fort McPherson).

That's how he teaches others to gijiht'aii (try).

"Because that's the only way that you can learn," he said.

Nowadays if he hears elders speaking the language, he can't always understand word for word what they're saying, but he can pick up key words and phrases and put the context of the sentence together.

One sentence he knows really well though is: "Gwiint'oo uuzhii ihii" ("I'm really shy").

"I don't really speak [Gwich'in] out in public," he said.

But he wants to continue encouraging other young people to learn their language. Just start, he says, you'd be surprised what you can do.

"Once you see the progress you make over time you're going to get really excited and you're going to really want to learn more," he said.