Teacher brings 100 days of Cree to Regina Grade 7 and 8 students

Grade 7 and 8 students at Douglas Park School in Regina are embarking on 100 days of learning Cree, thanks to a teacher inspired by author Neal McLeod.

Each chapter in McLeod's book 100 Days of Cree focuses on a different aspect of life some traditional and some more modern.

The students will be learning new Cree words for 100 days related to a different topic each day.

"It covers everything from basic language but also brings into a more contemporary place with, you know, talking about Facebook and how to order a coffee at Tim Hortons," said Aaron Warner, the teacher behind the project, on CBC Radio's The Morning Edition.

Warner said his students have been learning about the history of residential schools and Indigenous history from a young age. This new project was one way to move forward and show kids how to apply their knowledge, he said.

"That's kind of the angle that we're taking at our school is OKnow we know the language, how do we honour the history and never forget, and at the same time, what can we do to contribute and work towards, you know, a national effort in reconciliation?" Warner said.

He said the first word the students learned was the Cree word for kindness and generosity to another person.

"Which I thought was a fitting start. And you know, being kind and generous in the way that if we work together we can preserve language," he said.

Read below for an excerpt on the book's section on Star Wars.