Studio9 School of the Arts will be replacing French second-language classes with the local Nsyilxcən language.
In a news release, the school made the announcement last week that speaker and Westbank First Nation archeologist Jasmine Peone will be delivering the course to kids in grades four through nine.
“There are so many great reasons to offer Nsyilxcən Language at Studio9”, says school society executive director Michael Guzzi.
“The key reason is the fact that Nsyilxcən is the real original history of this land. It is perfect for an arts-focused school because of the rich cultural and artistic nature of the language.”
Peone worked with the school last year in providing presentations of the Nsyilxcən language to various grades.
In the news release, the school says the presentations of the Nsyilxcən language were so well received that they decided to introduce it full time to students at Studio9.
Peone’s plan is to make the language learning process as experiential as possible to immerse students in both the language and culture of the Syilx people.
“We are extremely proud and thankful to have such a knowledged member of the Westbank First Nations share their language and culture with our students”, said principal Cadence Trites.
Trites believes that education and learning can help students establish a mutually respectful relationship between people of different cultures and beliefs.
“Learning the traditional culture and language of our local Indigenous peoples is a great step towards ensuring that the journey of reconciliation continues with our youth.”
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