We are working on developing a Master Speakers program. As seasoned mother tongue speakers, we are looking to them to provide their knowledge of our history/traditional places and accurate language input and recorded pronunciation of the target phrases in the curricula and resources we want to develop. One of which is the language app (click here to view more). Some, we also want to ask, to apply to be a mentor in our Mentor Apprentice program (click here to view more).
We want to document and make short video messages of them. Their shared lived experience contributes to the production of culturally authentic stories and anecdotes that we want to document. We want to preserve the languages they have spoken all their lives so that we can roll out a succession plan to ensure there are proficient Cree, Oji-Cree, and Ojibway speakers for years to come.
The following are former fluent speakers (who are no longer with us) with their grandchildren, they are Master Speakers from our past.