By Sarah Klein
Students at Strathcona School are learning to speak Ojibwe as part of a new Winnipeg School Division program. (GOOGLE STREET VIEW)
It’s common to hear English and French being spoken inside Winnipeg schools, but Grade 4 students at Strathcona School are taking their language classes a step further.
The students are learning to speak Ojibwe — one of six schools in a new Winnipeg School Division program to introduce the native language.
Currently in its second year, about 340 students participate in the class, which is meant to revitalize and sustain Aboriginal languages for all students, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal.
Judging by a few lines of Ojibwe, it’s certainly not an easy language to pick up. “Boozhoo, aaniin e izhiwebak agochiing?” When translated means, “Hello, what is the weather like outside?” A sample response would be, “Boozhoo, mino giizhigan agochiing,” meaning, “Hello, it’s a beautiful day outside.”
The students will practice their newly-acquired language for media this morning when they learn about animal tracks.
