Innu welcome first students into Innu-aimun immersion Kindergarten

Seraphine Rich has been dreaming of being a teacher since she was a little girl, playing pretend-teacher with her classmates. 

The Innu woman started at the school in Sheshatshiu around 2016 as an Innu-language teacher but always hoped one day she would have her own permanent classroom, to continue teaching her language to children. 

Rich’s dreams have now come true as she is one of two Innu-aimun immersion Kindergarten teachers at Sheshatshiu Innu School with her own permanent classroom to welcome the next generation. 

“It’s going to be a lot of work,” Rich said of the new program. “But we have to try. There’s hope to bring our language back, because they’re small and they’re still growing.”

After years of work, Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education School Board is beginning a fully Innu-aimun Kindergarten program in Sheshatshiu and Natuashish. Specially-trained teachers will be completing the Kindergarten curriculum in Innu-aimun. 

Starting when students are small makes a big difference, Rich said. “They’re fast learners. They copy you, like each word I say in Innu, they’ll copy me, and then they’ll all keep repeating, repeating, repeating, till they memorize it.” 

Pauline Pokue’s daughter Antoinette quickly went into Rich’s newly decorated Kindergarten room and began playing with other new students and preparing pretend food for her new teacher in the make-believe kitchen. “She hardly knows Innu words, but I’m very happy that she’s coming to school, because she’s always mocking me when I talk Innu,” Pokue said. 

Pokue said it’s good to see the Innu-aimun immersion Kindergarten offered because many children only speak English and don’t have a strong connection to their language. Pokue said the teachers are amazing and she’s hopeful to see other grades enter the immersion program as well. “I want her to speak in Innu, to learn her language.” 

The immersion Kindergarten program was the result of years of work from a number of people with Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education, including CEO Kanani Davis, and Curriculum Developers Francesca Snow and Lori Hudson. Snow said it’s just the beginning and now that the Kindergarten program is launched, Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education is preparing a Grade 1 Innu-aimun immersion program for next fall.

Rich and many other Innu teachers didn’t have formal training in education until Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education partnered with Nipissing University to offer a two-year Indigenous Teacher Assistant Program. 

After completing the Teacher Assistant Program, the Innu school board offered the teachers a new certificate program in partnership with McGill University. Rich and Natuashish teacher Suzie Katshinak both graduated from the Nipissing University program and are now half-way through the McGill program. 

Katshinak had always wanted to teach as well, but dropped out of school at 17. The Natuashish woman decided to go back after she had her two children, and is now one of the Innu-aimun immersion Kindergarten teachers in Natuashish. “I love speaking my language to them,” she said. “I’m really excited to have my own classroom and having my own students. […] It’s a big step for me, a big adventure and a new journey for me.” 

Natalie Nuna stayed and played with her son Coltan in the new classroom in Sheshatshiu, talking to the teachers in Innu-aimun before she had to go to work. Nuna said she feels good about the program. “I like that my child is learning Innu, and I prefer for him to learn Innu-aimun, to be able to speak Innu.” 

Nuna said she’s proud of the Innu who have been training as teachers so Innu children can be taught by Innu. Nuna hopes they’ll continue their training and offer Innu-aimun immersion for more ages in the future so her son can continue learning his language. “I’m hoping that he’ll continue learning Innu-aimun all through the year and be able to talk to me in Innu when he comes home,” she said. “Keep talking to your kids in Innu, to the moms and dads.”

Rich said the children know her and the other teachers from around the community as well, which adds to their excitement for the new program. She’s hopeful for what the year will bring. “It’s a really great step that MTIE are doing some changes in our school. I think it’s really exciting for the Innu teachers to be teaching Kindergarten, Grade 1, 2, 3. I think it’s very, very exciting,” Rich said. 

“There’s a bright future,” Rich said. “And it’s going to be a lot of change and challenging for sure, but once we start, it’s going to go smoothly.”