Bonnie August, her husband Gordon Anthony and their two daughters have all just graduated with a Certificate in Indigenous Language Proficiency from the Indigenous Languages Program (INLP) at Simon Fraser University. The family is part of the Eastern Secwepemctsín language cohort in Chase, British Columbia. “This certificate program became a true family success story for us. Together, my husband, our two teenage daughters and I all worked hard and successfully completed the certificate as a family. Our daughters began the program at ages 14 and 17, completing it at 15 and 18.” 

Bonnie and Gordon’s daughters had an excellent experience at the Chief Atahm Secwepemc Immersion School during their primary education. Says the school, “We help children to develop a positive sense of self through learning our language and developing academic and social skills within a community-based setting.” 

Chief Atahm School and SFU’s Indigenous Languages Program are partners in offering the Secwepemc Language Proficiency Program. Bonnie shares that it was her daughters who inspired her to pursue studies with INLP, and that they were encouraged to learn Secwepemctsin by a family friend, Geoffrey Craig Adams. 

Bonnie explains that though it was challenging to fit in classes and studying while also working full time, which she overcame with careful scheduling and meal planning, it was ultimately worth it to invest the time and energy into the program. “We started learning a prayer and practiced that at the start of classes. One of my favourite lessons was learning about signs (sign language) to help remember the sounds and words.” 

The family would like to recognize those who spearheaded and facilitated their language learning program. “We took this certificate program through a partnership between Neskonlith Indian Band and SFU. Neskonlith partnered with Wuméc r Cqweqwelútn-kt Community Society, a language society that did much of the heavy lifting when it came to curriculum, instructors and planning. Dr. Natalie Clark and Dr. Janice Billy from Wuméc r Cqweqwelútn-kt Community Society worked really hard at supporting students.” 

Kemal Denman, a member of Adams Lake Indian Band and fellow graduate of the Secwepemctsín cohort, offers congratulations to Bonnie and Gordon’s family, highlighting the impact and power of intergenerational community learning. “When we centre the learning of our languages in community, we are reconnecting to our Ancestor’s ways of teaching, emphasizing intergenerational support and knowledge.”

For Gordon and Bonnie, the opportunity for in-community language learning is highly valuable. “We are incredibly proud of what can be achieved through family support, commitment, and working toward goals together. We hope our story inspires other families and youth to believe in their abilities and pursue opportunities together.”