Elder Mary Charlie enjoys the company of various individuals at the Tu Cho Centre near Frances Lake in the Yukon, where they come together to practice the Kaska language. As a board member of the Liard Aboriginal Women’s Society, Charlie expressed her comfort in using her language freely at this camp, contrasting the challenges she faced in regaining fluency after being reprimanded for speaking Kaska at a young age.
Participants at the language camp engage in activities such as filleting fish while exchanging Kaska vocabulary, fostering a sense of unity and cultural preservation. Despite still working on her fluency, Charlie acknowledges her progress and determination to relearn the language, likening it to starting anew like a student in early grades.
The recent gathering of Kaska language learners marked the first camp at the expanded Tu Cho Centre, a vital initiative in light of the diminishing number of fluent speakers, mainly comprising elders. Ann Maje Raider, the society’s executive director, emphasized the importance of youth involvement in language revitalization efforts, noting a positive trend in increased participant numbers.
Beyond traditional classroom lessons, the camp integrated cultural and land-based activities to enhance vocabulary acquisition, emphasizing the intrinsic connection between language and the land. Patricia Livingston, who relocated to the Yukon for better access to Kaska language resources, expressed a deepened connection to her culture and heritage through interactions with elders and participation in camp activities.
The Tu Cho Centre’s recent expansion, supported by federal funding, aims to host more camps and retreats to preserve and promote Kaska culture. Raider highlighted the historical significance of the land and emphasized the center’s role in cultural revitalization efforts, echoing the sentiments of elders who encouraged a return to their ancestral home.
For Charlie and others, the center’s location on Kaska land serves as a grounding and enriching experience for language learning, symbolizing a return to roots and heritage preservation.