During our travels an Elder told a story of how she learned to read and write by reading a Sears catalogue. We thought then how exciting it would be to hear their stories and how inspiring it would be for the Learners around the province to listen to our Elders’ literacy stories. After several months of contemplation and discussion on which areas of the province we would consider, we contracted two inspiring film makers and a teacher who has been involved in the K-12 system as a Math teacher.
There were 20 Elders interviewed! This experience was not only inspiring and informative; it was the most humbling experience I was privileged to be a part of. It is our hope that this resource will be utilized by both literacy practitioners and learners in the most respectful way. This resource can be used in the development of curriculum, and to build a sense of self for the learners.
The Elders’ who were involved in this project most certainly surpassed our expectations and took this task very seriously. Thank you to all the Elders who participated in this project.
Click on the names below to watch video interviews.
Leoda Assu,
Campbell River;
Leila Crosby,
Alberta Billy,Cape Mudge;
Daniel Billy, Cape Mudge; Amelia Washington, Merritt;
Guy Dunstan, Merritt;
Bety Gladue, Merritt;
Don Beauchesne, Merritt; Tom McCallum, Merritt; Stewart Doolan, Gingolx; Cheryl Doolan, Gingolx; Grace Nelson, Gingolx; Norman Price, Skidegate; Pearle Pearson, Skidegate;
Bea Harley, Skidegate;
Percy Williams, Skidegate; Barbara Wyss,
West Vancouver; and
Mary O'Connal, Fort St. James.
