Theresa Root says young children from the community begin to learn the language at the day care centre, but don’t continue to learn it once they start school until they get to the fourth grade.
She says the gap leaves years missing where students could instead be more consistent with learning their language.
Root is also concerned about there being only one language teacher that goes to schools in both Southampton and Port Elgin.
She says having only one language teacher is not fair to local First Nations people.
Root says she and her community don’t separate language and culture.
She says they need to have their culture in order to have their language, and they need to have their language in order to have their culture.
