The article by Samantha Wright Allen titled "Project aims to capture traditional stories" in The Citizen highlights a pervasive and natural phenomenon that deserves a concentrated and collaborative effort briefly described by Jenny Martin and Shannon Freeman.
Martin and Freeman precisely capture the need to perpetuate "intergenerational relationships" between youth and elders to "create opportunity for cultural legacy" and to share traditional and modern technological knowledge.
Most notably the sharing of knowledge, traditions, language and stories promises to create a "mutually beneficial" relationship where learning becomes practical and meaningful. David Kaufman asserts that the intergenerational feature of this project "can help combat" ageism and "offer new connections... (which will) ...have health benefits to seniors."
While all the side effects from this innovative and relevant initiative have yet to be realized, I anticipate and envision that the experiences of Nak'azdli community elders and Nak'albun elementary school students to be one that can be duplicated in other aboriginal communities or groups that are facing extinction of their own culture and heritage.
Moreover, the involvement of elders at Nak'albun elementary school in the educational enterprise will unintentionally promote and foster the social practice of respect, cultural structures, norms, values, beliefs and perhaps most noteworthy, pride in one's history.
Terry Espejo, principal
Nak'albun elementary school
Fort St. James
