 With Larry Beardy and we're going to talk about the ILIP program as well as other language experiences. If you could share what the ILIP program stands for. It's formerly known as NLIP, which is Native Language Instructors Program. So now it's ILIP, which is Indigenous Languages Program, and they're all now same thing. What I've done through the years is been teaching Indigenous Languages, primarily OGCRE Language and the program for potential and upcoming language instructors who come from the Northern communities and they go back to teach language to the students, the schools and the communities. And basically what I have been doing in that regard and also just the realm of that program beyond that and many different avenues is work with the language that I am fluent in, which is my first language, OGCRE. Well I was going to ask you because you said you have been instructor for about 25 years in the program? Yeah, I was with the Lake University for at least that. I started in 1985, I think, and I worked with Mary Mitchell. She and I kind of put the Theven, Anjabwe, OGCRE workbook people still use, which was modified by Tommy. And we did back in 1986, I think, Mary when she was still around. We did a presentation at a language conference in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and did presentation on crashes and put hypothesis in language acquisition. So that was the start of my involvement in work with the language and she picked me out because I was having such an easy time with the language programs I was taking here and she figured you know since I knew more than program was about I should be like teaching and working. Yeah. So that started my involvement in teaching language at the university. So in this like on the website we look at examples of excellence. What in your opinion would make this program an example of excellence, especially in the language? The teaching of languages and native languages especially up here, because there's so many different dialects that cause a big problem and the way things are going, a lot of the communities where these native languages are used, they're losing the language. I mean that's a given fact and a lot of the people that I grew up with and before that have lost their language to some extent, well, maybe a large extent, large for some, some for some, but regardless is losing and but for me I could never really figure that out because they never lose any of the language, even when I was like working down in southern Ontario and in the States where I worked in places that I was not able to use my language at all because there was nobody to talk to. But the fact remains that the language in me has always been one of my main personality character and it strengths and personality. It's always there because it's always alive. And so when we look at the language program here at the university and also in the communities, that is, those are the target areas. The language program here is probably the main place for the communities to send their people in, to get training on teaching the language in their communities, therefore maintaining and keeping the language alive, which is very, very important. People realize that part of it, how important it is to maintain well-being, health, to remain healthy because the language is an identification marker for each and every member of the community on who they are, what they are, where they come from, their history, their way of life. And because our indigenous languages are spiritual languages, they're very descriptive and powerful. So when we talk to each other, there's no misconstruing what the two people are talking about. It's like head on and sink. I cannot say for English because that's where the term lost in translation comes into play. So one of the reasons why it's so important is because when you speak your language, the native language, it makes you feel like you're heard, like what you say is heard for what it is. You're understood. In English, it doesn't happen. So young people, Christian nations people, when they try to ask for help or they want somebody to listen, and if they use English, it doesn't really work out and they just as well give up communicating because it's not going anywhere or it's totally misunderstood and they are being put into a judgmental position because the communication is one-sided. People that are supposed to listen and understand you are painting an image of you from their own perspective. That's how English works. It's not fair. It's hard. And as a language speaker myself, I can talk really well in my native language. And when I talk with another native language person, it is so powerful and beautiful that you feel supported, you feel good, and you feel happy communicating in that language. And you feel the presence and the power of the natural environment, the elders, and all the people that have been kind enough to give you the knowledge and experiences that you have. As an instructor in the program, how would you measure success either as an instructor or as the program in general? This and the language comes in when what I have just been talking about starts to surface and when the people who are working with and learning the language are feeling it and it starts to ignite and sign the person. I'm talking about the spiritual part of the person. When that happens, then it's activated and that person or people start to know how to learn the language from within. The structure, the foundation has been set in place. It's not for everybody, unfortunately. Everybody has different gifts and strengths and it's really hard for people who do not have a natural strength in languages to learn and pick it up. They have to work really extra hard to progress. And for those people who have a natural gift, it's an honor and it's fortunate when you run into people like that. For me to work with people that want to learn the language, I feel really good and motivated to spend time and give what they need to learn the language. With the language program, the people that enter the program, you give them the tools they need and the foundation they need to work with the language to help others learn it. And that is good to have that. Once each of the students, language instructors, have that, it doesn't really go away. The foundation is there, not all they need after that is experience and time to be able to work with the language that they know that is theirs and spend time with especially young minds and young people because that's where it's needed so that they can grow up and carry on, do the language speaking skills and how to teach them and what to use for resources and tools and strategies and best practices and stuff. For my part, what works best and what has been successful in helping language instructors gain skills, knowledge and expertise to teach the language is me modeling to them best practices, teaching strategies and methods and also the ability to use and define, identify the skills they have that they can use to assist them in teaching. For example, you need artistic skills, creativity to produce your resources for teaching, what you need to teach with, whether it's technology, artwork, storytelling or other avenues, arts and crafts, like actual environmental education, being out in the wilderness and learning how to live out of nature and knowing different animals and their way of life, the land, the rivers, the lakes, all of those things. All of that natural way of life environment is part of our language and I didn't include technology there that's part of the new language. But it's what you teach that is most important. What would be your vision for language? My vision for language learning and keeping the languages alive or even having the people that do not speak it or that want to speak it, learn to speak fluently. Not just some words. For people to learn to speak like I do fluently, they have to have a program that is applicable to all people. That's important to point out because too many language programs, instructors and people don't want to share. Some people say with good reason because they work so hard and spend a lot of money on it. But there is no good reason for not sharing. Then people get old and they die off and ensues the gifts they were supposed to path on and that's kind of sad. What I have tried to show my other colleagues all my life is to share. I do a lot of work that is not paid for. I don't make money for that. I have jobs that I also take jobs that pay way less than they should be. But because I have an opportunity to share and give those gifts, I was given to share which is primarily language. My vision is to have a language program in place that is accessible to anybody and everybody and the curriculum and the program is user friendly and it speaks to all people, not just academics or language experts because those are the last people that you want to give it to because they are already experts. What about regular people, families, children, parents? They need to have access to that. Parents families need to know and learn the language to help their young children learn it.