"We're a small community school in Dettah. Most of our students are Dene, so cultural identity is important.
We went to the library to look at different legends. We have foxes and ravens around Dettah, so students gravitated to those stories.
The younger students chose to illustrate "The Man Who Turned into a Raven". The students each chose a part of the story that painted a picture in their mind.
The only tools they used were cardboard and plasticine to create their images. Later, they could use forks and knives to create detail.
Afterwards, students explained which part of the story they chose and why it stood out for them. They were very engaged.
The story talks about the importance of the traditional ways, of going out on the land. That came out in the art. The story is complex.
I noticed they wanted to add elements around their culture. One student added a tipi with northern lights. And drumming.
For middle school students, two talented staff members, Hillary Tapper and Neil Penney, designed a stop-motion animation programme.
The middle school students told the legend "How the Fox got his Crossed Legs". They built characters of plasticine, tinfoil and cardboard.
It's multidisciplinary. They come up with ideas to create a storyboard and a timeline. They use cameras, lighting and sound equipment.
After creating the characters, the children moved each animal a tiny bit and then took a photo. Then they edited their photos together. This encouraged co-operation.
Our skilled Dene language teacher, Sally Drygeese, worked with the young narrator on the script: practising intonation and fluency.
The students' confidence grew throughout the project. They were embracing their language by choice, not just 30 minutes a day.
