Ätsųą Kų
Grandma’s House

“Language is the most valued component to cultural identity and connection to land, water, and spiritual activities; and it needs to be supported wholly^.”

We are trying very hard to revitalize our languages here in Yukon with a hand full of Elders that we have left. 

Äshäw Chughäla (Elder Lorraine Allen) is the voice you hear speaking Southern Tutchone in all of the recordings for this exhibit.

First language learning is part of early childhood development and language acquisition and therefore, is primarily learned in the home in everyday settings from caregivers and family members.

The Southern Tutchone Language/Dákwänjè is considered a critically endangered language. Today, CAFN has only 6 fluent speakers of Dákwänjè, meaning Dän that were born speaking Dákwänjè as their first language and grew up learning Dän Kʼè, that are still speaking.

The Äshäw (Elders) continue to be treasures in revitalizing Dákwänjè. Their commitment to revitalizing the language and keeping the community and the Nation in alignment with Dän K’è cannot be overstated.

Respecting our traditional languages is an important value for our people because “The words and phrases contain knowledge, traditional and cultural as well as scientific details which must be preserved in a living language that we learn from.” (Dákwänjè Natsʼùal Act, CAFN Language Act, 2014, YT).