‘The value of your elders’: First Nation using youth to spread COVID-19 message

MORLEY, Alta.

A First Nation in Alberta is turning to its youth to help spread the message to older members about the dangers of COVID-19.

Three reserves in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains make up the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, where there have been only a couple of outbreaks of the novel coronavirus since the pandemic began.

CEO Ryan Robb said the First Nation, including Morley about 70 kilometres west of Calgary, has faced a difficult challenge. Stoney remains the first language for an overwhelming majority of members, regardless of their age.

“They have an extremely high language retention, even though we’re very, very close to a major city,” said Robb in an interview. “Quite quickly we realized we needed to get our information out in Stoney as well as English.”

Robb said that included messages from chief and council played on the radio in both languages and a large digital billboard that flashes bilingual information along the road into the community

Audio files have also been created that can be downloaded onto phones.

“We made it in a very simple, small, downloadable file,” Robb said. “We translated it into Stoney and I can take my phone to go see my grandmother to play it in Stoney, so she may understand.”

Robb said a lot of messaging is being delivered in schools to get young people onside over fear of harming their grandparents.