Mar 05, 2024
Arieh Smith immerses himself in Cree culture to help promote language learning, preservation
Cree elders were surprised and confused when a foreigner started talking to them in their language.
Arieh Smith, 33, can speak around 50 languages and has over six million followers on his YouTube channel. He came to Loon Lake in northern Saskatchewan to learn the Cree language, promote it and experience the culture of the Cree people.
“I’ve done this now with Indigenous communities across North and South America as well,” Arieh Smith, who hails from New York, said. “But this time, in particular, was really special because I had Patrick there to kind of guide me and take me around,” he said.
Patrick Mitsuing is the president of Powwow Times, and he orchestrated the visit from Feb. 15-18.
“We had this language program that we’re we just launched called repeataftermecree.com where we teach 52 weeks of Cree. And I was wondering, how do I promote this, how could I get it out there?” Mitsuing said.
Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/cree-saskatchewan-cbc-news-language-saskatoon-1.7133710