# South Slave Divisional Education Council

The South Slave Divisional Education Council (SSDEC) is the public school board for the South Slave Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. Its responsibility includes all schools within the five communities of the South Slave (with the exception of École Boréale in Hay River). Specifically, it is responsible for schools in the communities of Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, K'atl'odeche First Nation, Hay River, and Łutselk'e. Given the vast distances between communities, and the relatively small populations, the eight schools of the South Slave range in enrolment from 60 to 240 students with a total of 1,300. Although considered part of the South Slave Region by other departments of the Government of the Northwest Territories, the communities of Fort Providence and Kakisa are served by the Dehcho Divisional Education Council and not the SSDEC.

## Organizational relationships

The South Slave Divisional Education Council (SSDEC) was created in 1991 alongside five local District Education Authorities (DEAs) in each of the major communities of the South Slave Region. These five DEAs are responsible for setting Council goals and priorities, while the SSDEC is responsible for implementing their decisions within the schools. Both the SSDEC and the five community DEAs are granted power by the Government of the Northwest Territories through the Education Act.

## List of schools

The following are the schools in the SDEC
| Community | School | Grades | Principal | Students |
| Fort Resolution | Deninu School | JK – 12 | Justin Heron | 105 |
| Fort Smith | Joseph Burr Tyrrell Elementary School | JK - 6 | Tiffany Kelly | 280 |
| Fort Smith | Paul William Kaeser High School | 7 - 12 | Christy MacKay | 240 |
| Hay River | Harry Camsell School | JK - 3 | Tara Boudreau | 160 |
| Hay River | Princess Alexandra School | 4 - 8 | Tara Boudreau | 160 |
| Hay River | Diamond Jenness Secondary School | 8 - 12 | Lynne Beck | 235 |
| K'atl'odeche First Nation | Chief Sunrise Education Centre | JK – 12 | Deborah Reid | 60 |
| Łutselk'e | Lutsel K'e Dene School | JK – 12 | Brendan Mulcahy | 70 |

## Communities without schools

While technically within the regional mandate of the SSDEC, the following communities do not host schools for a variety of reasons:
* Enterprise, due to its small population and close proximity to Hay River.

## Leadership for Literacy Initiative

In an effort to improve literacy outcomes in the region, the SSDEC began implementation of its Leadership for Literacy initiative in 2007. The initiative placed a Literacy Coach in each of the eight schools in the region, providing job-embedded professional development to teachers and training them on research-based skills and strategies to aid in student achievement. The initiative has also moved away from the summative evaluation of students in favour of more frequent formative evaluations so that "instruction can be tailored to the needs to individual students."
Since its implementation, the initiative has seen literacy scores across the region rise significantly, from "less than 50 per cent" in 2005–2006 to 62 per cent in 2017–2018. The Canadian norm is 77 per cent.

## Indigenous languages

The SSDEC is involved with Indigenous language instruction in each of its five communities. According to a report published by the Government of the Northwest Territories, the SSDEC employs 18 Indigenous language instructors who supply over 700 students in the region with daily instruction. Students are instructed in Chipewyan (Dëne Sųłıné Yatıé), Cree (nēhiyawēwin), or South Slavey (Dene Zhatıé), depending on where they live. Typically, students from Hay River and K'atl'odeche First Nation are instructed in South Slavey, while students from Fort Resolution and Łutselk'e are instructed in Chipewyan. Students in Fort Smith receive instruction in both Cree and Chipewyan. Approximately 90% of students in the South Slave have Indigenous heritage. The Council knows that it is important that students have books that represent their language, culture, communities, and people.
Since 2005, the SSDEC has been developing resources for Indigenous language classrooms. The council has now published more than 300 books, most of them dual-language stories in Chipewyan (Dëne Sųłıné Yatıé), Cree (nēhiyawēwin), or South Slavey (Dene Zhatıé) alongside English. The stories are not meant to replace oral stories, but rather preserve stories and create opportunities for the community to become involved in revitalizing culture and language.
Indigenous language instructors began their involvement in publishing following a set of writing workshops in 2005, following which they wrote many Northern-themed and traditional stories. The publishing process is frequently a community effort, involving locals to write, illustrate, translate, and design the books. The council has also worked with established authors like Richard Van Camp and David Bouchard to publish books; and has worked with other school boards and organizations across the country to translate and publish their stories.

### Three Feathers

Three Feathers is a drama film that explores the power and grace of restorative justice and the cultural legacy that can empower future generations. The film was written and directed by Carla Ulrich and is based on the graphic novel Three Feathers by Richard Van Camp. The film, which was produced by the council, premiered in 2018.
The film stars David Burke as Flinch, Joel Evans as Bryce, and Dwight Moses as Rupert; along with Eileen and Henry Beaver as Elders Irene and Raymond. The cast also includes Tantoo Cardinal, Pat Burke, Crystal Benwell, Frankie Laviolette, Dante Kay-Grenier, and Trey Currie.

### Children's Storybook Contest

From 2016 to 2020, the Council held an annual Children's Storybook Contest. The contest encouraged residents of Northwest Territories communities to submit stories with Northern themes that lent themselves to translation and illustration. Winners received a cash prize and had their story published in the three Indigenous languages of the region.

### First Nations Storybook app

The council has also released three First Nations Storybook apps (in each of the three Indigenous languages taught in the region) for iOS and Android devices. The apps display a bookshelf filled with the children's stories that the council has published, and when a book is opened in the app an audio recording of an Elder reading the story plays. While popular with Indigenous language teachers in the region, the app is also available to download for free through the iTunes and Google Play stores. Apps were released in 2014 (Bush Cree), 2016 (Chipewyan), and 2017 (South Slavey).

### Shopping in Two Worlds program

In March 2017, the Council rolled out a program called “Shopping in Two Worlds” in Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, K'atl'odeche First Nation, Hay River, and Łutselk'e grocery stores. Common grocery store item names were translated into the Indigenous language(s) of the community, and then the item name was printed on a label along with a QR code that directed to a voice recording of the word. The program has since spread across Canada, with The North West Company working with Elders, translators, and community members across the country to translate sets of words into approximately 30 different dialects to publish on grocery store labels in the communities the stores serve.

### Dictionaries

In 2008, the Council published a South Slavey-to-English dictionary, developed in partnership with the K’atl’odeeche First Nation. In March 2012, the Council produced, in collaboration with a group of community leaders from Fort Resolution, a Chipewyan-to-English dictionary. In 2013, the Council produced a second Chipewyan-to-English dictionary with the community of Łutselk'e. The 400-page Łutselk'e version includes an additional 1,200 words and images. As dialects vary from community to community, the two Chipewyan dictionaries reflect the language of their respective communities. All dictionaries come with a CD containing clickable words that voice proper pronunciation.

### Strong Like Two People music video

In 2009, the Council produced a music video called “Strong Like Two People.” The song was written by Cree hip hop artist Shawn Bernard (FEENIX) and features students from Fort Smith, Hay River, and Fort Resolution schools. The song won the 2010 Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for “Best Rap/Hip Hop Music Video.”

### Scramble Game

Paul Boucher, a Chipewyan teacher in Fort Smith, created a Scrabble-like game called "Ɂëk’éch’a Helá" or "Scramble." The board is labelled in Chipewyan, e.g. "Ta Yati" for "Triple Word Score", and the tiles are labelled not with the letters of the English alphabet but with the grapheme sequences of Chipewyan. For example, there are tiles labelled "ddh" since that sequence represents a single sound in Chipewyan. Following the success of "Chipewyan Scramble," the SSDEC further developed the game to include letter tiles so it could be played in any of the nine official Indigenous language categories of the Northwest Territories.

## Recognition

| Year | Name | Position | School/DEA | Award | Awarding Body |
| 2019 | Shirley Lamalice | Teacher | Princess Alexandra School | Indspire Guiding the Journey Award – Language, Culture & Traditions | Indspire |
| 2018 | Kate Powell | Principal | Deninu School | One of Canada's Outstanding Principals | The Learning Partnership |
| 2018 | Lois Lafferty | Teacher (retired) | Joseph B. Tyrrell Elementary School | NWT Education Hall of Fame | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2017 | Bess-Ann McKay | SSDEC Vice-chair | SSDEC; Fort Resolution DEA | Community Builder Award | Aboriginal Sport Circle NWT |
| 2017 | JBT Jiggers(Lois Lafferty, Karen McFeetors, and Jessica Hval) | Volunteers | Joseph B. Tyrrell Elementary School | Minister's Culture and Heritage Circle Award – Group Category | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2017 | Carolyn Carroll | Principal | Harry Camsell School and Princess Alexandra School | Polar Medal | Governor General of Canada |
| 2017 | Pam Walsh | Literacy Coordinator | SSDEC | NWT Ministerial Literacy Champion Award | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2017 | Chuck Lirette | Teacher | Diamond Jenness Secondary School | NWT Education Hall of Fame | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2017 | Lori Rutherford | Teacher | Paul W. Kaeser High School | NWTTA Aboriginal Sport Circle Award | Aboriginal Sport Circle NWT |
| 2017 | Paul Boucher | Indigenous Language Teacher | Paul W. Kaeser High School | NWT Premier's Award for Individual Excellence | Government of the Northwest Territories |
| 2017 | Anna Cunningham | Program Support Teacher | Diamond Jenness Secondary School | Science Teaching Award for NWT/Nunavut | NWT/Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists |
| 2017 | Carolyn Carroll | Principal | Harry Camsell School and Princess Alexandra School | One of Canada's Outstanding Principals | The Learning Partnership |
| 2016 | Alexandra McDonald | Teacher | Paul W. Kaeser High School | Innovation Award | NWT Recreation & Parks |
| 2016 | Lynne Beck | Principal | Diamond Jenness Secondary School | Ministerial Restorative Justice Award | Department of Justice |
| 2016 | Julie Lys | Fort Smith DEA Chair | Fort Smith DEA | Distinguished Alumni Award | Athabasca University |
| 2016 | Leadership for Literacy (L4L) | Initiative | SSDEC | Indigenous Educator Awards - Organization Award | Indspire |
| 2016 | Leadership for Literacy (L4L) | Initiative | SSDEC | Canadian Innovators in Education Awards – Third Place | Canadian Education Association and Reader's Digest Canada |
| 2015 | Leadership for Literacy (L4L) | Initiative | SSDEC | Ministerial Literacy Award – Organization Award | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2015 | Lutsel K’e Chipewyan Dictionary Committee | Initiative | SSDEC: Łutselk'e | Premier's Award for Collaboration | Government of the Northwest Territories |
| 2015 | Doris Camsell | Indigenous Language Teacher | Harry Camsell School and Princess Alexandra School | NWT Education Hall of Fame | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2015 | Bruce Green | Teacher (retired) | Diamond Jenness Secondary School | NWT Education Hall of Fame | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2015 | Deninu School | Students | Deninu School | Ministerial Literacy Award | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2014 | Brent Kaulback | Assistant Superintendent | SSDEC | Canadian Superintendent of the Year | Canadian Association of School System Administrators |
| 2014 | Celine Marlowe | Indigenous Language Teacher | Lutsel K'e Dene School | NWT Education Hall of Fame | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2014 | Leadership for Literacy (L4L) | Initiative | SSDEC | Gold – Public Sector Leadership Award – Education | Institute of Public Administration of Canada / Deloitte |
| 2013 | Angie Fabian | Indigenous Language Teacher | Deninu School | Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence | Government of Canada |
| 2013 | Jill Taylor | Inclusive Schooling Coordinator | SSDEC | NWT Recreation Parks Association Award | NWT Recreation Parks Association |
| 2013 | Dan Summers | Principal | Deninu School | One of Canada's Outstanding Principals | The Learning Partnership |
| 2013 | Doris Camsell | Indigenous Language Teacher | Harry Camsell School | Indspire Indigenous Educator Award – Language, Culture and Traditions | Indspire |
| 2013 | Brent Kaulback | Assistant Superintendent | SSDEC | Indspire Indigenous Education Partner Award | Indspire |
| 2013 | Ann Pischinger | SSDEC Chairperson | SSDEC; Fort Smith DEA | Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal | Government of Canada |
| 2013 | Bess-Ann McKay | SSDEC Vice-chair | SSDEC; Fort Resolution DEA | Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal | Government of Canada |
| 2013 | Jill Taylor | Inclusive Schooling Coordinator | SSDEC | Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal | Government of Canada |
| 2013 | Jill Taylor | Inclusive Schooling Coordinator | SSDEC | NWT Education Hall of Fame | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2013 | Chuck Lirette | Teacher | Diamond Jenness Secondary School | Dennis Crane Memorial Official of the Year | Sport North Federation |
| 2012 | Dr. Curtis Brown | Superintendent | SSDEC | NWT Education Hall of Fame (Minister's Choice Award) | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2012 | Dan Summers, Kate Powell, Lucinda Summers, Angie Fabian | Staff | Deninu School | Premier's Award for Excellence | Government of the Northwest Territories |
| 2012 | Kate Powell & Lucinda Summers | Staff | Deninu School | Ministerial Literacy Award | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2012 | Al Karasiuk | Principal | Paul W. Kaeser High School | One of Canada's Outstanding Principals | The Learning Partnership |
| 2011 | Leadership for Literacy (L4L) | Initiative | SSDEC | Round Table with His Excellency the Right Homorable Governor General David Johnston - moderated by Dr. Curtis Brown | Government of Canada |
| 2011 | Dr. Curtis Brown | Superintendent | SSDEC | Canadian Superintendent of the Year | Canadian Association of School System Administrators |
| 2011 | Dorothy Beaulieu | Teacher | | NWT Education Hall of Fame | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2010 | Brent Kaulback | Assistant Superintendent | SSDEC | Canadian Aboriginal Music Award (Producer) – Hip Hop | Indigenous Music Awards |
| 2010 | Brent Kaulback | Assistant Superintendent | SSDEC | NWT Education Hall of Fame (inaugural inductee) | Department of Education, Culture and Employment |
| 2008 | Moh Odeen | Principal | Deninu School | One of Canada's Outstanding Principals | The Learning Partnership |