Page 14 - Brandon Sun - Community Leader Awards

B14 ■ COMMUNITY LEADER AWARDS 2019 THE BRANDON SUN ■ THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 26 2019

2019

Doris Pratt dedicated her life to preserving the Dakota language. (Doug Thomas Photography)
»TEACHER OF THE YEAR, SPONSORED BY ASSINIBOINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Pratt dedicated life to preserving Dakota language

BY DIANE NELSON writing system for the Dakota lan- adviser for Sioux Valley Education cipal, director of education, and as a ours,” Hall said. “She didn’t like
guage that provided an easier way to and Governance. Mrs. Pratt was a professor at the university level. being the centre of attention. She
It might be suggested that endur- read and write it. respected mentor, an inspiration to Pratt also spent five summers at would have shown up, but she didn’t
ing the Residential School system She created Dakota language — many Indigenous educators with the American Language Institute De- like the limelight.”
motivated the late Doris Pratt to do related materials for both school her wealth of knowledge, experience velopment Program at the University And that’s because, for Pratt, it was
something to improve education for curricula and for those wishing to and wisdom.” of Arizona and achieved an educa- her work that was important, not be-
her people. pursue an education at home. And According to her daughter Marilyn tion, culture and language specialist ing acknowledged for it.
And she certainly did that — and she didn’t restrict her teachings to a Hall, Pratt was always stressing the degree in 2004. As well, she served as “She would have seen a need, and
more. Hailed as a teacher by her particular age group. She developed importance of education. an official translator for the federal she would have filled it,” Hall said.
Sioux Valley Dakota Nation com- methods to instruct students right “She encouraged us all (her chil- government and the Truth and Rec- “She kept learning her whole life.
munity, Pratt took her strength, from the elementary school level dren) to go back to school,” Hall said. onciliation Commission. She was always busy at something.
her insight and her many abilities through to senior high school and “Education was an issue with her. Pratt received many prestigious She was very driven.”
to the community at large, then to beyond. And not just family — she encour- awards during her lifetime, but Hall said that Pratt would tell peo-
the province, and eventually, to the At the time of her passing – March aged everybody to get educated. found her greatest satisfaction in ple that a teacher at the Residential
country. 10th of this year — at age 83, the She’d say,‘It’s never too late to learn.’” helping preserve and teach the lan- School used to call her and her In-
An acclaimed Manitoba elder, chief and council of Sioux Valley Da- In addition to earning bachelor’s guage of her people. digenous classmates “trash.” Pratt
Pratt dedicated her life to preserving kota Nation emailed the following degrees in teaching and education, And while she was pleased her had no idea what that meant until
the Dakota language. In addition to statement to The Brandon Sun’s Bud and a master’s degree in education contributions were appreciated, and years later. And while that wasn’t her
writing two books — one published Robertson, who wrote the newspa- from Brandon University, Pratt co- would, according to Hall, have been motivation for all she accomplished,
by the Truth and Reconciliation per’s original story of Pratt’s legacy. ordinated the Brandon University honoured to receive a Community she did allow herself a small degree
Commission in 2016 and another “Elder Doris Pratt will be remem- Teacher Education Program (BUN- Leader Award, she would not have of satisfaction in all she’d achieved.
published by the Manitoba First Na- bered for her lifetime commitment TEP) program to train teachers for been thrilled about the accompany- “She’d say, ‘Not bad for trash,’”
tions Education Resource Centre to education and the preservation work in northern Manitoba commu- ing publicity. Hall said. “She was not trash and she
in 2018 – she developed a phonetic of our Dakota language. She was an nities. She worked as a teacher, prin- “Truthfully, Mom didn’t like hon- proved that.”
Piano teacher ‘flabbergasted’ by nomination

BY DIANE NELSON

She was acknowledged last year with a
tremendous honour — she was named a
Teacher of Distinction by the prestigious
Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
And now, piano teacher extraordinaire April
Gibson has been acknowledged again as
a finalist in the “Teacher” category of The
Brandon Sun’s Community Leader Awards.
“I’m completely flabbergasted,” Gibson
said when she heard she’d been nominated
as a Community Leader.“It’s a real surprise!”
Gibson, who has been teaching piano 2019
for 35 years, took her training at the Victo-
ria Conservatory of Music and has taught
in B.C., Alberta, and Manitoba. She’s lived
in Killarney for more than six years, and ly good teaching and really good teachers.”
while she teaches two days a week at the And as an instructor, Gibson tries to instil
Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory of Music that love of music in her students.
at Brandon University, she has a full studio “For all students, I would just want them
of students in Killarney. Her pupils range in to have a lifelong passion for music,” she
age from age three to adult. said. “Some will go on and study in universi-
As if that weren’t enough, Gibson is also ty, but that’s not my ultimate goal with every
on the faculty for the Kick Start Piano En- student. It’s just simply that they would have
semble Camp at BU, and is active as an ad- that passion for music, and that love for mu-
judicator and workshop and master-class sic all their life.”
clinician. She also has extensive training One of the things Gibson insists on is ex-
in pedagogy and andragogy, so she teaches posing her students to a variety of musical
other teachers. But whatever their age or styles. She said when inquiring about her
level of experience, she tries to engender teaching approach, parents often want to
her readily evident passion for music in all put her in a box — they try to determine
her students. what specific kind of music she teaches. But
On its website, the Royal Conservatory of she makes it very clear that variety really is
Music says those chosen as Music Teachers the spice of a musical life.
of Distinction“are leaders in the field of mu- “I teach everything in every genre of mu-
sic education, recognized for their contribu- sic,” Gibson said. “I teach jazz, whether they
tions of creativity, dedication, innovation, like it or not, I do sacred stuff, popular mu-
and passion.” sic, Canadian music. Highlighting Canadian
And that describes Gibson — in spades. composers is very important.”
“I’m very passionate about students play- Exposing students to all types of music
ing by ear, improvising, using a lead sheet — can often spark a desire to pursue a path
kids should be learning all of that,” she said they might not have considered or discov-
during a phone interview. “It’s really impor- ered otherwise. Making musicians inde-
tant for us to teach functional skills, and I pendent — able to play without full scores
really try to foster creativity.” in front of them and able to compose and
As one of seven children in a musical fam- improvise when the situation calls for it – is
ily — all the siblings played instruments one of her main objectives.
and sang — music has been a constant for And her enthusiasm for her craft is evident
as long as she can remember. at every turn, as was her delight in being
“My grandmother taught me to play by nominated for a Community Leader Award.
ear,” Gibson said. “At a very early age, I was “I’m very honoured — it’s very exciting,” April Gibson is the finalist in the Teacher category of the Community Leader Awards.
composing and playing by ear. So I had real- Gibson said. “I totally love my job.” (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)