Louise Fraser crossed the convocation stage at the University of Saskatchewan on Wednesday at age 87 to pick up her bachelor’s degree in education, becoming one of the oldest graduates at the university and beginning a journey to reclaim something that was once forcibly taken from her. Fraser lost her Cree language when she was in residential school where students were forbidden to speak their native tongue, and now after spending the last two and a half years studying to become a teacher focused on Cree language instruction, she’s working to get it back for herself while passing it on to the next generation. She completed the four year program in half the allotted time since she already held degrees in social work, earning her education degree with distinction despite admitting that her time back in school was not always easy.
Her elders continually inspired her journey, pushing her to keep her language alive through what she described as a lot of hard work that she enjoyed because she wanted to learn more about her native tongue. Before deciding to become a teacher, Fraser ran her own mental health therapy practice, and she’s looking forward to using that background in social work to help navigate the classroom environment and work with students as she passes the language on. She won’t waste any time getting started, as she expects to receive her teaching certificate within the next few weeks and hopes to start teaching Cree language before next year. This monumental moment was more than just becoming a teacher at 87, it was Fraser reclaiming what residential schools stole from her and ensuring that the forced forgetting of indigenous languages stops with her generation, proving that it’s never too late to heal historical wounds by becoming the change you want to see for future generations.
