The University of BC, Indigenous elders, and the Central Okanagan Aboriginal Early Years Table have launched a new app to help young Indigenous parents and preserve the nsyilxcən language.
The Two-Eyed Seeing For Parents app allows easy access to information on health, safety, nutrition, and traditional parenting approaches.
The app was developed through a collaborative effort led by Elders Wilfred “Grouse” Barnes, Pamela Barnes and Margaret Eli, and facilitated by UBC nursing professor emeritus Dr. Wendy Hall, in partnership with Interior Health and other community service providers.
“We believe that children are sacred gifts who deserve the best possible start in life,” said Wilfred Barnes. “Our app aims to empower Okanagan Nation parents with the knowledge, confidence and skills to nurture their children’s development while honouring our cultural heritage.”
The app is available to use offline, eliminating barriers for those with limited access to wifi or data.
Parent and Westbank First Nation member Emma Dovell is loving the app. “The Two-Eyed Seeing for Parents app is very user-friendly, broken down into ages with different topics under those ages. As a parent that doesn’t have very much nsyilxcən and cultural protocol knowledge and limited ways to learn, it was great that this app incorporated nsyilxcən language with audio clips and videos throughout so that it can be easily accessed and used as a learning opportunity for myself and my children.”
The app is available for download on Google Play and the Apple’s app store.
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