For Secwepemcts铆n language and culture teacher Danikka Murphy, learning her traditional language changed the trajectory of her life.
鈥淚t鈥檚 what saved my life. It gave me purpose again,鈥� said Murphy.
Murphy began teaching Secwepemcts铆n, the Indigenous language of the region, at 脡cole Nesika Elementary in Williams Lake three years ago, and recently, started posting Secwepemcts铆n language videos on TikTok as a way to give students (and others interested in learning Secwepemcts铆n) more resources.
Her TikTok channel, , contains videos of her speaking Secwepemcts铆n. In one lesson, she provides basic greetings and in others, goes over the Secwepemcts铆n alphabet, plants and autumn-themed words.
What鈥檚 astounding is Murphy only started learning Secwepemcts铆n two years prior to her teaching.
Her uncle, Cody William, had just started teaching Secwepemcts铆n at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Williams Lake and encouraged Murphy to join his class.
鈥淚t just clicks,鈥� she said, noting she only spoke English and a few words of Chilcotin growing up.
Her mother, Tsilhqot鈥檌n and a residential school survivor, and her father of European descent, Murphy grew up in Williams Lake and described being a 鈥渉alf-breed鈥� as difficult, feeling lost for a long time. By the age of 10, she began drinking, which became scary really fast, she said.
When she was 14, she realized this wasn鈥檛 the life she wanted to live and committed to getting sober. She joined an Alcoholics Anonymous group 鈥� which she felt silly attending at first, claiming she was only attending for the many birthday cakes, but then realized she wasn鈥檛 alone. Today, she鈥檚 been sober for over 12 years. Of course, the journey wasn鈥檛 just that easy. She lost a lot of friends during the sobriety process, she said.
In 2013, she had her first son when she was 16 and began the juggle of parenting, completing high school and working part-time at Walmart, which turned full-time due to financial strain. Despite her 鈥渟evere lack of confidence,鈥� she graduated on time as valedictorian from Skyline Alternate School in 2014 while her son attended daycare during the day. She described her valedictorian speech as ridiculous.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 people back then. I couldn鈥檛 even do this, couldn鈥檛 even look up,鈥� she said to the Tribune.
Her second son was born in 2015 and she described being a young mom as 鈥渋solating enough.鈥� At this point, she was just surviving.
鈥淏ut you know, we find fun in simple moments, right? You get creative.鈥�
Her first daughter was born in 2017 at 33 weeks, sadly only surviving five hours. Only days later, her family evacuated up to Prince George to get away from the wildfires. Wrapped in grief, she stayed focused on her boys, turning 鈥渆very little thing into an adventure.鈥� Her oldest son, then four, was aware of his sister鈥檚 passing and also trying to cope.
鈥淚 wanted them to see that 鈥� your world can be totally burned to the ground, but as long as we have each other, we can do anything.鈥�
During this time, she began learning Secwepemcts铆n and recalled her dad smiling while listening to her speak it 鈥� for he knew she had found something special. Her father passed away in 2019 just days before she aced one of her final exams.
At this point, Murphy had already left Walmart and began working at the mill doing weekend cleanup. In 2020, right before the pandemic began, she was pregnant with her fourth child. She worked up until 30 weeks and then stopped, which, with the slower pace, brought on significant stress and panic surrounding her pregnancy. She reluctantly reached out to a counsellor.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the devil you know, or the devil you don鈥檛 know,鈥� she laughed.
Thankfully, seeing a counsellor helped.
Her second daughter was born in 2020 and three years later, is a happy little girl who has a 鈥渂estie鈥� at daycare. She affectionately calls her children her 鈥渨ild bunch,鈥� and continues to want more for them. Her kids also keep her grounded, she said.
For three days a week, Murphy works at Williams Lake First Nation as the Community Cultural Assistant and for the other two days, she鈥檚 teaching at Nesika.
For Murphy, she鈥檚 determined to instill confidence into her students, channelling the energy of the late Ella Gilbert who taught and inspired Murphy when she was a child attending Marie Sharpe.
鈥淲hen I speak the language, I try and stand up straight. I speak all the Secwepemcts铆n and then I translate, depending on where I am,鈥� Murphy said. 鈥淚 want to see Secwepemcts铆n spoken everywhere comfortably.鈥�
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