Several initiatives and supports are available for learners and communities as they undertake their language revitalization journey.
The Intensive Adult Language Immersion project is designed to be community-led and lead to new and improved language proficiency among Indigenous young adults.
WHoLE endeavours to expand the capacity of preservice and inservice teachers to create spaces and experiences for children and youth to engage in Indigenous cultures and language learning. Through community based initiatives and professional development opportunities, teachers will increase their capacity to lead language immersion experiences in their classrooms and schools, and become part of a network of Indigenous language revitalizers.
Braiding Stories to Live By is focused on co-creating Indigenous young women gatherings unique to each community we work with. These five-day gatherings are held in the summer with seasonal call back sessions and create space for young Indigenous women to come together with multiple generations of Indigenous women to create a beautiful circle of intergenerational knowledge. Our future dreams include inviting High School Students (for credit) and Indigenous Preservice Teachers (as part of their program) to join us in this creative collaboration.
The Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute is dedicated to the revitalization of Canada’s Indigenous languages through documentation, teaching, and literacy and will be expanding its annual summer school held at the University of Alberta in 2022. New projects include: CILLDI Curricular Expansion, Eastern Canada Expansion and CILLDI in Community.
First Peoples’ House is a student service centre for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students at the University of Alberta. The centre is the heart of the Indigenous student community on campus. First Peoples’ House offers programs and services to help students achieve academic success and personal growth. New language resources and tutoring is now available.
Establishing partnerships for communities working with Elders and Knowledge Keepers in the development of culturally-appropriate assessment protocols that would enable fluent speakers of Indigenous languages to gain advanced credit for the University of Alberta’s Secondary Teacher Education program.
A new program: Master of Education in Educational Studies – Supporting Leadership in Indigenous Language Revitalization is coming soon.
Watch this space for updates.
Learn More About MES
The Young Indigenous Women’s Circle of Leadership program is focused on developing young Indigenous womens’ self-worth, pride and respect of self and others through the learning of cultural values using Indigenous languages.
