About

CILLDI has been in operation since 2000. Throughout this time, it has provided practical training to students, training which has been directly implemented back in the community. It is a tri-Faculty initiative at the University of Alberta, involving the Faculties of Arts, Education, and Native Studies.

CILLDI strives to be multicultural, cross-linguistic, interdisciplinary, inter-regional, inter-generational, and responsive to different sociolinguistic situations in language communities under threat. Our purpose is to support individuals at the community level by providing basic training in linguistics, native languages, second language teaching, and other aspects of professional enhancement such as language-related research and policy making.

We supply tools to Indigenous language activists so that they can better promote, protect, practice, and pass on their language. This includes a unique opportunity: students can earn university credits while learning about selected Indigenous languages and cultures in Canada. We are very pleased to have so many returning students each year.

Learn more about studying with us on our Study page, and browse the links below to find out more about our past, present and future!