16
Language and Culture
We call upon post-secondary institutions to create university and college degree and diploma programs in Aboriginal languages.
Métis women collectives
Campus Saint-Jean
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Campus Saint-Jean
Dr. Cindy Gaudet has been working with Métis women collectives (inclusive of students) to advance community-engaged scholarship, pedagogy and Michif language.
Activity Details
Dr. Cindy Gaudet has been working with Métis women collectives (inclusive of students) to advance community-engaged scholarship, pedagogy and Michif language.
Indigenous Language Sustainability
Arts
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Arts - Arts Working Group on Indigenous Initiatives
President’s ad hoc Committee on Indigenous Language Sustainability – (PACILS/ANVILS - A National Vision for Indigenous Language Sustainability Conference), July 2016.
Activity Details
President’s ad hoc Committee on Indigenous Language Sustainability – (PACILS/ANVILS - A National Vision for Indigenous Language Sustainability Conference), July 2016.
Indigenous Languages Sustainability
Arts
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Arts - Department of Linguistics
Committee on Indigenous Languages Sustainability.
Activity Details
Committee on Indigenous Languages Sustainability.
Language Documentation and Revitalization Reading Group
Arts
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Arts - Department of Linguistics
Language Documentation and Revitalization Reading Group.
Activity Details
Language Documentation and Revitalization Reading Group.
Interdisciplinary
Arts
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Arts
Courses taught/offered: Interdisciplinary
Activity Details
Courses taught/offered: Interdisciplinary
- INT D 311: Language Policy and Planning for Indigenous Language Communities
- INT D 318: Technologies for Endangered Language Documentation
Linguistics
Arts
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Arts
Courses taught/offered: Linguistics
Activity Details
Courses taught/offered: Linguistics
- LING 224: Endangered Languages
- LING 360: Indigenous Languages of the Americas
- LING 361: Language Revitalization
- LING 362: Language Documentation
- LING 363: Lexicography
- LING 460: Practicum in Language Documentation and Revitalization
- LING 515: Field Methods
Indigenous Language Teacher Development Projects
Education
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Education
Through grants funded by Alberta Education, the Indigenous Language Teacher Development Projects in the Faculty of Education focus on developing new and additional pathways for Indigenous languages speakers to bridge into a University of Alberta Bachelor of Education program.
Activity Details
Through grants funded by Alberta Education, the Indigenous Language Teacher Development Projects in the Faculty of Education focus on developing new and additional pathways for Indigenous languages speakers to bridge into a University of Alberta Bachelor of Education program.
As part of the Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI), the Faculty of Education presents on-campus professional education courses for Indigenous Language Instructors or language holders who want to develop skills to teach in the classroom. This program stream provides courses in language education to Indigenous language instructors, teachers, and First Nation communities.
The programming includes languages, language education curriculum and materials, pedagogy, assessment, school-based language policy and planning, research and technological advances in teaching, curriculum, and research. Elders and Indigenous knowledge systems are central to the programming.
Language Revitalization: Community Linguist Certificate into Teacher Education
Education
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Education
As part of the the Indigenous Language Teacher Development Projects in the Faculty of Education, the Language Revitalization: Community Linguist Certificate into Teacher Education pathway aims to provide certification to bridge Indigenous Language Speakers (who do not currently hold an Alberta Teaching Certificate) into a Secondary or Elementary Education teaching program.
Activity Details
As part of the Indigenous Language Teacher Development Projects in the Faculty of Education, the Language Revitalization: Community Linguist Certificate into Teacher Education pathway aims to provide certification to bridge Indigenous Language Speakers (who do not currently hold an Alberta Teaching Certificate) into a Secondary or Elementary Education teaching program. Community Linguist Certificate holders can receive a bursary to take courses needed to be eligible to apply for a Bachelor of Education program (Elementary or Secondary routes). Over the past two years Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) courses, in alignment with the Community Linguist Certificate, were taught off campus – in Yellowknife and Piikaani Nation.
Language Revitalization: Indigenous Language Assessment
Education
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Education
As part of the Indigenous Language Teacher Development Projects in the Faculty of Education, the Language Revitalization: Indigenous Language Assessment and Secondary Education Bridging Pathway is currently establishing a process through which Indigenous language speakers would have their language proficiency recognized for credit towards a Bachelor of Education - Secondary program with Indigenous Language as their major subject area.
Activity Details
As part of the Indigenous Language Teacher Development Projects in the Faculty of Education, the Language Revitalization: Indigenous Language Assessment and Secondary Education Bridging Pathway is currently establishing a process through which Indigenous language speakers would have their language proficiency recognized for credit towards a Bachelor of Education - Secondary program with Indigenous Language as their major subject area. At present, Yellowhead Tribal College is leading an initiative to create an Indigenous Languages Assessment process for transfer to, at most, 30 University of Alberta credits for the Secondary Education Program. The University and its partner, Yellowhead Tribal College, have collaborated on this opportunity to increase the availability of language teachers. Once completed, students will be able to receive a bursary to begin a teacher education bridging route.
Indigenous Language Education
Education
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Education
Indigenous Language Education (in collaboration with CILLDI) - Students are Indigenous language speakers, teachers, Elders, community members and other language activists who are committed to the promotion, protection, preservation and practice of First Peoples' languages.
Activity Details
Indigenous Language Education (ILE) (in collaboration with CILLDI) - Students are Indigenous language speakers, teachers, Elders, community members and other language activists who are committed to the promotion, protection, preservation and practice of First Peoples' languages. ILE courses are offered through the Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute's (CILLDI) summer school. This program provides professional development to those who teach Indigenous Languages in their community, it can also count towards credits and courses needed to fulfill a Bachelor of Education at the University of Alberta.
Young Indigenous Women’s Circle of Leadership (YIWCL)
Education
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Education
The Young Indigenous Women’s Circle of Leadership (YIWCL) - in the Faculty of Education is a program that assists young women in their journey to discover and to reclaim their ancestral language and knowledge.
Activity Details
The Young Indigenous Women’s Circle of Leadership (YIWCL) - in the Faculty of Education is a program that assists young women in their journey to discover and reclaim their ancestral language and knowledge. YIWCL is open to young Indigenous women, ages 10 to 16, and is focused on the Cree language with a foundation in Cree knowledge and spirituality through immersion experiences. YIWCL is the only Cree immersion youth program within Alberta.
Major and Minor Programs in the BEd (secondary route)
Education
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Education
Major and Minor Programs in the BEd (secondary route)
Activity Details
Major and Minor Programs in the BEd (secondary route)
- BA [Native Studies]/BEd 5-yr. combined degrees program
- Second Languages: Cree major
- Second Languages: Cree minor
- Indigenous Curriculum and Pedagogy minor
UBC CWILTS learning circle
Science
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Science
Faculty in Computing Science participate in the UBC CWILTS learning circle (CWILTS = Continual Community Workshops for Indigenous Languages Technology).
Activity Details
Faculty in Computing Science participate in the UBC CWILTS learning circle (CWILTS = Continual Community Workshops for Indigenous Languages Technology).
Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI)
Arts, Education and Native Studies
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
CILLDI: Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Education and Faculty of Native Studies
CILLDI, pronounced 'sill-dee', is the Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute. Hosted at the University of Alberta, the Institute is dedicated to the revitalization of Indigenous languages through documentation, teaching, and literacy.
Activity Details
CILLDI, pronounced 'sill-dee', is the Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute. Hosted at the University of Alberta, the Institute is dedicated to the revitalization of Indigenous languages through documentation, teaching and literacy. It is a tri-faculty initiative involving the Faculties of Arts, Education and Native Studies. Since 2000, CILLDI has provided practical training to Indigenous language activists helping them better promote, protect, practice and pass on their language.
This includes the opportunity to earn university credits while learning about Indigenous languages and cultures in Canada. CILLDI strives to be multicultural, cross-linguistic, interdisciplinary, inter-regional, intergenerational and responsive to different situations in language communities under threat. Its purpose is to support individuals at the community level by providing basic training in linguistics, Indigenous languages, second language teaching, and other aspects of professional enhancement such as language-related research and policy making.
CILLDI has provided practical training to Indigenous community members as well as undergraduate and graduate students at the U of A. This training has been directly implemented back in the community to support on-the-ground language revitalization. CILLDI's oldest and most regular program is its Summer School, which offers courses in Cree, Education, and Linguistics of Indigenous languages. Summer 2020 saw all the CILLDI courses go online, expanding its reach throughout Canada. Recently, CILLDI joined in an SSHRC Partnership Grant aiming to develop machine language technologies for Indigenous languages.
Memorandum of Relational Understanding (MORU)
Institutional
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Institutional
U of A and Yellowhead Tribal College (Memorandum of Relational Understanding (MORU)) - The U of A has worked collaboratively with Yellowhead Tribal College on a new pathway to teacher education for Indigenous Language Speakers.
Activity Details
U of A and Yellowhead Tribal College (Memorandum of Relational Understanding (MORU)) - The U of A has worked collaboratively with Yellowhead Tribal College on a new pathway to teacher education for Indigenous Language Speakers. The Memorandum of Relational Understanding (MORU) is supported by Alberta Education and will see Yellowhead Tribal College work with Elders and Knowledge Keepers to develop an assessment process that enables fluent speakers of Anishinaabe, Cree, Nakota-Sioux and potentially Dënesųłiné to gain credit in the U of A’s Secondary Education program without prior certification or post-secondary credentials.
International Year of Indigenous Languages Resources (2019)
Libraries and Museums
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Libraries and Museums
International Year of Indigenous Languages Resources (2019).
Activity Details
International Year of Indigenous Languages Resources (2019).
Cree Language Instruction Courses
Native Studies
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Native Studies
A variety of Cree language instruction courses are offered in the Bachelor of Arts in Native Studies program.
Activity Details
A variety of Cree language instruction courses are offered in the Bachelor of Arts in Native Studies program.
Indigenous Language Instruction
Native Studies
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Faculty of Native Studies
The Faculty of Native Studies has made it a priority to make Indigenous language learning a core component of curriculum. Cree language learning has been a core requirement for Native Studies students for over 30 years. Indigenous language instruction remains a vital component of the degree program.
Activity Details
The Faculty of Native Studies has made it a priority to make Indigenous language learning a core component of the curriculum. Cree language learning has been a core requirement for Native Studies students for over 30 years. Indigenous language instruction remains a vital component of the degree program. The Faculty is committed to expanding the linguistic component of the curriculum and increasing the number of Indigenous languages taught, to reflect the diversity of our students. Working with our instructional team, the Faculty will also expand our existing Cree language learning opportunities to assist our students as they work toward fluency.
Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR)
Institutional
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Institutional - Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR)
Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR) is the first of its kind at the U of A and requires collaboration across many faculties and units, including Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Native Studies, School of Public Health, VP External Relations, VP Indigenous Programming and Research and Dean of Students Office. The goal is that Indigenous languages are healthy and vibrant and are spoken in homes, schools, workplaces and on the land.
Activity Details
Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR) is the first of its kind at the U of A and requires collaboration across many faculties and units, including Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Native Studies, School of Public Health, VP External Relations, VP Indigenous Programming and Research, and Dean of Students Office. The goal is that Indigenous languages are healthy and vibrant and are spoken in homes, schools, workplaces, and on the land.
The central SILR team is situated in the Office of the Vice-Provost (Indigenous Programming and Research) and is supported by a Steering Committee, Internal Leadership Council and External Advisory Council. SILR is supported by the BHP Foundation as well as in-kind support from the University of Alberta. Funding will support the expansion and enhancement of current initiatives and the development of new pathways to remove barriers preventing access to education opportunities—accelerating capacity building in Indigenous Nations and/or communities to lead their language revitalization efforts.
SILR provides funding to the following programs/initiatives:
- Master of Education Studies - Leadership Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization Indigenous led by Dr. Scott Key is currently under development and anticipated to be launched in 2024.
- Young Indigenous Women’s Circle of Leadership - led by Dr. Heather Blair and is focused on developing young Indigenous women’s self-worth, pride and respect of self and others through the learning of cultural values using Indigenous languages.
- Braiding Stories to Live By - led by Dr. Trudy Cardinal and creates space for young Indigenous women to come together with multiple generations of Indigenous women to create a beautiful circle of intergenerational knowledge.
- Weaving Holistic Learning Experiences through Language Programming and Culture - led by Dr. Lynn McGarvey and endeavours to expand the capacity of preservice and in-service teachers to create spaces and experiences for children and youth to engage in Indigenous cultures and language learning.
- Language Assessment Program - led by Dr. Florence Glanfield to establish 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.
- Intensive Adult Language Immersion - led by Dr. Jordan Lachler and is designed to be community-led and lead to new and improved language proficiency among Indigenous young adults.
- Dr. Davina Rousell led a National Study on Indigenous Language Knowledge and Well-Being to build evidence on the link between Indigenous language knowledge and well-being including mental health, self-determination and a sense of community belonging.
Developing Collections to Support First Nations
Libraries and Museums
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Libraries and Museums
Developing collections to support First Nations, Métis and Inuit curricular needs, Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) and Faculty of Education certificate programs related to Indigenous languages (ongoing).
Activity Details
Developing collections to support First Nations, Métis and Inuit curricular needs, Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) and Faculty of Education certificate programs related to Indigenous languages (ongoing).
Dr. Cindy Gaudet
Campus Saint-Jean
Type
Language Revitalization
Contributor
Campus Saint-Jean
Dr. Cindy Gaudet has been invited to contribute with Parks Canada, Métis Nation of Alberta and Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, and Rupertsland Institute to advance Métis peoples’ knowledge systems (language) as part of their respective approaches to reconciliation.
Activity Details
Dr. Cindy Gaudet has been invited to contribute with Parks Canada, Métis Nation of Alberta and Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, and Rupertsland Institute to advance Métis peoples’ knowledge systems (language) as part of their respective approaches to reconciliation.