First off, we want to say thank you — gunalchéesh, mahalo, niá:wen, quyana,  háwʼaa,  n  ʼtoyaxsat  ʼnüüsm,  qaĝaasakung,  chinʼan,  baaseeʼ  — to everyone who attended the Alaska Language Summit this last Tuesday, February 23.

We wish you well back in your home communities and hope you are reinvigorated with added inspiration.

We also hope that you have more guidance to funnel that inspiration into action, and that you know that no matter where you and your languages are, you have avenues to achieve language revitalization.

What is this and why am I getting it?

This mailing is our attempt to connect Alaskans who are invested in Native language revitalization. Every other week, we intend to send out a short mailing including relevant news articles,  stories  from  around  Alaska  (we’ll  be  looking  for  your  help  on  this  one!),  and  anything else we, or you, find meaningful and inspiring. You are always welcome to contribute.

You’re  getting  this  because  you  were  at,  or  on  our  invite  list  for,  last  week’s  Alaska  Language  Summit. But if the last thing you need is another email, we understand. Let us know and you won’t  get  another  one.  

And  if  you  know  someone  who  should  be  getting  this  but  isn’t,  also  let  us  know.

Who are we?

We are a loose group of individuals passionate about Alaska Native language revitalization. We want to connect people across the state to share experiences, challenges, and successes. We want to spread best practices. Most of all, we want to reverse language loss among  Alaska’s  Native languages.

This first issue was put together by a small team: David Russell-Jensen, Miguel Rohrbacher, Cordelia Kellie, and me (Reid Magdanz). We work in the Legislature, but our passion for Native languages crosses the personal/professional divide.

The last two weeks in language revitalization…

Lisa Phu at the Juneau Empire did a great article on the Alaska Language Summit..

We noted a story about a program at the University of Arizona to create a Mutsun – English Dictionary, building on existing documentation. Lots of languages in Alaska are well documented, this article talks a little about their process.

Alaska Language Revitalization Digest Vol. 1, No. 1 (The first!) February 26, 2016

We also want to draw your attention to a great blog by Annie Rosenthal on language issues. She posts periodically about language revitalization in the Kachemak Bay area. Her last post was about efforts to revitalize Sugtʼstun  language  in  Nanwalek..

Finally, an article from Canada about controversial efforts to standardize Inuit orthography.. This could be relevant to Alaska because of similarities to Iñupiaq languages.

Sweet Resource

Qargi.com is a great resource (you have to sign up) for Iñupiaq language learning and knowledge sharing. Dr. Edna MacLean mentioned this at the Language Summit. (A qargi is a traditional Iñupiaq communal gathering house.)

Question of the week

What is the most inspirational thing happening with language revitalization in your community?

(Send  us  a  quick  reply.  We’ll  record  your  answer  and  help  you  network  with  communities  and  people with similar questions!)

Last tidbit…Something cool happening in your community? Language resources others should know  about?  Let  us  know!  We’ll  send  it  out.

Language Revitalists! Anyone else sensing energy behind language work growing statewide? We distributed a Survey Monkey coming out of the first ever Alaska Language Summit and received an abundance of thoughts and feedback. We’re sharing some of the feedback here.

What Went Well?

“I really appreciated the reinforcement we all gave each other. It was a much needed boost to the effort and knowing that so many of us are working so hard really made a difference. Learning new teaching techniques was also quite awesome. I can't wait to dig into new suggestions for teaching.”

“The number of attendees was just right, meeting old and new friends, but not so many as to be overwhelming. Good mix of plenary and break-out sessions. Good flexibility with timing. Excellent choice of Outside knowledge bearers with real experience.”

“That there were "tiered" breakout sessions that were targeted to acknowledge the disparity in capacity and the robustness of the languages in Alaska.”

What Should Be Changed?

“For groups of people that are already doing master/apprentice type stuff and already started, what we should do next. How we can continue to do well maybe?”

“I would like to have seen more practical applications to jumpstarting pockets of language revitalization using methods free of organizations, entities, institutions, grants, sponsors, donors, or any kind of funding. Things people can just do, until such time those efforts grow so big and strong, that all those things become necessary to continue feeding the movement.

I think we need to devote some energy to our first language speakers. They need support and encouragement in more ways than we could ever envision as some, many of them, still suffer from trauma. We need to spend time working with them on healing.”

Other Thoughts –

“It should be a two day event that occurs annually in different parts of the state. Our focus should not be on targeting groups that MIGHT influence revitalizations (school admin, legislators, etc.), but more along the lines of those who are actually calling for or facilitating change (focus on grant deadlines, school calendars, and what is going on across the state in our language communities).”

“Having the summit at other locations in the state would be ideal and would be so beneficial to people in different areas of the state who cannot afford the cost of travel, as well as the time it takes.”

“A wonderful and insightful gathering of those working in indigenous language revitalization. Hope to see this continue over the years.”

Alaska Native

Language Revitalization Digest March 11, 2016 Vol. 1, No. 2

The last two weeks in language revitalization…

There was an Administration of Native Americans (ANA) application training on March 2-4, walking participants through what they needed to know to build a solid foundation for applying for future ANA project funding, which can often be used for language work. For more information on future ANA Alaska trainings, contact Anthony Caole at (907) 376-3622.

The Alaska Native Language Archive at UAF held a Workshop on Digital Heritage Preservation March 9-10, a 2-day workshop teaching participants techniques for digitizing documents and audio recordings related to linguistic and cultural heritage, as well as strategies for mobilizing these documents into continued use. Interested in hearing how it went? Contact ANLA at (907) 474-7436.

Statewide Upcoming

Alaska Native Heritage Center will be hosting a Yup’ik Language Immersion Camp at ANHC March 14-15. For more information, contact the Language Department at AHNC at (907) 330-8000.

Alaska Native Heritage Center is also doing a call for presenters for their Immersion Strategies Gathering April 9-10th. If you are working with Native languages through immersion and are interested in sharing a message, your work, or ideas on best practices, contact Marcella Asicksik at masicksik@alaskanative.net or (907) 748-1818.

The Ahtna Language Learners and Speakers program will be introduced March 17th at 6:30 pm in the Athna Building in Anchorage, part of the 2016 Ahtna Language Continuation Program. Grant Rebne, Ahtna language revitalizer, will facilitate and he will also review Where Are Your Keys immersion methods, transitioning into immersion lessons in the Ahtna language. Interested in seeing these methods in action? Stop by or contact Grant at 907alls@gmail.com or (907) 952-1546 for more information.

Sweet Resource

Want to learn more about the Alaska Native Language Archive? The Alaska Native Language Archive is a digital repository of text and audio material in your language! Dr. Larry Kaplan of the Alaska Native Language Center told us about it at the Language Summit.

Question of the week

What is the most inspirational thing happening with language revitalization in your community? (Send us a quick reply. We’ll record your answer and help you network with communities and people with similar questions!)

Last tidbit…Something cool happening in your community? Language resources others should know about? Let us know!  We’ll  send  it  out.

About the Digest –What is this and why am I getting it?

This mailing is our attempt to connect Alaskans who are invested in Native language revitalization. Every other week, we intend to send out a short mailing including relevant news articles, stories from around Alaska (we’ll be looking for your help on this one!), and anything else we, or you, find meaningful and inspiring. You are always welcome to contribute.

Let us know if you wish to unsubscribe. And if you know someone who should be getting this but isn’t, also let us know.

Who are we?

We are a loose group of individuals passionate about Alaska Native language revitalization. We want to connect people across the state to share experiences, challenges, and successes. We want to spread best practices. Most of all, we want to reverse language loss among Alaska’s Native languages.

Editorʼs Note

Last week we said Edna MacLean had mentioned qargi.com. In fact, it was Jana Harcharek! Both are wonderful leaders of language revitalization on the North Slope, but they should not be confused with each other. Our apologies.

Contributors

This issue was put together by a small team: Cordelia Kellie, David Russell-Jensen, Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, and Reid Magdanz, and Miguel Rohrbacher.

Language Revitalists! Language Revitalists! The summer months are coming and summer language camps and programs are beginning. What’s happening in your regions? We want to hear from you!

Also, you’ve waited long enough! It’s about time we shared the presentations we’ve collected from last month’s language summit. Here they are.

The last two weeks in language revitalization…

We’re glad to hear Ayaprun Elitnaurvik has a new home for the near future. We wish everyone in Bethel the best as they continue to rebuild after their heart-breaking fire.

The Alaska Native Heritage Center held its Yupik Immersion Camp March 14-15. To learn more about future events, contact the Language Department of the Alaska Native Heritage Center at 907-330-8049 or email jbrown@alaskanative.net.

Alaska Airlines is revamping many of its rural terminals. Two years ago, some of us worked with Alaska Airlines to incorporate bilingual signage into a design upgrade in Kotzebue. These terminal remodels are another great opportunity to add Native languages to a critical community hub — your local airport terminal. Upgrades are being done in Cordova, Yakutat, Barrow, Kotzebue, and Kodiak (and more!). Get in touch with your local station managers and Alaska Airlines community advisory board members and let them know bilingual signage would be an awesome addition to these upgrades!

Tlingit Haida Central Council hosts a Native Issues Forum in Juneau every week or two during the legislative session. At this past week’s forum, Alfie Price and Robert Edwardson inspired us to continue our language learning, and told us all to get on Google Hangouts a bit more. X ’unei Lance Twitchell and Marvin Adams told us that Língit immersion schooling is coming to Juneau, and the feds might be paying for some of it. Awdigaan Jonathan Kriess-Tomkins told us to make bilingual signage reality in our communities and bring our languages back into our daily lives, where they belong.

Lisa Phu at the Juneau Empire wrote a nice article about last week’s Native Issues Forum.

Statewide Upcoming

Alaska Native Heritage Center is also doing a call for presenters for their Amillutivlugu ilisaurrirugut Uqausiptignik Immersion Strategies Gathering April 9-10th. If you are working with Native languages through immersion and are interested in sharing a message, your work, or ideas on best practices, contact Marcella Asicksik at masicksik@alaskanative.net or (907) 748-1818.

The United States Department of Education announced the availability of more than $3.2 million in grant funding towards initiatives which support the preservation and revitalization of Native American languages and encouraging a focus on improving early learning and

Alaska Native

Language Revitalization Digest March 25, 2016 Vol. 1, No. 3

development outcomes. The deadline for submitting an Intent to Apply is April 14, 2016, and the Application deadline is May 24, 2016. Find out more here.

Sweet Resource

Lingít Yoo Xʼatángi Here is a great website for Tlingit language learners, full of resources (all free to download), including curricula, stories (with audio and accompanying text), and an interactive forum where language learners can ask questions and share information.

Question of the week

We sent a link to grant funding, but what steps can you initiate right now to further language revitalization in your community that don’t require any funding? (Send us a quick reply. We’ll record your answer and help you network with communities and people with similar questions!)

Last tidbit…Something cool happening in your community? Language resources others should know  about?  Let  us  know!  We’ll  send  it  out.

About the Digest –What is this and why am I getting it?

This mailing is our attempt to connect Alaskans who are invested in Native language revitalization. Every other week, we intend to send out a short mailing including relevant news articles, stories from around Alaska (we’ll be looking for your help on this one!), and anything else we, or you, find meaningful and inspiring. You are always welcome to contribute.

Let us know if you wish to unsubscribe. And if you know someone who should be getting this but isn’t, also let us know.

Who are we?

We are a loose group of individuals passionate about Alaska Native language revitalization. We want to connect people across the state to share experiences, challenges, and successes. We want to spread best practices. Most of all, we want to reverse language loss among Alaska’s Native languages.

Contributors

This issue was put together by a small team: Cordelia Kellie, David Russell-Jensen, Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, and Reid Magdanz, and Miguel Rohrbacher.

Guest Editorial: Unangam Tanangin, Unangam Tunuu – Our Lands, Our Language

By Millie McKeown – Chuluulux The Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA’s) was awarded a $900,000 grant by the Administration for Native Americans (ANA)

Language Preservation and Maintenance program to support the project

titled: Unangam Tanangin, Unangam Tunuu: Our Lands, Our Language!

Through several years of planning and networking, this region-wide project was designed by a

dedicated team of Unangax language activists, speakers, Elders and APIA’s Cultural Heritage Department. Our goal: To create a vibrant, integrated Unangam Tunuu Regional Learning Community that will support the growth of language learning in our communities, provide learning opportunities for learners at all levels, expand the number of fluent speakers and be the foundation for the survival of our language into the future.

The Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. (APIA) is the regional Alaska Native regional non-

profit that serves the Aleutian Pribilof Region. Originally organized in 1973, APIA is chartered as

a non-profit corporation in the State of Alaska. APIA serves our 13 Unangax federally

recognized Alaskan Tribes in 10 communities located throughout our wide-spread region that is

often called the “Birthplace of the Winds”. Unangam Tanangin, encompasses the Aleutian Arc of

Islands in the North Pacific Ocean that extends about 1200 miles westward from the end of the

Alaska Peninsula.

The ANA funding will allow us to expand the current region-wide language preservation efforts

that have been supported by the Aleut Corporation and the APIA since 2011. It will also allow

us to continue the work of our predecessors: our precious speakers, Elders, and language

activists.

For the next three years, the ANA grant will support the costs to hold fall and spring

workshops at Atka, St. Paul Island, and Anchorage and a summer language intensive workshop in

each of these communities in 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively. The grant will also support the

costs of travel costs for speakers and core team members to attend the workshops, stipends

our speakers, “Where Are Your Keys?” (WAYK) consultants, Evan Gardner and Susanna Ciotti, who will facilitate the workshops, and personnel to assist with administering the project.

We are currently gearing up for two 12 week Summer Language Intensives (SLI) at Atka and St.

Paul Island. The workshops will provide support to the core team as they work with speakers to

increase their fluency, as they hold language circles in their communities and as the curriculum is

developed in both the Western and Eastern dialects. Since August 2013, Evan Gardner and

Susanna Ciotti have facilitated several workshops: 4 in Atka, 3 in Unalaska, 2 in King Cove, 4 in

Anchorage, and 5 in St. Paul Island, including our first 85 day Summer Language Intensive during

the summer of 2015!

Alaska Native

Language Revitalization Digest April 8, 2016 Vol. 1, No. 4

Op-Ed by Millie McKeown: Our Lands, Our Language Statewide Upcoming Sweet Resource About the Digest Who are we?

Core team members, including some of our language activists, are apprentices who have a

demonstrated commitment to learn Unangam Tunuu. They lead the learning, teaching and

sharing in their communities and recruit new learners to pass on what they have learned, and

eventually these new learners will pass on what they learn in order to build capacity and sustain

our language. It’s an on-going process; we all know learning a language is no easy task. The best

thing about our language revitalization efforts is that for the first time that I know of, we are

working together as a team. It doesn’t matter what dialect you speak or what village you are from. What is important is that we learn; we teach what we learn, and that we support each

other as we learn and teach. Because of this we are making great strides for Unangam Tanangin,

Unangam Tunuu: Our Lands, Our language.

Statewide Upcoming

Alaska Native Heritage Center’s Immersion Strategies Gathering is this weekend, April 9-10th!

This gathering, part of the ANA grant-funded Urban Eskimo Revitalization Program, will focus

on rural community’s revitalization efforts taking place and to share immersion strategies

and teaching methods. Contact Marcella Asicksik at masicksik@alaskanative.net for questions on

this event.

The 2016 Alaska Native Studies Conference will be at UAA April 14-16th. The Pre-

Conference discussion on April 14th is, “Breathing New Life into Our Communities: Promoting

Wellness in Our Language Communities.” This day will discuss best practices in creating new, fluent speakers, social and economic forces that discourage the use of Alaska Native

languages, and historical trauma and language loss and community healing. The speakers

and discussion panelists are Lance Twitchell, Roy Mitchell, Allan Hayton, Grant Rebne, Yaayuk

Alvanna-Stimpfle, Kari Shaginoff, Sondra Shaginoff-Stuart, Annette Evans-Smith, and Lawrence

Kaplan.

UAF offers a summertime course ANL 251: Introduction to Athabascan Linguistics. The

deadline for admission is May 1st.

Sweet Resource

NANA recently released an Iñupiaq language app called Iñupiaraaqta that is available in iTunes

and includes audio recordings of greetings, introduction phrases, commands, and other

important phrases. Check it out today!

About the Digest –What is this and why am I getting it?

This mailing is our attempt to connect Alaskans who are invested in Native language

revitalization. Every other week, we intend to send out a short mailing including relevant news

articles, stories from around Alaska (we’ll be looking for your help on this one!), and

anything else we, or you, find meaningful and inspiring. You are always welcome to

contribute. Let us know if you wish to unsubscribe. And if you know someone who should be

getting this but isn’t, also let us know.

Who are we?

We are a loose group of individuals passionate about Alaska Native language revitalization. We

want to connect people across the state to share experiences, challenges, and successes. We

want to spread best practices. Most of all, we want to reverse language loss among Alaska’s Native languages. This issue was put together by a small team: Cordelia Kellie, David Russell-

Jensen, Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, and Reid Magdanz, and Miguel Rohrbacher.

Language Warriors! Legislative session is winding down for those of us who are working in the Capitol, and we wanted to say thank you again to all of the passionate language warriors like you who helped pass HB 216 which recognized the 23 Alaska Native languages as co-official languages of the state. HB 216 passed in April 2014 – two years ago!

The last two weeks in language revitalization…

The Alaska Native Studies Conference went on in Anchorage this last week, where indigenous scholars gathered from around the state to discuss ongoing Alaska Native knowledge, language, and cultural studies. Part of the Alaska Native Studies Conference was captured in this article about indigenous horse populations in North America from the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Green and Gold News.

The University of Alaska Anchorage Green and Gold News also ran this story about Haliehana Stepetin, an Unangam Tunuu learner and student at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Learn more about her story here.

The Alaska Native Heritage Center had their Amillutivlugu ilisaurrirugut Uqausiptignik: Immersion Strategies Gathering April 9-10th. For future updates about events, see the Alaska Native Heritage Center’s website.

Statewide Upcoming

Sealaska Heritage is looking for volunteers to help run Celebration 2016. Interested applicants who will be in Juneau can receive a free day pass to Celebration and a volunteer t-shirt. Find out more here.

Sealaska Heritage is also recruiting participants in their Toddler Regalia Review, Soapberry Contest, and Seaweed Contest! Find out more at their website.

In addition to the Toddler Regalia Review, and Soapberry and Seaweed Contests, Sealaska Heritage will be piloting a Native Fashion Show at Celebration 2016! Interested designers must apply by May 1 to be considered in the show. Find out more here.

Sweet Resource

Myles Creed at the Alaska Humanities Forum put together AlaskaNativeLanguages.org, a website featuring phrases and accompanying audio in Alaska Native languages!

Last tidbit

Something cool happening in your community? Language resources others should know about? Let  us  know!  We’ll  send  it  out.

Alaska Native

Language Revitalization Digest April 22, 2016 Vol. 1, No. 5

About the Digest –What is this and why am I getting it?

This mailing is our attempt to connect Alaskans who are invested in Native language revitalization. Every other week, we intend to send out a short mailing including relevant news articles, stories from around Alaska (we’ll be looking for your help on this one!), and anything else we, or you, find meaningful and inspiring. You are always welcome to contribute.

Let us know if you wish to unsubscribe. And if you know someone who should be getting this but isn’t, also let us know.

Who are we?

We are a loose group of individuals passionate about Alaska Native language revitalization. We want to connect people across the state to share experiences, challenges, and successes. We want to spread best practices. Most of all, we want to reverse language loss among Alaska’s Native languages.

Contributors

This issue was put together by a small team: Cordelia Kellie, David Russell-Jensen, Representative Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, Reid Magdanz, and Miguel Rohrbacher.