LANGUAGE
PROGRAM

Investing in traditional languages, ensuring continued growth and revitalization of our mother tongues in perpetuity.

Very few birth speakers of Southeast Alaska’s traditional languages — Sm’algyax, Xaad Kíl and Lingít — remain. All are older than 70, and a majority are 80 or older. The group includes four birth speakers of Sm’algyax, one birth speaker of Xaad Kíl, and 63 birth speakers of Lingít. There is an urgent need to develop new, advanced speakers of our languages, and Sealaska is committed to the task. In November 2019, the Sealaska Board of Directors approved a $10 million endowment aimed at urgent action to preserve traditional languages with a focus on developing advanced speakers of each of the three languages. Sealaska’s endowment is designed to amplify the efforts of other individuals, informal groups and formal institutions throughout Southeast Alaska.

How we do it

The fund is expected to generate $500,000 in grants annually to invigorate Indigenous languages over the next decade. Projects that have been funded so far include support for part-time, paid language mentors to assist students in the process of learning their language and create learning materials to assist them, and direct immersion with birth speaker and Elder Ilskyaalas Delores Churchill.

Sealaska is welcoming applications to support language preservation efforts. To learn more or apply, please email Tasha Heumann at tasha.heumann@sealaska.com.

Sealaska Resources

• Sealaska is now accepting applications for 2024-2025 language grants
• Sealaska board of directors approves increased language funding at first meeting in 2023 (January 2023)
• New language award honors birth speakers Clarence Jackson Sr.
• Sealaska language priorities reflected in seven recent grants (April 2022)
• Sealaska awards grants to fund Indigenous language education and social services for Alaska (July 2021)
• Sealaska mourns loss of X<u>a</u>ad kíl birth speaker Jane Kristovich ((K’ujúuhl) (April 2021)
• Webinar on revitalizing traditional languages from Dec. 9, 2020
• Language revitalization efforts at Xántsii Náay Immersion School in Hydaburg

Language Resources

• Tlingit Country Map: Tlingit Tribes, Clans and Clan Houses
• The Tlingit Language website
• Sealaska Heritage Institute language resources, including videos, apps, games, books and more!
• University of Alaska Southeast language resources
• Sm’álgyax (Tsimshian) Language Authority
• Xaad Kíl (Haida) Language
• Outer Coast College – Native Language Resources