Specialties
What We Do
We help Native communities achieve their self-determined Language goals.
We acknowledge and Respect the Sovereignty of Native American and First Nations established by treaty with the Federal, State, and Provincial governments of Canada and USA. We Respect the authority of the Leaders of Native communities and the wisdom of the Elders.
Our desire is for any Native American or First Nations community to be able to pass on its Identity, Culture, and Language to the future generations in sustainable ways.
We represent a broad network of multi-skilled Language experts who are passionate for preserving the use of the heritage Languages in Native American and First Nations communities, and we are able to connect the right Expert at the right time.
We know that every community faces unique challenges, and we come with no canned solutions. We Listen before offering advice and counsel, and help Leaders to identify problems and to explore solutions which are most appropriate for the community.
We have worked in these areas with many tribes:
(these are not the only things we can help you with)
Dictionary and other Language Technologies
To preserve and sustain the use of your language and culture into the future, it will be very important to have many written audio and video recorded utterances and stories in the Language, a comprehensive multi-media dictionary, a practical system for reading and writing, fonts, keyboards, and other.
We have many computer resources for doing these tasks - all of them freely downloadable from the internet.
We also have technical support and training for setting up projects to create and manage these digital language resources.
Language Learning that produces new fluent speakers
For most people, the goal of "Language Revitalization" is that a significant number of people of all generations are fluent speakers of your Language. Many communities are developing resources for teaching their Language; the sad fact is that there are very few communities who are succeeding in producing new fluent speakers.
We know a language-learning process which allows someone to become a fluent speaker in as few as 3 years. This process can be used with children and adults, in formal (school) situations but preferably in non-formal situations (homes).
We can help you evaluate this learning system for your situation and to adapt it to your Language.
Interactive Language-related Museum Exhibits
If your community has a museum: is there anything about your Language? Is it interesting and educational? Is your museum a significant part of your Language Revitalization plan?
We can help you design and develop Language exhibits that will give your museum visitors very memorable experiences with your Language, and want to come back again and again.
Archiving Technology & Support
In most communities, over the years, various people have created Language content: written, audio recordings, video recordings. Unfortunately, many of these have been lost, and most of these are not accessible today to members of your community. Even things which were converted to computer digital form are being lost because nobody remembers where they are or how to access them.
Librarians and archivists are trained to care for physical items, but preserving and caring for digital artifacts requires additional competencies.
We can help your community be sure that your Language materials - past, present, and future - are carefully digitally preserved and then archived so they are truly accessible now and to future generations.
Creating new content in your Language in a variety of media and forms of expression
A vital Language is used in many ways. For your Language to become truly VITAL, people from your community should be creating new songs, dances, poems, stories, novels, children's books, dramas, internet blogs, and art pieces in a variety of media.
We can help you develop authors, musicians, dancers, and artists who celebrate your Language in their work.
Community Mobilization
Sustainable Identity and sustainable Language use are possible only in the context of a community of people (of all generations) who are communicating with one another in the Language and about the Language. No sustainable Language use can result from the actions of a few individuals.
We can help mobilize your community through dialogs among all generations and sexes, to find a consensus about the sustainable future of your Language and establish commitments to work towards that goal.
Master Planning for Language Revitalization
Language Revitalization is a long and expensive process which cannot succeed without a plan. The plan helps the leaders of the community know if they are on course for achieving sustainable language use, and it helps them to organize, plan, and implement projects.
We can help your community assess the "health" of your Language; develop short-, medium-, and long-range goals; develop planning documents and funding proposals.
Language Awareness & Advocacy
The use of your Language is sustainable only if there is a positive environment for those who speak it. New speakers who are criticized, laughed at, or bullied because of their Language will soon decide it is not worth learning. Community leaders who argue for leaving your Language in the past can derail funding, projects, and resources for Language.
We can help you identify specific actions which will promote awareness of the importance and benefits of preserving your Language, and help you to promote awareness of your Language by government and other funding agencies.
Tribal Leader, Council, & Staff Education
Language Revitalization efforts will not succeed without informed support from your Leaders, and practical support from the Staff of your community government offices and other institutions.
We can help you design awareness training to help your Leaders and other staff to have positive attitudes and to support the efforts of Language Revitalization.
We can also help you establish Language-related certifications for your Staff who work in your Language Revitalization departments.
Translation
If your community has any historical documents or written transcripts of audio and video recordings which you would like to have translated into English, French, or Spanish, we can help you set up processes for computer-assisted translation which will greatly speed up those projects. We also have specialized software for producing transcriptions of audio recordings. We can teach your Staff to use the software, and also the principles of translation.
If your Language Revitalization plan includes translating any content into your Language (for example, the US Constitution, treaties, the Bible, or other) we can train your translators and help you set up a certification in translation program for your Language.
