NEȾOLṈEW̱: Working to Understand Indigenous Adults’ Contributions to Reviving Indigenous Languages Through Master-Apprentice Language Programming

• In Event: Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Indigenous Higher Education-Focused Roundtable Session

Abstract

Leading scholars and community partners agree that Indigenous language revival is a pressing issue and should be of primary concern for communities and universities alike. While there are a multitude of approaches to reviving Indigenous languages, the possibilities for increasing the number of adult Indigenous language speakers are largely under-explored. This three-year community-university research project examines Master-Apprentice language learning in three communities as one approach to Adult Indigenous language learning that has not yet been widely studied. The following question guided the research: What makes success possible and what are the challenges of adult Indigenous language learning using the Master-Apprentice program model as an increasingly popular approach for reviving the Indigenous languages in North America?

Author

• Onowa McIvor, University of Victoria