Michif: The Unique Language of the Métis Nation 
Michif is a unique mixed language, primarily spoken by Métis people in Canada and the US. It typically combines Cree verbs and verb phrases with French nouns and noun phrases For example: "Good afternoon" would be "Bonn apray mijii” Efforts are underway to revitalize and preserve this endangered oral language. #Canada #Michif #Metis #IndigenousLanguages
#Trump Cuts to #PublicMedia Threaten #NativeAmerican Stations That Protect #Culture & #PublicHealth, Issue Alerts
July 18, 2025
"We speak to Loris Taylor, president of #NativePublicMedia, about the Trump administration’s drastic #defunding of public media and its impact on tribal nations. Fifty-nine #TribalRadioStations and one tribal #TelevisionStation that depend on federal funding will be among the first to face possible closure, putting some of the essential services that #PublicBroadcasting provides, including warning systems for missing #IndigenousWomen and girls, at risk.
"Taylor shares how Native-led public media helps preserve #IndigenousLanguages and helped keep communities informed during the peak of the COVID-19 #pandemic. She fears that without these same resources and 'with the #ClimateCrisis increasing, [we] are going to be operating on the margins of information and are not going to have real lifesaving information available to our citizens when they need it most.' "
Listen / watch / read transcript:
https://www.democracynow.org/2025/7/18/public_broadcasting_cuts_native_public_media
What does it mean for a community to write its own dictionary?
Artur Garcia Gonçalves, Baniwa-Koripako linguist, reports on a 3-year collective effort to document his language — across dialects, politics, and schoolrooms in the Amazon.
https://doi.org/10.25189/2675-4916.2025.V6.N3.ID788
#linguistics #IndigenousLanguages #IndigenousEducation
We had a good protest tonight. My favorite sign was this one, about Tucson (original name closer to cuk-son). #Tucson #Arizona #IndigenousLanguages
âpihtawikosisân is back!!! With a fantastic project:
"I want to demonstrate that we don’t need a million dollar budget and a huge production team – and we certainly can’t wait for these things. I also strongly believe in creating a resource that is free to access. If you are an Indigenous person and Cree is one of your traditional languages, it is your birthright. The more opportunities that exist for you to reclaim that birthright, the better.”
IBBY Canada Opens Call for Papers for 40th World Congress: “Listening to Each Other’s Voices”.
Under the theme “Listening to Each Other’s Voices,” the Congress will explore inclusivity, representation, and sustainability through keynote speeches, workshops, and peer-led discussions.
https://thenewpublishingstandard.com/2025/06/02/ibby-canada-opens-call-for-papers-for-40th-world-congress-listening-to-each-others-voices/
The White River First Nation gifted me with these gorgeous moccasins. I am so grateful for having been able to spend this week with them! #IndigenousLanguages #UpperTanana #wrfn #yukon
The highlight of the drive was, of course, this animal. The Upper Tanana word for this animal should not be used by women. Instead, they use Neetsay, which means “our grandfather”. #yukon #wildlife #indigenousLanguages #taboo
Back after the terrible fire in Hawai'i I made a small donation to the Hawai'ian immersion school ʻAha Pūnana Leo. Today they sent me an annual report. What I love about it: most of the articles are in Hawai'ian! Some may not even have an English translation! There are also lots of wonderful photos of kids learning things in Hawai'ian, but what I really love about it is that they just use the language, even for the business report part. #linguistics #IndigenousLanguages #hawaii
Hawaiian is another story of hope. So is Māori.
In both cases, young people are proud, motivated, and pushing for recognition and use, not just at home, but in schools, media, and government.
#RareTongues #ThatWordChat #IndigenousLanguages
Pakistan – Hindko Literature: A Testament to Linguistic Diversity and Resilience
For publishing professionals, Hindko represents a microcosm of the opportunities and challenges associated with linguistic diversity.
https://thenewpublishingstandard.com/2025/04/19/pakistan-hindko-literature-a-testament-to-linguistic-diversity-and-resilience/
#IndigenousLanguages #Pakistan #SouthAsia #Hindkoliterature #Pakistanbookmarket
@indieauthors
Excerpt: Over the past two decades, the Native American Languages collection at the Sam Noble Museum in Norman has grown to about 9,000 items, from board games in Kaw and bingo in Navajo to hymns in Muscogee (Creek) and books for early readers in Yavapai.
"It ranges from the very serious or scholarly, like dictionaries and field recordings, to things like we've got a collection of 'Hi and Lois' cartoons in Cherokee," said Raina Heaton, associate curator of the Native American Languages Collection at the University of Oklahoma's natural history museum.
"While we focus on the Indigenous languages of Oklahoma, being in Oklahoma, we've got stuff in 1,300 languages from all over the planet. ... The collection is 100% built by donations, so people have entrusted us with this stuff."
Since she started at the Sam Noble Museum in 2017, Heaton has been on a mission to expand access to the vast collection. She marked a major milestone in 2022, when she received a $345,494 National Endowment for the Humanities grant for a three-year project to provide online access to the collection for the first time.
At the time, hers was the largest total NEH grant received by an individual investigator at OU and the second-largest collaborative NEH grant ever awarded to OU.
"We complied with all the regulations, all the check-ins, the reports. All of it was good," said Heaton, who is also a presidential associate professor in Native American studies at OU.
Like many other researchers at OU and nationwide, Heaton had her project thrown into turmoil last week by the sudden termination of her NEH grant at the direction of the federal Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE.
PRH India Finally Enters Hindi Audiobook Market: A Milestone in Vernacular Publishing. But Why So Late, Nihar?
Leaving the big question, why has it taken the world's largest trade publisher so long to wake up to this opportunity? And does…
https://thenewpublishingstandard.com/2025/04/04/prh-india-finally-enters-hindi-audiobook-market-a-milestone-in-vernacular-publishing-but-why-so-late-nihar/
#Audiobooks #India #IndigenousLanguages #Hindiaudiobooks #Indiaaudiobooks
@indieauthors
The University of Arizona unveiled a new sign for the Center for Creative Photography today with Chemehuevi language included. I'm proud of the university for adding indigenous languages to university building signs, and for working well with the tribes to do this. The Senior Vice President who has taken charge of this project, Levi Esquerra, is Chemehuevi, making this sign especially meaningful. #Tucson #UniversityOfArizona #IndigenousLanguages
The University of Arizona is gradually adding signage in Native American languages to university buildings, in collaboration with the tribes. We recently had a sign unveiling ceremony for the sign on the Health Sciences Innovation Building in Hia Ced O'odham. Hia Ced O'odham dancers performed. I'm proud of the role the Department of Linguistics has in this project together with the American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI). #IndigenousLanguages #UniversityofArizona #linguistics #Tucson
These new billboards went up recently along Highway 86 near the Tohono O'odham Community College Campus in honor of the O'odham Language and International Mother Language Day. The Oʼodham Ñiʼokĭ Ki: (The O'odham Language Center) is located on the TOCC campus. #IndigenousLanguages #Tucson #tohono_oodham_communitycollege
In other news...
Meet the 2024-2026 #NDN #Changemakers
By Jordynn Paz • March 5, 2025
"In October, NDN Collective announced the recipients of the 2024/26 Changemaker Fellowship, a cohort of 21 #Indigenous leaders from throughout #TurtleIsland, Islands of #Hawaii, #Borikén / #PuertoRico, the U.S. territories of American #Samoa, #Guam, the Northern #Mariana Islands, and the U.S. #VirginIslands. These incredible fellows are transforming their communities, defending Indigenous lands and waters, developing solutions for #regenerative and #sustainable futures, and revitalizing #IndigenousLanguages, #governance, #ceremonies and ways of being.
"We are honored to support the important and necessary work of each of these changemakers through this two-year fellowship program. With the NDN Changemaker Fellowship, individuals will focus on education, skill building, networking, community building, theory of change mapping, and mentorship."
Read more:
https://ndncollective.org/meet-the-2024-26-ndn-changemakers/
#TraditionalKnowledge #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #SocialJustice #IndigenousHealth #IndigenousWellBeing #FoodSecurity #Decolonize #ProtectMotherEarth #LanguagePreservation #CulturePreservation #NDNCollective
The Symposium on American Indian Languages (SAIL) is coming up, and registration is open! SAIL is a unique, amazing conference that truly bridges indigenous community-based work done by community members and academia (also often done by community members), leaning more toward community work. https://sites.google.com/view/sail2024/ #IndigenousLanguages #Tucson #UniversityofArizona
I told my friend and tutor that thanks to her lessons I was able to understand the Tikuna spoken in the film (well, a lot of it, anyway), and she said the Tikuna-speaking character is her uncle! She sent me this, circling him. #languages #IndigenousLanguages #Ticuna #Tikuna #Amazonas #Amazonia
