Language educators in Juneau are working to create a Master’s in teaching program for Indigenous languages at the University of Alaska Southeast. It would be the first of its kind in Alaska.
Lingít language professor X̱’unei Lance Twitchell talked about the possible future degree program on KTOO’s Juneau Afternoon last week.
“My colleague Éedaa Heather Burge and I are collaborating to create a certificate in teaching Indigenous languages,” he said. “And as we look at how our language is taught in Alaska, who teaches them, what are their qualifications, what are they permitted to do in the current school systems. And what they’re permitted to do is just not enough.”
The program would be for those who want to go into teaching Alaska Native languages to all ages. There are more than 20 distinct Indigenous languages throughout the state.
Twitchell said the program still has some steps ahead of it before prospective students can enroll.
“This degree has to go before the Board of Regents, and so we’re very hopeful that they will see the value in it,” he said. “They’ll see the need. They’ll see the demand. I think it’s maybe one of two programs that are like it, perhaps in all of North America.”
Twitchell said while Southeast Alaska Native languages have endured and continue to grow, they should still be prioritized with urgency by schools and communities.
“But to be able to get to that is going to take some monumental shifts in the way that we do things,” he said. “Which is really hard today, because one of the things that a colonial government likes to do is pretend that there’s no time, there’s no money, everything’s already spoken for.”
Twitchell said this program would create more pathways for educators who can advocate for time, money, and effort to go into revitalizing Indigenous languages.
He said the program would focus on the “hows” of teaching Indigenous languages: how to create schools, build programs, and what materials to use.
University officials are currently reviewing the proposal. After that, it’ll be up to the Board of Regents to decide whether to approve the program.
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