Canada to Make First Languages Constitutional Right
Canada’s federal government plans to recognize Indigenous languages as a constitutional right and create a new office of commissioners to protect and promote them under new legislation this fall, according to Canadian Heritage Minister...
Government of Canada announces support for the preservation of Indigenous languages in Saskatchewan
Indigenous languages are a core part of both Canada's cultural identity and Indigenous identity. The Government of Canada is committed to reversing the decline of Indigenous languages by working with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to keep...
2019 the Year of Indigenous Languages IY2019
The United Nations has declared 2019 the International Year of Indigenous Languages (IY2019) to help preserve indigenous languages and safeguard the rights of those who speak them. According to the IY2019 website,
“Languages play a...
Mix of Japanese-Indigenous Languages Survives in Taiwan
In the town of Hanhsi in the northeastern mountains here, where many of the Atayal indigenous people reside, a language resembling Japanese -- "Yilan Creole" -- can be heard being spoken.
According to remaining records...
Programs will help preserve Native languages, strengthen Native communities
As part of his ongoing efforts to help preserve Native languages, U.S. Senator Jon Tester recently secured grants worth over half a million dollars.
The grants, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services,...
New Zealand University Launches Indigenous & Māori Exchange Program
A new program has been launched at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, to increase the number of indigenous students studying abroad and to connect them with members of first nations in...
Everyday Native Builds Bridges Between Native and non-Native Youth
Everyday Native is the first collaborative teacher’s resource created by non-Natives and Native Americans to focus on the daily lives of Native youth. It sparks discussion and understanding among 4th through 12th grade students about the experiences of...
Alaskans First to Receive Seal of Biliteracy in Native Tongue
The Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD) is roughly the size of West Virginia, with 22 schools spread across a remote area of Alaska’s Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. There are no roads, and the...
Yolngu Album Tops Australian Charts
Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu has made history by becoming the first artist to top the Australian ARIA charts while singing in an indigenous language, just weeks after his death.
The late singer-songwriter, who was born blind,...
All Australian Languages Linked
New research has found a groundbreaking link between Australian Indigenous languages, demonstrating for the first time that they all descend from one common ancestor.
The unprecedented finding sheds new light on the origins of Australian...