Preparing Indigenous Language Advocates, Teachers, and Researchers in Western Canada.

Abstract

Language is the outward expression of an accumulation of learning and experience shared by a group of people over centuries of develop-ment. It is not simply a vocal symbol; it is a dynamic force, which shapes the way a man looks at the world, his thinking about the world and his philosophy of life. Knowing his maternal language helps a man to know himself; being proud of his language helps a man to be proud of himself. (National Indian Brotherhood, 1972, pp. 14-15) As is evident in this statement, the Indigenous peoples of Canada recognize the value of their languages and have been concerned for some time about the possibility of the loss of this resource. Our intentions in this paper are to discuss the context of Indigenous language education in Western Canada, the hope of language revitalization, and the role of the Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) in the reclamation and stabilization of these languages. We outline the goals of the Institute; describe its develop-ment, administration, and funding; give examples of curriculum and pedagogy; and discuss how they are contributing to the development of these “languages as resources ” (Ruiz, 1990). Finally, our ongoing issues and concerns will be ad-dressed. In the Western Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan the short-age of teachers, curriculum developers, researchers, and community linguists prepared to work in Indigenous language education is critical. Although there have been Indigenous teacher education programs at several of the universities and community-based programs in these provinces since the 1970s, with the

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