Reclaiming Our Languages

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Reclaiming our languages Annotated BibliographyDownload

“teepaalilaani” © Hannah Buchanan 2025

  • Students’ Perspectives on Navajo Language and Learning: Voices of the Students

    Shepard draws on student voices to determine what methods of teaching are preferred in Navajo heritage language classes, and to consider how heritage language classes affect youth engagement with both their culture and western education. She notes that students express a desire for higher quality language instruction, and that they would like the opportunity to participate in more language and culture-based activities, including immersion. She identifies that all students involved value the Dine language.

    Shepard, M. (2012). Students’ perspectives on Navajo language and learning: Voices of the students. (Publication No. 3503423) [Doctoral Dissertation, Arizona State University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/students-perspectives-on-navajo-language-learning/docview/1009735456/se-2?accountid=14789

  • Language revitalization on the web: Technologies and ideologies among the Northern Arapaho

    Vagner explores the effects of language ideologies on language revitalization, especially the revision of language ideologies and the development of web resources. She considers Arapaho instruction and how the improvement of Arapaho website materials may produce new language ideologies. She notes that language ideologies, including that learning words in isolation is sufficient, act as an obstacle to Arapaho language revitalization. She presents digital materials as a way to circumvent this obstacle, but indicates that teachers are more likely to use language websites, while learners are more likely to use social media. She advocates for the use of computer-assisted learning as a supplement to in-person education focused on high quality immersion.

    Vagner, I. A. (2014). Language revitalization on the web: Technologies and ideologies among the Northern Arapaho. (Publication No. 1558776) [Master’s Thesis, University of Colorado, Boulder]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/language-revitalization-on-web-technologies/docview/1554339764/se-2?accountid=14789

  • Entangled Resurgence: Investigating ‘Reconciliation’ and the Politics of Language Revitalization in the Oneida Nation of the Thames

    McGregor examines the tensions that exist between Oneida language revitalization and broader Canadian reconciliation efforts and demonstrates how resurgence can be effective framework for renegotiating Indigenous-settler colonial relationships in language work. Through discussion of a university-community partnership and a community-based revitalization program at the Oneida Nation of the Thames, she details how language revitalization efforts can build critical connections and community. She describes the sustained commitment of Oneida language learners and how community efforts support learning through repetition. She calls on settlers to engage in resurgence politics and follow the lead of Indigenous communities.

    McGregor, H. E. (2017). Entangled resurgence: Investigating “Reconciliation” and the politics of language revitalization in the Oneida Nation of the Thames. (Publication No. 29245097) [Master’s Thesis, The University of Western Ontario]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/entangled-resurgence-investigating-reconciliation/docview/2717674988/se-2?accountid=14789

  • The Enweyang Program: Indigenous Language Nest as Lab School

    McInnes describes the successes, challenges, and best practices gleaned from the development and operation of the Enweyang Language Nest, an Ojibwemowin immersion preschool at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He offers itemized best practices for the creation of a language nest, including discussion of how a university-community partnership can foster rich connections between Indigenous families, Indigenous children, and undergraduate students. He also explores the interconnected nature of language revitalization and cultural knowlege and ways of being.

    McInnes, B. (2017). The Enweyang Program: Indigenous language nest as lab school. Journal of American Indian Education, 56(1), 105–120. https://doi.org/10.5749/jamerindieduc.56.1.0105

  • Exploring goals and motivations of Māori heritage language learners

    Te Huia investigates the goals and motivations of Maori language learners in post-secondary education in New Zealand. She indicates that Maori learners are concerned with learning Maori to gain greater access to cultural belonging and understanding, to fulfill their parental and/or leadership responsibilities as Maori people, and to master fluency. She explores language-specific motivation and relational motivation for advanced speakers. She advocates for Indigenous people to learn their heritage languages to increase their own connections to their community and identity.

    Te Huia, A. (2015). Exploring goals and motivations of Māori heritage language learners. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 5(4), 609–635. https://doi.org/10.14746/ssllt.22015.5.4.5

  • Haa Dachxánx’i Sáani Kagéiyi Yís: Haa Yoo X’atángi Kei Naltseen. For Our Little Grandchildren: Language Revitalization among the Tlingit

    Twitchell explores Tlingit language loss and revitalization, culminating in a presentation of a 30-year plan for Tlingit reclamation. He advocates for increased attention towards adult immersion learners, the creation of safe acquisition environments, community and personal healing, and action planning. He considers the interrelated nature of goal-setting, assessment, and celebration, and notes that all three are critical to a strong immersion program. He calls for love and care in all language revitalization work.

    Twitchell, X. L. (2018). Haa Dachxánx’i Sáani Kagéiyi Yís: Haa Yoo X’atángi Kei Naltseen. For our little grandchildren: Language revitalization among the Tlingit. (Publication No. 13419663) [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Hawai’i]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/haa-dachxánxi-sáani-kagéiyi-yís-yoo-xatángi-kei/docview/2210922203/se-2?accountid=14789

  • Átaw Iwá Ichishkíin Sɨ́nwit: The Importance of Ichishkíin Language in Advancing Indigenous Feminist Education

    Jacob et al. discuss how Indigenous language education furthers Indigenous feminist education, supports community goals, and builds sovereignty. They aim to create radical Indigenous feminist political education and practice and contribute to a decolonizing agenda through language instruction. They maintain that Ichishkiin education at the University of Oregon halts linguistic genocide, reclaims traditional Indigenous ecological knowledge, and transforms western education systems to better serve all students. They also find that teaching Ichishkiin through storytelling and legends is highly effective and that western post-secondary spaces can be co-opted to support Indigenous nation-building and self-determination by engaging in robust revitalization programs.

    Jacob, M. M., Beavert, V. R., Anderson, R., Sabzalian, L., & Jansen, J. (2019). Átaw Iwá Ichishkíin Sɨ́nwit: The importance of Ichishkíin language in advancing Indigenous feminist education. Feminist Studies, 45(2–3), 290–311. https://doi.org/10.15767/feministstudies.45.2-3.0290

  • Using a Stimulus Equivalence Paradigm to Teach Numerals, English Words, and Native American Words to Preschool-Age Children

    Haegele et al. study whether teaching conditional discriminations to a group of pre-Kindergarden students in public school can result in stimulus equivalence among numbers, corresponding English words, and corresponding Ojibwe or Dakota words. They learn that match-to-sample training on a computer is quite effective at promoting language acquisition and prompting students to build connections between visual input, English words, and Ojibwe or Dakota words. They find that using match-to-sample training led to students massively outperfroming their peers, who did not recieve the training.

    Haegele, K. M., McComas, J. J., Dixon, M., & Burns, M. K. (2011). Using a stimulus equivalence paradigm to teach numerals, English words, and Native American words to preschool-age children. Journal of Behavioral Education, 20(4), 283–296. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-011-9134-9

  • Language and literacy development in a Canadian native community: Halq’eméylem revitalization in a Stó: lō head start program in British Columbia

    Moore and MacDonald invite readers to explore how sociopolitical climates of professionalism, family relations, and government regulation of childcare centres affect language revitalization as a whole, and in consideration of Halq’eme ́ylem Revitalization in a Sto ́:lo ̄ Head Start Program in British Columbia. They study how language revitalization happens in a program where Indigenous teachers of the language are not fluent themselves. They describe how to develop the language skills of parents in a program for parents and their children, in order to build parental capacity to share the language at home. They also describe how embedding culturally relevant tools, such as a seasonal activity chart, can ground language activities year-round.

    Moore, D., & Macdonald, M. (2013). Language and literacy development in a Canadian native community: Halq’eméylem revitalization in a Stó:lō head start program in British Columbia. The Modern Language Journal, 97(3), 702–719. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4781.2013.12028.x

  • Revitalization of an indigenous language: Which is better the teacher or the app?

    Ramirez et al. investigate whether or not digital technology can be effective in teaching Indigenous languages. They evaluate students in a Secwepemctsin classroom and students taught using two digital games created for the study. They find that teacher-taught students learn more and continue to grow their vocabulary between sessions, while the digital-based students stagnate, suggesting that digital technology can supplement teacher-taught classes, but should not replace them.

    Ramírez, G., ElMiligi, H., Walton, P., & Billy, C. (2018). Revitalization of an Indigenous language: Which is better the teacher or the app? International Conference on E-Learning, 344-350, XVII. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2081757033/abstract/B53EAC4CCDAE4F67PQ/1