Indigenous Language Organizations and Initiatives

Please see below a list of several organizations and initiatives that seek to empower, reclaim and revitalize First Nations and Indigenous Languages.

Centre for Indigenous Studies, University of Toronto
The Indigenous Studies Program focuses on the languages, cultures, histories, creativity and well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Learn more about their language program here.

Canadian Linguistic Association (CLA/ACL)
The Canadian Linguistic Association (CLA), which was founded in 1955, has as its aim the promotion of the study of languages and linguistics in Canada. It houses the CLA Aboriginal Languages Committee.

First Peoples’ Cultural Council (FPCC)
FPCC is a provincial Crown Corporation formed by the government of British Columbia in 1990 to administer the First Peoples’ Heritage, Language and Culture Program. Its mandate is to assist B.C. First Nations in their efforts to revitalize their languages, arts and cultures.

Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas (SSILA) 
SSILA was founded in December 1981 as the international scholarly organization representing American Indian linguistics. Membership in SSILA is open to all those who are interested in the scientific study of the languages of the native peoples of North, Central and South America.

Assembly of First Nations Task Force on Aboriginal Languages and Cultures
“Towards a New Beginning: A Foundational Report for a Strategy to Revitalize First Nation, Inuit and Métis Languages and Cultures” is the result of the Task Force’s mandate to conduct research and make recommendations to the Minister of Canadian Heritage on the preservation, revitalization and promotion of Aboriginal languages.

FirstVoices – Kwak’wala

FirstVoices is a suite of web-based tools and services designed to support Aboriginal people engaged in language archiving, language teaching & culture revitalization.

The FirstVoices Language Archive contains thousands of text entries in many diverse Aboriginal writing systems, enhanced with sounds, pictures and videos.

A companion set of interactive online games is designed to present the archived FirstVoices language data in creative learning activities.

Some language archives at FirstVoices are publicly accessible, while others are password protected at the request of the language community.

Kaska Language Website

This website was created to house the Kaska language materials from the Kaska language courses that are jointly sponsored by the First Nations and Endangered Languages Program (formerly First Nations Languages Program) at the University of British Columbia and the Kaska First Nations.

Yinka Déné Language Institute

The Yinka Déné Language Institute is devoted to the preservation and promotion of Yinka Dene language and culture.