INUINNAQTUN
IMMERSION
The Inuinnaqtun language—the foundation of Inuinnait culture—has less than 500 fluent speakers remaining.
By most estimates, it is a language that will be extinct in less than two generations.
We're not alone. As we face an advanced state of language shift across Inuinnait communities in the Central Canadian Arctic, Indigenous languages across the globe are disappearing from speech. There are an estimated 70 Indigenous languages in Canada—two thirds of these languages are considered endangered. Inuinnaqtun is among this statistic.
We are bringing Elders, Inuinnaqtun linguists, fluent speakers and knowledge holders together to reverse the loss of Inuinnaqtun in our communities and create programs to document our language, mentor the next generation of fluent speakers, and develop innovative tools and resources for learning and language reclamation.
INUINNAQTUN
IMMERSION
Traditional Inuinnait-based approaches support immersion in language and culture, nurturing growth in Inuinnaqtun in the most natural and holistic way.
LANGUAGE
NESTS
A language nest protects and immerses those inside in a world that nurtures and supports their growth in Inuinnaqtun. The Kuugalaaq Cultural Campus is an immersive Inuinnaqtun environment and a safe space for healing and cultural revitalization.
INUINNAUJUGUT / WE ARE INUINNAIT PODCAST
Inuinnait life, experiences, and traditions, with conversations in Inuinnaqtun. Episodes on Buzzsprout, Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
LANGUAGE
RESOURCES
We work from the past and present to develop resources for language learning. We look to ethnographic material collected in the last hundred years, and we create new courses, tools and resources grounded in Inuinnait culture, with a focus on rebuilding wellbeing alongside language acquisition. All of our Inuinnaqtun content and resources can be found at www.inuinnaqtun.ca.
PRESCHOOL
IMMERSION PROGRAM
This pilot program will support Inuinnaqtun immersion for preschool aged children and nurture their language development in a space supported by teachers and Elders.
ELDERS-IN-TRAINING PROGRAM
The current generation of Elders are the last to have been raised to adulthood on the land. We're working to mentor the next generation of Elders into their roles as leaders, teachers, and knowledge holders.
INUINNAQTUN
DOCUMENTATION
We work with Elders, fluent speakers and linguists to record vocabulary and phrases. Data is uploaded into the Inuinnaqtun Dictionary App.
INIKHALIUQATIGIIT
'Those who make the way forward together'
This small group of language leaders from Cambridge Bay, Gjoa Haven, Kugluktuk, and Ulukhaktok is developing resources and strategies needed for transformative revitalization across all of our communities.
