American Indian Language Development Institute

10/08/2026

AILDI is happy to share the following message from the Northwest Native American Language Resource Center (NW-NALRC):

Funded by the Office of Indian Education, we work to support Alaskan Native and Native American languages and language teachers, especially in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. One way we do this is through online courses.

We have an upcoming online course on Assessment in Indigenous Languages, which we think you might be interested in! The course will be offered online, synchronously, on Mondays from 4-5:30 PM Pacific Time, from October 19 – December 7, 2026. The course will be taught by Melanie Sandoval, Salish Language Program Manager for the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes, adjunct instructor at the Salish Kootenai College, and co-founder of the Nk̓ʷusm Salish Language School.

A lot of folks can be apprehensive when it comes to assessment — but we want to make it clear that assessment is more than testing. Good assessment allows for you to paint pictures about how your students are learning your language. It helps you understand what works and what doesn't in your curriculum. It gives you information that you can use to support yourself and your program with Tribal, State, and Federal governments. This course will be of use for teachers in K-12, college and university, and tribally run contexts.

In addition to the 1.5 hours of class time, you can expect on average 1.5 hours of work or reading outside of class.

If you are interested, visit the course's webpage:
https://nili.uoregon.edu/program-offerings/courses/assessment
Or register now:
https://ecomm.uoregon.edu/sites/default/files/order/?submission=5938687&vs=1791488008

09/25/2026

U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.) introduced the Native Language Educators in Classrooms Act, bipartisan legislation to give Tribal Head Start programs greater authority to determine how qualified educators can meet Head Start teaching requirements — helping Tribes hire more Native language educators and bring more fluent Native language speakers into the classroom. Tribal Head Start programs play a critical role in preserving and promoting Native languages, cultures, and traditions. But federal credentialing requirements can prevent Tribal programs from hiring qualified educators — particularly in communities with limited access to higher education.

Read more:

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Alan Armstrong (R-Okla.) introduced the Native Language Educators in Classrooms Act,...

09/05/2026

An amazing day for native students and faculty to kick off the new year!

07/18/2026

Interested in Indigenous sign languages? Already involved in the study or interpretation of NAISL, ASL, or another sign language, and looking to further your knowledge? Then you may be interested in our next series of workshops: Interpreting for Indigenous Deaf People in the Modern World, and Hand Talk: Introduction to North American Indian Sign Language. These workshops are FREE and offered in a hybrid modality.

To register, use the links below:

Interpreting for Indigenous Deaf People in the Modern World
https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0CFOClw1ALwqc2G

Hand Talk: Introduction to North American Indian Sign Language
https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2bfZnwUzmjjIJv0

ASL Interpreters will be provided. If additional accommodations are needed, please reach out to Donavan Williams by August 1, 2026 by emailing [email protected].

07/06/2026

The 2026 AILDI Summer Session has concluded! Over the past four weeks, our students and instructors engaged in the timeless Indigenous traditions of language transference and cultural exchange. It was truly an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.

07/06/2026

The 2026 AILDI Summer Session has concluded! Over the past four weeks, our students and instructors engaged in the timeless Indigenous traditions of language transference and cultural exchange. It was truly an unforgettable experience for everyone involved. As we return home to our communities, let us reflect on the experience we just had:

Students this year enjoyed three courses:
- Linguistics for Native American Communities (Gaby Vargas Melgarejo)
- Introduction to Documenting North American Indian Sign Language (Melanie Cody)
- Methods & Ethics in Linguistic Research: Language Technology for Data Sovereignty (Amy Fountain, Gus H. Powell)

Highlights from this year include:
- Students and instructors from across North and South America, including five incoming students to The NAMA Program at the University of Arizona.
- Four exchange students from Russia, who gave presentations on Indigenous languages of Russia such as Karelian and Tatar.
- Guest talks from native scholars such as Dr. Aresta Tsosie-Paddock.
- Several workshops that were open to our students as well as the public.

Thank you to our students, instructors, staff, and guests. We hope to see you and your kin at next year's Summer Session!

07/06/2026

06/16/2026

AILDI has another FREE workshop next week! Native Language Play, Skits, and Activity Development will take place June 22-24, 2026 from 6-8PM each day. Hosted by Dr. Aresta Tsosie-Paddock, this 3 day workshop facilitates native language learning through creative activities that increase speaking and vocabulary use in activity-created conversation. The active learning method includes developing a process for writing and performing plays, skits, and games, enriching a curriculum focused on language learning grounded in creativity. The participant's outcomes include guiding student language learners in planning, creating, and applying language learning through the creative process to completion, either in a team setting or individually.

This workshop will be available in-person as well as virtually. Sign up here: https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2ru2Eii51XqJ4RE?fbclid=IwY2xjawSebdxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFpd0xmWmpOMDNNQUF5d0tyc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHm2h4rYFLoHVsztjef1G8JJNGU3lyMIDtUGRoYm6EfHuuMhW2XU3_8nOA3Qs_aem_mrjjnUNyreCmiYk0xhijww

06/09/2026

This June 4th, Arizona legislature passed a bill which adds a new section to public education requirements, specifically addressing Native American languages. It mandates that if a school district or charter school requires students to take a world language course to graduate high school, they must also allow students to fulfill that requirement by demonstrating proficiency in a Native American language.

While this doesn't force schools to offer Native American language courses, it does empower the state board of education to create standards for assessing proficiency in these languages, ensuring that Native American languages are recognized as a valid option for meeting foreign language graduation requirements.

https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1939086

06/05/2026

The West Regional Native American Language Resource Center (WRNALRC) offers a certificate pathway rooted in Indigenous language revitalization to address access gaps in services, infrastructure, and opportunities for language learners, educators, communities, and programs in the WRNALRC service areas. The Certificate Programs content focuses on the broader spectrum of Language Revitalization and application of Oral Immersion methods, respectively, toward development of actionable plans, skills, and tools that participants can apply in their own communities.

For more information and to apply, follow the link below:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_WmirDlIBNYmdUPud48sSbJdndvCy8Rw/view