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Yukon Native Language Centre
Yukon Native
Language Centre
In 1977 the Yukon Native Languages
Project was begun by the Council of
Yukon Indians, now the Council of
Yukon First Nations. The Council
saw a need for systematic surveys
and development work on Yukon
languages and lobbied successfully
for funding from the federal and
territorial governments. Requests
for Native Language teaching in
the schools began to increase and
the YNLP began to train Native
Language teachers and to develop
curriculum materials. The number
of language teachers and trainees
grew steadily during the first years
of the project’s operation. In 1985,
the YNLP was renamed the Yukon
Native Language Centre. Today
the Centre is actively teaching,
documenting and promoting Yukon
Native languages.
YNLC offers training and
certification for Yukon Aboriginal
Language Teachers. YNLC staff
and Elders have developed and now
teach the certificate (3-year) and
follow-up diploma (2-year) courses
for Native Language Instructors at
Yukon College. YNLC also works
closely with the University of Alaska
Fairbanks in implementing a jointly
established Associate of Applied
Science degree program in Native
Language Education. Graduates and
students currently enrolled in these
programs serve as teachers in many
communities of Yukon, British
Columbia, Northwest Territories and
Alaska.
YNLC develops teaching and
learning materials for all the Yukon
Aboriginal languages. These include
a curriculum guide, language lesson
booklets and tapes/CDs, dictionaries
and reference materials. Recently
YNLC has produced interactive
browser-based materials on CDs and
posted teaching material on its web
site: www.ynlc.ca.
YNLC works with First Nations
Elders to document Yukon native
traditions, oral history, personal names
and place names. YNLC also assists
First Nations and other organizations
with translations, transcriptions and
signage.
YNLC provides information and
materials on Yukon languages to First
Nations, government and educational
organizations, researchers, media
outlets and to the many interested
individuals who regularly visit, phone
and email the Centre.
YNLC also plays an important
role as a regional and international
centre. It organized and cosponsored
the first Canadian-
Alaskan Institute for Northern
Native Languages held in the
summer of 1988, which attracted
students from the Northwest
Territories, British Columbia,
Alaska and Yukon. YNLC’s training
and literacy sessions routinely
attract visitors and students from
these neighbouring jurisdictions.
YNLC Staff
YNLC also maintains relationships
with such organizations as the
Gwich’in Cultural and Social Institute
(Tsiigehtchic, NWT), the Tanana
Chiefs Conference (Fairbanks,
Alaska), the Mount Sanford Tribal
Consortium (Chistochina, Alaska),
the Tok Branch of Interior Campus,
UAF (Tok, Alaska) and with
individual school districts in British
Columbia, the Northwest Territories
and Alaska.
The Yukon Native Language Centre
welcomes students with Athapaskan
and Tlingit language backgrounds.
To date, more than a dozen distinct
languages have been represented at
course training sessions.
Students who wish to register in a
program, or students who have any
questions or concerns about their
programs, should contact a Yukon
Native Language Centre program
co-ordinator. For appointments,
call 867.668.8820 or toll free
1.877.414.9652 (fax 867.668.8825).
(top left to right) André Bourcier, linguist; Linda Harvey, programs co-ordinator; Jo-Anne Johnson,
programs co-ordinator; Doug Hitch, linguist; John Ritter, director and linguist; (seated, left to right)
Anne Ranigler, archivist and Northern Tutchone specialist; Josephine Holloway, administrative
assistant; Gertie Tom, founding Elder; Sheila Maissan, publications officer (Margaret Workman,
founding Elder is not present)
YNLC Photo
34 www.yukoncollege.yk.ca
Ayamdigut Campus toll free: 1.800.661.0504 Admissions: 867.668.8710 Yukon College 2012/13