The Yukon Native Language Centre (YNLC) welcomes you to the YNLC Newsletter “Neek” – meaning News or To Tell in Tlingít.

The goal of Neek is to ensure Yukon First Nations, community partners, and the public stay connected and informed about the work YNLC is carrying out to uphold Yukon First Nation languages. Within each issue, you will find updates on language initiatives, programming, and projects that the YNLC is leading. Issues will include community spotlights, comics, audio links and more! 

Yukon First Nation Languages Curriculum Meeting in Teslin

The Yukon First Nation Languages Curriculum Framework Initiative hosted its most recent meeting in Teslin, March 24-28, 2025. Throughout the week, the Language Technician Team worked together to discuss the language proficiency levels with Yukon First Nation culture and values in mind, and speakers shared what they believe defines a fluent speaker.

This curriculum framework aims to help guide language educators and programs in creating scaffolded language journeys, bringing their learners from saying their first sounds in the language to being able to live every day through the language.

Gunalchéesh atlein to the Teslin Tlingịt Council for your generosity and hosting us on your territory!

Archives

The YNLC Digitization Technicians have begun creating digital copies of transcripts that go with audio recordings housed here at the YNLC – most of which are written in the languages and some with English translations.

For example, this transcript in the photo goes with a Northern Tutchone (Big Salmon Dialect) recording housed in the YNLC archives.

Having digital copies of these transcripts helps keep the original preserved and safe from over usage, while keeping the language accessible for future generations. For language learners and educators, transcripts like these are a valuable resource. Being able to listen to audio while being able to read the text helps beginner learners distinguish the sounds of the language found in text at a quicker pace. For learners who are beyond the beginner stage, these transcripts offer insight into the structure of a language. Every Yukon First Nation Language is polysynthetic and has different grammatical structures compared to either English or French.

Language learners, please contact the YNLC for more information about these transcripts!

Mentor Apprentice Train-the-Trainer

It is often said that if you’re learning a language, it is important to teach what you learned to others. The Mentor Apprentice Program Train-the-Trainer cohort worked to build their language proficiency program development, facilitation and implementation skills with the hope that they can lead their own Mentor Apprentice Programs in their communities and train other individuals on how to run these types of programs.

Build Capacity Within the Communities

This training occurred from January 2025 to April 2025, with a total of 45 hours of training completed throughout Whitehorse, Teslin and Watson Lake. The eight participants all previously completed one or more Mentor Apprentice Program courses and are continuing to learn and pass on their Yukon First Nation languages.

Join us in celebrating these participants as they start their journey coordinating MAP programs for learners in the years to come throughout the territory! 

MAP Trainer – Sophie Flather, Gwichin

MAP Trainer Speaker Support – Kathy Nukon, Gwichin

MAP Trainer – Lorraine Dewhurst, Tlingit

MAP Trainer – Zoe Grant-Wolfe, Tlingit

MAP Administrator – Corinne Johnston, Tlingit

MAP Trainer Support – Cordell Jules, Tlingit

MAP Trainer – Emeral Poppe, Kaska

MAP Trainer – Paul Caesar-Jules, Kaska

Next Steps: For the New Mentor Apprentice Program Trainers facilitate MAP within their communities.

Mentor Apprentice Program

The Yukon Native Language Centre coordinated a Mentor Apprentice Program (MAP) for Intermediate language learners from January 2024 to March 2025. With just over a year of learning and studying the language on their own or with their speaker, participants were able to raise their comprehension and speaking proficiency in their respective Yukon First Nation language. These students were able to complete 100, 200 or 300-hours of immersion-based learning through MAP with their speaker.

Sophie Flather, Gwichin

Marion Blake, Gwichin

Denise Johnston, Tlingit

Skaydu.û Jules, Tlingit

Alyce Johnson, Southern Tutchone

Paul Caesar-Jules, Kaska

Emeral Poppe, Kaska

The program is centered around immersion-based learning which allows learners to learn their language through their language. During the initial training for the program, time was allotted to practice immersion-based sets which allowed participants to learn how to ask for help in the language before they began their immersion language learning journeys. MAP recognizes the need for individual language learning goals allowing participants to learn what they want to learn and what was important to them. The participants made their own language learning work plans that included goals, objectives, immersion-based strategies, task-based activities, study methods, schedules, self-assessment tools and learning resources.

The participants made their language a priority within their everyday lives, practicing the language at home, in the store, at the restaurant, at meetings, with family, over Zoom and on the land doing cultural activities. Participants engaged in a variety of learning methods that fit their learning style including independent study, time with a speaker, time with a language teacher, use of technology-video and audio, and on the land and experiential learning.

“I see myself moving forward.”

“I can’t believe I did it!”

“I know if I put my mind to it, I can do it.”

“We talked so long in the language; I don’t want to switch to English.”

Participants at an intermediate level move from memorizing to understanding what is being spoken. During the final “show what you know”, or language assessment, participants were able to tell stories, participate in long durations of conversations on studied topics, ask and answer questions with their speaker, connect numerous sentences together to produce prolonged conversation. The participants demonstrated their learning with ease and confidence, showing their increased vocabulary and reduced time needed to think before answering in the language!

Meet our Staff

Hi folks, my name is Näntsäna, an old Northern Tutchone family name that was passed down to me. I have worked at YNLC for the past 5 years (almost 6!) and have had the privilege to work with and assist people from all over the Yukon in accessing language resources, courses, information, as well as planning gatherings and meetings. Outside of the office, you can find me walking my cat, doing yoga and meditation, or in a coffee shop with an epic fantasy.

I hope you enjoy these snapshots into the happenings of YNLC and all the hard work from our staff.

Upcoming Dates to Note:

May 30, 2025: Fluent Speaker Recognition Ceremony