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! 

Dän Kʼí (Northern Tutchone) Gathering

The Yukon Native Language Centre hosted a Dän Kʼí (Northern Tutchone) Gathering February 24 – 26, 2025 in Whitehorse. Speakers, Elders, language teachers, and learners from across Dän Kʼí territory of Nacho Nyak Dun, Selkirk, Little Salmon Carmacks, White River, and Kwanlin Dün, attended the gathering to share language, learn with one another, and connect. There were more than 40 participants and laughter heard throughout the centre.

Topics the group covered throughout the gathering include:

• Making and Setting Snares

• Stories

• Phrases about the Sun

• Words around Taste

• Dog Sledding Language

• Songs

YNLC is currently processing the audio, pictures, and phrases from the gathering to share with all participants, as well as on the YNLC website. For more Northern Tutchone resources, visit https://ynlc.ca/northern-tutchone/.

Ìdthät tʼâlàt

“My tongue is burning”

Dechäna uyékʼo natsʼegét

“Set up sticks beside the snare”

YFN Languages Curriculum Framework Initiative

YNLC's Yukon First Nations Languages Curriculum Framework initiative hosted another successful Languages Technician Team Meeting February 10 – 14, 2025 at the Dakų Cultural Centre in Dakwäkäda. The meeting aimed to bring together the Language Technician Team Elders, Youth, and members from all eight language groups to discuss and share ideas around strengthening language and cultural fluency within the territory, and to provide guidance in the development of the Yukon First Nations Language Curriculum Framework.

Throughout the five days, team members and language groups explored core Characters and Values they believe language learners should embody to guide their language learning journeys to reaffirm their community responsibilities and identity. Groups applied these Characters and Values to further conceptualize stages and approaches to learning about specific land-based cultural topics with the purpose of carrying on traditional knowledge through the language. We were honored to witness language teams working together to connect language to their topics - highlighting deeper understandings of culture embedded within our Yukon First Nation Languages.

Upcoming meetings will involve framing out language benchmarks and levels that are inclusive of the knowledge shared by the team and localized at the community level to help the creation of language curricula. Shä̀wníthän, gunalchéesh, mähsįʼ cho, sṓgá sínlā, tsin’įį choh to the ongoing hard work and commitment from the team in sharing your knowledge, stories and songs, and all those who are supporting us on this journey.

Want to know more about the project? YNLC is currently working to create promotional materials to help you understand more the project, itʼs importance in the realm of language revitalization within the territory, and the positive impact it will have for Yukon First Nation language staff, teachers, instructors, and leaners throughout all stages of life.

Däshäw dä̀kennätān kwänthàt tsʼän änų 

(Dän Kʼe - Our Elders know how to teach and bring knowledge forward)

Gūzā́gī yéh gūkʼéh lādzīhtʼā

(Kaska - Our langauge and culture is who we are)

Ntsʼą̈̀ʼ trʼëhudèy

(Hän - Our way of how we live)

Language Archive & Resources Highlights

The audio for Volume 1 and 2 of the Teetlʼit Gwichʼin Dialect Listening Exercises has been digitized and is available through the Yukon Native Language Centre! The Listening Exercises contain 329 pages of words and sentences to help learn about the sounds and alphabet of the Gwichʼin language. The books were created with speakers Mary Jane Kunnizzi and Mary Decker between 1997 and 2003.

YNLC will be working to cut the audio into sections before posting on our website, however, the full audio recordings can be requested through the YNLC Archives: https://ynlc.ca/forms_requests/#ynlc-archives-request-form

Kaska Commentary - Yukon Native Hockey Tournament

Sharpen your skates and get ready to tune into Kaska Commentary at the Yukon Native Hockey Tournament! Kaska Speakers Hammond Dick and Testloa Smith will be announcing hockey games in the language between March 20 - 24, 2025. YNLC is proud to support this initiative for a second year.

Labas kwḗtsʼít! The puck went in!

Visit the Kaska Learners Facebook page daily to see what games they will be covering next and to tune into the game livestream (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006228466973):

• March 20 @ 11:30 AM: OT - Kaska Warriors VS CA Bruins

• March 20 @ 4:00 PM: C - Lower Post Eagles VS BGA Nation

• March 20 @ 8:20 PM: Jamboree B - Kaska Warriors VS TH Wolfpack

Kaska games may also be broadcast by Ptarmigan Creative when announced on the Kaska Learner Facebook page (https://ynht.ptarmigancreative.ca/)

Meet our Staff

Axh tuwáa sigóo yéi yee daayaxhakhaayí, gunalchéesh áwé yá Kwanlin Dün Khwáan, kha Ta’an Kwäch’än Khwáan. Hasdu léelk’u hás aaní kát woosh xhoot wutudi.át, yáax’ yéi jitooné, ách áyá sh tóoghaa haa ditee.

Axh shagóon daat yee een kakkhwanéek. Lingít xh’éináxh Skàyda.û yóo xhat duwasáakw. Axh léelk’w, axh tláa du tláa, x̱at uwasáa. Dleit kháa xh’éináxh Tina Jules yóo xhat duwasáakw. Dakhl’aweidí áyá xhát. Dakhl’asháaxh xhat sitee. Ghooch naaxh xhat sitee, Deisleen Khwáandáxh. Lingít kha Kaska Dene shaawádixh xhat sitee. Axh tláa Khàshdáxh Tláa Minnie Jules yóo dusáagun. Axh éesh Khishdúkw Ralph Smarch yóo duwasáakw. Axh léelk’w, axh tláa du tláa Skàyda.û Graffie Jules (Peters) yóo dusáagun. Axh léelk’w, axh tláa du éesh Charlie Jules Ts’itás yóo dusáagun. Mountain Slavey, Deisheetaan, Austrain, French, kha Cree dachxhán áyá xhát. Axh yátx’i, dàx’ùnínaxh yatì. Axh sík’ has Khashdáxh Tláa, Gádzûsdà, kha Khaxhyêk yóo duwasáakw, łingít xh’ênáxh. Axh yîtk’ At Shukáxh yóo duwasáakw, łingít xh’ênáxh. Axh dachxhánk’i, dáxhnáxh yatí. Axh dachxhánk has Yench Khuwasáaw kha Eilyah.

Kwanlin Aaníx’ khux̱wdzitee. Naataasehéeni kha Taagish aaníx’ yéi xhat yatee. Kwanlinx’ áwé yéi jix̱áné. Haa yóo xh’atángi daakahídi, yóo xh’atánk at wuskóowu alyéixhi áwé axh yéi jinéiyi.

Haa shuká aa hás, kha Haa Shagóon x’éighaa áwé sh tóoghaa xhat ditee. Haa yátx’i sh tóoghaa xhat ditee, has likoodzée áwé. Haa yátx’ich hasdu yóo xh’atángi daat sh tóo amdlitóowu, axh toowú klighéi has kaaxh. Haa yátx’i toowú litseen. Gunalchéesh axh xh’eit yeensa.aaxhí wé yóo xh’atánk yéi jinéiyi daat. X’éighaa at sh tóoghaa xhat ditee i yéi jinéiyi yís. Ldakát uháan, t’éex’déin yéi jitooné haa yóo xh’atángi daat. Gunalchéesh áwé, yéi xh’ayaxhakhá, ldakát axh shuká aa hás, hasdu at wuskóowu, hasdu yóo xh’atángi, hasdu tula.aaní. Hasdu yéi jinéiyich áwé tlíl khut uduxíxch haa yóo xh’atángi. Gunalchéesh áwé ldakát hás axh eet has wudishée.

Click here to see translation

Upcoming Dates to Note:

May 30, 2025: Fluent Speaker Recognition Ceremony