There are two language conferences coming up in October, both held in Minneapolis. The CARLA (Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition) Immersion conference will be held Oct. 16-18 with school tours and workshops on the 15th. This year the CARLA conference will have a conference stream specifically for indigenous languages, and will feature speakers from Maori, Hawai’ian and Ojibwe communities.

CARLA Immersion Conference website

The 40th Algonquian conference will be held at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus on Oct. 24-26. This is an international meeting for researchers working in the area of Algonquian studies — which includes the Ojibwe language. While the conference website doesn’t yet have the schedule posted, organizer John Nichols showed me a preliminary line up of topics, and they will include:

• Problems and strategies in the analysis, redaction and presentation of native texts,
• Currents in contemporary Ojibwe art, and
• Ojibwe language teaching, curriculum development and research

among others.

This last theme on Ojibwe language teaching, curriculum development and research will be of interest to those working in the language revitalization field. Presenters in this theme include: Keller Paap (Waadookodaading Immersion School), Henry Flocken (Bemidji State U), Adrian Liberty (Niigaane Immersion School), Margaret Noori (University of Michigan), and J. Randolph Valentine (U of WI - Madison).

40th Algonquian Conference website

The Wisconsin State Journal reported yesterday that legislators are considering a move to revive funding for American Indian language development, which ended in 2003. The proposal by Libby Burmaster, state school superintendent, would set aside a yearly amount of $260,000 to be given out in grants of $10,000-$50,000 for language materials development or hiring teachers. The funds would come from the revenue paid to the state by tribes through tribal gaming revenues.

Materials development continues to be an issue for immersion schools and classroom native language programs throughout Indian Country. In Minnesota, a task-force of educators are meeting with the state to dicuss material development needs, and the possibility of a textbook.