Indigenous Languages
Vertical Files
- Subject HeadingsThe majority of our vertical files are organized according to our classification system and are catalogued. Some of the vertical files are organized alphabetically by subject. The following Word document can help you locate these items.
Xwi7xwa Library Guide
Indigenous Languages Research Guide QR Code
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Indigenous Languages
This research guide provides strategies for finding information about Indigenous languages, including:
- Specific languages or language families
- Curriculum materials
- Language learning materials produced by Indigenous communities
- Language revitalization
For more information on the First Nations Languages of British Columbia, see the First Nations Languages of British Columbia research guide.
Featured Resources
- Ethnologue: Languages of the WorldFor comprehensive and up-to-date research on the world's languages. Includes country profiles, language profiles, statistics, maps, and more.
- First Nations, Métis, and Inuit – Indigenous Ontology (FNMIIO)First draft of a working list of Indigenous Names to better reflect how Indigenous people currently prefer to refer to themselves. This document is being continuously updated and edited. Released through the National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance (NIKLA) and CFLA-FCAB Indigenous Matters Committee – Red Team Joint Working Group on Classification and Subject Headings.
- First People Cultural Council (FPCC) Resource ListFPCC resource list available on Zotero.
- First VoicesOnline tools and resources designed to support Indigenous people engaged in language archiving, language teaching and culture revitalization.
- ICSNL ArchivesAll volumes from ICSNL (International Conference on Salish and Neighbouring Languages) are available here. Volume from 1966-1999 are formally part of the Kinkade Collection. Volumes from 2000 onward are published by UBCWPL (Working Papers in Linguistics), as indicated by their UBCWPL publication number.
- Languages Index (First Peoples’ Culture Council)Index of Indigenous languages in BC, other names, and dialects, organized by language family. Includes links to additional information.
- A Linguist’s Code of Conduct: Guidelines for Engaging in Linguistic Work with Indigenous PeoplesA collection of thoughts, reflective questions and suggestions for linguists who are engaging in (or preparing to engage in) linguistic work with Indigenous peoples. By Anna Belew and Amanda Holmes (non-Indigenous and Kanienkehá:ka, respectively), Endangered Languages Project.
- Orthographies (First Peoples' Cultural Council)Information on the development of orthographies (standardized system for writing) Indigenous languages. Includes information on symbols and diacritics (such as accents, underlines, or bars).
- Relational LexicographyThe Relational Lexicography project is a research initiative that aims to produce a decolonized dictionary created by speakers and with learners of under-resourced languages. As of mid 2020, the project is currently in process.
- Transmissions Expanded"Transmissions Expanded is an online portal to educational materials related to Lisa Jackson’s Transmissions art installation: an opportunity to dig deeper into the languages, the revitalization efforts and the cross-disciplinary thinking that animates the artwork. Transmissions Expanded gives a glimpse into what the Elders mean when they say “the culture is in the language.”"