NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS TO BREATH OF LIFE

Breath of Life Archival Institute for California Indigenous Languages, May 22 – 28, 2022
Applications open: February 1, 2022
Applications due: March 11, 2022
Applicants notified: April 1, 2022
We are pleased to announce the return of the in-person Breath of Life Archival Institute for California Indigenous Languages, set for May 22 – 28, 2022.
Community Researcher Application: Apply to the Institute as a Community Researcher if you are from a California Indigenous tribe and planning to attend Breath of Life to research your own language. Community Researchers are usually paired with a Linguistic Partner, if needed, to assist in acquiring language documentation and learn linguistic skills.
Linguistic Partner Application: Use this application to sign up as a Linguistic Partner. If accepted to the Institute and we are able to pair you with a Community Researcher(s), you will receive a fellowship to cover lodging and the conference fee as well.
We are looking forward to hearing from you and hopefully seeing you at the Institute on the UC Berkeley campus. Please note the AICLS Breath of Life planning committee is taking all precautions considering the climate with the pandemic and will keep applicants up to date as we learn more.
California Indian Spoken Word returns December 21, 2021 at 5:30 PM
For Winter Solstice we again return for a warm evening of stories, songs, and words in our California Indian languages register to attend. We start with presenters that signed up ahead of time, then have an open-mic for audience members to participate. If you wish to be featured in our starting line-up of presenters, email carly@aicls.org This is a Zoom event online and hosted by Vincent Medina.

Announcing our next Breath of Life Symposium Presenter: Daniel Golding (Quechan), founder of Hokan Media LLC, November 4, 2021 at 12 noon

Sign up for our next Breath of Life Symposium Presentation, October 21, 2021 at 12-1:15 p.m.

Sign up for our next Breath of Life Symposium Presentation, October 14, 2021 at 12-1:15 p.m.

Announcing our next California Indian Spoken Word Event, September 22, 2021, register to attend

Announcing our first ever Breath of Life 2021 Symposium
A series of online presentations on language revitalization topics. Presenters will be announced each month on our Facebook and e-mail newsletter.
September 16 session already occurred, recording not available

PREVIOUS SYMPOSIUM SESSIONS:
August 26, Raymond Huaute (recording not available)

Ray Huaute, Breath of Life 2021 Symposium Presenter
Ray Huaute is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Linguistics Department at UC San Diego. He also holds an MA in Native American Linguistics at the University of Arizona and a BA in Native American Studies from UC Riverside. His main research interests include, language documentation and description, as well as community-based linguistics and language reclamation. He is currently working on a documentation project entitled “Expanding the Documentation and Description of Cahuilla,” which is being funded by a grant from the Endangered Language Documentation Programme (ELDP). Cahuilla is an under-documented Uto-Aztecan language of Southern California, which is spoken in Northern San Diego County, as well as most of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Ray has been working on the transcription of archival materials, including the fieldnotes of John Peabody Harrington on Cahuilla and other related Takic languages. His work on comparative linguistics has also led to a partnership with the Fernandeño-Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, who he has consulted with on matters of language revitalization and the reconstruction of the Fernandeño language. Ray is interested in reframing the linguist-community dynamic to focus more heavily on community-centered and led linguistic research and language reclamation efforts.
August 12, Yurok Language Program, recording available on AICLS YouTube

Victoria Carlson, Breath of Life 2021 Symposium Presenter
Victoria was raised with grandparents who were both first-language, fluent Yurok speakers. She worked with Yurok first-language speakers before they made their long journeys and believes it is part of her responsibility to carry on and teach those who would like to incorporate Yurok language as a part of their life. Victoria has experience teaching Yurok language in the classrooms of the Yurok Tribe Head Start Program, grade levels K-12, and after-school programs. In addition, she has provided Yurok language classes for the youth, community, and elders. Currently, Victoria Carlson is the Yurok Language Program Coordinator for the Yurok Tribe Language Program. She works with her language team to continue to increase the number of Yurok language teachers through the Kee Laay-o-lue-mehl (They Will Teach) Yurok Language Teacher Training Program, to maintain Yurok courses in the schools (K-12), and ensure Yurok in spoken in the homes, community, workplace, and Tribal gatherings.
-Victoria Carlson, Yurok Language Program Coordinator

James Gensaw, Sr., Breath of Life 2021 Presenter
Aiy-ye-kweee’ Nek ‘new James Gensaw Sr. I am a Yurok language teacher at Eureka High School and a Language Specialist IV for the Yurok Tribe. The Yurok language is not just a job, but a way of life for me and my family. In 2006 I started to work for the Yurok Tribe’s Language Program. Some of my duties included 600 plus hours of documentation of first language speakers, digitizing audio and video, editing raw materials for public access, archiving language materials, and teaching the Yurok language and culture. I have ten plus years of experience digitizing, editing, and archiving language resources. I’ve digitized audio cassettes, vhs’s, mini dv’s, dvd’s, and mini cassettes. I also have 12 years of experience as a high school language teacher. In addition, I was given the opportunity to work first-hand with many of our Native language speakers. I teach at Eureka High School which is the largest school in the State of California that offers a Native Indigenous Language and I recently began teaching Yurok Language at McKinleyville High School.


Announcing our next California Indian Spoken Word Event, September 22, 2021, register to attend
Announcing our next California Indian Spoken Word Event, September 22, 2021, register to attend


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