State of Montana Newsroom
Native American Language and Development and Language Revitalization Planning Workshop
December 10-11 in Billings, Montana
Co-Sponsored by: Chippewa Cree Tribe Department of Indian Education, MSU-Billings Native American Student Achievement Center, MSU Center for Bilingual and Multicultural Education, and Fort Peck Tribes Language and Culture Department. The lead organizer of the event, Representative Jonathan Windy Boy (HD 32), will serve as the event moderator.
Helena, MT — State Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, Tribal Legislators, Tribal Nation Leaders, Educators, and Office of Public Instruction (OPI) Director of Tribal Relations Don Wetzel will gather at the MSU Billings Student Union Building from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM on December 10th and 11th for a Class 7 Professional Development Training and Language Revitalization Planning Workshop.
The 2021 Montana Legislature assigned the OPI as administrator of the Tribal Nation Culture and Language Preservation Program. Matthew Bell is employed by the OPI to coordinate the Montana Indian Language & Culture Preservation grants and the Indian Language Immersion program. Matthew Bell works directly with Tribal Relations Director Donnie Wetzel as the OPI team walks with our Tribal Nations in supporting Language Revitalization.
“I want to thank Representative Windy Boy and Director Real Bird for organizing this great learning opportunity. The Language Revitalization workshop will offer many resources for our Montana educators to utilize in the classroom to promote cultural and indigenous heritage,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen.
Participants will engage in:
- Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, Tribal Perspectives
- Language Revitalization Planning
- Indian Language Immersion
- Tribal Language Goals, Strategies, and Metrics
- Review of the Cultural Integrity Act
- Tribal Language Curriculum & Language Standards
The Language Revitalization Planning workshop, which is open to the public, will be held in person and on Zoom. If you plan on attending, please register here. For more information, contact Sunny Day Real Bird, Director of the Native American Achievement Center at MSU Billings, by phone at (406) 657-2144 or by email at sunnyday.realbird@msubillings.edu.
Attendees will adhere to COVID-19 safety measures through social distancing, face masks, and hand sanitizing.
###