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Uvanga atira kivvaq. Sallirmiut inuuvialuuyunga. Ilatka tuktuuyaqtuumin qaimayuat. Chicagomi inuuniaqtunga. Aniyuami iniruqlungalu Nunatchiami.  My name is Nikita. I am a Sallirmiut Inuvialuk. My family is from Tuktuyaaqtuuq. I live in Chicago now, but I was born and raised in the Northwest Territories. I can only speak English, but my goal is to become fluent in Sallirmiutun, my native… Read more.

Negha dágondíh? Dawn Bell-Isaiah suzhe, Sambaalįah gots’eh āaht’e, duh Łíídlįį Kúé nāhendēh, Cathy Sanguez aaht’e metúé, George Bell heɂi aaht’e metúé. (How are you? My name is Dawn Bell-Isaiah. I am from Trout River, I live in Fort Simpson, I am the daughter of Cathy Sanguez and the late George Bell.) I was so proud to learn how to introduce myself in our language. I say it proudly whenever I… Read more.

Indigenous languages need to reclaim space in our everyday lives once again. But when you are a beginner, finding a starting point to do that can feel daunting and overwhelming. So, here are five simple ways that have worked for me to help bring Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì back into my everyday life: Pick one word and commit to replacing it in your everyday speech. It will start to feel more and more normal… Read more.

I acquired my Inuvialuktun language at home with my parents and family. At that time in the 1960’s, it was the dominant language. Spending time on the land and from living in a tiny isolated village, I was taught by example to be aware and to be watchful, mostly having to do with the environment and wildlife. On many occasions we encountered the polar bear, or nanuq, within the village and… Read more.

Uvanga atira Tiffany Sarah Kuliktana Ayalik.  Inuinnayunga. My name is Tiffany Sarah Kuliktana Ayalik.  I am Inuinnait from the Kugluktuk region, but was born and raised in Yellowknife, NWT.  The language of the Inuinnait is Inuinnaqtun, a dialect of Inuktut spoken in a handful of communities in the Western Arctic.  Inuinnaqtun is one of the 11 official languages of the NWT.  It is a… Read more.

2020 marks 30 years since the NWT Literacy Council was created as an organization. We are so proud of the work that has been done over the last 30 years, and so thankful for the people who have contributed to the Council’s success. Throughout 2020, we will be celebrating the board, staff and community members who have been promoting literacy across the NWT for 30 years. We will also be sharing… Read more.

Immigrant City, by David Bezmozgis is on my Christmas wish list. This collection of short stories presents immigrant characters in all their complexity and contradictions.  An interview on CBC with the author really intrigued me to know these stories more deeply.  It reminds me how unique each of the experiences are of newcomers to Yellowknife. I hope that, because it is short stories, I will be… Read more.

Each December, NWT Literacy Council staff choose a book that they will be giving as a gift, would like to receive and read over the holiday, or a favourite book they have been given in the past. This is the first half of our picks. Read our blog again next week to see more.   The book that I’m choosing to recommend for a Christmas gift this year is educated by Tara Westover. This is a memoir… Read more.

On Thursday Nov 21, 2019, the NWT Literacy Council and many participants from across the Northwest Territories gathered in Yellowknife to learn about and share information on the Canada Education Savings Programs.  The Canada Education Savings Program is a program of the Government of Canada. The Government of Canada has set aside funding to help make post-secondary education more affordable for… Read more.

This week is Education Savings Week in Canada. This is a great opportunity to think about the reasons to save for our children’s future education, and learn about some programs to help with savings. Even with my children only being 2 and 4 years old, I have started to think about what post-secondary education will cost by the time they are at that stage. As part of our Canada Learning Bond… Read more.