(Note: Pending review and approval by the UArctic Indigenous Advisory Board.)
The linguistic landscape of the North is a diverse and vibrant one that comprises roughly 140 Indigenous languages, several of which having more than one variety.
This page and accompanying sub-pages have been created to provide a detailed, though non-exhaustive, collection of resources and information on the subject of Indigenous languages in higher education. The scope has additionally been set to encompass the higher education contexts found within UArctic institutions.
The sub-pages and their content are structured around the regions of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Sápmi, which are based on the member states of the Arctic Council.
It is the aim of this resource collection to provide relevant and reliable information that is respectful and culturally sensitive towards the Indigenous peoples, cultures, and languages mentioned here.
In what concerns terminology, many Indigenous languages have multiple names (and spellings) that they are known by. Some languages mentioned here will be referred to at times with more than one name for the sake of clarity.
The classification and grouping of languages in the western linguistic tradition may at times not align with personal and communal Indigenous identities. What is considered to be a language by a mother tongue speaker may be known in western academia as a dialect of another language. In addition to these and related terms being challenging to define, there may also be some negative connotations associated with them, or preferences held by users of a given linguistic variety to use certain labels and groupings over others. Indigenous perspectives are prioritized in these materials.
UArctic is fortunate to comprise institutions that offer an abundance of courses and programs related to and taught in Arctic Indigenous languages. Given the inconstant nature of offerings and the sheer number proposed by our member institutions, this collection does not capture them all, and the status of some listed here may change. If you notice that something is missing or has changed, we would appreciate your letting us know! Please contact us at secretariat@uarctic.org.
Click on a heading below to learn more about education in and about Indigenous languages in the Circumpolar North. The pages comprise information regarding relevant offerings at UArctic higher education institutions and feature a selection of further readings and resources.
