Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI)

We are dedicated to a future where Indigenous languages are strong and vibrant in Canada and abroad. Because we know that small steps can have big impacts, we value the folks who are taking these steps and their dedication to their language. We work to support these individuals on their own journey in language activism.

Protect, Preserve, Promote, Practice and Pass on Your Language

These five words (the ‘5Ps’) are concrete acts of language revitalization at the individual and community level. Since every situation is different, we encourage our students and community partners to pursue the ‘5Ps’ as they see fit. As an institute, CILLDI aims to be a resource for anyone embarking on the journey of language revitalization.

Learn About CILLDI

CILLDI Summer School 2025

Join us for the 2025 CILLDI Summer School (July 7th-25th)! This year CILLDI is going through a few changes regarding its course delivery and it is affecting the Summer School, positively we hope.

We are working on transitioning our Certificate courses from Open Studies (OS) to Continuing Education (CE). The main difference for our students is the following:

Instead of a 6-courses certificate, completed over three summers, we will be offering 3-course certificates that can each be completed in one summer. If you complete four of those certificates, we will be able to give you a diploma*.
The second important difference is that the courses would not grant university credit anymore, but micro credit in the Continuing Education system.

*This program is still in development and details are subject to change.

If you have already started your Community Linguist Certificate under Open Studies, don't worry! Since the certificates cover the same topics as the CLC, transition is quite easy and we will handle it for you. That way, you just have to worry about getting to Edmonton.

Click the link below to fill out the Declaration Form if you are interested in attending this years summer school. Bursary applicants are advised to complete the form before April 13th and general applicants must complete the form before June 1st.

Access the Form

Summer School

Our annual summer school provides training in Language Documentation and Revitalization directly to language champions.

Study with Us

Learning

CILLDI is committed to fostering learning year round! We provide open access learning materials and resources for anyone interested in learning about language revival.

Learn More

Community

CILLDI has a long and ongoing history of partnering with communities on language projects. To see language revitalization in action, click here!

Partners and Projects

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Research

As a Research Institute, CILLDI has access to the latest resources and best practices of Language Revitalization that we are excited to share with you!

DRAGONS Lab

Testimonials

"I'm really glad to see an Institute such as this one because for years I've been looking to improve myself in the area of language work and curriculum and so forth as it relates to Native languages. It has been difficult to find courses in Canada that offer this. I hope it grows into something bigger."

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