The Language Conservancy

PRIMARY GOALS:

1. To prevent the widespread loss of indigenous languages worldwide.

▶ By 2020, TLC will increase the number of Native children learning their native language fivefold (from 2% to 10%).
▶ By 2025, TLC will quadruple the number of advanced learners of each of the languages TLC assists.
▶ By 2030, TLC will provide language materials and infrastructure to 75 languages worldwide, positioning TLC
as the global leader in indigenous language revitalization.

2. To improve public awareness and sensitivity towards indigenous language loss.

▶ By 2020, TLC, through a successful national Ogilvy-managed campaign, will increase awareness of endangered languages in the U.S. to 20% of the American population.
▶ In 5 years: TLC will be the household name of the organization working to save Native America languages in the US.
▶ In 10 years: TLC will expand internationally both in terms of our public relations and also in the languages we serve. We will likely focus on other endangered languages in the Central and South America, but also other parts of the world as opportunities arise.
▶ In 20 years: TLC will be serving over 100 languages worldwide. We will have a strong international presence and a play an active role in national and international policy making around the issue.

1. To prevent the widespread loss of indigenous languages worldwide, TLC will:

▶ Strengthen existing partnerships, as well as developing new relationships, with Tribal governments
▶ Continually seek funding to complete new textbook series and multimedia learning projects
▶ Establish new Tribal relationships to found new language Summer Institutes across reservations
▶ Continue to develop curriculum testing and evaluation to make its teacher training courses more effective

2. To improve public awareness and sensitivity towards indigenous language loss, TLC is:

▶ Partnering with Ogilvy PR to create a pro-bono TLC campaign, like those Ogilvy has developed for Amnesty
International and World Wildlife Fund.
▶ Consulting on major films including the upcoming Woman Walks Ahead (2017) and HBO's Lewis & Clark
(2018), to ensure filmmakers use Native languages accurately.
ensure they use Native languages accurately.
▶ Screening our documentary Hóthaŋiŋpi: Rising Voices at events nationwide and across American
Public Television.
▶Hosting informational events across the US.

The staff of The Language Conservancy has built extensive experience over the past decade in Native American language revitalization through association with a grassroots, Native-driven, unified movement to teach endangered languages as second languages in tribal, parochial and public schools on the Northern Plains. This experience will enable us to expand our reach of languages taught and language learners quantitatively, as described above.

We have also developed our outreach capabilities by growing and developing our media relations staff and establishing a relationship with Ogilvy Pr to create a pro-bono TLC campaign. These resources will enable us to significantly increase our outreach and increase awareness for language loss and the work that TLC does.

Past Accomplishments

▶ Established relationships with NUMBER tribes to work in NUMBER (8?) languages
▶ Published over 20 Native language textbooks in TLC's sequenced curriculum
▶ Created 13 mobile apps, including vocab builders, keyboards, and dictionaries
▶ Trained more than 400 teachers in second language teaching best practices at TLC's Summer Institutes.
▶ Published the Lakota Grammar Handbook, a 600-page self-study and reference pedagogical guide.
▶ Published the New Lakota Dictionary, a 23,000-word volume culminating 25 years of linguistic work with over 300 native speakers
▶ Issued the Lakota Audio Series, an adult Practical Conversation Course
▶ Produced a 20-episode Lakota language edition of the Berenstain Bears, the first Native American language cartoon series
▶ Produced a professional documentary, Hóthaŋiŋpi: Rising Voices, increasing awareness of language loss nationwide.
▶ Completed significant develop of Owóksape, a comprehensive online learning and assessment tool for Lakota.

To Be Accomplished

▶ Develop textbooks for more languages spoken by Tribes we have relationships with
▶ Expand awareness for language loss and TLC's work through PR campaigns