10th Annual Native Language Symposium

Breath of the Ancestors: Reclaiming Our First Words: Empowering Early Childhood Educators, Families and Communities through a Shared Vision
About this Event

About This Gathering

Language is breath — alive, relational, and essential to our children's futures.

Join us for our 10th Annual Native Language Symposium, Breath of the Ancestors: Reclaiming Our First Words, a two-day gathering centered on early childhood as a powerful and urgent site of Indigenous language and cultural reclamation.

"First Words" holds a double meaning: the earliest words our children speak, and the original languages of the lands we come from — languages that carry memory, worldview, and the living knowledge of our ancestors. When we return language to our youngest children, we return them to themselves.

This symposium brings together early childhood educators, families, language carriers, community leaders, artists, researchers, youth, and advocates from across Turtle Island to learn from one another, strengthen our collective practice, and recommit to this vital work together.

What to Expect

Over two days, you'll participate in workshops, panels, and breakout sessions led by practitioners and communities doing this work on the ground. Sessions reflect the full range of Indigenous language reclamation in early childhood — from classroom immersion strategies and family engagement to intergenerational storytelling, land-based learning, and culturally grounded curriculum design.

Come ready to share, listen, and be in community.

Who Should Attend

This gathering is for you if you are:

• An early childhood educator working in or alongside Indigenous communities
• A language keeper, elder, or cultural practitioner engaged with young children
• A family member invested in raising children with their ancestral language
• A researcher, advocate, or leader supporting Indigenous language revitalization
• A young person carrying this work into the future

All are welcome. The work belongs to all of us.

Why This Matters

We are in a moment of both urgency and possibility. Languages once silenced are being sung again. Children are growing up hearing words their grandparents fought to keep alive. This symposium exists to honor that momentum — and to ask: how do we carry it forward together?

We believe that reclaiming language is not only an act of cultural preservation. It is an act of love, sovereignty, and hope for the generations to come.

Where to Stay

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Event Details

Hosted by the Keres Children's Learning Center– Indigenous Montessori Institute &

More details on schedule, sessions, coming soon.

NLS 10 Day 1

🕑: 07:30 AM - 06:00 PM
10th Annual Native Language Symposium: Day 1
Host: Indigenous Montessori Institute
🕑: 07:30 AM
Breakfast and Registration
🕑: 08:00 AM
Welcome
🕑: 08:30 PM
Healing the Circle: Acknowledging Generational Trauma to Strengthen...

Info: For many Native communities, historical and generational trauma continues to influence how adults experience stress, relationships, parenting, and leadership. This keynote explores the connection between historical trauma, emotional wellness, and our ability to show up fully for children and youth. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how trauma can shape behaviors, coping mechanisms, communication styles, and emotional responses. A central focus of this presentation is the importance of self-awareness in youth development. Before we can effectively nurture and mentor young people, we must first understand our own experiences, triggers, beliefs, and emotional responses. Self-awareness allows adults to recognize how their personal histories may impact their interactions with children and offers opportunities to break cycles of hurt rather than pass them on to future generations.

🕑: 09:30 AM
Break
🕑: 09:40 AM
Morning Breakout Sessions
🕑: 10:55 AM
Break
🕑: 11:05 AM
Panel: KCLC Early Childhood Guides & Parents
🕑: 11:50 AM
Lunch
🕑: 01:20 PM
Growing Language, Growing Community: The Pirurvik Preschool

Info: From Mittimatalik (Pond Inlet), Nunavut, Leah Kippomee and Tessa Lochhead share the evolving journey of Pirurvik Preschool, from its beginnings as a community vision for culturally grounded early childhood education to its growing partnerships with communities across Nunavut.

Rooted in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) and supported by Montessori methods, Pirurvik brings Inuktitut language, Inuit knowledge, cultural practices, and hands-on learning into the everyday experiences of young children.

Leah and Tessa will reflect on where this journey began, sharing the development of Pirurvik's unique approach, the creation of culturally relevant learning materials, and the partnerships that have supported early childhood education in communities throughout Nunavut. Drawing on the 2025 independent evaluation of the program, they will highlight the experiences, successes, and lessons learned along the way.

They will then share how Pirurvik continues to grow through hands-on training and mentor

🕑: 02:15 PM
Break
🕑: 02:25 PM
Evening Breakout Sessions
🕑: 03:25 PM
Break
🕑: 03:35 PM
Closing of Day 1
🕑: 04:00 PM
Rest/Dinner on your own
🕑: 06:00 PM
Concert with Lyla June
NLS 10 Day 2

🕑: 07:30 AM - 04:00 PM
10th Annual Native Language Symposium Agenda: Day 2
🕑: 07:30 AM
Breakfast & Registration
🕑: 08:00 AM
Welcome
🕑: 08:30 AM
Keynote Presentation
🕑: 09:30 AM
Break
🕑: 09:40 AM
Morning Breakout Sessions
🕑: 10:55 AM
Break
🕑: 11:05 AM
KCLC Youth Panel
🕑: 11:50 AM
Lunch
🕑: 01:20 PM
Keynote Presentation
🕑: 02:15 PM
Break
🕑: 02:25 PM
Evening Breakout Sessions
🕑: 03:25 PM
Break
🕑: 03:35 PM
Closing
🕑: 04:00 PM
Not goodbye, see you later!