NILIAssociate Director, NILI
My main interest and role as a linguist is to support language revitalization and teaching efforts. I have worked with NILI since 2001. I began as a graduate student volunteer, became a graduate research fellow, and now am faculty. Through my work at NILI, I have had the honor of collaborating with a number of communities on teacher training, language documentation and training in documentation, and materials, curriculum and assessment development. I’ve also contributed to strategic planning and grant writing. I am deeply grateful to the elders and community members who have welcomed me and shared a part of their language and culture with me. At UO, my work encompasses administration, research, and outreach.
In 2004 I was introduced to Tuxámshish, Dr. Virginia Beavert, and since then have worked with her on documenting, descirbing, and teaching of the Ichishkíin/Sahaptin language. We are strengthening the Ichishkíin language program at UO and more students are becoming involved through classes, projects and graduate work. More and more, this work integrates goals of documentation, curriculum development, and teaching and topics that are important to elders, teachers and learners guide our efforts.
I have taught undergraduate and graduate courses in language, linguistics, and teacher advocacy, as well as shorter workshops and trainings. As part of the NILI team, I look into the development and impact of local, culturally informed place-based curriculum that goes beyond the classroom and integrates language use. I’m interested in best ways to present pedagogical grammar materials and explain complex pieces of grammar. And, as in all of NILI’s work, I hold the goal of continuing to develop and maintain respectful and inclusive procedures for research, curriculum development, and data management for our projects.
