We are a charitable social enterprise offering excellent outdoor learning training, tools and resources, with 100% of proceeds supporting outdoor learning non-profit initiatives.
This course is designed for learners who taken an introductory course, or have a basic understanding of elements of the Ktunaxa language.
Join Alfred Joseph and Mara Nelson for 12 weeks of Ktunaxa Language Learning. This course is open to everyone – both Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants who wish to learn to uplift language revitalization. If you are a non-Indigenous language learner, we encourage you to review these reflections prior to commencing this course on what it means to be a non-Indigenous learner in an Indigenous language learning course.
Your course fee goes towards supporting our charity in covering the course costs, including ensuring that we compensate the course instructors adequately, and that we can continue to offer learning opportunities like these.
Alfred Joseph is a highly respected Ktunaxa Elder and past chief of the Akisqnuk Nation. He is an expert in Ktunaxa language and knowledge and an immensely passionate, dedicated and talented educator. He was a student at St Eugene’s Residential School and graduated from Olds Agricultural College. He has a farm with hay production and farm animals, and a Trail Riding operation for 25 years, ending in 2000. He is very knowledgeable about and utilizes all aspects of Ktunaxa Culture. He teaches Ktunaxa Language and is very involved with sharing Ktunaxa Traditional Knowledge and encouraging implementation into Ktunaxa Nation Council Programs and Policy.
Mara Nelson is ʔaqⱡsmaknik (a Ktunaxa person) Her family is from Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡiʔit. She is a great great granddaughter of Suzette Antiste and John Phillips, great granddaughter of Mary Agnes Phillips and Tom Cunliffe and granddaughter of Sadie Cunliffe. She has a background in education as a Sign Language Transliterator and Education Assistant. She has extensive experience in the classroom with students and teachers alike which has enabled her to create fulfilling modified working course plans. She has been a keen student of her Ktunaxa language, learning as much as she can from Alfred. She is deeply connected to the land, water and all living things.
Indigenous languages carry connections to lands, ancestors, traditions, and contain ecological knowledge crucial for sustainable living, medicinal practices, and traditional storytelling, enriching our collective wisdom. By supporting Indigenous language revitalization efforts, we not only preserve linguistic diversity but also uphold Indigenous Peoples’ fundamental rights to their languages and cultures.
Our intention being not to offer a second language program where participants achieve fluency, but rather to provide a spark—an introduction that inspires and encourages further engagement with the language and broader revitalization efforts. We aim to create a welcoming space where learners can begin their journey, build connections, and develop a foundation for future learning opportunities.
Non-Indigenous participants can take steps towards reconciliation by participating in language courses like these as a way to uplift language revitalization and deepen their own understanding of local place. We just ask that you review these reflections on what it means to be a non-Indigenous learner in an Indigenous language learning course.
