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Our Ever Awesome NWT Brushing Song Had anyone ever told me when I was running laps at JBT in grades 4,5, and 6 back in the 70’s in Fort Smith, NWT, that I’d hold my 25th book in that same gymnasium at the tender age of 48 as a father, a husband, a son and a brother and had someone told me that my 25th book would be illustrated by a Hay River artist named Neiva Mateus and that our book would be … Read more.

With all NWT schools closed until April 14, families are thinking about the many days at home and how to pass the time together. This time of social distancing is a great opportunity to do some special family literacy activities at home. My family took time this weekend to make a list of all of the things we would like to do together during this time. It was fun to do this together as a family… Read more.

I was approved for a Canadian Working Visa in late 2019. I didn’t know anyone in Canada so didn’t have a destination in mind. I opened Google maps, scrolled towards the north and liked the sound of Yellowknife, so I booked a flight. I was aware that there would be some major differences. Leaving an Australian summer to enter a Canadian winter was going to be interesting. I was prepared for cold… Read more.

April 2020 marks 30 years since the NWT Literacy Council was created. We are excited to celebrate with you all year long, starting with NWT Literacy Week from April 19 to April 25. We have several events, contests, and ways to share memories planned for the whole year. Please join us in celebrating the hard work of NWT residents in increasing the profile of literacy as well as increasing their… Read more.

Uvanga atira kivvaq. Sallirmiut inuuvialuuyunga. Ilatka tuktuuyaqtuumin qaimayuat. Chicagomi inuuniaqtunga. Aniyuami iniruqlungalu Nunatchiami.  My name is Nikita. I am a Sallirmiut Inuvialuk. My family is from Tuktuyaaqtuuq. I live in Chicago now, but I was born and raised in the Northwest Territories. I can only speak English, but my goal is to become fluent in Sallirmiutun, my native… Read more.

Negha dágondíh? Dawn Bell-Isaiah suzhe, Sambaalįah gots’eh āaht’e, duh Łíídlįį Kúé nāhendēh, Cathy Sanguez aaht’e metúé, George Bell heɂi aaht’e metúé. (How are you? My name is Dawn Bell-Isaiah. I am from Trout River, I live in Fort Simpson, I am the daughter of Cathy Sanguez and the late George Bell.) I was so proud to learn how to introduce myself in our language. I say it proudly whenever I… Read more.

Indigenous languages need to reclaim space in our everyday lives once again. But when you are a beginner, finding a starting point to do that can feel daunting and overwhelming. So, here are five simple ways that have worked for me to help bring Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì back into my everyday life: Pick one word and commit to replacing it in your everyday speech. It will start to feel more and more normal… Read more.

I acquired my Inuvialuktun language at home with my parents and family. At that time in the 1960’s, it was the dominant language. Spending time on the land and from living in a tiny isolated village, I was taught by example to be aware and to be watchful, mostly having to do with the environment and wildlife. On many occasions we encountered the polar bear, or nanuq, within the village and during… Read more.

Uvanga atira Tiffany Sarah Kuliktana Ayalik.  Inuinnayunga. My name is Tiffany Sarah Kuliktana Ayalik.  I am Inuinnait from the Kugluktuk region, but was born and raised in Yellowknife, NWT.  The language of the Inuinnait is Inuinnaqtun, a dialect of Inuktut spoken in a handful of communities in the Western Arctic.  Inuinnaqtun is one of the 11 official languages of the NWT.  It is a… Read more.

2020 marks 30 years since the NWT Literacy Council was created as an organization. We are so proud of the work that has been done over the last 30 years, and so thankful for the people who have contributed to the Council’s success. Throughout 2020, we will be celebrating the board, staff and community members who have been promoting literacy across the NWT for 30 years. We will also be sharing… Read more.