Sealaska - Programs - Language & Culture

Sealaska Heritage Institute produces Native language curriculum and other education tools through its Language and Education Programs. The institute encourages students and teachers to use its online resources to perpetuate and revitalize Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian languages. (To download the interactive tools to your computer, right click the link and choose "save target as")

Tlingit Dictionary Sealaska Heritage Institute's Dictionary of Tlingit is the product of years of documentation of the Tlingit language with assistance from fluent Elders. It's a must-have resource for language learners and for people who are interested in learning more about the Tlingit culture. This version is a searchable pdf. (Note: To jump to sections via the table of contents, click "view" "navigation panels" "bookmarks") New!

Haida Dictionary Sealaska Heritage Institute's Dictionary of Alaskan Haida is the product of years of documentation of the Haida language with assistance from fluent Elders. It's a must-have resource for language learners and for people who are interested in learning more about the Haida culture. This version is a searchable pdf. (Note: To jump to sections via the table of contents, click "view" "navigation panels" "bookmarks") New!

Let's Learn Language: Tlingit language use in everyday speech shown through the use of puppets. Ten lessons produced in 1969 by the Juneau Indian Studies Program. The speakers were Johnny Marks, a longtime contributor to SHI’s programs, and Eva Marks. Digitized through a partnership betrween Sealaska Heritage Institute and the Alaska State Library.

Tlingit Valentine Phrases (learn Tlingit terms of endearment)

Halloween is coming. Can you say that in Tlingit?
Nakw s’aatí yagiyeeyí áwé yá haadé yaa nagút aa síndi.
“Halloween is next week.” U
Ch’a ldakát at yátx’i núkdzigaa át gugwa.áat.
“All the kids will be out looking for candy.” U
Axoo aa kéi has shakaguxlagéi.
“Some of them will look cute.” U
Axoo aa kéi has yakaguxlaxéitl’shan.
“Some of them will look scary.” U

Audio by the late Johnny Marks. Learn more Tlingit phrases.

Tlingit Verb Database (a searchable database of more than 575 Tlingit verbs)

Clan Names (Eagle) (Audio by John Marks and June Pegues)

Clan Names (Raven) (Audio by John Marks and June Pegues)

Curriculum

Latseen Basketball (learn Tlingit words for basketball in an interactive environment) (Latseen Basketball Camps)

Numbers (learn Tlingit words for numbers in an interactive environment) (Print words) (Download Flash Player)

Bear Barometer (learn Tlingit phrases for weather in an interactive environment) (Print words) (Download Flash Player)

Shanyaak'utlaax (a Tlingit story written in Tlingit and produced by SHI)
(Print pdf version) (Download Flash Player)

My House (learn the Tlingit phrases for common household items in an interactive environment. (Print word list) (Download Flash Player)

Move the Murrelet (learn Tlingit phrases such as above the boat and behind the boat in an interactive environment. (Print word list) (Download Flash Player)

Birds (learn the Tlingit words for birds common to Southeast Alaska in an interactive environment) (Print word list) (Download Flash Player)

Classroom (learn the Tlingit words for things you would find in a classroom in an interactive environment) (Print word list) (Download Flash Player)

Ocean Animals (learn the Tlingit words for Southeast Alaska critters in an interactive environment) (Print word list) (Download Flash Player)

Critters (learn the Tlingit words for Southeast Alaska critters in an interactive environment) (Print word list) (Download Flash Player)

Héen Táak (learn the Tlingit words for salmon and other marine life in an interactive environment)

Tlingit Alphabet (see the Tlingit alphabet and hear the sounds)

Tlingit Alphabet (see the Tlingit alphabet and hear the sounds (geared toward younger children). This is also available on flash cards and audio CD.

Tlingit Alphabet (see the Tlingit alphabet and hear the sounds)

Tlingit Alphabet (print this pdf version for use as playing cards)

Tlingit Alphabet (print this pdf version for use in language classes)

Tlingit Dog Commands

Alaskan Haida words for cultural and ethnographic objects (useful for museums when labeling objects)

Tlingit Phrase of the Week (see and hear Tlingit phrases)

Tlingit Valentine Phrases
(updated in 2011) (Thanks to Roby Littlefield and the work of many students and speakers over a period of six years)

Tlingit Valentine Phrases (learn Tlingit terms of endearment)

MORE Tlingit Valentine Phrases (learn Tlingit terms of endearment) (thanks to Roby Littlefield for this resource)

Tlingit Prayer

aShort Version (text)
aLong Version (text)

Beach Creatures Posters (learn Tlingit words for common beach creatures)

Numbers Poster (see how numbers are spelled in Tlingit)

Number Cards (build numbers and play fun number games)

Basic Colors Poster

Complex Colors Poster

Card Games (some assembly required)
	aCrazy Questions aGo Fish (Berry Cards) aWord Rummy

Christmas Phrases

www.haidalanguage.org (SHI website)

Other useful links:

Introduction to Tlingit sounds (Alaska Native Languages Program, UAS)
The Story of the Town Bear and the Forest Bear (audio book)
Online Tlingit Dictionary
Dum Baal dum (Tsimshian Language)
Juneau Tlingit Geography
Weekly Tlingit Language Lesson (5-minute weekly lessons by Marsha Hotch. Produced by KHNS-FM and archived on the web).
"Phrases of the Week" from Raven Radio website in Sitka, Alaska
Anash Interactive (interactive Tlingit games, comics and videos on the adventures of the character Anash)

Coming soon:

Online, bilingual dictionaries for Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian (Sealaska Heritage Institute is sponsoring the project through a $175,000 grant from the Administration for Native Americans (ANA) sought on behalf of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian languages and cultures The project is seventy-eight percent federally funded and twenty-two percent is funded through non-governmental sources.