Allan Hayton, Doyon Foundation’s language revitalization program director, had the honor of speaking at the invitation-only TEDxFairbanks 2016, which took place in Fairbanks in February. The video of his presentation is now available online – watch it here!
“Despite years of experience in front of audiences as an actor and storyteller, this TEDx talk was an intimidating and nerve-wracking challenge. I am grateful for the supportive and encouraging circle of friends in the Morris Thompson Cultural Center that day,” Hayton said.
TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks. In his talk, titled Intimate Space: Athabascan Language, Land, Culture, Hayton discussed how the Athabascan languages of Alaska have developed over centuries in intimate conversation with the natural world.
“Most of all I wanted to convey the story of our ancestral languages, and hopefully inspire others to become involved in learning and teaching them,” Hayton said.
For more information on Doyon Foundation and the language revitalization program, visit www.doyonfoundation.com. Find the video of Hayton’s TEDx talk on YouTube.