After more than a year of being unable to meet in person, Doyon Foundation hosted an ANEP Language Gathering in Tok in early June 2021.
The goal of the three-day gathering was to record audio for use in Nee’aanèegn’ (Upper Tanana) and Dihthaad Xt’een Iin Aanděeg’ (Tanacross) courses being developed as part of the Foundation’s Doyon Languages Online project.
The majority of the necessary audio files were recorded during the recent gathering. As next steps, the Foundation will arrange to bring language teams to Fairbanks to finish out the audio recordings and begin video recordings.
We thank the language gathering participants, including Glen Demit, Cora Demit, Verna Hagen, Irene Arnold, Polly Hyslop and Chance Shank, as well as volunteer Annastasia Johnson, for sharing their time and knowledge.
Once completed, the Nee’aanèegn’ (Upper Tanana) and Dihthaad Xt’een Iin Aanděeg’ (Tanacross) courses will join the currently available Doyon Languages Online courses in Benhti Kokhut’ana Kenaga’ (Lower Tanana), Denaakk’e (Koyukon), Dinjii Zhuh K’yaa (Gwich’in) and Holikachuk, as well as a special Hän course based on the work of the late Isaac Juneby. Additional courses in Hän, Deg Xinag and Denak’i (Upper Kuskokwim) are also in development.
Doyon Languages Online courses are available for free to all interested learners who want to learn the endangered languages of the Doyon region. Learn more at www.doyonfoundation.com/dlo.