Our Native language Mentor-Apprentice Program is immersion based, and one of the most important practices is to avoid speaking in English. To help our mentor-apprentice teams be successful, we provided immersion phrases to help them “stay in the language.” In our August Native Word of the Month, we share an example immersion phrase in each of the 10 Native languages of the Doyon region. You can find more immersion phrases in our MAP Handbook, available to all interested language learners on our website, doyonfoundation.com/map.
BENHTI KOKHWT’ANA KENAGA’ (LOWER TANANA)
Ndats’e kheyuzriyi?
What do they call it (Lower Tanana)?
DEG XINAG
Go ndadz vi’ezre’?
What’s the name of this?
DENAAKK’E (KOYUKON)
Nedaats’e heyoozee gonee?
What do they call it?
DINAK’I (UPPER KUSKOKWIM)
Nidots’o hiyuzre heye’e Dinak’i?
What do they call this in Dinak’i?
DINJII ZHUH K’YAA (GWICH’IN)
Nats’aa giiyuuzhrii?
What do they call this?
HÄN
Ji jì jìnch’e?
What is this?
DOOGH QINAG (HOLIKACHUK)
Dant’anh?
What are you doing?
IÑUPIAQ
Sumik una taiñiqaqpa?
What is this called?
DIHTHAAD XT’EEN IIN AANDĚEG’ (TANACROSS)
Jâan díi ch’énteey?
What is this?
NEE’AANÈEGN’ (UPPER TANANA)
Jin dìi ǹt’ay?
What is this?
For more Native words, view our archives on the Foundation website. Or learn more about our new Mentor-Apprentice Program and access resources at doyonfoundation.com/map.