Doyon Foundation is proud to announce the release of new Upper Kuskokwim Dinak’i language lessons, authored by Steven Nikolai, Sr., and now available through the Doyon Languages Online app.

About the Author

Steven Nikolai, Sr. was born in Nikolai, Alaska, to the late Miska and Barbara Nikolai. After losing his father at a young age, Steven was raised by his mother, who spoke only Dinak’i. Through her, Steven learned to speak and write the Upper Kuskokwim Dinak’i language fluently. His lifelong dedication to preserving his ancestral language continues through this new online resource.

About the Course

These online lessons are the result of a partnership between Doyon Foundation, Transparent Language, and the non-profit 7000 Languages. Adapted from a template developed by the Yukon Native Language Centre (YNLC) in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada, the lessons are presented in a seasonal activity format—from September through June—while allowing learners the flexibility to explore topics in any order.

Steven’s family shares that they “hope these lessons will be enjoyed by all those interested in learning to speak and understand the ancestral language of the Dinak’i people.”

Acknowledgements

Doyon Foundation extends special thanks to Theresa Hanson, the Alaska Native Language Center, and the Yukon Native Language Centre for their invaluable support, as well as to our Elders, past and present, for teaching and sustaining the Dinak’i language and culture.

This project is supported by the U.S. Department of Education, Alaska Native Educational Program (Award #S356A220042), with additional thanks to Transparent Language, 7000 Languages, and Doyon, Limited.