Beginner learners of Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì can now apply for a five-day on-the-land language immersion camp near Behchokǫ̀, Northwest Territories, with applications due by 5 p.m. on Friday, July 3, 2026.
The Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì On-The-Land Language Camp runs August 10 to 14 at the Russell Lake Spiritual Site, offering participants a chance to learn basic everyday Tłı̨chǫ while living on the land alongside Elders and community members. The program is organized by the Tłı̨chǫ Government’s Department of Culture and Lands Protection, Language Division, in partnership with Collège Nordique.
Organizers describe the camp as an immersion experience designed to promote intergenerational learning and healing, inspired by the nēhiyawak Language Experience Camp, a Cree-led land-based language program in Saskatchewan.
Tłı̨chǫ Yatıì, also known as the Dogrib language, remains strong among adults but is not being learned by all young people, making revitalization efforts urgent. This camp is part of broader language work by the Tłı̨chǫ Government, which recently outlined plans to develop a Tłı̨chǫ Language Act and Language Strategy as part of its 2026–2030 plan, Nàdàa gets’et’ nıhtł’è, or Looking Forward.
Interested applicants can send their completed forms to Elsie Mantla, Regional Language Programs Coordinator. For more information, they can also contact Jacynna Rabesca, Manager of Language Revitalization, or Tracey Smith, Behchokǫ̀ Community Language Coordinator.
