Outer Coast offers free, online Alaska Native language courses for learners from across Alaska and beyond.

Over the past four years, we have been inspired and humbled by the response to our Alaska Native Language Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Our teachers have included X̱’unei Lance Twitchell (Outer Coast faculty member and UAS Professor of Alaska Native Languages), Dag júus Rob Yates (X̱aad Kíl language scholar), Ggoadm ʼTeebn Victoria McKoy (UAS Language Pathways Scholar), Yeiltʼoochʼ Tláa Collyne Bunn, and Neilga Koogéi Taija Revels (Central Council of Tlingit and Haida), among many other contributors and guest speakers.

We are excited to continue supporting Southeast Alaska Native Language revitalization efforts this year with the return of three language courses: Lingít, Shm′algyack/Sm’algya̱x, and X̱aad Kíl.

The courses are free for all participants. Thank you to Sealaska Heritage Institute for co-hosting and sponsoring this program.


Lingít

Óoskʼi MOOC

The Little MOOC

Yeidikookʼáa (Dionne Brady-Howard), Yeiltʼoochʼ Tláa (Collyne Bunn), and Skeiwdusá (Matthew Spellberg) will be MCs for five nights of Lingít songs, activities, and exercises, with guest appearances by beloved Lingít teachers and tradition bearers. All levels are welcome, especially beginners and families. We will learn lots of language thatʼs good to use at home and good to use as the bounty of spring and summer return to Lingít Aaní.

Dates: Sunday-Thursday, February 16-20, 2025

Class Meetings: 6-8pm AKST

Meeting Location: Zoom

And if you’re excited for more, donʼt worry, weʼll be back for a longer MOOC with more conversation, verbs, activities and even some grammar this summer! Dates TBA. Stay tuned, and yee gu.aa yáx̱ xʼwán!


Shm′algyack/Sm’algya̱x

The 2024 Shm′algyack/Sm’algya̱x MOOC has concluded.


X̱aad Kíl

The 2024 X̱aad Kíl MOOC has concluded.

“My Lingít language has helped me feel stronger, increased and improved my health and well-being, kept me motivated, reduced feelings of loneliness and isolation, and is connected to our larger collective wellbeing. Radical joy. That’s what I felt seeing the couple hundred learners attend each class.”

Participant of the inaugural Tlingit MOOC 2020

Yeey aaní káx̱ g̱unéi x̱too.aat (May we walk on your land). Outer Coast is situated on Lingít Aaní, the ancestral home of the Tlingit peoples. We strive to build a community of safe, inclusive, and integrative learning for all. Learn more.