Collaborative Partnerships With Indigenous Communities to Support Language and Culture Revitalization

By Hannah Haynes and Vitaliy Shyyan

Educators across the country are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustaining Indigenous languages and honoring the cultural knowledge systems embedded within them. In partnership with tribes, schools and community organizations, WIDA continues to support locally-led initiatives that uplift Indigenous priorities, sovereignty and ways of knowing. These collaborations reflect a long-term commitment to relationship building, cultural humility and reciprocal learning.

Indigenous communities are designing educational programs and assessments that reflect their own linguistic, cultural and pedagogical practices. WIDA’s role in this work is collaborative, helping document validity, co-develop tools and connect partners while keeping Indigenous leadership and ownership at the forefront.

Yugtun Assessment Grows From Yup’ik Expertise in Central Alaska

In the Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD), Yup’ik tribal partners and local educators have created the Yugtun Piciryaranek Qaneryaranek-llu Cuqyun (YPQC), a K-12 Yugtun language assessment grounded in Yup’ik worldview, culture and nonverbal communication.

The YPQC is entirely Yup’ik-designed. Subtests focus on elements such as cultural awareness and Yup’ik worldview, emphasizing the deep cultural knowledge intertwined with language.

The assessment is now used throughout LKSD to inform curriculum, instructional planning and language program decisions. WIDA’s involvement has centered on collaborating during the development cycle for this culturally grounded, activity-based assessment and sharing insights that may support other Indigenous language initiatives — while ensuring Yup’ik partners guide all major decisions.

Lingít X̱’ax̱aa.áx̱ch (I Speak Lingít): Assessment Rooted in Oracy and Storytelling

In Southeast Alaska, the Lingít X̱’ax̱aa.áx̱ch assessment emerges from the Tlingit Culture, Language and Literacy (TCLL) program, a K-8 model in which each classroom includes a language teacher, a classroom teacher and an Elder. This structure ensures that learning is grounded in cultural protocols, community relationships and intergenerational teaching.

The assessment focuses on oral language in alignment with Tlingit storytelling traditions. Students respond to culturally meaningful illustrations that prompt extended, authentic speech, supported with scaffolds as needed.

Developed through cycles of local item creation, piloting and revision, the assessment is led by teachers, Elders and Sealaska Heritage Institute. WIDA staff participate as allies — offering support on blueprint design, level descriptors and documentation — while local leadership determines the assessment’s purpose, adaptations and future directions.

Co-designing Ethical Research Protocols

Through a project supported by the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) Mission Fund, WIDA researchers and Indigenous partners are co-developing a protocol to guide research and assessment projects that support Indigenous language and culture revitalization.

The protocol will

• Identify core principles that matter for Indigenous communities’ and advance their language and culture goals.
• Offer strategies for needs assessment, interest-holder engagement and ethical data use.
• Provide a phased approach that includes drafting, partner review, piloting in multiple communities and an efficacy evaluation plan to study how the protocol works in practice.

Once completed, this protocol will be a flexible tool for Indigenous partners and allies to design research work that honors cultural priorities, supports sovereignty and strengthens community-led revitalization.

A Shared Path Forward

Across all these initiatives, Indigenous leadership drives the vision, the work and the outcomes. WIDA’s role remains focused on learning, supporting and walking alongside partners as they advance their own language and culture goals.

For educators of multilingual learners, we hope these partnerships offer examples of how assessment, instruction and program design can be rooted in Indigenous community knowledge, cultural values and data sovereignty.