About NILLA
Cultivating a Community
The NEȾOLṈEW̱ Indigenous Language Learning Atlas (NILLA) is an online, interactive portal developed to share and learn about others’ ‘promising language learning strategies’. It’s a virtual space for Indigenous communities, advocates, researchers, and allies to engage and exchange knowledge.
While virtual spaces cannot replace face-to-face meeting and visiting, the NILLA portal expands the Indigenous Language Revitalization (ILR) spirit of connecting, exchanging, and engaging—to the virtual realm. It is meant to provide space for connection between conference and language gathering opportunities, which come with time cost or expense of travel.
Our Core Aim
Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization & Maintenance
Knowledge Sharing
Through NILLA, Indigenous communities, organizations, and individuals can share and find helpful language program and strategies information.
Community & Connection
NILLA supports Indigenous communities to connect with others doing similar or work that communities aspire toward.
Going Virtual
We believe that NILLA can support Indigenous language speaker creation through the creation of a virtual space for practitioners to share successes virtually and at other times in person, once connections have been made.
Trusted and Stable
Knowledge Sharing through NILLA
Colonial exploitation and appropriation of Indigenous-knowledge and resources have resulted in justifiable hesitancy from Indigenous communities to share knowledge freely and openly.
The NILLA project provides leadership in developing reliable mechanisms to ensure a stable digital platform for resources and information shared, in addition to trusted policies and processes for community ownership over their data. NILLA includes only information provided on a voluntary basis.
A Tool Toward Connection
NILLA cannot replace ‘real life’ connections
NILLA cannot replace direct relationship building and personal connections within the ILR movement.
Keep in mind this is a ‘tool toward connection’ and the two can and should exist side by side.
