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• Exploration of existing curricular programs and teaching materials
• Discussion of multi-campus teaching models
• Strategies for hybrid and shared-course modalities
• Approaches to expanding access so students at multiple institutions can enroll in Indigenous language courses offered by a single host institution

Melvatha R. Chee, University of New Mexico: Administrative Considerations for Diné Language Curriculum Development at the University of New Mexico

Developing a curriculum for Diné language instruction at the University of New Mexico *UNM) is challenging and a much larger task than originally anticipated. This talk will discuss the challenges we deal with and how we have decided to address them. For the first time, we can advance Diné language instruction at UNM where our course design addresses Diné language instruction for post-secondary education. To achieve our goal of high-quality, post-secondary language instruction with an emphasis on oral expression and comprehension of cultural knowledge, a team unified in all aspects of this work is necessary.

Lorraine Begay Manavi, University of New Mexico: Reclaiming Our Language, One Verb at a Time: Navajo Curriculum Development at UNM

Abstract: Traditional approaches to teaching Diné Bizaad have often emphasized memorization of isolated vocabulary, particularly nouns. At the University of New Mexico, a team of Diné scholars has reimagined Navajo language instruction through a verb-centered curriculum that reflects the structure and worldview of the language itself. This curriculum scaffolds learning from beginning to advanced levels by centering verbs and their modes, emphasizing functional high- and low-frequency constructions in context to support meaningful communication and long-term speaker development.

1:00 pm Afternoon Session #1

Ambrocio Gutierrez Lorenzo, Raichle Farrelly, University of Colorado: and Angélica Morales-Santiago, Mixtec, Oaxaca, Mexico: New perspectives for teaching Indigenous languages in Mexico: the case of Mixtec and Zapotec

This panel will discuss the teaching of Mixtec and Zapotec (Otomanguean languages) with heritage and non-heritage speakers. We will focus on the experience on informal class sessions and a global seminar experience to highlight the need of a curriculum that incorporates grammar, culture, and contextual activities. We also argue that material design and development to support educators and learners in and outside the classroom are key to this curriculum so these tasks must be addressed at every curriculum design stage to appropriately complement the learning process.

2:30 pm Afternoon Session #2

Teaching Quechua and Guaraní in Higher Education, Communities and Across Borders

Panelist:

Marcia Mandepora Chundary, Guaraní, Universidad Autónoma Gabriel René Moreno in Bolivia

Mary Loayza Puga, Quechua, Comunidad Rimanakuy and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Doris Loayza, Quechua, University of Colorado

This panel explores how Quechua and Guaraní are taught across different regions and educational settings: from public universities in Bolivia, to private and community-based programs in Peru, and university and diaspora communities in the United States. Drawing on their teaching experiences, the presenters discuss how different learners bring distinct needs and motivations, and how they've adapted their teaching methodologies and materials in response. National policies can also shape these differences—for example, Indigenous languages fulfill university language requirements in Bolivia, whereas in Peru, they do not. Across these contexts, however, instructors face shared challenges, including limited materials and uneven institutional support. The panelists will discuss how they have navigated some of these challenges.