Indigenous Language and Literacy Education (Cert.) (30 credits)
Offered by: Faculty of Education
Program credit weight: 30 credits
Program Description
This 30-credit program is designed for Algonquin, Cree, Inuit, Mi'kmaq, and Kanienkehaka (Mohawk) students who wish to gain a deeper understanding of their Indigenous language, especially in its written form. It is aimed mainly at those who will be teaching their Indigenous language.
This certificate may be taken concurrently and completed within the Bachelor of Education for Certified Teachers program if the requirements for B.Ed. are fulfilled.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (6 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEC 342 | Intermediate Indigenous Language. | 3 |
Intermediate Indigenous Language. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of Indigenous language phonology and structure, emphasizing the connection between the two, demonstrating the orderliness of many dialectic differences. | ||
| EDEC 344 | Advanced Indigenous Language. | 3 |
Advanced Indigenous Language. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The final course in a set dealing with Indigenous phonology and structure. An understanding of basic Indigenous syntax in particular, rules governing verb and possessive endings. | ||
Complementary Courses (18 credits)
18 credits selected as described below.
Language Courses
6 credits from the following language courses (or other courses as approved by the Director of Programs in First Nations and Inuit Education) including a beginning course (3 credits) in the Indigenous language as a first language (e.g., EDEC 241 Cree Language 1.) and a second-level course (3 credits) in the same language (e.g., EDEC 242 Cree Language 2.).
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEC 227 | Naskapi Language 1. | 3 |
Naskapi Language 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The phonological system, including syntax and morphology. Word generation conventions will be analyzed and labels will be developed to describe how the language functions. | ||
| EDEC 228 | Naskapi Language 2. | 3 |
Naskapi Language 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The morphology and syntax analysis of Naskapi at a more advanced level, including the study of word generation conventions. Importance will be placed on developing reading and writing skills. | ||
| EDEC 239 | Mi'gmaw Language 1. | 3 |
Mi'gmaw Language 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the study of the phonological system of Mi'gmaw for the purpose of literacy skills development. Explores Mi'gmaw syntax and morphology, word generation conventions, and Mi'gmaw labeling in order to develop understanding of the functioning of the Mi'gmaw language. | ||
| EDEC 240 | Mi'gmaw Language 2. | 3 |
Mi'gmaw Language 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students will continue their syntactical and morphological analysis of Mi'gmaw and further develop their reading and writing skills. Features of Mi'gmaw that are difficult for language learners will be highlighted and implications for classroom practice discussed. | ||
| EDEC 241 | Cree Language 1. | 3 |
Cree Language 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students will learn their own phonology and see how the phonological system is reflected in dialects. They will learn the spelling rules and develop their literacy skills in syllabics. Finally, they will derive Cree grammatical terms and begin to study Cree morphology and syntax. | ||
| EDEC 242 | Cree Language 2. | 3 |
Cree Language 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students will study the morphology and syntax analysis of Cree at a more advanced level and begin the study of word generation conventions. In addition, features of Cree that are difficult in first language acquisition will be highlighted and implications for classroom practice discussed. | ||
| EDEC 272 | Algonquin Language 1. | 3 |
Algonquin Language 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students will learn the Algonquin phonological system. They will focus on animate/inanimate and inflections for agreement, aspect, tense and number. They will analyze word generation conventions and derive Algonquin labels to describe how Algonquin operates. | ||
| EDEC 273 | Algonquin Language 2. | 3 |
Algonquin Language 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Continues earlier study of the Algonquin language with a focus on complex tenses, complex sentence structures (e.g., conditionals, subordination, embedded structure), and nominalizing verbs and verbalizing nouns. Objective is to develop reading and writing skills. | ||
| EDEC 277 | Mohawk Language 1. | 3 |
Mohawk Language 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students will learn the Mohawk phonological system (including glottal stop, length mark, up and down stress). Syntactically and morphologically, they will focus on the pronoun system (tense included). Word generation conventions will be analyzed and Mohawk labels developed to describe how the language functions. | ||
| EDEC 278 | Mohawk Language 2. | 3 |
Mohawk Language 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Continues earlier study of the predictable items in the Mohawk language and introduces an examination of non-predictable items: irregular verbs, reflexive and semi-reflexive verbs, purposive stem, translocative, etc. Objective is to develop reading and writing skills. | ||
| EDEC 289 | Inuktitut Orthography and Grammar. | 3 |
Inuktitut Orthography and Grammar. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Structure and morphology of Inuktitut for teachers working in that language. Use of orthography, both qaliujaaqpait (Roman script) and qaniujaaqpait (syllabics) as established by the Inuit Cultural Association. | ||
Education Courses
12 credits from the list below:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDEA 242 | Cultural Skills 1. | 3 |
Cultural Skills 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Development of Indigenous skills and knowledge in art, music, handicrafts and other areas both modern and traditional. Topics will vary and be chosen from a range identified by instructors and students. | ||
| EDEC 220 | Curriculum Development. | 3 |
Curriculum Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course, introducing Aboriginal educators to the principles and processes of curriculum development, emphasizes the impact of language and culture on the development of materials. Features of the process of curriculum and materials design, which are strategically important in meeting the needs of Aboriginal students, are highlighted. | ||
| EDEC 403 | The Dialects of Inuktitut. | 3 |
The Dialects of Inuktitut. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of the main Eskimo-Aleut dialects from Siberia to Greenland, looking at the effect of Inuit migrations across the Arctic on the development of dialectical differences. The main phonological, grammatical and lexical differences between the dialects and the patterns underlying these differences will be examined. | ||
| EDEE 223 | Language Arts. | 3 |
Language Arts. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Different approaches to language arts education in the contexts of kindergarten and elementary classrooms will be investigated. Explores current research and theories related to language and literacy development, learning and teaching. Opportunities for cultivating techniques for aligning language arts pedagogy, curriculum, instruction and assessment will be provided. | ||
| EDEE 240 | Use and Adaptation of Curricula. | 3 |
Use and Adaptation of Curricula. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Provincial or Nunavut curricula as a basis for planning, materials production and evaluation. Methods of adapting curricula to local needs and of developing local courses of study in First Nations and Inuit community schools. | ||
| EDEE 243 | Reading Methods in Inuktitut/Cree. | 3 |
Reading Methods in Inuktitut/Cree. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Overview of reading theories and their application to Inuktitut/Cree; processes used by proficient readers. Methods of teaching reading. | ||
| EDEE 248 | Reading and Writing Inuktitut/Cree. | 3 |
Reading and Writing Inuktitut/Cree. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Methods of teaching syllabic reading and writing. Understanding the principles of sight word reading instruction, child observation, material development and guided instruction. | ||
| EDEE 345 | Literature and Creative Writing 1. | 3 |
Literature and Creative Writing 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the development of oral and written poetry and prose in the various dialects of Inuktitut or of another Aboriginal Language from pre-European contact to the present day. Emphasis on themes and structures in contemporary writings. Original production of poetry, narrative, drama and journalism in the selected language is required of each student. | ||
| EDEE 346 | Literature and Creative Writing 2. | 3 |
Literature and Creative Writing 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A continuation of course EDEE 345. | ||
| EDEE 347 | Grammar and Composition 1. | 3 |
Grammar and Composition 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Reading and writing of an Indigenous language which includes using a computer. Focus is on nouns, verbs, prefixes, suffixes, along with specific Indigenous lexicon. | ||
| EDEE 348 | Grammar and Composition 2. | 3 |
Grammar and Composition 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Reading and writing of an Indigenous language. Intermediate and advanced aspects of grammar of the Indigenous language. Continuation of language development. | ||
| EDEE 373 | Traditional Healing. | 3 |
Traditional Healing. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Indigenous traditional healing and its cultural value. The origins of Indigenous traditional medicines will be explored through elders' knowledge and stories. | ||
| EDEE 383 | Oral and Family History. | 3 |
Oral and Family History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Oral and family history techniques, emphasising kinship terms and the importance of kinship values to Indigenous Cultures. | ||
| EDES 365 | Experiences in Communications. | 3 |
Experiences in Communications. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Personal development of students as communicators; involvement of the imagination in individual and group projects in language and in another chosen medium of communication: analysis of experiences in projects in relation to general problems of communication. | ||
| EDPE 304 | Measurement and Evaluation. | 3 |
Measurement and Evaluation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The purposes of examinations. Causes of complaints about examinations. Equalizing means and dispersions in distribution of marks. Standardized scores. The percentile system. Essay and objective-type examinations. Taxonomies of educational objectives. Validity and reliability: item analysis. | ||
Electives (6 credits)
6 credits of suitable courses approved by the Director of Programs in First Nations and Inuit Education.