Our traditions and our language are what make the Kalispel people who we are today. The language ties us to the land, our relations, and our past.
At the beginning of the millennium, with only a handful of Tribal elders who could speak fluent Salish, we were in danger of losing our native language. In response, we have developed the Kalispel Language Program in an effort to reclaim and preserve our Salish Language, as well as create a new generation of native language speakers.
Over the last several years, we have continued to strengthen and expand the program, and we are beginning to see our efforts pay off. Before, Salish was only spoken at cultural events, such as funerals, wakes, memorials, and gatherings, and it was only spoken by our elders. Now, you can hear it everywhere throughout the community. Through our Language efforts, a new generation of Salish speakers has given life to a part of our culture that was once in danger of extinction. We are doing our best to speak our language and teach every day.
Throughout this path, we have made many friends and partners to help us along the way. With the help from Chris Parkin and the Salish School of Spokane, we have created a 3-level language acquisition path that is designed to take a person from “no-salish” to “pretty darn good” in 18 months. We are currently working on a new “Level 4” as we speak. We also have a few language Apps available to supplement classroom instruction. Please visit the APPstore or GOOGLEplay to check them out.
| Name | Position | Email Address | Phone Number |
| JR Bluff | Language Director | jrbluff@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-7294 |
| Jessie Isadore | Asst. Director | jisadore@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-728 |
| Stan Bluff | Salish Language Advisor | sbluff@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-720 |
| Johnny Arlee | Salish Language Advisor | johnnyarlee@gmail.com | (509) 447-7280 |
| Vickie Leach | K-1 Immersion School Teacher | vleach@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-747 |
| Mia Scott | Immersion School Teacher | mscott@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-7286 |
| Todd Ellingburg | Immersion School Administrator/Teacher | tellingburg@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-7461 |
| Alisha Athos | K-1 Immersion School Teacher | aathos@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-7445 |
| Paul Renaud | JH/HS Immersion School Teacher | prenaud@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-7121 |
| Dave Browneagle | JH/HS Immersion Language Teacher | dbrowneagle3@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-7487 |
| Jamie Samuels | JH/HS Immersion School Teacher | jsamuels@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-7462 |
| Melinda McCormick | Curriculum Expert | mmccormick@kalispeltribe.com | (509) 447-7134 |
| Dakota Littlecrow | Immersion School Teacher | dlittlecrow@kalispeltribe.com |
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Our traditions and our language are what make the Kalispel people who we are today. The language ties us to the land, our relations, and our past.
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