Alumni
Remembering Recent Ceremonies
- To view the program book for a convocation ceremony (which lists the names of all graduates), see the Program Book Archive.
2026 Graduates
Family of four celebrates their graduation from 911吃瓜 Indigenous Languages Program
June 16, 2026. 鈥淲e are incredibly proud of what can be achieved through family support, commitment, and working toward goals together. This certificate program became a true family success story for us. Together, my husband, our two teenage daughters and I all worked hard and successfully completed the certificate as a family. Our daughters began the program at ages 14 and 17, completing it at 15 and 18.鈥�
Committing to Indigenous language revitalization: Qwuy鈥檜m鈥檃at Elliott shares her story
June 15, 2026. 鈥淢y name is Qwuy鈥檜m鈥檃at (Eyvette) Elliott. I am a proud member of the Cowichan Tribes. I am graduating with a Certificate in Indigenous Language Proficiency, focusing on Hul鈥檘鈥檜mi鈥檔um. I felt a strong pull to deepen my connection to learn my language for myself, my children, my family and the generations that come after us.鈥�
2025 Graduates
Kaitlyn Cunningham awarded the Lieutenant Governor鈥檚 Medal for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation
June 11, 2025. Since she was five years old, Kaitlyn Cunningham has been learning h蓹n虛q虛蓹min虛蓹m虛, one of the three dialects of the Halkomelem language. When Cunningham turned 17, she began volunteering to teach h蓹n虛q虛蓹min虛蓹m虛 to youth in the community alongside her sister Leah Meunier. A significant component of Cunningham鈥檚 language revitalization efforts is the founding of the (XWCS), founded in 2022. In recognition of her lifelong dedication to Indigenous language revitalization, Cunningham is being awarded the Lieutenant Governor鈥檚 Medal.
Jas岣祑aan Bedard: In her own words
Dr. Bedard defended her PhD thesis on April 3rd, 2025. On June 12th, her doctoral degree was conferred at the convocation ceremony. 鈥淚 have aligned my PhD research with the many roles I have filled in my community to strengthen our dialect of X瘫aad Kil, the Old Massett dialect of the Haida language. My research uses a Haida Research Framework based on Haida Laws and protocols to guide a pathway for X瘫aad Kil immersion. My work has allowed me to apply my research in how to best serve our community language needs in real time.鈥�
2024 Graduates
Lauren Schneider joins INLP faculty
Dr. Lauren Schneider graduated from 911吃瓜 with a PhD at the October 2024 convocation ceremony. Lauren's work focuses on research in 贬耻濒鈥檘鈥檜尘颈鈥档耻尘鈥�, including description, analysis, and reclamation. Her thesis is titled . Lauren is joining the Indigenous Languages Program as an Assistant Professor in Fall 2025.
2023 Graduates
Lifelong Indigenous language advocate dedicates degree to Tlingit heritage
As 79-year-old K猫yish铆 Bessie Cooley presented her master's degree thesis project at the Yukon Native Language Centre in Whitehorse鈥攊nterweaving English and Tlingit as she spoke鈥攊t marked another milestone in what is already an extraordinarily accomplished life.
Read the story: K猫yish铆 Bessie Cooley, 2023 Master's graduate
2022 Graduates
"Conversational Shm藞algyack (Sm鈥檃lgyax) Audio Glossary"
BA - Danielle Ignace, Minor in Indigenous Languages; Sociology; and Certificate in Indigenous Language Proficiency
2021 Graduates
- Donna M. Modeste is the first recipient of the new Minor in Indigenous Languages in her BA degree.
"Xu鈥檃thun stl鈥檘鈥檈en鈥�: Hwulmuhw perspectives on art and language"
"tsetsul'ulhtun' mustimuhw: Hul'q'umi'num' stories from our fishing life"
"Suwsiw: Hul'q'umi'num' stories of land and sea"
"Connecting generations through hwulmuhwqun stories"
BA - Donna M. Modeste
Double Minor in Indigenous Languages and Extended Minor in Linguistics (Spring 2021)
2020 Graduates
"Angry Raven and friends: Three new stories for Hul'q'umi'num' language learners."
(August 26, 2020)
"xu鈥檃thun stl鈥檘鈥檈en鈥�: hwulmuhw perspectives on art and language"
(August 20, 2020)
"lhwet 鈥檃鈥檒u kw鈥檜 xwi鈥檈m鈥�? hwi鈥� 鈥檈en鈥檛hu tse鈥�!: How I learned to tell and perform a 贬耻濒鈥檘鈥檜尘颈鈥档耻尘鈥� story"
"How What Was Said Was Said: Quotation in 贬耻濒鈥檘鈥檜尘颈鈥档耻尘鈥� Narrative Performance"
BA - Julienne Ignace
Major in Linguistics, Diploma in Linguistics, and Diploma in Indigenous Languages (Secwepemctsin Language Cohort)
2019 Graduates
Elder Ruby Peter, 2019 Honorary Doctorate
Coast Salish Elder and linguist Ruby Peter given 911吃瓜 honorary degree: Read the article.
"ni鈥� q鈥檜shintul鈥� 鈥檜 tunu shhw鈥檃lukw鈥檃鈥� | Traveling with my family: Growing and learning in the 贬耻濒鈥檘鈥檜尘颈鈥档耻尘鈥� language"
"Wind from the North: 贬耻濒鈥檘鈥檜尘颈鈥档耻尘鈥� speakers in Saanich."