Native Languages Center

LANGUAGE PROGRAMS ›

Aaniiih Nakoda College

Fort Belknap Reservation, Harlem, MT
ancollege.edu ➚

Languages

Aaniih (Gros Ventre), Nakoda (Assiniboine)

Academic Programs

AA in American Indian Studies
AA in Aaniiih & Nakoda Language

Language in the Community

Aaniiih Nakoda College is home to the White Clay Immersion School. White Clay was founded in 2003 and is a K-8 Aaniiih immersion school. The school collaborates with college departments and provides a foundational, culturally-based education. The White Clay school also now teaches Nakoda language

Languages

The Gros Ventre language, A'ananin or Aaniiih (also termed Atsina) is part of the Algonquian language family. It was historically spoken across the northern Great Plains and into southern areas of what is now Canada. Today, it is primarily spoken on the Fort Belknap Reservation by A'aninin (White Clay people).

Nakoda (Assiniboine) is a Siouan language spoken in Montana and Saskatchewan (Canada). As a Western Siouan language closely related to Dakota/Lakota, it is often called an N-dialect (Nakoda/Nakona).

Teaching Requirements in Montana

To teach Native languages in Montana, a Montana Class 7 American Indian Language and Culture Specialist Licensure ➚ is required. Verification by the authorized representative of a tribal government that an applicant has met the tribal standards for competency and fluency is a requisite for applying for Class 7 certification.

Explore More Language Programs

The map below shows the locations of the 37 TCUs across the country. To learn more about each TCU and the language programs offered within those institutions, hover over each pin on the map.

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