Endangered Language Fund

08/19/2026

The Endangered Language Fund supports the revitalization of Native languages in Indigenous communities globally. Below is a link to a talk about the lifespan of languages by ELF's former Secretary Claire Bowern, (Yale University) and Jessie Little Doe Baird (Wapanaak). Language growth and decline across long time spans is the general topic, with additional discussion of revival of the Wapanaak language from historical sources, which most felt to be impossible. Native language programs are helping "dormant" languages and their communities thrive throughout the US, Australia and elsewhere.

First up, MIT economist Jon Gruber on economic incentives to get people out of cars and onto public transportation.Then, we’re welcoming back Gal Tziperman Lotan, who’s got Four Things to Know for August 11th. Lastly, Yale Linguist Claire Bowern joins with Wampanoag Linguist Jessie Little Doe Ba...

08/17/2026

The Endangered Language Fund is happy to announce that applications are now open for the 2026 Native Voices Endowment. Please visit our website to learn more about applying. 🌍 🪴

08/03/2026

This is a super fascinating article by Claire Bowern, a member of the Endangered Language Fund's Board of Directors, and her colleagues. It's a powerful reminder of why documenting, supporting, and revitalizing the world's languages matters. 🌍

A new study coauthored by Yale linguist Claire Bowern suggests that tens of thousands of languages were spoken between 1,000 and 3,000 years ago.

07/13/2026

Congratulations to the recipients of ELF's CoLang 2026 Scholarships!

These scholarships support attendance at the Institute on Collaborative Language Research (CoLang), helping strengthen the next generation of language documentation, revitalization, and community-based language work.

🌿 Evelyn Thomas is a Chickasaw citizen, Chickasaw language carrier, educator, and software specialist who teaches Chikashanompaꞌ online and throughout the Chickasaw Treaty Territory. She also develops software solutions for language archives, bringing together technology and language revitalization to support her community.

🌿 Margaret Rivers Fegan (Choctaw-Apache of Ebarb) promotes Indigenous language use across Texas and Louisiana through community programming and cultural restoration. Her work with the Ho Minti Society's Yama/Mobilian restoration efforts is rooted in strengthening language, culture, and intertribal relationships.

🌿 Jefferson Saransig is a Kichwa speaker from Otavalo, Ecuador, and a graduate student at The University of Texas at Austin. His research documents and supports the revitalization of Imbabura Kichwa while empowering Kichwa speakers to become documentarians of their own communities.

Congratulations to Evelyn, Margaret, and Jefferson! We are honored to support your participation in CoLang 2026 and look forward to seeing the impact your work will continue to have on Indigenous language communities around the world.

You can help us continue this work by supporting ELF as we celebrate 30 years!
www.secure.qgiv.com/for/endangeredlanguagefundinc/

05/07/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Language Rights, Health and Resilience: Global Partnerships Advancing Indigenous Well-Being and helped make the conversation so meaningful. We were honored to see such a wonderful turnout and to share space with so many passionate advocates, scholars, community leaders, and supporters of Indigenous languages.

As the Endangered Language Fund celebrates 30 years of supporting language revitalization efforts around the world, gatherings like this remind us why this work matters so deeply. Your support, engagement, and continued commitment help keep endangered languages alive for future generations. 💚

A huge thank you to our collaborators and everyone who stopped by, listened, connected, and supported ELF during this special event.

If you’d like to continue supporting our mission, you can donate here: https://donate.forgood.org/donation/06-1459207

Here’s to 30 years of advocacy, partnership, and language revitalization, we are looking forward to the work still ahead. 📚

04/16/2026

We’re proud to be part of two official UNPFII 2026 side events this April ✨
📍 April 21 — CUNY Graduate Center
📍 April 24 — UN Headquarters
for Language Rights, Health and Resilience: Global Partnerships Advancing Indigenous Well-Being.
As we celebrate 30 years of the Endangered Language Fund, we’re honored to come together to explore how language revitalization supports cultural continuity, identity, and community health, and how we can continue building partnerships that uplift this work worldwide 🌍

04/08/2026

We’re proud to be part of two official UNPFII 2026 side events this April ✨

📍 April 21 — CUNY Graduate Center
📍 April 24 — UN Headquarters

for Language Rights, Health and Resilience: Global Partnerships Advancing Indigenous Well-Being.

As we celebrate 30 years of the Endangered Language Fund, we’re honored to come together to explore how language revitalization supports cultural continuity, identity, and community health, and how we can continue building partnerships that uplift this work worldwide 🌍