Sealaska Heritage Institute has posted its Dictionary of Shm'algyack (Tsimshian) online free of charge. (Courtesy Sealaska Heritage Institute)

In an effort to make Native language resources as accessible as possible, Sealaska Heritage Institute has posted its Dictionary of Shm'algyack (Tsimshian) online free of charge. SHI especially wants these resources available to those students who are helping to revitalize the language and speaking it on the land.

The Dictionary of Shm'algyack can be found on Sealaska Heritage Institute's language resources page. The dictionary was compiled by Donna May Roberts with assistance from the Elders of Metlakatla, Alaska. "Sealaska Heritage Institute's Dictionary of Shmalgyack is the product of years of documentation of the Tsimshian language with assistance from fluent Elders," says the language resources page. "It's a must-have resource for language learners and for people who are interested in learning more about the Tlingit culture." The version available for free online is a searchable pdf.

Sealaska Heritage Institute encourages all Native language learners to make use of the free education tools available on the language resources page. The Dictionary of Shm'algyack joins other resources including a Tlingit and Haida dictionaries, a Haida phrasebook, verb databases, as well as audio links to clan name pronunciations and a long list of interactive tools and apps.

Also available on the language resources page are links to Native language curricula for instruction of Southeast Alaskan Native languages. Teachers are encouraged to download and use them in class. Even more curricula resources can be found on the education resources page.

Sealaska Heritage Institute, who provided the information in this article, is a private, nonprofit founded in 1980 to promote cultural diversity and cross-cultural understanding through public services and events. Sealaska Heritage Institute is governed by a Board of Trustees and guided by a Council of Traditional Scholars and a Native Artists Committee. SHI's mission is to perpetuate and enhance Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian cultures of Southeast Alaska.