SHI lecture to highlight Haida language and culture revitalization

Lisa Lang (Ka’illjuus), a longtime advocate for Haida language and cultural revitalization, will present her talk, “Dámaan St’áang Tl’ang Kínggang — Connecting Past, Present and Future" on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Sealaska Heritage Institute photo).

Sealaska Heritage Institute (SHI) will sponsor a presentation next week as part of its spring lecture series featuring prominent voices in Native knowledge, art, culture and language.

Lisa Lang (Ka’illjuus), a longtime advocate for Haida language and cultural revitalization, will present her talk, “Dámaan St’áang Tl’ang Kínggang — Connecting Past, Present and Future.”

The lecture will explore the work of the Xaadas Kíl Kuyaas Foundation (XKKF), which supports Haida language and cultural revitalization through a holistic, community-centered model. In response to the traumatic legacy of assimilation policies, XKKF emphasizes integration across disciplines and honors the strength of language speakers and culture holders who carry the language forward.

Lang will discuss the foundation’s wide-ranging efforts—from classes and curriculum development to immersion programs and micro-community initiatives like the Naanaa Club. She will also highlight new tools and technologies being used to strengthen the Haida language community and support cultural identity.

With over 30 years of leadership experience in Native organizations, federal Indian law, peacemaking and cultural and language preservation across Alaska, Lang’s work centers on community-led reclamation of Haida language and ceremony.

The lecture is scheduled for noon Monday, June 30, in Shuká Hít within the Walter Soboleff Building, 105 Heritage Way, in Juneau. The event will be livestreamed and posted on SHI’s YouTube channel.