DR. HEATHER BLAIR

University of Alberta

Policy matters: The case of Indigenous Languages in Canada​

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Heather Blair is a Professor in Language and Literacy Education at the University of Alberta. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in language and literacy theory and pedagogy, second languages education, Indigenous languages revitalization, and Ethnographic research methodology. She is a cofounder of the Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) and the Young Indigenous Women’s Circle of Leadership (YIWCL). She has been on the Foundation of Endangered Languages of Canada Board and co-editor of the FEL newsletter for past five years. Dr. Blair has been actively involved in program planning and evaluation of Indigenous languages programs in western Canada and has written extensively about how policy informs practice.