Registration is now open

About This Gathering

Language is breath — alive, relational, and essential to our children’s futures.

Join us for our 10th Annual Native Language Symposium, Breath of the Ancestors: Reclaiming Our First Words, a two-day gathering centered on early childhood as a powerful and urgent site of Indigenous language and cultural reclamation.

“First Words” holds a double meaning: the earliest words our children speak, and the original languages of the lands we come from — languages that carry memory, worldview, and the living knowledge of our ancestors. When we return language to our youngest children, we return them to themselves.

This symposium brings together early childhood educators, families, language carriers, community leaders, artists, researchers, youth, and advocates from across Turtle Island to learn from one another, strengthen our collective practice, and recommit to this vital work together.

What to Expect

Over two days, you’ll participate in workshops, panels, and breakout sessions led by practitioners and communities doing this work on the ground. Sessions reflect the full range of Indigenous language reclamation in early childhood — from classroom immersion strategies and family engagement to intergenerational storytelling, land-based learning, and culturally grounded curriculum design.

Come ready to share, listen, and be in community.

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Call for Proposals

10th Annual Native Language Symposium-  Breath of the Ancestors: Reclaiming Our First Words

Empowering early childhood educators, families and communities through shared vision and cultural practice

Monday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Berna Facio Professional Development Center
Albuquerque, NM

The Indigenous Montessori Institute (IMI) and the Keres Children’s Learning Center (KCLC) warmly invites educators, language keepers, community leaders, artists, researchers, youth, and advocates to submit proposals for workshops, panels, and breakout sessions for our 10th Annual Native Language Symposium.

“Breath of the Ancestors: Reclaiming Our First Words” centers early childhood as a powerful and urgent site of Indigenous language and cultural reclamation. “First Words” speaks both to the earliest language development of our children and to the original languages of the lands we come from, languages that carry memory, worldview, and ancestral knowledge. This symposium invites early childhood educators, families, language carriers, and community leaders to share how they are reclaiming language through culturally grounded practice, intergenerational learning, and collective care. We welcome proposals that reflect the responsibility and immediacy of this work, honoring language as breath—alive, relational, and essential to our children’s futures.

What We’re Looking For

We welcome proposals that center practice, lived experience, and community-rooted knowledge. Presentations may be hands-on, discussion-based, story-driven, or reflective, and should create space for meaningful engagement and shared learning.

We encourage proposals related to (but not limited to):

• Indigenous language revitalization and reclamation efforts
• Community-based and beyond school language immersion models
• Language and culture in early childhood (0-6) and intergenerational settings
• Language planning, curriculum development, and materials creation
• Language, land, and place-based education
• Healing, identity, and language as medicine
• Teacher preparation, mentorship, and sustaining educators
• Youth voices sharing about their early childhood (0-6) experiences
• Policy, advocacy, and systems-level support for Indigenous languages
• Creative, artistic, and cultural approaches to language teaching and learning

We strongly encourage submissions from:

• Indigenous educators and community members
• Speakers presenting alongside community partners, elders, or youth
• First-time presenters and emerging leaders
• Rural, tribal, and underrepresented language communities
• International submissions

Presentation Formats

Applicants may propose one of the following formats:

• Workshop – Interactive, skills-based sessions designed to engage participants in hands-on learning
• Panel – Multiple speakers in conversation around a shared theme or question
• Presentation – A focused talk or facilitated discussion

All breakout sessions will be scheduled for 75 minutes and take place at the Berna Facio Professional Development Center in Albuquerque, NM on Monday, November 9th or Tuesday, November 10th, 2026. Additional details regarding room setup, technology, and session flow will be provided upon acceptance.

How to Submit

Interested presenters should provide the following:

• A brief session description
• Proposed format
• Presenter information including Tribal/Nation/Community/Organizational affiliation

Proposal Deadline: April 15th, 2026
Notification of Acceptance: June 15th, 2026

Honoring Our Presenters

Selected presenters will receive:

• 50% off Symposium Registration
• Broad visibility across our network of Indigenous language practitioners and partners
• The opportunity to contribute to a growing body of shared knowledge and practice.

We are deeply grateful for the wisdom, care, and labor that goes into this work. Thank you for considering sharing your knowledge and experience with our community during this special 10th anniversary gathering of our language symposium..

For questions, please contact Margarita Acosta at margarita@kclcmontessori.org