The Naskapi Development Corporation is proud to highlight the participation of the Naskapi language team at the 2025 First Nations Translator Workshop, held from September 21 to 26, 2025 in Calgary, Alberta.
After ten years of being hosted in Guelph, Ontario, the workshop was moved west this year to better serve Indigenous language groups across the country. The event gathered translators and educators from four First Nations languages—Naskapi, Anihshininiimowin (Oji-Cree), Blackfoot, and Kwak’wala—for a week of learning, collaboration, and community building.
Representing the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach were:
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Silas Nabinicaboo
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Susan Nabinicaboo
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Ruby Sandy Robinson
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George Guanish
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Christina Mokoush
Silas, Susan, and Ruby—members of the Naskapi Development Corporation’s retired language team—attended as part of professional development supported by the Naskapi Local Management Board (NLMB) and the Naskapi Nation, with additional costs covered by the NDC. Christina, now teaching Naskapi at Jimmy Sandy Memorial School after completing her Naskapi-McGill training, and George, translator for the Naskapi Nation Office, represented language workers continuing this important work.
The workshop was coordinated by Bill and Norma Jean Jancewicz, with support from Tom Scott, Matt Windsor, and other facilitators from Wycliffe Bible Translators, SIL International, the Canadian Bible Society, and the Canada Institute of Linguistics. Together, they led sessions on key translation and revitalization topics, including:
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Who is our translation for?
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How do we translate the meaning?
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What is community-checking?
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How can we strengthen our language?
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How do we discover the meaning of a passage?
During breakout sessions, participants applied these principles directly to their own projects. The Naskapi team continued consultant-checking and approving chapters in the Book of Esther, building upon years of ongoing translation work.
Tom Scott, one of the workshop facilitators, shared several reflections from participants that captured the heart of the event:
“It’s good to know not just what to do next, but why,” said one first-year translator.
“Kids today are hungry to learn their language and they’re savvy,” another participant observed.
Bishop Lydia Mamakwa, a leader from the Oji-Cree team, reflected, “It was the vision of the Elders that our people would be able to worship God in the language that He gave us.”
These sentiments echo the mission shared by the Naskapi Development Corporation—to strengthen and sustain the Naskapi language through education, translation, and intergenerational learning.
Despite a few challenges during the week, the workshop was a success, with staff and participants stepping up to support one another. In Bill Jancewicz’s words, “These workshops provide an anchor for our translation teams. They not only build practical skills but foster strong fellowship among colleagues serving their communities in similar ways.”
The NDC expresses heartfelt gratitude to the Naskapi Local Management Board and the Naskapi Nation for their continued support in advancing professional development and capacity building in Naskapi language work.
To learn more about the history of these workshops and their impact, visit the Northern Translation Brief series:
