Current Projects
Jicarilla Verb Documentation Project
The Jicarilla Verb Documentation Project began in 2024 as a master’s thesis and has since evolved into a community-led language preservation initiative. Working alongside four fluent Jicarilla speakers, the project is documenting verb conjugations for more than 300 Jicarilla verbs.
This work builds upon the 1978 Jicarilla verb booklet created by Wilma Phone, Matilda Martinez, and Lydia Pesata. The new edition expands on that foundation by adding second-person (“you”) forms and documenting dual-person verb forms that occur in the language. When completed, the book will be distributed for free to the Dulce community as a resource for language learners, teachers, and families.
Future phases of the project include adding example sentences and audio recordings to support pronunciation and language learning.
Abáachi Mizaa (Jicarilla Language) Survey
This survey is part of an ongoing effort to assess the current status of the Jicarilla language. The last survey was conducted in 1995. This version serves as an updated assessment of language use and vitality within the community.
Additional reports and findings will be published after completed surveys have been received and analyzed.
J.A.D.E Abáachi Mizaa (Jicarilla Language) Mentor-Apprentice Program
This program is planned to begin after Go-Jii-Ya this September 2026. It is a 14-week apprenticeship program that pairs fluent Jicarilla speakers with apprentice learners to support language acquisition through structured, immersive instruction. The program is designed to help apprentices develop conversational proficiency using a variety of language acquisition activities.
We are currently in the planning stages. Stay tuned for additional information and application details!
Jicarilla Apache Traditional Place Names Project
This project will involve interviewing Jicarilla elders to document the traditional names of places where our people have historically lived and traveled. There are Jicarilla place names throughout southern Colorado, northern New Mexico, and the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. The project aims to preserve these traditional names along with the stories, histories, and cultural knowledge associated with them.
These place names can reflect knowledge of the local environment, explain the origins of landmarks, and the connection between the Jicarilla Apache people and our ancestral homelands. By documenting this knowledge, the project will help preserve an important part of our language and cultural heritage for future generations.
Recorded interviews will be compiled into a video that will be made available to Jicarilla community members as an educational resource. The implementation of this project is contingent upon funding through the Jicarilla Apache Department of Education (JADE).
Past Projects
2025 Group Mentor-Apprentice Mini-Conference
In March 2025, the JADE Administration and Federal Programs, with support from the Department of Youth, sponsored a three-day Group Mentor-Apprentice Mini-Conference focused on Indigenous language revitalization and language-learning methodologies.
The conference featured Dr. Mosiah BlueCloud, Director of the Kickapoo Language Program, and Shay Sullivan, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Arizona. Sullivan’s work focuses on Accelerated Language Acquisition, a methodology developed by her mentor, Dr. Neyooxet Greymorning of the University of Montana.
Over the course of three days, approximately 40 participants attended the conference and collaborated with four fluent Jicarilla speakers. Dr. BlueCloud presented on the Group Mentor-Apprentice Method, an approach designed to create new speakers of Indigenous languages through immersive, community-based learning. He shared the structure and implementation of the method and demonstrated its application using the Jicarilla language.
Sullivan presented on Accelerated Second Language Acquisition, a teaching approach that uses images and visual prompts to develop learners’ speaking abilities and increase language use in meaningful contexts.
Participants primarily came from the Jicarilla community, with additional attendees representing the Southern Ute Tribe, the Kickapoo Tribe, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Santa Ana Pueblo, and Jemez Pueblo. The conference provided an opportunity for community members, language teachers, and learners to explore innovative approaches to Indigenous language revitalization while strengthening intertribal collaboration and knowledge sharing.
2024-2025 Language Materials Creation Project
This project aimed to produce learning materials for the Abaachi mizaa language. The materials included books, posters, flashcards, and other resources designed to support language teaching and learning.
Several books were produced, along with posters featuring basic vocabulary, UNO-style cards containing verbs, and additional educational materials. The grant that funded this project also enabled JADE to purchase copies of previously completed language resources.
These resources include the 1987 verb booklet by Wilma Phone, Patricia Torivio, and Lydia Pesata, as well as the community-friendly dictionary compiled by Carson Vicenti in 1981. Copies of these materials are available through the JADE administration office.
