Mission Statement
The Northern Cheyenne Language Consortium’s (NCLC) mission is to preserve the Northern Cheyenne language.
We believe that the Northern Cheyenne language has an inherent right to exist—that it is a fundamental and irreplaceable facet of the Northern Cheyenne people’s culture and humanity’s linguistic heritage. NCLC dedicates itself to restoring the threatened Northern Cheyenne language to stability and health and documenting the benefits of language recovery to the Northern Cheyenne. NCLC increases international public awareness of language loss and reclamation and supports indigenous tribes committed to revitalizing their languages.
Board of Directors
The Northern Cheyenne Language Consortium is governed by a three-member Board of eminent Indigenous language specialists, both Native speakers and linguists. The Board of Directors is responsible for the overall direction and decision-making of the organization. Directors are elected for two-year terms from candidates nominated from within the Board.
Curtis Yarlott (Crow) has worked for St. Labre parochial school over 30 years ands currently serves as the Executive Director for St. Labre. Mr. Yarlott has devoted himself to caring for and helping the children who come through St. Labre and the various programs he works with. To Mr. Yarlott supporting his community and its children are of utmost importance and he has dedicated his life in pursuit of this.
Allen Clubfoot (Northern Cheyenne) is a Northern Cheyenne Tribal member who has worked with Northern Cheyenne tribal and language programs for nearly 30 years. As a fluent Northern Cheyenne speaker, he has directed the Montana Indian Language Program at Chief Dull Knife College and taught the language at the Northern Cheyenne Tribal School. Along with his role on this board, he also serves as chair of the Coalition of Northern Cheyenne for Preservation and Revitalization of the Northern Cheyenne Language.
Michelle Three Fingers (Northern Cheyenne) is a Northern Cheyenne Tribal Member. She has worked at St. Labre Indian School for almost 14 years and currently works as an Administrative Assistant for the Major Gifts and Planned Giving Department. She is currently working with Cheyenne elders and The Language Conservancy (TLC) on a translation project of children’s books and serves as a member of the Coalition of the Northern Cheyenne for Preservation and Revitalization of the Northern Cheyenne Language.
Past Board Members
Wilhem Meya
Location
Located in South-Eastern Montana the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Reservation is home to over 5000 Cheyenne tribal members. The reservation is bounded by the Tongue River to the east and the Crow Reservation to the west. Rolling hills and smatterings of forest cover much of the reservation. The tribal and governmental headquarters can be found in the city of Lame Deer, which is also the site of the annual Pow Wow.
L