Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas (SSILA)

Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas (SSILA)
Name	Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas
Abbreviation	SSILA
Formation	1981
Type	Learned society
Region	Americas
Language	English

Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas (SSILA) is a North American scholarly organization focused on the documentation, analysis, and preservation of Native American, First Nations, Inuit, and Indigenous languages of Latin America. Founded in 1981, the society convenes researchers from universities, museums, archives, and tribal institutions to present fieldwork, theoretical results, and community-based language revitalization initiatives.

History

The society was established in 1981 following gatherings of linguists affiliated with Linguistic Society of America, American Anthropological Association, and regional groups such as Canadian Linguistic Association and Sociedad Mexicana de Lingüística. Early figures included scholars connected to University of California, Berkeley, Harvard University, Indiana University Bloomington, and University of Toronto, reflecting collaborations with fieldworkers who had worked with communities around the Amazon River, Andes Mountains, Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest. Over the decades SSILA meetings intersected with projects supported by foundations like the National Science Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Endangered Language Fund, while engaging with repositories such as the American Philosophical Society, Smithsonian Institution, and Library of Congress. The society’s development paralleled initiatives including the International Year of Indigenous Languages, the establishment of the Catalogue of Endangered Languages, and legislative contexts like the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

Mission and Activities

SSILA promotes research on languages of the Americas through peer review, mentorship, and advocacy involving scholars from institutions such as Cornell University, University of Arizona, Yale University, University of Washington, and McGill University. Activities align with archival efforts at the Archive of the Indigenous Languages of Latin America, the Endangered Languages Archive, and community programs run by organizations like First Peoples' Cultural Council, Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas, and tribal colleges including Diné College and First Nations University of Canada. SSILA fosters links to theoretical frameworks developed at centers like MIT, Stanford University, and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, while also supporting applied projects connected to UNESCO initiatives and regional commissions such as the Organization of American States.

Conferences and Meetings

Annual meetings typically occur in conjunction with larger gatherings like the Linguistic Society of America annual meeting, the Canadian Linguistic Association conference, or regional events at venues such as American Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution Building, and university campuses including University of New Mexico and University of British Columbia. Presentations often include field reports from regions like Amazon Basin, Mesoamerica, Patagonia, and the Arctic, and involve collaboration with representatives from Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Sami Council, and grassroots groups such as Yukpa and Quechua communities. Special sessions have featured archives like the Hans Jørgen Uldall Collection, digital initiatives such as The Rosetta Project, and language reclamation case studies tied to Hawaiian Language Act precedents.

Publications and Awards

SSILA oversees publications including proceedings and newsletters that highlight work connected to journals like International Journal of American Linguistics, Language Documentation & Conservation, Anthropological Linguistics, and American Indian Culture and Research Journal. The society grants awards and honors comparable to recognitions from National Endowment for the Humanities and prizes such as the Edward Sapir Prize and institutional fellowships at Library of Congress and American Philosophical Society. Student and community awards acknowledge projects supported by Endangered Language Documentation Programme, Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages, and archives like the ELAR repository, while prizewinners often have ties to programs at University of California, Santa Cruz, University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Governance and Membership

SSILA is governed by an elected council and officers drawn from universities, museums, and community organizations including University of Chicago, University of Texas at Austin, University of Kansas, Museo Nacional de Antropología (Mexico City), and tribal institutions. Membership spans professional linguists, students, language activists, and representatives from Indigenous nations such as Tohono Oʼodham Nation, Lakota Sioux, Maya peoples, and Aymara communities. The society’s bylaws reflect practices modeled by bodies like the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association for Linguistic Typology, with committees for ethics, publications, student mentoring, and liaising with entities including Ethnologue and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

Collaborations and Outreach

SSILA collaborates with archives and projects such as the SIL International collections, the HRAF (Human Relations Area Files), and university-based labs including the Phonetics Laboratory at University of British Columbia and the Language Documentation Lab at SOAS University of London. Outreach efforts connect with community-led programs like Language Nest initiatives, cultural institutions such as the National Museum of the American Indian, and policy forums including the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Partnerships extend internationally to groups like SIL Mexico, IILA (International Institute of Latin American Studies), and research centers at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Buenos Aires to support documentation, pedagogy, and intergenerational transmission projects.

Category:Linguistic societies