Welcoming Our Growing Community of Fellows on Indigenous Peoples' Day!

We excited to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day with all of our friends and relatives who continue to reclaim language, culture, and community for themselves and the generations to come! As we take this day to reflect on our commitments to our Indigenous relatives, we want to also take this opportunity to uplift emerging voices in our community and introduce our new cohort of fellows walking with us in this work!

Meet Our 2025 Fellows!

7000 Languages selects 5 Indigenous language practitioners and community engagement experts for 2025 “Reclaim and Sustain Cohort”

While interviews are ongoing for our 2026 Cohort 5, 7000 Languages announces the selection of 5 new fellows who have accepted admission to our annual program, and are already building familiarity and selecting preferred training opportunities in the Transparent Language online (TLO) software platform.

This year’s team of fellows are called the “Reclaim and Sustain Cohort” to reflect and respect how deeply they are already enmeshed, engaged and invested in their local community language ecologies, kinship networks and tribal knowledge systems. They navigate international and colonial borders, support and uplift elder speakers to give them hope for lifeways to be sustained for future generations. Most importantly, they seek new opportunities and platforms in which to enact self-determination for the people—especially children—of their families, nations and local communities.

Introducing the new cohort, comprising 7000 Languages’ fourth in a series of outstanding language teacher-leaders and innovators:

Alexis Duro, Gabrielino-Tongva Language

Meyiha, my name is Alexis Duro. I am a UC Riverside, Oklahoma University and Claremont Graduate University Alumni. I am an enrolled tribal member of the San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians and Santa Barbara Chumash. I am a cultural and language bearer for my tribes. I take great pride in being able to actively participate in our cultural, language and ceremonial events. I am currently working on documenting and preserving our Gabrieleno-Tongva language. 

Goal for the program: To get as much language documented as we can so more people can learn. 

What you're most excited about!

Learning how other languages are being preserved.

Doyle-McKay Ngomi, Iyasa

Doyle McKey Ngomi is the founder and coordinator of the Association for the Promotion, Preservation, Revitalization, and Perpetuation of the Iyasa Language and Culture (The Iyasa Language and Culture Project), a community-based organization active since 2021. The organization is dedicated to the revitalization, documentation, and safeguarding of the Iyasa language and culture in the face of climate threats. A linguist specializing in generative syntax, he devotes all his research to the study of the Iyasa language. Each year, he organizes a linguistic and cultural immersion camp to pass on this heritage to younger generations and strengthen community resilience.

Gibrilla Kamara, Bollum/Mani Language

I was born in a remote Sierra Leonean village where Limba was my first language, sparking my lifelong passion for language and cultural preservation. I worked with the Institute for Sierra Leonean Languages and served in the U.S. Peace Corps as a Cross-Cultural Facilitator and I worked with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control during the Ebola outbreak. I founded the Society for Indigenous Languages, Communities, and Cultures of Sierra Leone (SILCC), which promotes Indigenous language revitalization, adult literacy, and sacred forest conservation. I have authored literacy guidebooks, learning materials and resources, children’s books for Limba and Mani Languages. I am committed to preserving Indigenous languages, knowledge, and lands through education and culture.

Marianna Gomez, Kumeyaay

As a Kumeyaay woman, I carry a deep responsibility to revitalize and preserve the Kumeyaay language, knowing that it is the root of our culture, history, and identity. I see myself as a bridge between the ancestors and future generations, committed to ensuring that our language continues to live and grow.

My goal is to explore new strategies, including digital tools, that can open doors for learners across our communities and help bridge the U.S.–Mexico border that divides our ancestral lands. As a bilingual speaker of Spanish and English, I aim to support Kumeyaay communities on both sides of the border, reconnecting families and knowledge that transcend political boundaries.

Just as archival materials have guided other Indigenous peoples in reclaiming their languages, I see this work as vital for the survival and flourishing of Kumeyaay.

Ultimately, my excitement lies in knowing that every word spoken, every lesson shared, and every resource created contributes to a future where the Kumeyaay language is strong, vibrant, and unshakable.

Shavonne Corn, Menominee Language

Posoh! Hello, my name is Shavonne I’m an entrepreneur and content creator.

What are you most excited about?

I’m most excited to create a network and connection with both fellow cohorts and the 7000 languages team

What are your goal(s) with the fellowship?

My goal is to create a course for Menominee language that anyone can understand and complete!

Connect:

Instagram: bonn_.e

Facebook: Shavonne corn

TikTok: bonn_.e

We are excited to partner with these amazing fellows to support their language revitalization goals! We look forward to sharing more about their developing work with us and beyond. However you choose to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day, we celebrate with you as a part of our global community!