Collège Nordique Advances Efforts to Establish UArctic Network on Fragile Languages
Collège Nordique is playing a key role in advancing the creation of a new Thematic Network focused on fragile languages. This initiative aims to bring together researchers, educators, and Indigenous communities to promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the preservation of endangered and minority languages across the Arctic region.
In early June, Collège Nordique's Executive Director, Patrick Arsenault, and Tłı̨chǫ language instructor, Camilia Zoe-Chocolate, travelled to Finland to participate in the University of the Arctic (UArctic) Assembly, bringing a powerful message from Northern Canada: that fragile languages and minority cultures must have a place in international Arctic dialogue.
Their participation in the Assembly introduced a compelling new idea to the UArctic community: the creation of a Thematic Network on Fragile Languages and Cultures in Northern Contexts.
“We’re not just showing up—we’re stepping up,” said Arsenault. “We want to build a space where Northern institutions working on linguistic and cultural revitalization can learn from one another, collaborate, and amplify their collective impact.”
A New Network Rooted in Community Impact
Collège Nordique has long demonstrated how language learning and cultural collaboration can lead to tangible change, particularly in partnership with Indigenous governments like the Tłı̨chǫ. Drawing on this experience, Arsenault used his address at the UArctic Assembly to underscore the importance of community-rooted institutions in global Arctic conversations.
The most forward-looking development came through discussions with other delegates, especially UArctic Chairholder and Professor at the Université du Québec à Montréal, Daniel Chartier. Together, they refined the concept of the thematic network, proposing the term “fragile” rather than “minority” to more accurately capture the shared vulnerabilities and strengths of many Northern languages.
“Linguistic diversity is one of the great riches of the North,” said Arsenault, “but it’s still too often missing from Arctic research and policy discussions. This new Thematic Network can change that by connecting people who are doing important work, but who rarely get the chance to collaborate across borders.”
Collaboration Across Borders and Knowledge Systems
The proposed Thematic Network would bring together institutions, researchers, language instructors, and communities working in contexts as varied as Sámi, Tłı̨chǫ, Gaelic, French, Inuktitut, and Northern Scandinavian languages.
Through informal exchanges and pilot initiatives beginning this fall, Collège Nordique and its partners will begin laying the groundwork for a formal proposal to UArctic, to be submitted in February. These early activities are expected to include virtual discussions, resource sharing, and the co-development of a mission for the network that reflects the lived realities of Northern language communities.
A Vision for UArctic and the North
The initiative signals a growing recognition within UArctic that language and culture are foundational to sustainability, education, and innovation in the North. Through championing this work, Collège Nordique is helping to fill a critical gap, ensuring that the voices, knowledge systems, and priorities of linguistically and culturally diverse communities are woven into the fabric of Arctic collaboration.
“It’s deeply meaningful that a Canadian institution is leading this,” said Arsenault. “Canada’s bilingual framework and the resurgence of Indigenous languages across the country provide a powerful backdrop for this international effort.”
For UArctic, the proposal aligns with its mission to support inclusive, regionally grounded approaches to education and research. For the communities served by Collège Nordique and its partners, it’s a call to action and an invitation to be part of shaping the Arctic’s linguistic and cultural future, together.