“Together We Speak”: A Community Collaboration

Earlier this month, we had the honor of collaborating with the Mescalero Apache community to deliver the 2025 Mescalero Apache Language Conference in Mescalero, New Mexico. This two-day gathering was especially meaningful for us at the Indigenous Language Institute (ILI), as it grew from the momentum and inspiration the Mescalero Apache Language Team gained after attending our 2024 ILI Language Symposium. Their experience at the symposium motivated them to create their own opportunity to bring their community together—one rooted in collective effort, cultural pride, and a commitment to making their language a part of daily life.

Held on May 5–6, the conference was built on the theme “Together We Speak,” a powerful reflection of the shared responsibility and unity needed in language revitalization. Through thoughtful planning and collaboration between ILI staff, Mescalero language preservation leaders, elders, educators, and youth, the event created a space for learning, teaching, and reimagining what it means to bring language into everyday settings—homes, schools, workplaces, and community spaces.

From the very beginning, the tone was set by opening blessings and welcomes from Mescalero community leaders. Our team Raul Aguilar Jr., Inee Yang Slaughter, and Laura Benavidez was honored to present on topics that explored how to normalize daily language use, support adult learners, and center the voices of speakers in revitalization efforts. These sessions were conversations, grounded in shared experience and designed to offer tools that could be used right away in community programs.

What made this gathering especially impactful were the many ways culture and language were brought to life. Community youth built a tipi in the conference space, sparking conversations around traditional teachings and tipi songs. We listened to songs, learned from elders, and witnessed generations connecting through shared traditions. It wasn’t just a language conference—it was an active reminder of the strength and resilience embedded in Mescalero ways of knowing.

The breakout sessions allowed for deeper discussions among community members, teachers, and language learners. In these small-group spaces, participants explored practical strategies, shared stories, and asked honest questions about how to sustain and grow daily language use. These were heartfelt, honest, and energizing conversations that reminded us all that language work is most powerful when it’s done together.

Feedback from the community was deeply encouraging. Participants shared reflections like, “We are learning new ways to use our language every day,” and “It was great to see our community work together.” Another wrote, “This was very engaging,” while many echoed the desire to “normalize daily use of language.” These voices affirm that when a community comes together—elders, youth, teachers, and advocates—language not only survives, it thrives.

We are incredibly grateful to the Mescalero Apache Language Program and every community member who helped bring this event to life. It’s moments like these that remind us of the power of collaboration, cultural connection, and the shared commitment to creating spaces where language is lived, not just taught.

Together, we speak. And together, we’ll keep speaking.