French historian of linguistics studies Tlingit language and archives in Fulbright project at UAS

Chloé Laplantine is exploring the past and present of Indigenous languages of North America, including archival documentation and modern language learning.

Juneau, Alaska

Date of Press Release: November 5, 2025

Chloé Laplantine, historian of linguistics with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), is completing a Fulbright project this fall at the University of Alaska Southeast.

As a visiting scholar, Laplantine is examining archival materials on the Tlingit language and other North American languages, taking Tlingit language courses, and producing a documentary film to synthesize her findings.

Laplantine is revisiting the work of French linguist Émile Benveniste, who studied the Tlingit language in Juneau and Haines in 1953. As part of her project, she is preparing an edition of Benveniste’s archive–analyzing it through multiple lenses, including the history of linguistics, sociological history, and anthropology.

“As a French linguist, Laplantine’s work will give Lingít language learners an opportunity to access archival materials that would otherwise be inaccessible,” said Éedaa Heather Burge, Ph.D., program coordinator for this project, and assistant professor of Alaska Native Languages at UAS. “Itʼs immensely important that contemporary and historical linguistic documentation be brought back into communities to support language revitalization work.”

In addition to studying historical linguistic work, Laplantine is studying the Tlingit language in a modern context – attending classes at UAS and remotely through the Yukon Native Language Centre.

“My wish is to study the language alongside those for whom it holds meaning and value today, making this work an example of collaborative research,” Laplantine said.

She is consulting with learners, teachers and researchers to gather their motivations for speaking and advancing this endangered language, as well as their expectations and representations of the language and culture. One chapter of her documentary will explore the teaching of Alaska Native languages and cultures in a university context.

The film will also synthesize Laplantine’s study of two significant language collections in the United States: the California Language Archive in Berkeley and the Alaska Native Language Archive in Fairbanks. It will trace the history of both archives and highlight samples from their collections.

The public is invited to attend Laplantine’s research seminar, “What are such texts for?: Working with linguistic archives today,” on Dec. 4 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Glacier View Room (Egan 221) on the UAS Juneau Campus. The seminar will provide an overview of documentation on Indigenous languages of North America since the 19th century, including Benveniste’s investigations on the Tlingit language. It will focus on the contemporary value of archival linguistic materials.