Sept. 7, 2023

The first Lunaape Language Camp took place on July 27-29, 2023 on Lunaapahkiing, traditional Lunaape lands in and around Princeton, New Jersey. Catalina Méndez Vallejo was one of the Princeton faculty members that collaborated with scholars from the Institute for Advanced Study and language teachers from Munsee-speaking communities to organize the event.

The language camp highlighted traditional land-based learning, including a half-day journey on the Millstone River and a day at the Seed Farm, sharing Lunaape language, local history, and discussions of Indigenous sovereignty in today’s world. Language teachers and community members from the various Munsee-speaking nations participated in several workshops and roundtables centered on language reclamation and sociocultural legacies.

The camp also gave language teachers the opportunity to practice and record skits that they can later use for pedagogical and language revitalization purposes. Also, with the support of ProCES, Sreeniketh Vogoti, a Class of 2025 undergraduate student, created a prototype for an online dictionary project for the Lunaape language. During the language camp, Sreeniketh was able to share and discuss possible applications of the online dictionary with language teachers and community members.