Indigenous language revitalization is a growing movement in Canada, specifically in British Columbia which has 34 distinct Indigenous languages (FPCC, 2018). Secwepemctsín, the language of the Secwépemc peoples in the Interior of British Columbia, is one such language that is considered critically endangered (April 18, 2021, retrieved from http://endangeredlanguages.com/lang/1472). Current established methods of language revitalization within Secwepemcúl̓ecw, the land of the Secwépemc, focus on community language programming, K-12 public and Band school language classes, and the Chief Atahm immersion school. Other than the immersion school, new language speakers are not emerging from these language programs. To enhance the growth of new speakers, and support Secwepemctsín revitalization efforts, new methods of language revitalization, including the Mentor Apprentice Program and the piloting of the Direct Acquisition Model developed by the Salish School of Spokane, are being implemented to augment the dearth of adult speakers. This study aims to explore the effects of the Mentor Apprentice Program model on the development of language and cultural fluency, the methods of language instruction within that model, and a brief exploration of how morphological analysis fits into this picture. Relationality and cultural immersive environments were found to be the most effective means of enhancing language development. As this research examined only successful participants within the Mentor Apprentice Program, further exploration into those dyads that did not continue within the language program would be beneficial, as well as further examining the nature of morphological analysis in the training of future mentors and how traditional storytelling (legends and relayed experiences) complements this research area.
