The Kalispel Tribe owns and operates more than a dozen businesses and enterprises in and around the Pend Oreille area.

We believe in building a strong community and our economic development opportunities emphasize our commitment to the land and people.

Salish Curriculum

Our traditions and our language are what make the Kalispel people who we are today. The language ties us to the land, our relations, and our past.

CUSICK JUNIOR HIGH AND HIGH SCHOOL

This upcoming school year we are teaching Kalispel I and Kalispel Stories I curriculum to the JH/HS students at Cusick. All JH/HS students receive 5 hours of language instruction per week. Vickie Leach and Tina Butler are the lead teachers. This year we will also be having our Kalispel Ambassadors Program. This is where we travel to the local HS’s and perform our traditional stories in the language. This is our way of showing other schools that “you can learn your language and it is a lot of fun”. The kids enjoy it and so do the teachers.

DAYTIME ADULT CLASS

In October, we will be starting our daytime adult class at the language office in Cusick. This class is designed for community members and employees who have prior approval from their supervisors. It will meet Monday-Thursday from 8-9 am. If you are interested in taking the class please contact JR Bluff or Jessie Isadore. If you work for the Kalispel Tribe, you will need approval from your immediate supervisor. This class will meet for about 9 months and will cover our Kalispel I and Kalispel Stories I. Vickie Leach and Tina Butler will be the Instructors.

KALISPEL LANGUAGE IMMERSION SCHOOL 
(SNYOYOʔSPUʔÚSM)

The K-3 Immersion School is in full swing. The school opened August 31. We currently have 22 kids registered in the school. These students receive 4 1/2  hrs of Immersion Instruction in Science, Math, and Reading. Todd Ellingburg, Jessie Isadore, Nalene Andrews, Felisha Pichette, and Alisha Athos are the instructors. We are all very excited about the Immersion School and the opportunity to teach our children language. Please feel free to stop by and check them out.

KALISPEL LANGUAGE INTENSIVE

We plan on starting our fourth Kalispel Language Intensive at the Language Office located on the Kalispel rez. Currently, we have six students committed to take the class. Over the course of 2 years, these students will learn all 6 levels of the Kalispel Language Curriculum. Their daily schedule will entail 5 hrs of language instruction, 1 hr of Immersion Sessions from our Elders, and several hrs of homework. JR Bluff and Jessie Isadore will be teaching the class.

Language Books

Beginning Kalispel I Curriculum

Listed below are the first 45 lessons from our Kalispel I curriculum. These lessons were recently updated 10-17. Please click on the links below to access the specific lessons for the Kalispel I lessons. If you want to use the SalishTutor to learn the words you can click here and you will be re-directed to the language software page.

Kalispel Song Books

Below are PDFs for our Beginning Kalispel Songbook and our Christmas Songbook. The Beginning Songbook is taught in conjunction with the Kalispel I curriculum. The Christmas Songbook is something we put together to get everyone in the Christmas Spirit. Enjoy!  Please download Adobe Reader to view and print the lessons.

Listening Programs

Kalispel I Listening Program

Listed on this page is the Kalispel Listening program designed for the Kalispel I Curriculum. This program is designed to help the new language learner to comprehend and learn the Kalispel I materials.

Once you have the listening program document printed out, simply click on the mp3 audio link to hear the lesson activity. Good luck.

LISTENING PROGRAM DOCUMENTS
MP3 AUDIO FILES FOR LISTENING PROGRAM

Kalispel Workbooks

Kalispel Story I Student Workbooks

Here are the Student Workbooks for the 15 stories in the Kalispel Story I Curriculum. These were recently updated 10/17. We do our best to update these every year.

If you want to use the StoryTeller program to help learn the stories click here and you will be re-directed to the language software page. Good Luck.

Student Workbooks documents