Modesta Minthorn, PSU’s inaugural executive director of Tribal Relations, at the grand opening of the Vernier Science Center (PC: Jeremy Chun Sajqui)
Inside the lobby of Portland State's Vernier Science Center, a QR code on a wayfinding sign invites visitors to hear a few of the many Indigenous languages of the region spoken aloud. Throughout the building, traditional greetings and the names of plants and animals appear on directional signs in six languages, voiced by Native speakers. The detail is subtle, but it points to a broader effort at PSU to support the revitalization and visibility of Tribal languages.
This month, PSU is kicking off a years-long Oregon Tribal Language Initiative with presentations from the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and the Coquille Indian Tribe. Throughout the year, language keepers from each of Oregon's nine federally recognized tribes will share their language program histories, revitalization work and future projects with the PSU and broader Portland Native communities.
Modesta Minthorn, PSU's inaugural executive director of Tribal Relations, says the initiative is something she has wanted to bring to campus since her arrival in 2023. A linguist by training, she spent 15 years leading the education department for her tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla.
"My interest was in being able to connect the nine Tribes here to Portland with any efforts that were going on and to see what Portland State could establish and become for language revitalization in our area," she said, noting the city's central location makes it accessible for many tribes.
Language, Minthorn says, is core to Tribal identity, connecting people with their ancestors and traditional teachings that are often passed down orally from elders to younger generations. It is central not only to Tribal sovereignty and collective identity, but also to social connection. She recalls high school students taking pride in learning their Native language — especially when it meant they could talk amongst themselves without teachers understanding what they were saying.
The resurgence of Indigenous languages is represented throughout the Vernier Science Center on wayfinding signs.
"Through our languages, we see the world differently," she said. "One of my elders told me, 'When our Creator first spoke to us, it wasn't in English — it was in our language.' That's why it's important to maintain that connection through the language."
Minthorn believes Portland State has a lot to offer as the state's Tribes work to revitalize and preserve their languages — many of which are on the verge of being lost as fluent elders age. As Tribes increasingly turn to technology to sustain their languages, Minthorn says PSU faculty and students can play a meaningful role.
This fall, PSU launched a bachelor's degree in Linguistics & Computer Science that prepares students for careers at the intersection of language, computer science and artificial intelligence (AI). One potential project could involve students working with Tribal elders to create corpora — organized, searchable collections of written and spoken language data — for each language based on existing sources.
"What they're teaching, they're also trying to preserve — but a lot of Tribes are doing that work on their own," Minthorn said. "Having student and faculty support in those areas can be beneficial to both sides. It's research, and it's also providing needed technical help."
By the initiative's second year, the hope is to host an Oregon Tribal language revitalization conference — a request that came from the Tribes themselves. The conference would connect Tribal partners with one another as well as with students and faculty in PSU’s departments of Applied Linguistics, Computer Science, Indigenous Nations Studies and World Languages and Literatures. The initiative, with logistical support from Indigenous Nations Studies, will continue to evolve as PSU's relationships with Tribes deepen.
"I'm hoping long-term that the Tribes will become more comfortable showing up on campus and engaging with our community to really make that personal connection," Minthorn said. "Those types of relationships bring about the opportunities that we're seeking as a higher education institution for our students but also to be of service to the Tribes as well."