Middlebury Pauses School of Abenaki

Middlebury Language Schools has announced it will pause its School of Abenaki, a two-week summer program, for summer 2027. 

The School of Abenaki, which completed seven sessions, was the 12th language added to the Middlebury Language Schools in summer 2020. The program typically enrolled about 25 students each session.

“We are deeply grateful to School of Abenaki Director Jesse Bruchac for his excellent guidance as we built this program,” said Steve Snyder, dean of Language Schools. “We have learned so much from the school and the Abenaki community during their seven years on campus. The pedagogy of the School of Abenaki has provided incredible hands-on experiential learning that builds on the Language Schools full-immersion model and the Language Pledge®, but adds a rich, culturally distinct learning environment in classes and through cocurricular activities.”

Bruchac recently announced that he would be stepping down as director of the school and was looking forward to new projects. “Our community-based language reclamation work is entering its next chapter,” said Bruchac. “With support from a congressional grant, the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe recently published a 13,000-word online dictionary. It opens the language to community members who cannot attend regular classes.” 

Bruchac noted that, with the recent return of tribal land at Pakaldamikhozwôgan Wajoak (Covenant Hills) in Cabot, Vermont, there is now a location for in-person learning to take place year-round.

“We thank Middlebury Language Schools for seven years of support, recognition, and growth,” said Bruchac. “Those summers helped prepare our community of speakers for what comes next.”

Middlebury Language Schools plans to use summer 2027 to consider how to continue supporting Indigenous language learning and language reclamation work across a range of communities.

For more information about Middlebury Language Schools, visit the Middlebury website.