Solving a critical need for childcare and revitalizing the Aaniiih and Nakoda Languages.

In every action, Island Mountain Development Group is committed to honoring the Tribes’ traditional values and cultural heritage.

Childcare options on FBIC have been limited, creating a barrier to employee recruitment and retention. IMDG created a plan that addresses the need for childcare and the desire to revitalize Native languages. In 2019, the IMDG Board of Directors passed a resolution supporting the ANA Native American Language Preservation and Maintenance – Esther Martinez Immersion Grant (ANA-NALPM-EMI). The grant was subsequently awarded and IMDG partnered with the Nakotda Aaniiih Economic Development Corporation (NAEDC), a Fort Belknap non-profit corporation, to administer the ANA Grant. In 2020 Life’s Language Lodge was established.

“Language is Healing”

Located in Hays on the IMDG campus, Life’s Language Lodge is a unique childcare option built upon the languages and cultures of the Aaniiih and Nakoda people. As a language nest, Life’s Language Lodge provides language immersion for children 0-5 years of age. This effort will help the FBIC preserve, restore, and maintain Indigenous languages on the Fort Belknap Reservation.