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Lance Twitchell

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell (born 1975) is an American Tlingit scholar, poet, and language revitalization advocate.[1] He works as an associate professor of Alaska Native Languages at the University of Alaska Southeast.

Education and career

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Twitchwell earned a Ph.D. in Hawaiian and indigenous language and culture revitalization from the Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and a B.A. in English with a minor in American Indian studies from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.[2] He was granted tenure in the Department of Humanities, School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Alaska Southeast in 2018.[2]

Twitchwell serves on the Alaska Native Language Preservation & Advisory Council, appointed by the governor.[3] He also teaches Tlingit language courses at UAS, which began offering them for free in 2022.[4]

Twitchwell wrote three episodes of the PBS cartoon Molly of Denali, which aired in 2021 and 2022.[5]

Personal life

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Twitchell is a citizen of the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska and is of Tlingit, Haida, Yup'ik, and Sámi descent.[6][7] He is one of fewer than 400 proficient speakers of the Tlingit (Língit) language in the United States.[8]

Awards and work

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Awards

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  • Top Forty Under 40 award, Alaska Journal of Commerce (2013)[9]
  • Judson L. Brown Leadership Award from Sealaska Heritage Institute (2016)[10]
  • Contributions to Literacy in Alaska (CLIA) Awards, Alaska Center for the Book (2017)[11]
  • First Alaskan Institute Young Native Leader Award (2020)[12]
  • Emmy award for “Molly of Denali” episode in the category of Outstanding Writing for a Preschool Animated Program (2025) [13]

Poems

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  • "Nanook Sweats," "Release, Definition: Trickster," "Ode to Tlingit, Yellow Hair Takes the Fat and We Lament His Seedy Departure," and "Dark Skin and Betraying Uncle," published in Yellow Medicine Review (Spring, 2009)
  • "Shaawatkʼeʼs Birth", co-author, filmed by Alaska Quarterly Review (2016)[14]

Books

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  • Haa Wsineix̲ Haa Yoo X̲'atángi (Our language Saved Us): A Guidebook for Learning the Tlingit Language [15]
  • Beginning Tlingit Workbook (2017) [16]
  • Tlingit Reference Guide: Verbs, Grammar, Location & Direction, Concepts, Juneau, AK: Goldbelt Heritage Foundation, 2020

Chapters

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  • Tlingit use of marine space: putting up fish by Caskey Russell and X̱'unei Lance Twitchell [17]

References

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  1. ↑ Hopper, Frank. "'Our Language Is Like Medicine': Tlingit Immersion School to Provide a Path to Revitalization". Indian Country Today. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  2. 1 2 "UAS Celebrates 2018 Faculty Promotions and Tenure". University of Alaska Southeast. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "ANLPAC Report". Alaska Dept of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  4. ↑ Stremple, Claire (2022-06-23). "Starting this fall, UAS will offer Alaska Native language courses for free". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
  5. ↑ "X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell | First Nations Development Institute". www.firstnations.org. Retrieved 2026-07-06.
  6. ↑ "Keeping Alaska Native Languages Alive: Interview with Dr. X̱ʼunei Lance Twitchell". Harvard International Review. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  7. ↑ "'We are past the point of crisis'". Indian Country Today. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
  8. ↑ Moseley, Christopher; Nicolas, Alexandre (2010), Atlas of the world's languages in danger (3. ed., entirely rev., enlarged and updated ed.), Paris: UNESCO Publishing, ISBN 978-92-3-104096-2
  9. ↑ "2013 Top Forty Under 40 Announced". Alaska Journal. 1 February 2013. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  10. ↑ Dunham, Mike (8 September 2016). "Tlingit linguist Lance Twitchell receives Judson L. Brown award". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  11. ↑ "CLIA Awards List – Alaska Center for the Book". Alaska Center for the Book. 13 October 2014. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  12. ↑ "Twitchell earns prestigious award". KINY radio. Frontier Media. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  13. ↑ Lewis, Hilary (16 March 2025). "Childrenʼs and Family Emmy Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  14. ↑ "Author Index T". Alaska Quarterly Review. Archived from the original on 10 May 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  15. ↑ Twitchell, Lance A (2016). Haa Wsineix̲ Haa Yoo X̲'atángi = Our language saved us: a guidebook for learning the Tlingit language. Juneau, Alaska: Goldbelt Heritage Institute. ISBN 978-0-692-55340-4. OCLC 952438753.
  16. ↑ Twitchell, Lance (2017). Lingít Yoo X̲'atángi = beginning Tlingit workbook (first ed.). Juneau, Alaska: Sealaska Heritage Institute. ISBN 978-1-946019-01-1. OCLC 1004520990.
  17. ↑ Allen, Bankes, Ravna (2019). The rights of indigenous people in marine areas. Oxford. ISBN 9781509928644.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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