Hipéexnu’ is a newly founded 501 (c) 3 non-profit since August of 2018;

with the professional guidance of  Hopa Mountain of Bozeman, Montana.

We were then approved in September of 2018 by the Secretary of the State of Idaho.

​

WHY ARE WE NEEDED:

​

 - Native/ Indigenous language and culture programs would not have to exist if it were       not for Genocidal Colonization. 

​

 - Out of thousands of Niimiipuu dialects there remains only a couple fluent elder

   speakers. There is no elder, adult, or youth that can continuously and effortlessly  

   speak any Niimiipuu dialect.

 

 - There is no place on this earth that one can go and be "totally" immersed in the

   Niimiipuu language and culture. Through time, hipéexnu' will make our classes more

   immersive by adding more hours to the preschoolers and toddlers; while investing in

   youth Learnee's to be the vessels to keep the language alive.

 

 - According to Fishmans 1991, Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (GIDS), This

  dialect would fall at a Level 8 - "the only remaining speakers are of grandparental age."

 

 - According to the EGIDS of 2010 - this dialect is at a Level 8a - "the normal cycle of

  intergenerational transmission has been broken. There may be younger adults who know the

  language, at least somewhat, but they do not regularly speak it with their peers and are not

  fully proficient." 

​

 

WHO WE SERVE:

​

The majority of the projects will target and benefit Youth from the Nez Perce Reservation community; through language and cultural projects. Currently, hipéexnu' is serving the Little Roots Learning Center. Through grant funding for the year of 2021, we are additionally holding Zoom Language classes for youth that signed up by December 2020. These youth wrote a short response as to why they are interesting in the language, as well a short survey. The Learnees are interested and classes have been going wonderful. 

​

Through this non-profit we will: renew, stabilize, and promote the Niimíipuu dialect by focusing on the toddlers, preschoolers, and youth - Learnees. Hipéexnu'will have staff to lead the  Learnee Mentees to becomes vested in the language & culture for future generations. Contact hipeexnu@gmail.com for a Strategic and Financial Plan.