General Summary
The mission of Salish Kootenai College is to provide quality post-secondary educational opportunities and support for Native Americans, locally and from throughout the United States, to achieve their academic and career goals. The College will perpetuate the cultures of the Séliš, Ksanka, and Ql̓ispe̓ peoples. The College will impact its community through service and research. One way to ensure cultural perpetuation is by developing language knowledge. Students who attend Salish Kootenai College are required to take Salish and/or Kootenai language as part of their degree-specific and general education requirements.
The Native Language Teacher Education (NLTE) Program has been created in response to the Salish language community's requests and partnerships. The goal of NLTE is to develop well-rounded Salish language educators who have attained a level of proficiency in the language that ensures they are adequately prepared to teach others the Salish language and/or to use it as a medium of instruction in other educational contexts.
We aim to expand current efforts to provide language education opportunities for:
● Youth, including, but not limited to, Dual Enrollment and Early College opportunities.
● Educators and professionals throughout campus and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ workforce.
● Community members interested in deepening their language knowledge in a more intensive manner than regular language courses.
Duties of the Native Language Teacher Education Department Chair position will include Native Language Teacher Education/Salish language faculty responsibilities, including those for Salish language courses and NLTE degree-required courses that support language teaching methods and instruction using the Seliš u Qlispé Nuwewlštn curriculum series. This position will be required to regularly teach classes in the evenings and weekends. In addition to full-time faculty duties, the NLTE Department Chair’s responsibilities include: student advising and graduation efforts; departmental planning and evaluation efforts; supporting grant writing and management; course scheduling; and potential supervisory duties.
The successful applicant will work collaboratively with the Séliš-Ql̓ispe̓ Culture Committee, Nk̓ʷusm Salish Language School, SKC’s Native American Studies Division, and others throughout the SKC and broader Flathead Reservation communities engaged in language and culture revitalization efforts. The ideal NLTE Department Chair will hold cultural values at the center of all they do, have a good, open heart, and possess the desire and commitment to build and maintain the relationships necessary to collaborate with the Culture Committee, program staff/faculty, SKC departments, Elders, and community members.
Qualifications
● Teaching Experience: Minimum of two (2) years of experience teaching with the Séliš u Ql̓ispe̓ Nuwewlštn curriculum.
● A Bachelor’s degree in Education or a related field, with the requirement to enroll in and complete a Master’s degree in Education or a related field within two (2) years of hire.
● Technical & Professional Skills: Proficiency in computer applications (word processing, spreadsheets, and data entry); demonstrated grant writing and management capabilities; strong written, spoken, and visual communication skills.
● Cultural Competency: Knowledge of the history, customs, and culture of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), alignment with the SKC mission, and the ability to work effectively with diverse populations.
Preferred Qualifications
● A Master’s degree in Education or a related field.
● A Bachelor’s degree specifically in Native Language Teacher Education.
To apply you must submit an SKC application, cover letter, resume, identification, and applicable transcripts to Human Resources, P.O. Box 70, Pablo, MT 59855 or email HR@SKC.edu.
Your application must include evidence that you have the skills, experiences and abilities indicated in this announcement. Applicants are asked to provide copies of academic transcripts and any other educational, training, or applicable credential or license, which may support your application for this position.
The information you provide will be used as deciding factors in our employment selection process.
As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans and women. SKC is a tribal member preference employer as set forth in SKC policy. SKC is a drug free workplace. All pre-hires must pass a drug test before formal hiring. This includes THC.
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