Three-Time UA Alumna Committed to Language Revitalization

When Candace Galla was studying at the UA, she was actively involved in the American Indian Language Development Institute, AILDI, which provides training in American Indian linguistics, education and language preservation.

Galla, who served as a graduate student for AILDI, was eventually hired to serve as its senior program coordinator. Also, she earned an undergraduate degree in linguistics at the UA, later earning a master's degree in Native American linguistics and a doctorate in language, reading and culture – all from the UA.

Today, Galla is studying indigenous language revitalization at the University of British Columbia where she also is a faculty member.

Born and raised in Hawaii, Galla teaches courses on indigenous languages in North America and ways technology is used to preserve indigenous languages.

Her performance arts course was recently featured by the University of British Columbia. In the article, Galla says: “Hula was always part of my life but it wasn’t until I began learning it at school that I began to appreciate it and my mom’s teachings."

Read the article, "Hula Power," and view the accompanying video on YouTube.

Photo credit: Martin Dee; photo courtesy of the University of British Columbia