Shayleena Britton is from the Round Valley Indian Tribes and is a Wailaki language teacher for her community and outside of the reservation. The Wailaki language was once considered nearly extinct because there were no known audio recordings and only a few elders retained knowledge of the language. In 2017, she received a grant from Running Strong for American Indian Youth. With support from the grant, Shayleena founded an organization called Wailaki Kunnes Bakang Ishjii Naagai alongside her mentor and other volunteers.
The organization uses social media and in-person sessions to teach the language to all ages. Since the organization’s founding, efforts to teach and revitalize the Wailaki language have expanded significantly. The language is now taught in all K-8 classrooms, and students at Round Valley High School can take multiple Wailaki language courses used as language credits towards college.
Drawing on the skills she developed during her education at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Shayleena created a first-of-its-kind Wailaki ABC book and distributed it throughout her community. She also created posters and coloring pages that she distributed to the entirety of the Round Valley Elementary and Middle School. Today, the Wailaki language continues to be taught and used throughout the community.
