About the conference

A conference shaped by its community

ICSNL is an annual meeting for people who study, teach, document and use the Salish language family and the languages around it. It is scholarly in standard and practical in purpose.

What the conference is

ICSNL is an international conference devoted to the Salish language family and to the neighbouring languages of the Pacific Northwest. It meets each year and has a long record of papers, language materials and community presentations. The 61st meeting took place in 2026, hosted by Lilʼwat Nation.

The conference is deliberately broad. A session may move from a technical question in phonology to a discussion of curriculum design, an archive project or the ethics of recording sensitive knowledge. That range is a strength: language work does not divide neatly into academic and community concerns.

Papers are presented in a spirit of shared inquiry. Work in progress is welcome, and questions from outside a presenter's own discipline are treated as part of the value of the meeting.

How it began

ICSNL began as an informal gathering of linguists working on Salish languages. Over time it grew into a recurring international conference with a published record and a wider community of participants.

The conference has always depended on the people who host it, the communities who welcome it and the participants who bring work in progress. That model continues: each meeting is convened by a host committee and shaped by the place where it is held.

Who it serves

Researchers

Linguists, anthropologists, historians and others who study the structure, use and history of these languages.

Language teachers and learners

Teachers, curriculum developers, adult learners and students working to bring languages into daily use.

Elders and community workers

Speakers, knowledge keepers and community language workers whose guidance shapes the work and its priorities.

Students and newcomers

Undergraduate and postgraduate students, and people entering the field who want to learn how the conversation works.

Values the conference keeps

Respect. Language work begins with the people who carry the language. Their priorities and protocols come first.
Rigour. Claims about language should be open to examination, whether they come from a university or a community setting.
Openness. Work in progress, uncertainty and disagreement are welcome when they are offered in good faith.
Reciprocity. Research should return something useful to the communities and institutions that make it possible.