Abstract: The literature on minority and Indigenous language revitalization is dominated by sociolinguistic approaches that focus on strategies and tools for maintaining and protecting endangered languages.  Very little research, however, has analyzed the evolution of language policies or the choices made by governments and civil society organizations to protect, preserve and revitalize endangered languages.  Using an historical institutionalist approach, this paper will examine the decline and revitalization of Manx Gaelic (Manx), a minority language in the Isle of Man, a small island jurisdiction in the British Isles.  Manx has been critically endangered for many decades, following its slow decline during the 19th and 20th centuries, but in recent years has undergone a process of revitalization spearheaded by civil society organizations in partnership with government.  This presentation will discuss the reasons why Manx went into decline and the opportunities and challenges associated with promoting and sustaining its revitalization.

Speaker's Bio: Gary N. Wilson is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Political Science at UNBC. His research focuses on governance, politics and Indigenous-state relations in the Canadian and Circumpolar North, and minority language revitalization in the Isle of Man and other small island jurisdictions in the British Isles.  

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