Dr. Heather Bliss

Adjunct Professor

Linguistics

Faculty of Arts

Research Themes: 

Language, Sustainability and Transnationalism

Heather was a Banting postdoctoral fellow at the University of Victoria and is an adjunct professor in Linguistics at UBC. Her research focuses on Indigenous language teaching, documentation, and revitalization. Since 2003, she has been working with Siksiká and Kaináá elders and speakers on documenting and analysing the Blackfoot language, with a focus on morphosyntax. She worked on building and producing a digital archive of Blackfoot contemporary stories. Beyond Blackfoot, Heather has done comparative research looking at a range of Algonquian languages, including Cree, Nishnaabemowin, and Mi’gmaq. More recently she has turned towards language teaching, and in particular the use of ultrasound imaging technology and its application in pronunciation instruction. She has been working with Indigenous communities throughout Alberta and BC to develop pronunciation training tools for language learners. To learn more about Heather and her research, visit her website.