ROBERT M. LEAVITT
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

 

PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION

1966     BA, Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
1971    MAT, Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

APPOINTMENTS

1981 - 2006    Professor, Faculty of Education, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick. Director, Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Institute, 1992 - 2006    Acting Associate Dean, 2004-2005. Acting Dean, 2005.Appointed Professor Emeritus, 2007.

1998 - 2000    Profesor Visitante, Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Unidad N° 201, Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca, México.

1979 - 1981    Program Coordinator, Gifted & Talented Education School Administrative District N° 68, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine.

1972 - 1979    Wabnaki Bilingual Education Program, Indian Township School, Indian Township, Maine. Materials and Curriculum
Developer 1972- 1978. Director, 1978-1979.

1971 - 1972    Teacher, 2-3, Beatrice Rafferty School, Pleasant Point, Perry, Maine 04667.
1968 - 1970    Teacher, K-6, Isle au Haut Rural School, Isle au Haut, Maine 04645.

RELATED PUBLICATIONS (RECENT)

2008    Francis, David A., and Robert M. Leavitt A Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Dictionary: Peskotomuhkati Wolastoqewi Latuwewakon. Orono, University of Maine Press (in press; xvi + 1,198 pp.). See also www.lib.unb.ca/Texts/Maliseet/dictionary/

2005    Leavitt, Robert M., and Jennifer Andrews. "Two Animal Stories: Cihkonaqc/Turtle and Espons/Raccoon," in Algonquian Spirit: Contemporary Translations of the Algonquian Literatures of North America, Brian Swann, editor. Lincoln, University of Nebraska Press (72-83)

2001    Leavitt, Robert M. "Keq Nit Mehsi-liwihtomon? Why Do You Say It That Way?: Using Linguistic Knowledge in Native Language Curriculum," Linguistica Atlantica, Vol. 23 (145-154).

1996    Leavitt, Robert M. Passamaquoddy-Maliseet (Languages of the World/Materials 27). München (Germany), Lincom Europa (ii + 61 pp.).

1994    Francis, David A., and Robert M. Leavitt. "The Indian Devil, Mischief-Maker," in Coming to Light: Contemporary Translations of the Native Literatures of North America, Brian Swann, editor. New York, Random House (503-518).

OTHER SIGNIFICANT PUBLICATIONS (RECENT)

2008    Levine, Ben, and Robert M. Leavitt. "Language Keepers: A Documentary Film Process for Stimulating Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Documentation and Revival," in Papers of the 39th Algonquian Conference, H.C. Wolfart, editor. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba (paper accepted).

2001    "Nuskicinuwatu -- I Speak My Language: Incorporating Linguistic Knowledge into Native Language Curriculum," UBC Working Papers in Linguistics, S. Oh and N. Sawai, editors. Vol. 7 (proceedings of the sixth Workshop on Structure and Constituency in Languages of the Americas, St. John's, Newfoundland).

1997    Leavitt, Robert M. "Language in New Brunswick," chapter in Language in Canada, John Edwards, editor. London, Cambridge University Press (373-383).

1995    Leavitt, Robert M. Maliseet & Micmac: First Nations of the Maritimes. Fredericton, New Ireland Press (xviii + 332 pp.).

1990    Leavitt, Robert M., and David A. Francis, editors. Wapapi Akonutomakonol/The Wampum Records: Wabanaki Traditional Laws. Fredericton, Micmac-Maliseet Institute, UNB (68 pp.).

SYNERGISTIC ACTIVITIES

2006 - 2009    Audio-Visual Documentation of Passamaquoddy Group Discourse Centered on Historic Place as a Data Source for Dictionary Expansion, Linguistic Analysis, and Teaching Resources (D. Lewis, B. Levine, R.M. Leavitt; NSF grant 0553791).

1976 - 2008    Development, authorship, and publication of a Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Dictionary, with David A. Francis (Passamaquoddy), with major support from NSF (grants SBR 9601540 and 0001949, 1996-2003), and from the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point, Perry, Maine (2003-2007).

2007 - 2008    Assistance with the development of an online Maliseet language course, with Roseanne Clark (Maliseet). New Brunswick Department of Education, Fredericton, NB.

1981 - 2006    Mi'kmaq-Maliseet Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick. Develop university degree programs in Education and Business Administration for Native students, to meet stated needs of Mi'kmaq and Maliseet communities. Develop Mi'kmaq language curriculum for schools in the Atlantic region, and Passamaquoddy-Maliseet language curriculum for schools in Maine and New Brunswick, in collaboration with Native-language teachers.

2002 - 2005    Development and implementation of the University of New Brunswick's First Nations Business Administration Certificate (R.M. Leavitt, D. Alivisatos, R. Maher, B. Wood), with grants from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (federal-provincial), Mawiw Council of First Nations (Mi'kmaq-Maliseet), and Royal Bank (RBC).