News/Noticias
and, of course, all our brilliant, vivacious, gregarious members.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006–2010 American Community Survey report shows that of the 2.4 million people in the U.S. who identify themselves as American Indian or Alaska Native alone (and who are over 5 years of age), over 70 percent say they speak only English at home. A Native North American language is spoken in the homes of nearly 15 percent. Roughly two-thirds of homes where a Native language is spoken are located in New Mexico, Arizona and Alaska, so it is not surprising that the most commonly spoken Native language is Navajo.Read the full article here:http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/06/30/7-most-popular-native-american-languages-us-155557
According to Dr. Lorna Williams, the Chair of the First People Cultural Council, there are approximately 60 First Nations languages spoken in Canada.Of those, 34 can be found in British Columbia, but the number of people who can actually speak those languages has, in the past, been severely endangered.That’s why a recent announcement that the decline in the aging population of fluent speakers has been largely offset by an increase in semi-fluent speakers in the younger generations comes as welcome news.Read the full article here:http://www.peninsulanewsreview.com/news/283911941.html?mobile=true
By Marc Guarino January 2 at 11:03 AMNEW ORLEANS — Even though Janie Luster has lived in Bayou Dularge all her life, in some ways she is still a stranger to the land.The tiny water-bound fishing community in southwestern Louisiana is rich with the culture of the Cajuns that are familiar to so many, but Luster, 62, is 100 percent Houma, an indigenous Indian tribe of which little is known.The tribe’s language consists of so few words that she has named her two dogs the Houma words for raccoon (chaoui) and perch (naní) just to keep them in circulation.“We only have a handful of words left,” she says. “The more time goes by, the more time we lose. Our elders are passing on.”Read the full article here:http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/young-members-of-louisianas-houma-nation-try-to-reclaim-tribes-lost-language/2014/12/29/9c5a60c2-849e-11e4-9534-f79a23c40e6c_story.html
By: Mateo OspinaOctober 29, 2014, 8:40pm PDTA UBC anthropology professor is hoping to bring aboriginal languages to the forefront of language study at UBC.Mark Turin, who is chair of the UBC First Nations Language Program and a registered student in the same program, has an academic background in studies of endangered languages around the world. He is currently working towards a future in First Nations studies that focuses on a partnership between the university and indigenous communities.The First Nations Language Program currently offers opportunities to study languages such as Cree, Kwak’wala, Nle’kepmxcin and Dakelh Dene. In order to expand the program’s curriculum to include more indigenous languages, Turin has immersed himself in the language and culture of aboriginal peoples from the B.C. area to work directly toward the revival of languages with just a few speakers left.“We’re probably seeing the last generation of fluent speakers of many of these languages,” said Turin.Access full article below:http://ubyssey.ca/news/ubc-prof-hopes-to-bring-more-aboriginal-language-study-to-ubc-523/
BY KERRY BENJOE, THE LEADER-POST OCTOBER 30, 2014 6:41 AMREGINA — What began as a task to create Cree text books for the classroom has taken on a whole new urgency for one author.On Wednesday, Solomon Ratt, associate professor for Cree language at the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv), launched his book Woods Cree Stories — and he couldn’t be happier.It took two years to complete the book project, which includes stories written in Cree, Cree syllabics and English.“It allows the stories to go out into the schools to the children, so they could hear the stories and have a lot of good laughs,” he said after the book launch.Ratt said Cree resources are scarce, so the stories in his book were created in his classes.“There are very few people out there who write in Cree,” he said. “So there are no books available like (there is) in English. You can go to the library and have a lot of books in English — no problem. Cree it’s another matter.”Access full article below:http://www.leaderpost.com/life/w+professor+preserving+Cree+language+through+stories+humour/10336242/story.html
Dept. of Canadian HeritageGovernment of Canada supports language lessons offered by Saskatoon Indian and Metis Friendship CentreSASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwired - Oct. 27, 2014) - Department of Canadian HeritageThe Government of Canada is providing $29,536 in funding through the Aboriginal Languages Initiative to support beginner level Cree "Y" dialect language lessons for community members of all ages.Maurice Vellacott, Member of Parliament (Saskatoon-Wanuskewin), made this announcement today on behalf of the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.Quick FactsA total of 240 hours of lessons will be provided to 80 participants over a 24-week period.Participants will be introduced to Cree syllabics and will learn the language through cultural activities.The Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship Centre provides services and programs to First Nations and Métis people in Saskatoon. It is offering the language classes in partnership with the White Buffalo Youth Lodge and the Saskatoon Public Library.The Aboriginal Languages Initiative supports community-based language projects that contribute to the revitalization and preservation of Aboriginal languages and increase their use in community settings.Quotes"Our Government is committed to supporting the revitalization and preservation of First Nations, Inuit and Métis languages and cultures. These languages are an important part of our heritage and vital for our Aboriginal communities."- The Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages"I applaud the Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship Centre's work to enhance and maintain the Cree language "Y" dialect for future generations."- Maurice Vellacott, Member of Parliament (Saskatoon-Wanuskewin)"The Saskatoon Indian and Metis Friendship Centre is looking forward to continuing our Saskatoon Community Cree "Y" Dialect Language Project. These community Cree classes combined with cultural teachings will be held in four locations around Saskatoon, including the White Buffalo Youth Lodge, two Saskatoon Public Libraries, and at the Friendship Centre. Learning our Nēhiyawēwin language is key to self-identity and understanding our culture and heritage."- Bill Mintram, Executive Director, Saskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship Centrehttp://www.marketwired.com/press-release/cree-language-to-be-taught-in-saskatoon-1961344.htmAssociated LinksAboriginal Languages InitiativeSaskatoon Indian and Métis Friendship CentreStay ConnectedFollow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Flickr.
NEWS: Around the ArcticOctober 16, 2014 - 3:33 pmStatsCan: Inuktitut still the second-most-spoken Aboriginal language in CanadaAbout 68 per cent of Inuit report Inuktitut as a mother tongueInuktitut still ranks as the second-most reported Aboriginal mother tongue language in Canada, Statistics Canada reported Oct. 16.Those numbers show that Cree speakers make up the largest single Aboriginal language group in Canada, with more than 83,000 people reporting Cree as their mother tongue.After Cree, 34,110 people reported Inuktitut as their mother tongue and 19,275 people reported Ojibway.Other Aboriginal languages among the top 10 are Dene, Innu-Montagnais, Oji-Cree, Mi’kmaq, Atikamekw, Blackfoot and Stoney.The numbers come from StatsCan’s 2011 census and the agency’s 2011 household survey.Access full article below:http://www.nunatsiaqonline.ca/stories/article/65674statscan_inuktitut_still_the_second-most-spoken_aboriginal_language_in/
Abstracts are still open for two conferences of interest to members:18th Annual Workshop on American Indigenous Languages (WAIL 2015)Abstract deadline: February 15, 2015The Linguistics department at the University of California, Santa Barbara announces its 18th Annual Workshop on American Indigenous Languages (WAIL), which provides a forum for the discussion of theoretical, descriptive, and practical studies of the indigenous languages of the Americas.We are pleased to announce that our keynote speaker for this year will be Patience L. Epps (University of Texas Austin).See the call for papers here.82nd Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Conference on Linguistics (SECOL 2015)Abstract deadline: January 11, 2015The Southeastern Conference on Linguistics invites abstract submissions for papers for the 82nd meeting, which will be held concurrently with Language Variation in the South IV (LAVIS IV) in downtown Raleigh, NC, April 9-11, 2015. Papers in all areas of language and linguistics are welcome, including papers and panels on the teaching of linguistics, but special consideration will be given to proposals related to the conference theme, "The New South."See the call the papers here.
By Heather Hintze 6:21 PM October 13, 2014NOME – On a school day in Nome, a class of second graders at Nome Elementary School gathers around Annie Conger as she begins her cultural studies lesson.Conger is reading “Neeluk : An Eskimo Boy in the Days of the Whaling Ships.”“Last time, they had to wake up really early to get ready for Kotzebue,” said the second-grade teacher in a recap of last week’s part of the story.Read the full article here:http://www.ktva.com/nome-schools-revive-inupiaq-language-549/
Posted: Tuesday, October 7, 2014 2:52 pm | Updated: 2:19 am, Wed Oct 8, 2014.Eric Barker for the Montana KaiminDespite the loss of the University's Blackfoot language classes, students may still have a chance to learn Native languages.A proposed Native languages student club is working on getting recognition as a student group from the Associated Students of the University of Montana. The group has 18 Native and non-Native students tentatively signed on.Jesse Desrosier, a sophomore from the Blackfeet tribe, said he always wanted to organize a Native languages club. When the University had to cancel Elementary Blackfoot 141 and 142 this fall because of the instructor's resignation, Desrosier decided there was no better time.Desrosier said it's important to promote Native languages to understand the basis of the culture.“Understanding my Native language gave me an identity,” he said.Access full article below:http://www.montanakaimin.com/news/article_db21e472-4e63-11e4-8de9-001a4bcf6878.html
MN School Helps Revival of Native American LanguagesPublic News Service - MNOctober 1, 2014MINNEAPOLIS - As the number of speakers fluent in Native American languages continues to fade, a Minnesota school like few others in this nation is helping to keep those languages alive.The Bdote Learning Center in Minneapolis is a year-round charter school where the students are immersed in either Dakota or Ojibwe. Interim Director Mike Huerth said it's an incredibly important time for both."My sons live on a reservation that has lost its language," he said. "There are no more speakers alive in that tribe - and it's a very sad thing, because once a language dies, it doesn't come back."Access full article below:http://www.publicnewsservice.org/2014-10-01/education/mn-school-helps-revival-of-native-american-languages/a41990-1
(From the ILAT Listserv)Colleen M FitzgeraldThe Indigenous Language ChallengePosted: 09/19/2014 2:43 pm EDTPeople are posting videos where they take on dramatic challenges and tag others to join in. It's an energetic effort to raise awareness...to use Native American languages. The 2014 Indigenous Language Challenge is on. Comedian Tonia Jo Hall, a Lakota teacher in training, posted a video of her young daughter singing in Lakota."Whatever your native language is, we challenge you to post a 10-15 sec video no matter what it is as long as you're speaking your language," Hall wrote. She's not the only Native American language activist, learner, or teacher to promote indigenous language use via social media video challenges.Access full article below:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/colleen-m-fitzgerald/the-indigenous-language-c_b_5850364.html
(From the ILAT Listserv)Rick Kearns9/21/14Indigenous children in Mexico can now learn their mother tongues with specialized computer games, helping to prevent the further loss of those languages across the country.“Three years ago, before we employed these materials, we were on the verge of seeing our children lose our Native languages,” asserted Matilde Hernandez, a teacher in Zitacuaro, Michoacan.“Now they are speaking and singing in Mazahua as if that had never happened,” Hernandez said, referring to computer software that provides games and lessons in most of the linguistic families of the country including Mazahua, Chinanteco, Nahuatl of Puebla, Tzeltal, Mixteco, Zapateco, Chatino and others.http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/09/21/saving-native-languages-and-culture-mexico-computer-games-156961
Four hundred years ago, before the Pilgrims washed up on Plymouth in 1620, the Massachusetts coast was home to at least 12,000 Native Americans united by a common language: Wômpanâak. Also known as Wampanoag, Natic, or Pokanoket, Wômpanâak was one of the Massachusett languages that gave the modern state its name. It was the language of Massasoit and Tisquantum; traces of it are still found in English, with words like skunk (squnck) and squash (askosquash). While Wômpanâak should rightfully be enshrined as a major touchstone of early American culture and history, instead, it was a language put under assault. Between smallpox, endemic warfare and enslavement, flight to other Native American tribes, and centuries of forced Christianization and European assimilation in New England’s infamous praying towns, by the close of the 18th century there were only a few hundred Wômpanâak speakers left. By 1833, the language was dead. Until, 160 years later, it suddenly wasn’t dead anymore.Today, after regaining their tribal identity in 1928, there are 2,000 Wômpanâak in southern Massachusetts. And one of them, Jessie Little Doe Baird, has found a way to bring their language back to life. Born in 1963 in the Mashpee (Massippee) band of Cape Cod, Baird claims when she was 30 she began having visions of her ancestors, pushing her to revive the tongue. She started the Wômpanâak Language Reclamation Project in 1993, eventually composing her Master’s thesis on Algonquian Linguistics at MIT. Baird and linguists Kenneth Hale and Norvin Richards used religious texts and letters written by Natives and missionaries to painstakingly reconstruct Wômpanâak grammar and vocabulary. And miraculously, with the aid of volunteers from the region’s Mashpee, Aquinnah, Assonet, and Herring Pond (Manomet or Comassakumkanit) bands, there are now many classes and teaching tools in the language. As of 2014 there were at least 15 competent Wômpanâak speakers in the world. Baird’s success is exceptional—some say she’s the fulfillment of a prophecy—given the number of dead and dying languages in the world, and the rarity of revival. But she’s also the start of a new wave of language resurgences, as what once seemed an impossible act of resurrection becomes more and more common.Read the rest of the article here:http://magazine.good.is/articles/saving-the-wompanaak-language
