<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><SPAN class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </SPAN><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Times New Roman" size="4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><BR></SPAN></FONT><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#000033" face="Verdana" size="6"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19.3px;"><B>Keeping a native language alive</B></SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 16.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><B>Computer software seen as key to increasing the number of Mohawk speakers Immersion programs featured at Kahnawake Reserve, writes </B></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px;"><B><I>Robert J. Galbraith</I></B></SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="2"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9.3px;">Jul. 29, 2006. 11:37 AM</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11.3px;">ROBERT J. GALBRAITH</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11.3px;">SPECIAL TO THE STAR</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Times New Roman" size="4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">MONTREAL—The Kahnawake Reserve near here is home to 8,000 Mohawks, but only about 1,000 of them can speak their native language.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">To correct that, the community recently launched a computer software program it hopes will help revive the Mohawk language and encourage residents to get more in touch with their ancient culture and its teachings.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">This is the first program to be initiated under the Rosetta Stone Endangered Languages Program, with similar software now being developed for the Seminole of the southern United States and the Inuit of the far north. Rosetta Stone software is currently being used to teach millions of users 30 major languages in more than 150 countries.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">"Language defines nationhood. It shapes and forms your whole world of who you are. It's part of everything we are as a people," says Donna</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">Goodleaf, a PhD in education and the executive director of Kahnawake's Cultural Centre.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">"Part of our agenda as a cultural centre is to develop and implement language programs for the people of the community," she says.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">The computer program will supplement a variety of other language training elements that are already in place in Kahnawake, including adult language enrichment classes, language immersion "nests" for preschool-age children and a cable access program for family members of all ages. They are all aimed at expanding the number of fluent Mohawk speakers.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">The software immerses the user into the language he or she is trying to learn, through its dynamic immersion method. Words and phrases spoken by people from the community are matched with pictures of familiar places and faces. There are several options to choose from, and through the process of elimination, the user will pick the appropriate picture to match the words. Where other language software packages teach by translation, immersion ensures that language meaning is not lost, as it never equates indigenous words with English words.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">Word of the program has sparked great interest in native communities across North America.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">"We have received calls from the Six Nations, the Sak and Fox Nations of Oklahoma, the Navaho of Arizona, the Squamish of British Columbia, the Seminoles of Florida, the Inuit and the Ojibwa in Ontario," Goodleaf says. "They all want to know how it is working out."</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">The Kahnawake band council, under the leadership of Grand Chief Michael Delisle, wholly endorses the learning program. Not only is the program being used in schools and private homes, but by Sept. 1, the council will require Kahnawake's 900 public servants to enrol in Mohawk language lessons. This includes social workers, teachers, medical workers, firefighters, peacekeepers and infrastructure employees.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">"There's a fine line on our public employees in learning Mohawk. We're not going to throw people out," Delisle says. "We're not trying to force businesses to conform immediately. We're not saying your job is being threatened if you don't learn our language, but people with language skills will definitely be an asset when it comes to hiring. There is no real timeline (for language enforcement) but this is transitional. If we don't see the necessary results, we will have to be stricter."</SPAN></FONT></DIV><TABLE width="280.0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="width: 280.0px; margin: 0.0px 367.0px 0.0px 366.0px; padding: 1.0px 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px"><TBODY><TR><TD valign="middle" style="width: 274.0px; margin: 0.0px 0.5px 0.0px 0.5px; padding: 0.0px 1.0px 0.0px 1.0px"><P align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times New Roman; min-height: 18px; "><BR></P><DIV style="text-align: auto;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13.3px;"><B>`Language defines nationhood. It shapes and forms your whole world of who you are'</B></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" size="4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13.3px;"><B><I>Donna Goodleaf, Kahnawake Reserve</I></B></SPAN></FONT></DIV><P align="center" style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times New Roman; min-height: 18px; "><BR></P><DIV style="text-align: auto;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Times New Roman; min-height: 18px; "><BR></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">"I don't foresee any problems," Delisle says. "For doctors and nurses it may be tough because of their workload, but we will eventually have to serve our community in their own language. We are hoping the civil servants bring the initiative home."</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">According to the grand chief, "in 1998 the elders told us that language is where our culture is based, and when we die off, our language will die with us. So, that year they put forward a declaration calling for its preservation," Delisle says. "With this in mind, in 1999 the band council passed a law making Mohawk the reserve's official language.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">"We didn't want to do what Bill 101 (the Quebec language law) did and scare people off. We said, `let's look at a transition program and develop a plan.'"</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">Delisle's goal is to have 30 per cent of Kahnawake's public employees fluent in Mohawk in five years, 60 per cent in 10 years and 80 per cent in 15 years.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">"Our younger people are getting Mohawk cultural and language education at the two immersion schools and at the Survival School, located in the village. All subjects are taught in Mohawk there, but it is the middle generation, those of the 30 to 60 years group we are most hopeful of attracting. A lot of these people went through the residential school experience. They were not allowed to speak their native Mohawk tongue while incarcerated in these institutions and many lost that ability. They will get the most impact from it."</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">Delisle says Mohawk language and culture began its modern decline in the 1950s, largely due to the overwhelming English media and pop culture, then by the French language and political changes.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">"Theirs (the English culture) is a dominant language and culture in Canada, especially with MTV, radio and television. To some of our youth, it's not sexy to know Mohawk; it's sexy to know hip-hop," he says.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">The idea for the language revitalization drive came three years ago, when then-Kahnawake grand chief Joe Norton sent letters to 40 businesses in the online gaming industry, asking for cash contributions to be aimed at ways to regenerate interest in learning the language.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">There was only one response. That came from John Moshal, a Jew who lives in Durban, South Africa. Moshal is the president of Microgaming Inc., the world's largest online gaming software developer.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">Moshal saw similarities between the situation with the Mohawk language and Hebrew's revival, so he contributed $250,000 over a five-year period to find a way to preserve the language.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">The Mohawk used the money to hire Fairfield Technologies of Virginia to develop the Rosetta Stone software program for the Mohawk dialect. Two months ago, the first 1,000 CD-ROMs were delivered to the reserve. They feature four local Mohawk speakers, and numerous Kahnawake landmarks and familiar faces, making it a truly home version for the people of Kahnawake.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;"> </SPAN></FONT></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">The struggle to preserve a language is not solely a Mohawk problem. Of the world's 6,000 spoken languages, 50 per cent are endangered, and an average of one language disappears every two weeks, according to a UNESCO study of the present state of the world's languages.</SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Verdana" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12.7px;">"The struggle with preserving language is not inherent to Kahnawake or other nations exclusively," Delisle says. "My hope is that there will be in the near coming years, a national affiliation of Mohawk speakers across the nation. There is a lot at stake, but we are not going to disappear."</SPAN></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>