From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 1 18:41:07 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 11:41:07 -0700 Subject: Languages kept alive (fwd) Message-ID: Friday, April 1, 2005 "Languages are the reservoir of knowledge and culture. Each language is a particular window on the world." Valerie Guerin Director of the Language Preservation Project at UH-Manoa [photo inset - GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE at STARBULLETIN.COM University of Hawaii students Ryoko Hattori, center, and Matias Gomes sit at a computer station and go over sound files of an East Timorese dialect called Ema as a part of the Language Preservation Project.] Languages kept alive A UH linguistics project helps native speakers preserve little-known cultures By Craig Gima cgima at starbulletin.com http://starbulletin.com/2005/04/01/news/story7.html At a computer in a University of Hawaii-Manoa linguistics lab, Joao Sarmento from East Timor is trying to figure out how to write the language of his birth. Sarmento was raised speaking Makasae, one of several languages and dialects in East Timor. But it's not a written language. So for about 2 1/2 hours a week, he and graduate student Ryoko Hattori work on documenting vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation, in an effort to preserve the language. "Language is culture," Sarmento said. "I'm trying to be part of my culture, to be culturally aware." Sarmento is among about 35 linguistics students and native speakers who are part of the Language Preservation Project at UH-Manoa. It's the brainchild of graduate student Meylysa Tseng, who started it last year as a community service project for the Linguistics Society of Hawaii. The idea is to teach native speakers more about their own language while giving the graduate linguistics students a practical way to use what they are learning in class. Hawaii, and in particular the University of Hawaii-Manoa, with its many ethnic groups and students from all over the world, seemed like the perfect place to start the project. "There's a great opportunity in Hawaii," said Valerie Guerin, the current director of the program. "There's so much diversity to gather as many languages as possible." So far, the project is documenting about 17 languages, ranging from Kalmyk -- a Mongolian language spoken in the Republic of Kalmyia in Russia -- to Tiwa, which is spoken by the T'ai Pueblo community in New Mexico. Many of the languages are endangered, meaning that they could die because of a dwindling number of native speakers. "Languages are the reservoir of knowledge and culture," said Guerin. "Each language is a particular window on the world." The project's Web site features a description of each language and where it is spoken. Some languages are more documented than others and include audio clips, recordings of songs and other cultural details. On Saturday the Language Preservation Project will have a booth at the Bishop Museum to show off what it has done so far. Visitors can learn to say hello and other words in the different languages that are part of the project. The project by itself will not save dying languages, Tseng said, but the people who participate will hopefully learn how to begin the effort to save their culture. "The idea is to get people involved in documentation," Guerin said, "to show them it's possible to make a difference." The volunteers can then take what they have learned back home to continue the work. That is what Sarmento, a former journalist and graduate linguistics student, hopes to do. His main emphasis is Tetum, which is more widely spoken in East Timor. But because Makasae is the language of his family, he said he will continue to document it. "It would be a negation of my education if I turned my back on this language," he said. UH Language Documentation Center www.ling.hawaii.edu/%7Euhdoc/ From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Apr 2 17:46:15 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 10:46:15 -0700 Subject: Tribal delegates gather to talk about saving their language (fwd) Message-ID: Tribal delegates gather to talk about saving their language By Chet Barfield UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER April 2, 2005 http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20050402-9999-1n2language.html YUMA, Ariz. – In a conference hall echoing with chanted songs almost as old as the nearby Colorado River, hundreds of American Indians are rekindling a fundamental flame of their diverse but related cultures. They're trying to save their language. About 300 tribal delegates from Southern California, western Arizona and northern Mexico are here to help revive and sustain the Yuman language, the root of dialects spoken by the Kumeyaay, Cocopah and more than a dozen other tribes from the Grand Canyon to the Pacific Ocean. These are oral languages with no alphabet. Elders who grew up with them are dying off. And kids on reservations today have many other influences. "We realize we're just a generation away from our languages becoming extinct," said Emilio Escalanti, councilman for the Yuma-area Quechan tribe and a coordinator of this week's fourth annual Yuman Family Language Summit. "What makes us Quechan (pronounced KWUT-san) is our Quechan language," he said. "Otherwise we would be like Joe Public. But we're not. We were created to be here, in this spot in the world.'" At the three-day conference, which ends today at the Yuma Civic and Convention Center, participants are sharing songs, dances and stories. They're weaving grass baskets and bark skirts. And they're learning innovative ways, new and old, that native language can be restored in their communities. It might be with a computer video of an elder singing a song, with scrolled words that can be clicked to display pronunciation and definition. Or, as the Grand Canyon-area Hualapais are doing, it can be done through traditional games dating back hundreds of years. Tribal groups are creating words for things that didn't exist in aboriginal times. The Hualapai word for computer, says elder Lucille Watahomigie, is derived from "metal thing where you store writing." Indians must walk in both worlds, ancient and modern, said Cheryle Beecher, a Hualapai family-services worker. "Things are changing. Our language is changing," she said. "We need to hold onto our culture and teach our children that way." Indian gaming helps and hinders. Casino proceeds fund cultural-enrichment programs and pay expenses for delegates to attend conferences such as this. At the same time, soaring profits are pushing some tribes more and more toward capitalistic values and away from their roots. A cultural historian at Barona, Larry Banegas, says it's hard to get more than 10 to 12 tribal members in his Kumeyaay language classes. "They're too busy, off looking at other things," he said. Since the arrival of Europeans, natives have struggled to maintain identity while pushed to assimilate. Until recent decades, Indian children were sent to boarding schools, stripped of their language and rituals. Today, leaders say, external forces on tribal youth are less blatant but just as strong: party drugs, popular music, the Internet, consumerism. "They're pressured with things that are not part of our tradition," said Edmund Domingues, vice chairman of the Cocopah tribe southwest of Yuma. "Our language," he said, "is what establishes ourselves as Cocopah. This is what establishes ourselves as unique." Chet Barfield: (619) 542-4572; chet.barfield at uniontrib.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Apr 2 17:49:29 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 10:49:29 -0700 Subject: Quechans getting creative to help keep their language alive (fwd) Message-ID: Quechans getting creative to help keep their language alive BY PAIGE LAUREN DEINER Apr 2, 2005 http://sun.yumasun.com/artman/publish/articles/story_15793.php Susie Gilbert is learning Quechan for her husband. Once she's mastered the language, she plans to teach it to her husband, a Quechan who never learned his native tongue. "I am doing this to give something back to my husband. It's his language. It's my gift to him," Gilbert said. Gilbert has a common goal with the people who turned out Friday at the Yuma Civic and Convention center for the fourth annual Yuman Family Language Summit sponsored by the Quechan Indian tribe, the theme of which is "e-yah ny aam pii pik" — Language is Our Survival. The goal of the conference, which began on March 21 and ends today, is to promote and educate attendees about lan- guage and cultural preservation through different projects undertaken by the 17 Yuman tribes from Arizona, California and Mexico. The projects ranged from teaching language and culture through games and arts and crafts to creating oral history movies and computer software to learn native languages. Gilbert said in an interview with The Sun that she began taking classes this year with Barbara Levy, a Quechan language teacher in Yuma, but the schedule is somewhat irregular because Levy does not have a classroom or a regular meeting place. Students gather at Levy's house at night, or meet under the trees on the Fort Yuma reservation. Still, students manage to meet with Levy about three times a week to learn about their culture, language and hear stories that elders once told, said Gilbert, who gave a presentation with Levy about Quechan language learning during the summit. Levy has been teaching the class for four years, while at the same time participating in another project to keep the Quechan language alive. That project, also discussed at the summit, involves developing an English-to-Quechan dictionary to enable people to look up and learn Quechan words and phrases. The project began more than 70 years ago, when linguist Abraham Halpern came to study the Quechan language. He stayed with the Quechans off and on for three years, writing down words and figuring out the grammatical structure of the language, said Amy Miller, who is creating the dictionary. The time lapse occurred because Halpern became involved in other projects and did not return to the Quechan reservation until his retirement in 1975. Then he began to record the language and stories of the elders, who feared that without some sort of record their language and culture might be lost, said Miller, who has spent the last seven years trying to finish the dictionary Halpern started. She is working with Levy and with 84-year-old George Bryant of Yuma, who grew up speaking Quechan and didn't learn English until he started school, to develop the dictionary. Miller said the project has taught her "how beautiful and complex the Quechan language is." She said creating a dictionary for the Quechan language is sometimes complicated because it has 38 sounds, many of which are not found in English. So far the dictionary has 3,964 words, about 800 contributed or verified by Bryant. The first word in the sample dictionary Miller provides was 'axakatom paa'aw, a hippopotamus. The word is used as a common phrase said jokingly about a large person swimming, according to Miller's dictionary. 'Axakatom paa'awets veeyemk is the phrase meaning "there goes a hippo." Bryant said this dictionary will allow people "to keep a record of our language." "All we know is that we talk the language and what we say makes sense," said Levy. She added that she was reluctant to get involved with the project at first because she felt she wasn't old enough, but decided that since she grew up speaking Quechan, she could be helpful to Miller. Provided that no other words are discovered, Miller said the dictionary will take more than two years to compete. "It seemed like a job that would never be completed, but I see an end coming. I hope schools will computerize all these systems into one big system while we still have people who know the language — I think it's a good thing to know," said George Bryant. © Copyright, YumaSun.com From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Sun Apr 3 16:15:41 2005 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 09:15:41 -0700 Subject: Preservation (language) Message-ID: NSU to help preserve language View opinions on this and other stories. By SEAN KENNEDY, Press Staff Writer Thursday, March 31, 2005 8:48 AM CST Preservation of traditional tribal language has been an ongoing battle for American Indian tribes across the nation for years. "Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith, in one of the first meetings I had with him after he was elected, told me we need to address the preservation of the Cherokee language," said Northeastern State University President Larry Williams. "He said we must save the native language of the Cherokee people." Thanks to the combined efforts of the Cherokee Nation and NSU, the university will debut a new bachelor of arts in education in Cherokee education this fall. NSU and the Cherokee Nation made the announcement at a joint press conference Tuesday morning at the Gene Branscum Alumni Center. The program will prepare college students to teach Cherokee language and culture for pre-K through 12th grade, with emphasis on speaking, reading and writing the Cherokee language. "It's a long and difficult process to get new programs approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education," said Williams. "We got approval of our program in record time. It usually takes three, four or five years to get a new program approved." NSU received the official seal of approval for the program in February. John Ketcher, former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, said this was an important step in preserving the traditional language and culture of the Cherokee people. "For years, the Cherokee ministers kept the Cherokee language alive in their Sunday school classes," said Ketcher. "But now fewer and fewer people are speaking the language. This program is a step in the right direction." Smith said that through the cooperative efforts of the university and the tribe, a strong effort is being made to preserve the language of the Cherokee people. "We need to take a moment and acknowledge the greatness that is going to come from the seed being planted here today," said Smith. A 2002 survey conducted by the Cherokee Nation revealed that less than 7 percent of tribal members in northeastern Oklahoma could speak the language. According to the Fishman Scale of Language Loss, the Cherokee language is about two generations away from extinction. "We always have to be mindful that this is a first step," said Smith. "We need to develop 10,000 new speakers to keep the language alive. This program is teaching teachers to teach the language and the vital importance of the language to our culture. This will help bring our language back from the edge of extinction to the grandeur that it once was." The four-year program will start off with several basic courses offered for students, Elementary Cherokee I, Conversational Cherokee I, Intermediate Cherokee I, Cherokee Conversational Practicum and Cherokee Cultural Heritage. During the course of pursuing their degree, students will take a total of 40 hours in Cherokee language and culture, 40 hours in education, along with required core classes and electives. "This is a great achievement," said Smith. "The Cherokee education degree supports our long-range goal to revitalize the Cherokee language. Young Cherokees want to learn their language, and by certifying language teachers, we can give our kids the chance to study their language in public schools, as well as at home. I thank our education team for their research, and I commend the university for recognizing the need for this degree." Dr. James Pate, NSU vice president for academic affairs, said the college and the Cherokee Nation have a long history of working together, dating back to the university's inception in 1909. To keep the program going, NSU must enroll 18 students by 2010, and have several students graduate by the end of the 2009-2010 school year. "Each of our students enrolled in the program will be provided with a foundation in Cherokee language and culture," Pate said. The new program will also mean new positions at NSU, with a full-time program coordinator and at least two full time faculty members teaching, with a possible third faculty member, Pate said. Pate said the program at NSU will be a model for the nation because it is the only one of its kind at a state university that offers a degree to teach an American Indian language and culture. Western Carolina University is also watching the program, as officials there are considering creating a similar program for the Eastern Band of Cherokees in North Carolina. One of the challenges will be creating a job market for graduates outside the bounds of northeastern Oklahoma, Pate said. But it's something the university is studying. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Apr 3 18:03:48 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 11:03:48 -0700 Subject: UW language faculty create multimedia training tool (fwd) Message-ID: UW language faculty create multimedia training tool Les Chappell, 03/30/05 http://www.wistechnology.com/article.php?id=1666 Madison, Wis. — Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created an interactive multimedia tool for learning languages, the Multimedia LessonBuilder. The computer program tests foreign language students on several levels, helping them learn with audio and visual components. "It's a way to guide an individual into creating a lesson that incorporates audio MP3 files and compressed flash video files," said Benjamin Rifkin, chair of the Department of Slavic Languages and Literature at UW-Madison and one of the project's founders. Rifkin said the university is looking into publishing the system beyond UW-Madison – possibly adapting it for corporate training – but these talks have gotten no further than "casual discussions of interest". For now, they are focused on branching out by providing parts of the system via the College of Letters and Sciences licensing service. The project began in June 1999 as part of UW-Madison's Engage program, which works to expand tech-based learning initiatives. A team of foreign language faculty and students worked with the Division of Information Technology to devise Web-based projects teaching Russian, Spanish, and English as a second language. While working on these lessons, the team began looking at taking the ideas of Web-based lessons and figuring out how they could be mass-produced. By the time their initial contract with Transforming Teaching Through Technology ended in June 2003, they had developed two pieces of software for that purpose. "In the first grant period, we created three widgets – the lessons—and then we created two widget makers – the software," Rifkin said. LessonBuilder extends the early successes by providing a blueprint to help teachers develop lesson plans, leading them through the steps of developing a multimedia presentation. They are shown where audio and video clips of recordings of gestures, speeches and cultural facts, helping them develop questions that have one or more possible answers. Educators have free rein to customize the lesson. "The clips can be anything – excerpts from films, TV shows, or video-based material in the language being studied that the instructor creates himself," said Dianna Murphy, project director and associate director of UW-Madison's language institute. Multimedia Annotator, a companion system to the LessonBuilder, allows users to insert a series of notes into the presentations. Captions, text comments and alternative audio/video recordings can be overlayed into the film with microsecond timing, allowing professors to emphasize facts that are important to the lesson. Rifkin said a benefit of the combination is that it allows teachers using it to "group in terms of sequence", meaning they can prioritize what information the students see first. Recordings, transcripts and translations can be combined in the best way for a lesson, switched around depending on the teacher's needs. According to Murphy the system works with all the languages offered by the UW-Madison curriculum. It still has some problems with right-to-left languages like Persian, although it can display the characters correctly. Professors have used the programs to create two video-based learning programs in UW-Madison courses. Rifkin is involved in the RAILS (Russian Advanced Interactive Listening Series) program to teach Slavic languages, while Professor Magdalena Hunter has created Utamaduni Online for Swahili lessons. LessonBuilder has also received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop 24 programs for advanced Russian comprehension, with the first three programs already online. Twelve more systems are scheduled to be released in May, and the final group is scheduled for June of 2006. Les Chappell is a staff writer for WTN and can be reached at les at wistechnology.com. © 2004 Wisconsin Technology Network LLC. All Rights Reserved From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 4 13:57:23 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 06:57:23 -0700 Subject: Native-language program to get $250,000 boost (fwd) Message-ID: Native-language program to get $250,000 boost Monday, April 4, 2005 Page S2 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050404/BCBRIEFS04-1/TPNational/Canada Victoria -- An Internet-based computer program designed to preserve aboriginal languages will become more accessible after a cash injection of $250,000, the province's Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services announced yesterday. "Our heritage, diversity and inclusive society are sources of provincial pride and a strategic asset that we must maximize," Murray Coell said. "The preservation of language is a key to building strong aboriginal communities." FirstVoices.com was launched in 2003 by an international team of aboriginal language teachers, linguists and technology specialists as an easy and cost-effective way to record and teach indigenous languages. It provides a set of tools to archive text, sound, picture and video and to present these resources in language-teaching materials. The new funding will help additional communities receive training and have access to language archiving in FirstVoices.com for one year. CP From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 4 14:04:23 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 07:04:23 -0700 Subject: Rapa Nui struggle to keep Indigenous culture alive (fwd) Message-ID: Rapa Nui struggle to keep Indigenous culture alive Last Updated 04/04/2005, 04:14:40 http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1337219.htm The indigenous people of remote Easter Island say they're struggling to keep their culture alive. As Gillian Bradford reports from Easter Island, fewer and fewer children are speaking the local language: "Easter Islanders know their country and its language as Rapa Nui. Though it's still spoken widely across the island, only around a third of children can speak it well. Easter Island is still governed by Chile and most TV and radio on the island is in Spanish. The local Rapa Nui, who make up about half of the island's four-thousand people, say more needs to be done to keep their culture alive. The Rapa Nui have many similarities with New Zealand's Maoris." From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Mon Apr 4 20:41:08 2005 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 13:41:08 -0700 Subject: Abstracts needed Message-ID: Call for Abstracts: FEL IX - Creating Outsiders: Endangered Languages, Migration and Marginalization The Foundation for Endangered Languages: Ninth Conference Stellenbosch, South Africa, 18-20 November 2005 Today's world-maps, political and linguistic, were laid out through human population movements, some ancient but some of them very recent. In this year's conference we want to address the effects of these movements on language communities: how they dissolve communities, and change their status; how communities may re-form in foreign places, and the relations between incomers and the established populations, whichever has the upper hand; the impact of empires, deportation, mass immigration, population loss from emigration. Remembered migration histories may be relevant to the modern self-image of communities. Internal migration by dominant-language speakers into the territories of minorities may lead to the marginalization of others /in situ/; and minorities often decamp to the dominant centres under various pressures. The UN has declared a second International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The languages we talk about will be very varied, and likely to include the languages of communities all over the world. Some of them are spoken by indigenous communities, which have become a minority on their own original territory due to the immigration of a dominant majority group. This kind of marginalization is very common, and notable examples include the San languages in South Africa, the Ainu language in Japan and many pre-Hispanic languages in California. It plays a major role in the current civil disorder in Nepal. In some cases, endangered languages may have gone into their own world-wide diapora: such is the case of Plautdietsch, language of the Mennonites, who emigrated to many places (Siberia, Canada, Mexico, Paraguay), where often their language became marginalised. Marginalization can, however, result from a variety of causes: a state policy of forced assimilation, military domination, religious conversion, the wish for social betterment, attendance at boarding schools, etc. We shall look at how both the State and communities can address the causes of marginalization, and of course its effects on the survival and development of languages. Besides the international dimension, this year's location in South Africa will give members an opportunity to get acquainted with many of the local linguistic issues, among them the position of Khoe and San, the past and future of Afrikaans, but also the Makhuwa-speaking ex-slaves from Durban, the Phuthi speakers from Eastern Cape, and no doubt many others. Issues that may arise include: · Why are migration histories so treasured as sources of language identity? · Do language-communities always (or ever) have better prospects of survival in their home territories than when transplanted? · Can language-communities on their home ground and in diaspora give each other effective support? · Can small language-communities create new identities in remote territories? · Can new communities resulting from migration or deportation establish a new quasi-indigenous identity based on a shared language? · What is the value of cultural resources for maintenance of status and active language use within endangered language communities? · Do technical media have a significant role in combatting or reinforcing marginalization? · Is it possible to reconcile the recognition of official languages with respect for a much larger number of indigenous languages? · Can minority and even endangered languages play an active role in a state’s policy of multilingualism? Local Site The University of Stellenbosch is in South Africa's Western Cape, close to Cape Town. It has had a Department of African Languages for more than half a century (http://academic.sun.ac.za/african_languages); it has a Department of General Linguistics (.../linguist/index_english.htm) and a Language Centre (.../taalsentrum/index_engframeset.htm). Abstract Submission Abstracts should not exceed 500 words. They may be submitted in two ways: by electronic submission, and alternatively on paper. Most simply, they should be written in English. Other languages may also be accepted by prior arrangement with the Conference Chair Nigel Crawhall or FEL Chairman Nicholas Ostler 1) Electronic submission: Electronic submission (by 24 April 2005) should be as an attachment in Word, or simply as an email message to , with a copy to . Please fill in the subject domain as follows: FEL_Abstract The e-mail should also contain, in the following format: NAME : Names of the author(s) TITLE: Title of the paper EMAIL: Email address of the first author, if any ADDRESS: Postal address of the first author TEL: Telephone number of the first author, if any FAX: Fax number of the first author, if any The name of the first author will be used in all correspondence. 2) Paper abstracts: Three copies should be sent (to arrive by 1 May 2005) to: FEL IX Conference Admin Foundation for Endangered Languages 172 Bailbrook Lane Bath BA1 7AA United Kingdom This should have a clear short title, but should not bear anything to identify the author(s). On a separate sheet, enclosed in an envelope, please include the following information: NAME : Names of the author(s) TITLE: Title of the paper EMAIL: Email address of the first author, if any ADDRESS: Postal address of the first author TEL: Telephone number of the first author, if any FAX: Fax number of the first author, if any The name of the first author will be used in all correspondence. (If possible, please also send an e-mail to Funmi Adeniyi informing her of the paper submission. This is in case the hard copy does not reach its destination in time. This e-mail should contain the information specified in the above section.) Oral presentations will last twenty minutes each, with a further ten minutes for discussion. Plenary lectures will last forty-five minutes each. Authors will be expected to submit a written paper with the full version of the lecture for publication in the proceedings well in advance of the conference. Important Dates · Abstract arrival deadlines - 24 April 2005 (e-mail); 1 May 2005 (by post) · Committee's decision 15 May 2005 · In case of acceptance, the full paper should be sent by 31 Aug 2005. (Further details on the format of text will be specified to the authors) · Conference 18-20 November 2005 -- Foundation for Endangered Languages Registered Charity: England and Wales 1070616 172 Bailbrook Lane, Bath BA1 7AA, England +44-1225-852865 nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk http://www.ogmios.org From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Apr 5 18:26:39 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 11:26:39 -0700 Subject: Language anxiety? Try immersion therapy (fwd) Message-ID: Language anxiety? Try immersion therapy By THOMAS J. FITZGERALD Thursday, March 31, 2005 Updated at 9:35 AM EST New York Times News Service http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050317.gtlanguagemar17/BNStory/Technology/ Technology has not yet produced an effortless way to learn another language, but it can lend a helping hand. Advancements in multimedia and the growth of the Internet have led to an assortment of language tools that can complement academic studies or enable studying on your own schedule. Software options offer a variety of technological features and instructional materials, and can range from straightforward drill-oriented tools to interactive programs with speech recognition and 750 hours of learning. On-line offerings can range from free self-tutoring websites to live virtual classrooms with instructors for groups or individual instruction. The options also have different philosophies behind their teaching methods, enabling users to choose a delivery mode best suited to their style of learning. Some choices can be expensive, though, so understanding what a program promises to teach and the features it offers can be worth some initial research. A program called Rosetta Stone (www.rosettastone.com), from Fairfield Language Technologies, based in Harrisonburg, Va., offers study software that uses an immersion technique. The program strives to replicate the way children learn their native language; all of the instruction is in the foreign language, and nothing written or spoken is translated to English. To emulate this childhood learning process, the program displays a series of photographs combined with audio and text. For example, at the beginning of the first lesson of German, the user is presented with four photographs along with the text and spoken words of "ein Hund." The user must then select the photograph of ein Hund, or a dog, to advance to the next screen. As you advance through the screens, each displaying four photographs from which to choose the correct response, the materials become more complex, building on what was previously learned. By the final screen of Lesson 1, you are asked to choose the correct photo for phrases like "ein Junge in einem Flugzeug, " or a boy in an airplane. A critical element in the Rosetta Stone approach is deductive reasoning. Through an intentional juxtaposition of the photographs that encourages you to discern the correct response, often through a process of elimination, you are developing deductive reasoning skills that can be transferred to real life situations, according to the company, enabling you to think and learn on your feet. "For us, that skill, the skill of learning how to learn language, is probably the most important thing we do, because ultimately it is the skill you need when you finally get away from the computer," said Duane M. Sider, director of training and marketing for Fairfield Language. For example, while you may not understand every word when you hear someone speaking the language you are learning, Sider said, you can start with what you do know, then add clues from facial expressions, body gestures and your surroundings. "You begin to deduce the meaning," Sider said. "Since you are doing that at every screen on Rosetta Stone, it is a skill we feel is crucial to develop and reinforce as you move along." Rosetta Stone has other features and is available for 28 languages, from Arabic to Welsh, and runs on PCs and Macs. Prices vary depending upon the level offered for a particular language ($195 U.S. for Level 1; $225 for Level 2; and $329 for Levels 1 and 2 combined, are some examples). On-line versions are available on a subscription basis. LanguageNow!, software from Transparent Language (transparent.com), based in Nashua, N.H., takes a different approach. The program's objectives are to provide fast access to reference materials and to make learning enjoyable. "You learn a language, or frankly anything, by having frequent successful experiences in that language," said Charles McGonagle, a vice-president and general manager at Transparent Language. "We provide all the help reference right on the screen. When you come to a word you don't know, you can just look down and see the translation of it." In one of its main features, the program plays video with native-speaking actors acting out scenes in the foreign language, while at the bottom of the screen the dialogue is displayed in the foreign language and in English. This is useful for beginners; you can pause on a word to explore its meaning and hear it pronounced by native speakers. You can also pause on a sentence and replay it to translate each word or to listen to it in the native language as many times as you need to understand the concepts being taught. In the Italian version of the software, for example, the characters in the video, Gabriella and Piero, are travelling through Italy to gather information to publish a travel guide. At times people they encounter may speak quickly for beginners to understand; having the option to pause over those sentences, to break them down word by word, is useful. There are also ways to practice speaking the language. Using a microphone, you can play the parts of characters in the video, then replay your lines to hear how you sound. The program has grammar reference materials and includes quizzes and games like crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blank and unscramble. The pricing for LanguageNow!, available for 16 languages, is $40 for most languages, including French, Russian and Spanish; $90 for others like Irish Gaelic and Portuguese; and $130 for Latin and Arabic. Tell Me More, a program from Auralog (auralog.com), based in France, takes another approach. The premium version of the software ($195) includes three CD-ROMs with instructional material, a headset with a microphone and 750 hours of instruction. The program uses speech recognition as a central teaching tool. For example, in one section the user listens to questions and must speak answers to continue. There is also a sentence pronunciation section. You can practice speaking sentences and compare the results against native speakers, and the program highlights mispronounced words. And in a section of phonetic exercises, the program demonstrates how to pronounce sounds by using 3-D animations of lip and mouth movements and analyzes your pronunciation. Another program, called Instant Immersion, from Topics Entertainment (topics-ent.com), based in Renton, Wash., offers many languages and several types of programs. Options are available for children as well. Transparent's KidSpeak ($30) offers lessons in French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. JumpStart Spanish ($18), from Knowledge Adventure (jumpstart.com), is another option for children. websites with free lessons are plentiful. A free site offered by Barbara Nelson, an assistant professor at Colby College in Maine, (www.colby.edu/TILDEbknelson/exercises) has interactive lessons for Spanish that include audio, video and exercises. Many of the lessons provide immediate feedback , Nelson said, which is one advantage technology has over textbooks. A list of free and commercial on-line resources is at ilovelanguages.com. For on-line instruction with teachers, Berlitz, the language teaching company, offers a distance-learning option for 32 languages called Berlitz Virtual Classroom (www.berlitz.us/on-line). The teaching method is the same as in conventional Berlitz classes, an immersion technique, and users can learn in groups or have individual lessons with a Berlitz instructor. The on-line instruction employs Web conferencing software from Interwise; a student speaks and listens through a computer, writes on a shared whiteboard and can record the lessons. Videoconferencing is not a part of the program (neither the teacher nor the other students are visible). The cost for the group classes is $799 for 10 sessions (2 hours 15 minutes each). For individual instruction the cost is $1,975 for 18 sessions (90 minutes each). Sifting through such an array of language-learning tools can seem daunting. One rule of thumb, according to Jessamine Cooke-Plagwitz, assistant professor of German at Northern Illinois University, is to look for options that cover the four main language modes: listening, speaking, writing and reading. "Most of them do not work on all four areas," said Cooke-Plagwitz, who is working on a book about technology-enhanced language learning. "But the best ones do." Cooke-Plagwitz also says programs that include video of native speakers carry an added benefit. "You can read a lot just by the way a person moves their hands, or their facial expressions," she said. "There is a lot more comprehension that can go on if you can actually see somebody speaking your target language." Translation tools An assortment of language translation tools is available for people studying languages and for travellers, options that run on computers and also on hand-held devices like Pocket PCs and iPods. Google (google.com/language(USCORE)tools) offers a free Web-based option to translate text and website content. You can insert text from applications like word-processing programs to translate content from many languages to English and vice versa. You can also translate the text of a website by typing in the address. Mac users will find a translation tool inside Sherlock. Called Translation, the feature can translate text among many languages and is powered by Systran (www.systransoft.com), a provider of translation products. Sherlock is located in Applications in Mac OS X. Desktop translation software is also available. A program from Babylon (babylon.com), called Babylon-Pro ($49.50), and one from Transparent Language (transparent.com), called EasyTranslator ($49.95), include many translation features. Mobile software is available for devices that run the Pocket PC and Palm operating systems, and also for iPods and cellphones. MobiLearn's Talking Phrasebook (mobilearn.net), for Pocket PC devices, translates common phrases for travelers using audio. Talking Panda's iLingo (talkingpanda.com) runs on iPods, and Ectaco (ectaco.com) offers solutions software for Pocket PC's, Palm OS devices and cellphones. Additional products can be found at www.handango.com. [note: some text is missing in the original article. pcc] From sdp at U.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Apr 5 19:24:36 2005 From: sdp at U.ARIZONA.EDU (Susan D. Penfield) Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 12:24:36 -0700 Subject: Fwd: tesol--new tech ideas Message-ID: Thanks to Garry Forger for this report: here is some info from the conference. In particular check out the cloze reading tool. TESOL Conference 2005 I attended the 2005 TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Conference on April 1 and 2. http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/index.asp Graduate student Paul Lyddon and I provided a brief presentation on the OLE Board that was very well received. Powerpoint of the presentation is at http://www.ole.arizona.edu/ppt2/olemarch5_files/frame.htm The focus of the presentation was on the work that Paul is doing to establish pedagogical strategies for using the OLE Board in instruction. Paul is actively using the Board in his ESL class this semester. Some of the other presentations that were interesting are included here: The Lesson Plan Builder is a free online resource for creating lessons plans, mostly focused on adult education courses http://www.adultedlessons.org/login.cfm?fuseaction=login Wichita State has an interesting program for online Journal Writing that they developed. Unfortunately I don't think it is on the web but the website of the department that developed it is interesting http://webs.wichita.edu/ielc-lab/ The journal writing software provides prompts to students on spelling and grammer help. A really cool free application for language instruction the Webgapper http://newtongue.org/webgapper/ Go to the above URL, in the box at the top put in a url such as http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue42/daw/ click on get page button. This will put a box at top of the page that lets you retrieve page with letters missing. Students then have to figure out what letters are missing. If I have not explained that well I can give a demo of this. This type of exercise is called 'cloze reading'. There were two people at the conference who have used qtvr to develop online language tutorials. Info on the first is at http://alexwrege.com/files/tesol_2005.pdf This is his handout but I could not find the actual module online. Another is at http://homepages.utoledo.edu/dcolema/motelzero/student.htm G -- _______________________________________ Photos from Sonoran trip, paleoarchaeological site March 2005 http://staff.ltc.arizona.edu/garry/terapa ______________________ Garry J. Forger, MLS Assistant Director Learning Technologies Center The University of Arizona 1077 N. Highland Ave Tucson, AZ 85721-0073 gforger at u.arizona.edu http://www.ltc.arizona.edu/ Phone 520-626-7761 Fax 520-626-8220 ----- End forwarded message ----- Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. Department of English The Writing Program Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Ph.D. Program (affiliate faculty) Indigenous Languages and Technology Southwest Center, Research Associate in Anthropology University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721 ----- End forwarded message ----- Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. Department of English, Writing Program Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Program Indigenous Languages and Technology University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Apr 6 17:56:49 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 10:56:49 -0700 Subject: Indians hope saving languages will revitalize cultures (fwd) Message-ID: Posted on Wed, Apr. 06, 2005 Indians hope saving languages will revitalize cultures AMERICAN INDIAN ISSUES: Native language revitalization organizers hope to learn lessons from New Zealand's Maori. BY STEVE KUCHERA NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/11322769.htm CARLTON - American Indians and the Maori of New Zealand live nearly half a world apart. But they've shared the experience of watching their languages approach extinction. Some Maori, however, have worked for more than 20 years to revitalize their language. "Without it, we have no culture. ... We are no one," Timoti Karetu, director of the Institute of Excellence in the Maori Language, said Tuesday. Karetu and two other Maori attended the three-day Minnesota Indigenous Language Symposium to share their experience with more than 200 attendees. "We brought them here because we are in the embryonic stages of language revitalization," said Gabrielle Strong, program officer for the Grotto Foundation. The foundation co-sponsored the symposium with Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and the University of Minnesota Duluth. In 2001, the Twin Cities-based foundation began a 15-year native language revitalization effort. "Language is more than words," Strong said. "It's about whole systems of knowledge and philosophy that are embedded in that language. There's healing in language. We have a lot of desire to revitalize the languages." But the desire is not matched evenly by skills. The symposium's goal is to showcase model native language revitalization programs. "There's great things going in small pockets all over," said Amy Bergstrom. "This is a start -- coming together and laying out the path for our efforts." Bergstrom is director of the Gekinoo'imaagejig (the Ones Who Teach) Teacher Education Program, a collaboration between Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and UMD. The schools developed the program to recruit and train American Indian students interested in becoming teachers. The students earn a teaching minor in the Ojibwe language. Linguists estimate that 500 years ago, American Indians in what was to become the continental United States spoke more than 300 languages. About half survive. Some were lost when tribes were exterminated. Others vanished or faded as schools and missionaries worked to quash native languages and cultures. A 1995 survey of reservations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan found 418 fluent Ojibwemowin speakers, none younger than 45. Most were elders. And fewer than 30 fully fluent Dakota speakers remain in Minnesota, according to the Dakota Ojibwe Language Revitalization Alliance. "Much of what happened to you happened to us," Karetu said. By the 1970s, fewer than 20 percent of Maori could speak their language fluently. Most of those were elderly. Maori began efforts to keep their language alive in the late 1970s. In 1987, New Zealand declared Maori an official language. By 1997, more than 55,000 children had learned Maori. But saving a language requires more than classroom lessons, Karetu said. "If you want your language to survive, use it," he said. "It will survive by being spoken all the time." When the Institute of Excellence in the Maori Language began, Karetu began the practice of requiring Maori be spoken all the time, everywhere. "Drown the children in language," he said. "Expose children to the best speakers, which for you is probably the grandmothers and grandfathers -- like it was for us." Pania Papa, an institute member accompanying Karetu, noted that one of the island nation's three television channels is now Maori. "That's a wonderful thing for our kids," she said. In addition to the Maori, symposium attendees heard from people involved in language revitalization efforts across Minnesota, in Hawaii, Montana and New Mexico. STEVE KUCHERA can be reached at (218) 279-5503, toll free at (800) 456-8282, or by e-mail at skuchera at duluthnews.com. © 2005 Duluth News Tribune and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.duluthsuperior.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Apr 6 18:00:15 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 11:00:15 -0700 Subject: Scholar wants to create Ojibwe language center (fwd) Message-ID: Posted on Wed, Apr. 06, 2005 Scholar wants to create Ojibwe language center NEWS TRIBUNE http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/11322770.htm CARLTON - Charisa "Chris" Homan is working toward a Ph.D. in sociolinguistics, focusing on endangered languages. But she doesn't want to simply study people and books and publish a bunch of statistics for her graduate project. Instead, she wants to help create an Ojibwe Language Resource Center. "I'm offering my work to the community," she said Tuesday at the Minnesota Indigenous Language Symposium. "I'm trying to make a difference. The most important part of this is language revitalization." Homan graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in December 2003 with double majors in English and American Indian studies with an Ojibwe emphasis. She's working on her Ph.D. at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. While at UMD, Homan heard of the idea of creating an Ojibwe Language Resource Center to help revitalize the language. "This isn't my idea. It's an idea that was identified by members of the community," she said. Such a center could be a meeting place for community members and language experts, a place where people could meet to talk about the language -- in Ojibwe, if they chose. Its staff could work with other communities involved in language revitalization efforts. They could collect, record and share language resources. Homan is looking for help and guidance from the Ojibwe community to answer questions like where a center should be located and whether it should be affiliated with a tribal college. While Homan is willing to help organize efforts to create the center and to help find funding, she doesn't want to control the center. "What I want is the experience and knowledge gained from the work I do," she said. From gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Apr 6 19:23:27 2005 From: gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Garry Forger) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 12:23:27 -0700 Subject: Southern Arizona Language Fair In-Reply-To: <20050406110015.s0o4c8ksss48o0ss@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: A record number of K-16 language students, parents and teachers will participate in the annual Southern Arizona Language Fair, held Saturday, April 9, at the UA. The event offers multicultural opportunities and attractions, including competitions in poetry, drama, proficiency, art competitions and non-competitive performances. Students will play games exclusively in a second language, with peers, parents, students and instructors from the UA and Pima Community College. http://www.coh.arizona.edu/pal/lf05/index.htm ______________________ Garry J. Forger, MLS Assistant Director Learning Technologies Center The University of Arizona 1077 N. Highland Ave Tucson, AZ 85721-0073 gforger at u.arizona.edu http://www.ltc.arizona.edu/ Phone 520-626-7761 Fax 520-626-8220 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 7 17:20:36 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 10:20:36 -0700 Subject: Mbeki calls for preservation of indigenous languages (fwd) Message-ID: Mbeki calls for preservation of indigenous languages President Mbeki wants traditional leaders, to stop indigenous languages from disappearing April 07, 2005, 17:00 http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/general/0,2172,101617,00.html President Thabo Mbeki wants traditional leaders to stop indigenous languages from disappearing. Mbeki was speaking at the annual opening of the National House of Traditional Leaders in Cape Town today. Mbeki says he is very concerned that African languages and traditions are lapsing in both rural and urban areas. Mbeki says African pride shines when people express their culture in the way they dress, the traditions they uphold and the languages they speak. But these are in danger of being pushed aside. The president says at school level, fewer and fewer of African children are taking African languages as subjects. He says many young people are more in tune with Western trends. Hence in many instances it is easy for the youth to identify with rock stars from places they have never seen. He called on traditional leaders to bring back language and tradition. He says they should work with communities, government departments and the private sector to raise the importance of African languages. Mbeki also wants to see festivals celebrating traditions, songs and dances becoming a regular feature in cities and rural areas countrywide. This has been welcomed by the traditional leaders. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 7 17:32:22 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 10:32:22 -0700 Subject: Utilizing song and film to teach Hopi language (fwd) Message-ID: Navajo-Hopi Observer- News Utilizing song and film to teach Hopi language By S.J. Wilson The Observer http://www.navajohopiobserver.com/NAVAJOHOPIOBSERVER/myarticles.asp?P=1103147&S=392&PubID=13929 FLAGSTAFF Thanks to an unlikely partnership and the blending of modern media, Hopi youngsters, families and teachers have yet another teaching tool to preserve traditional culture and language. Ferrell Secakuku and Anita Poleahla have produced a popular CD called Learning Through Hopi Songs. "We wanted to inspire younger children, to provide a way for them to hear the words, to put themselves into the Hopi language, to bring them back to speaking Hopi," Secakuku said. "We are working uphill it's a challenge to bring back the Hopi language." [photo inset - S.J. Wilson/Observer. Ferrell Secakuku, left, and Anita Poleahla join Natasa Garic, center, at her March 17 presentation at Northern Arizona University.] This is important to Secakuku and Poleahla. Like all native cultures, the Hopi language is the root of Hopi culture and life, Secakuku insisted. Secakuku, a former Hopi Tribal Chairman, met Natasa Garic in a graduate level anthropology class at Northern Arizona University. Garic, a Serbian/Croatian from Slovenia, is an international student in the Anthropology Department. She is fluent in English and Croatian, and speaks Italian and German. Garic is a 2002 graduate of NAU, majoring in cultural anthropology. She said she has always been interested in ancient cultures and native people. She originally came to Arizona to study the Navajo and has worked closely with the Hopi. A professional volleyball player, Garic is passionate about archaeology, petroglyphs and the tracing of migration patterns. Garic's interest in Hopi culture led Secakuku and Poleahla to invite Garic to illustrate a song from their CD. Garic presented the finished product, Hopi Maidenhood Ceremony, on the afternoon of March 17 during a colloquia at the Anthropology Department, where Secakuku and Poleahla joined her. A self-described applied anthropologist, Garic told the gathering that the intention of her work is to prove that there are other ways to do anthropology. "I thought this would be a good way to inspire the younger generation along with their parents and grandparents," Secakuku said. Garic, Secakuku and Poleahla chose the Hopi maidenhood ceremony, deciding to bring the experience into Hopi homes and classrooms. This would allow children who might not otherwise view the ceremony to share the experience. Rather than filming video footage of the ceremony, Garic decided to use still photographs. Garic began the presentation by explaining to fellow students and faculty members that traditional Hopi education is much different from that of the western world. "On Hopi, there are different ways of education. Girls learn how to grind corn and how to cook traditional foods," Garic said. "The men and boys meet together in the kivas during the winter for lessons. In this way they learn respect for tribal elders." Garic went on to explain that the learning style of Native American youth is experiential, and that culturally based, active experiences help engage their interest. "If you've never been to Hopi, let me tell you, the world there is not the same. The pace is different," Garic said. "The people hold a different philosophy of life." Garic described the journey of a young girl becoming a maiden, learning to make traditional foods like piki bread and somiviki, and the butterfly whorl hairstyle announcing the young woman's new status. She shared a brief explanation of the maiden's ritual and social roles, of receiving gifts of cornmeal and valuable advice for moving into adulthood. "I wanted children to associate the words of the song with the pictures. I wanted historic photos to represent cultural continuity," Garic said. "I tried to make it about the young woman represented in the pictures, and about her family. I hope that the experience [of viewing the presentation] will spark an interest in other cultural roles." As the chant of Poleahla and Secakuku pulsed resonantly, viewers were treated to a slideshow of vignettes of Hopi life of the family of a young woman entering her maidenhood. The photographs were compelling, moving through vistas of skyline beyond the edge of ancient villages, historic photos, family gatherings and corn plants. So far the audience of the film has primarily been school children, as well as a showing to teachers at the summer session of Hopi Day School. Garic agrees with Poleahla and Secakuku that this medium is a great way to teach, but she believes that the youth themselves can bring their own productions to life. "Kids today have learned the technology," she said. Poleahla, the Hopi Language teacher at Hopi Jr/Sr High School, describes herself at the grassroots level of technology. "Forget about housework," she laughed. "This isn't really work, this is fun." "Songs from Learning Through Hopi Songs has received a lot of play in northern Arizona. We hear the songs everywhere," Poleahla said. "We hear them on the radio, students are singing them." "We are working on teaching material to accompany these songs. We are so fortunate to have Natasa to do this for us. This has been a new learning experience," Poleahla said. Secakuku and Poleahla's audience is asking for the next CD and it is in the works. Entitled "Teaching Through Hopi Songs," fans of this duo can expect to see this new CD in late April or early May. From jtucker at STARBAND.NET Sat Apr 9 13:06:28 2005 From: jtucker at STARBAND.NET (Jan Tucker) Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2005 09:06:28 -0400 Subject: tech book In-Reply-To: <02e001c4bad8$415af9c0$abed7b80@red6bvg9btk> Message-ID: Mia, Your book sounds like a great idea. In thinking about it, it seems that a book about applying technology might be best shared on the web itself. An ebook abut the application of technology. Also it seems that from exploring all the wonderful sites you have been sharing in this discussion that a annotated webliography of resources or where to get them would be a huge asset to anyone looking for ideas. Finally, why not coauthor or have a place where people can submit their story of best practices themselves and you be the editor. This way not only would you be presenting applied usages of technology but it would be available widely to apply. Might be able to get a grant for something like this. The book could come later, at least the compilation of resources would be there. PS: One of the strengths of this list serve is getting to see all the amazing work being done. It's the good news you don't here about cultural and language revitalization. Jan Adjunct Professor Applied Cultural Anthropology -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]On Behalf Of MiaKalish at LFP Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 5:19 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: tech book I am thinking of submitting a proposal for a book on Technology and revitalization/language type applications, but I don't think I sent a general notice to the list. I can't remember if I saw another email go by about it. It's right now a question of whether I can edit a book while doing the research for my PhD and finishing my dissertation. Also, if I did this book, it would be about how people Applied the Theory. We have lots of good books on theory, and about how teaching in culture is more effective than teaching out of culture. Also, we have lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of papers and articles about the Possibilities of using Technology, hence the focus: Best Practices in Technology Applications for Language and Culture Revitalization. best, Mia ----- Original Message ----- From: Rrlapier at AOL.COM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 9:35 PM Subject: tech book Can someone respond to Michael Price? Rosalyn LaPier Piegan Institute www.pieganinstitute.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Apr 10 19:17:45 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 12:17:45 -0700 Subject: Young American Indians strive to maintain traditional culture (fwd) Message-ID: Posted on Sun, Apr. 10, 2005 Young American Indians strive to maintain traditional culture BRAD PERRIELLO Associated Press http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/11361166.htm EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. - When Emanuel Red Bear and his friends wanted to learn the traditional songs of the Lakota Sioux, they turned to 76-year-old Burdell Blue Arm and his extensive knowledge of Lakota culture. "We were thinking about singing some songs, and Burdell said, 'Let's sing some old songs, traditional songs,'" said Red Bear, who lives in Eagle Butte on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Along with Blue Arm and his nephews, Red Bear began a traditional drum group called "Wakpa Waste," pronounced WALK-pah WASH-tay, Lakota for "Good River." That is also how the tribe refers to its namesake, the Cheyenne River. "We try to sing the older songs (so) that the people will hear," Red Bear said. But preserving those songs, and American Indian culture in general, is becoming increasingly difficult as tribal elders pass away. For example, Blue Arm lives in a nursing home in Mobridge, more than 80 miles from Eagle Butte. He is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and is beginning to lose his memory. "That's the way my mind is - I forget now and then," Blue Arm said. As his memory fades, the tribe loses one of its most important resources. "Burdell is a living library of Lakota music," said his nephew, Steve Emery, a member of Wakpa Waste and a lawyer for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. For Red Bear, who teaches Lakota language and culture to students in Eagle Butte, keeping younger Indians interested in the ways of their people is a challenge. Many just don't care to learn the ways of their ancestors because of the allure of contemporary American culture, he said. "We have more influences of the modern society. Gangs, television, alcohol and drugs - everything's right here," Red Bear said. "We live in two worlds, the Lakota world and the non-Indian world." The Cheyenne River tribe passed an ordinance in 1993 requiring that Lakota language and culture be taught in reservation classrooms. But it is a struggle to capture students' interest, Red Bear said. "We have people, our own tribal members, who are ashamed to be (Lakota), and they don't want to learn the language," he said. "It's sad to see." Another problem are the differences in dialects between tribes, Red Bear said. The Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Standing Rock and Cheyenne River tribes all have different ways of referring to things and there are specific endings indicating the gender of the speaker. That means it's nearly impossible to reach a consensus on what needs to be taught, he said. "We're standing in one place spinning our wheels, arguing about who's right and who's wrong, and in the meantime we're losing our language," Red Bear said. But there is hope. Red Bear grew up speaking Lakota at home, and said learning such everyday phrases as "brush your teeth" and "go play" is crucial to saving the language. In outlying areas of the reservation, away from towns such as Eagle Butte, there are still families that speak Lakota at home, he said. Encouraging them to keep that up will help preserve the Lakota way, Red Bear said. "We still have a chance if we get the ones that live in the outlying districts," he said. In addition, Red Bear and others are spearheading projects such as a Lakota language immersion camp at the Cheyenne River reservation, which will be held for the second time this summer. Sponsored by the tribe, Si Tanka University and a bilingual education program, it involves language classes and instruction in such cultural activities as erecting tipis. The campers, mainly college students, are taught by members of the Cheyenne River tribe. Drum groups like Wakpa Waste also help by keeping people familiar with the older songs and exposing new people to them, Red Bear said. During the 2005 legislative session, Wakpa Waste took a drum to Pierre and sang in the South Dakota Capitol rotunda before a crowd that included lawmakers and Gov. Mike Rounds. For Blue Arm, the efforts of people like Red Bear and his nephews to learn - and preserve - the Lakota way are a beacon of hope. "It means something that they can speak the language. Maybe God is helping us," Blue Arm said. © 2005 AP Wire and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.aberdeennews.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Apr 10 19:20:53 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 12:20:53 -0700 Subject: Living language (fwd) Message-ID: Living language April 10, 2005 KATE GOLDEN/Frontiersman http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2005/04/10/news/news1.txt CHICKALOON - At the village's all-ages Ahtna language class, kids from 6 to 60 acted out everything from fiddlehead ferns to moose calves. Appreciative audience members called out their guesses and heckled the actors. A roster going around listed eight teachers and eight students. As usual, neither generation nor demeanor gave a clue as to which ones were which. "Hit me!" Calin Wade challenged his mother. Angie Wade turned up a flash card with a fish on it. "Trout," she said. "Tsabaey," he said. "How much you want to bet?" The issue was solved with another flip of the cards and a word from teacher Sondra Stuart. He was right, and he gloated. These games have serious import. Kari Johns, educational director of Chickaloon's Ya Ne Dah Ah village school, which the children attend, said, "We're doing it to keep a language alive." Loneliness Katie Wade, Calin's great-grandmother, has not had a full-blown Ahtna conversation in years. "I cannot tell a story in my own language," she said. Growing up in Chickaloon, Wade acted as go-between between her traditional, Ahtna-speaking maternal grandparents and her white, English-speaking, bootlegger father. The Indian side, she said, was much richer: They sang, danced and told stories constantly. Ahtna, she remembered, was a fun language. She and her siblings made up words, used it as a secret language and played tricks on people. Stories were funnier in Ahtna. Now, she is the only fluent speaker of her dialect. At some point, she vowed, "I miss it so much I'm going to try to teach those kids to how to talk to me." Ten years ago, Wade started teaching the younger generations of the Chickaloon tribe. Two of her earliest students, Stuart and Daniel Harrison, are now the main teachers. The kids aren't far enough along yet to shoot the breeze with Wade. And disuse has jumbled her syntax over the years. But she's hopeful that Ahtna will revive. "I think (they) can get pretty far with it," she said. Difficult for oldsters Brainwise, children always have the advantage in learning languages. There are a few things, however, that make Ahtna inherently more challenging for adults. Once hard-wired, the alphabets we learn as children are difficult to expand. And there are some sounds in Athabaskan languages that don't occur in English. For example, where English recognizes just the letter t, Ahtna makes words with the variations t', tl, tl', ts and ts'. Athabaskan expert Siri Tuttle, an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, calls the language "smooth and lovely and musical." Angie Wade laughed as she complained, "'Grass,' 'hand' and 'butt' all sound the same." Both words and sentences are structured differently than English. Tuttle said that verbs seem to be "inside out," rare among the world's languages. Wade said that translating sentences is "like unscrewing some puzzle." And a little twist to a syllable can change the meaning of a word so drastically that the corresponding English fix would be to add a whole new sentence. The form of a verb can vary around several dimensions, indicating time and the way an action is carried out. Take the verb "chop," for example. Dozens of variations could indicate whether the object was chopped now, yesterday, in half, or whether it was hewn into a certain shape. "The language forces you to pay extremely close attention to the way actions are carried out," said Gary Holden, assistant professor of linguistics at University of Alaska Fairbanks. "The way you can include nouns inside verbs, verbs inside nouns - you can make words that have really deep meaning," Tuttle said. "Ahtna ... has really remarkable poetic capabilities." Blame the white man It's easy to point blame for the murder of Alaskan Native languages, Holden said. The history is not pretty. Nearly a century of official language policy not only favored English but in many cases forbade the use of native languages. "They made everybody so afraid," Katie Wade said. Now, there are those who grew up hearing the language but who cut it off from themselves - "passive speakers," in linguists' argot. They understand the language, but often they can't get past their psychological conditioning to speak it. Wade said she escaped brainwashing because she never went to school. "I still think like my ancestors did," she said. There's resentment, too. People sometimes feel that if their language has been taken away, they want it given back, Holden said. Which is, of course, impossible. It's been taken away, and now they have to dedicate their lives to reconstructing it. Adding speakers is a slow, one-by-one process. But the language of the forefathers can never come back as it was. "What comes back is something different," he said. "But it's still language." Teaching challenges Wade put resentment aside for the worthy cause of teaching the younger generation. Her motivation is larger than her linguistic loneliness. The death of a language, she maintained, causes the death of the culture that's inextricably linked. Ahtna stories never translated well into English, children never gleaned the values they related, and it's time she did something about it. "The only way you know who you are is when you know your language," she said. Kari Johns, educational director of Chickaloon Native school Ya Ne Dah Ah, said, "People have to visualize a culture as being a lure, a thing, a basket. It's so much deeper than that ... It's how we look at things." The task for older students is to abandon their self-consciousness - of learning as an adult, of past prohibitions on the language - and those in Chickaloon has done so remarkably, according to Tuttle. "It seems as though people in this community have just decided to give up their neuroses and just do what they can do," she said. Teacher Stuart said it's a "humbling" process. They're all still working on basic words and little sentences, like "Black bear came to see us." But at this point, most of the grade-school students have been exposed to the language training since they were in kindergarten. "This is everyday life for them," said Stuart, who teaches them daily at Ya Ne Dah Ah. They've got the tools They may lack the usually requisite community of fluent speakers, but they have killer teaching tools. There's a dictionary, compiled by Jim Carrey and published in 2000, for which teachers Harrison and Wade served as key informants. Syntax is more of a challenge, but Tuttle plans to put together a comprehensive grammar eventually. And there are field recordings from decades of linguistic work. Another linguistic resource: Tuttle herself. She said her role is to suggest unorthodox solutions to problems or to act as the outsider who inspires others with her own learning - "If a stupid white lady can get it ..." she laughed. Sondra Stuart described a pedagogical gap between Chickaloon elders' traditionally hands-off teaching style and the Western-grown "But Why?" style of the youngest generation. The elder's answer to why, she said, was often "You just do it." As a linguist, Stuart said Tuttle often can explain the 'why' in terms of the language's internal logic. Which is something her inquisitive students are always seeking. They're constantly taking words apart, digging into the syllables to find related words that might have contributed meaning. But as for those raw archives, as Holden said, "You really have to be a connoisseur to appreciate a Dena'ina field recording from 1972." The Chickaloon challenge is to transform technical linguistics into user-friendly teaching tools. And that, he said, is where Chickaloon natives shine. Any kid who watches cartoons can appreciate Chickaloon Native Dimi Macheras's anime-influenced illustrations. On the Chickaloon village iBook, you click the dragonfly, which looks like it flew out of a comic book, and Daniel Harrison's voice says, "Tselc'utsaey." The posters of alphabet letters adorning the walls, the animal flash cards on the table, and the other seven Ahtna CD-ROMs all bear Macheras's marks. His intricate drawings suggest new ways to use an old language. A picture accompanying the word for 'house,' for example shows a modern house, not an ancestral Athabaskan one. Macheras said he went new-school consciously, looking for an aesthetic that "could resonate with a lot of people that are Native." Urban Native youths are asking, Johns noted, how they can incorporate computers into their ancestral languages. That doesn't mean the old ways are dead. Angie Wade, a birder, relies on Ahtna's many subtle distinctions between chickadees. Kate Golden can be reached at 352-2284 or kate.golden@ frontiersman.com. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 11 23:44:14 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 16:44:14 -0700 Subject: Endangered Language Fund (fwd link) Message-ID: Endangered Language Fund The Endangered Language Fund provides grants for language maintenance and linguistic field work. The work most likely to be funded will serve both the native community and the field of linguistics. The language involved must be in danger of disappearing within a generation or two. Grants are up to $4,000, averaging about $2,000 and normally for 1 year. DEADLINE: April 20, 2005 http://sapir.ling.yale.edu/~elf/rfp_0405.htm From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 11 23:50:08 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 16:50:08 -0700 Subject: Maliseet Sounds (fwd link) Message-ID: Maliseet Sounds http://www.ling.yale.edu/~elf/maliseet1.html [note: this website might be of interest to many of you as it offers an interesting representation on "computer-generated dictionaries". i will be adding this site to the ILAT resource listing soon. philcc] From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 06:15:46 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:15:46 -0700 Subject: Special Issue Call for Papers: "Minority languages, multimedia and the Web" (fwd) Message-ID: "Minority languages, multimedia and the Web" For The New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia, 2005 (2) Guest Editors: Daniel Cunliffe, University of Glamorgan, UK (djcunlif at glam.ac.uk), Susan Herring, Indiana University, USA (herring at indiana.edu) Information and communications technology, and in particular the World Wide Web, can be a double-edged sword as regards the maintenance and revitalisation of minority languages. On the one hand, minority language communities can be active shapers of these technologies, creating their own tools, adapting existing tools to local needs, and creating culturally authentic, indigenous electronic media. On the other hand, these technologies can be seen as a force for globalisation and neo-colonisation, reinforcing the existing dominance of majority languages and breaking down geographical boundaries that in the past may have protected minority language groups. Researching the effects of multimedia and the Web on minority languages is challenging, and it is not yet clear how best to utilise these technologies to maintain and revitalise minority languages. This special issue invites researchers and practitioners who are actively engaged in addressing these issues from practical or theoretical viewpoints to share their findings and experiences and to contribute to a platform for future research. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to: Minority language applications: designing, implementing and evaluating applications measuring the impact of applications on language use promoting indigenous production and participatory design Influence of ICTs on minority languages: adaptation of languages to online environments, e.g., Romanisation behaviour of minority language speakers in online environments Measuring online minority languages: quantitative and qualitative measurement of online presence and use content related analysis of online presence and use Strategic issues: understanding barriers to online minority language use integrating multimedia and the Web into language planning Article submissions should typically be no longer than 7,000 words (excluding references) and should follow the formatting guidelines in the Instructions to Authors on the NRHM web site (www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/13614568.asp). Submissions should be sent by email to the Guest Editors, in Word, rtf or pdf format. If you have any questions concerning the scope of the call or require further information, please contact the Guest Editors. Open topic papers meeting NRHM's scope in general are also welcome (contact the Editor for further information). Submission deadline: April 30, 2005 Acceptance notification: June 30, 2005 Final manuscripts due: August 31, 2005 NRHM Editor Douglas Tudhope - dstudhope at glam.ac.uk Associate Editor Daniel Cunliffe - djcunlif at glam.ac.uk NRHM is published by Taylor & Francis From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 06:22:18 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:22:18 -0700 Subject: Redefining the Ojibwe Classroom (fwd abstract) Message-ID: Anthropology & Education Quarterly March 2005, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 96-103 Redefining the Ojibwe Classroom: Indigenous Language Programs within Large Research Universities MINDY J. MORGAN Mindy J. Morgan is an assistant professor of anthropology at Michigan State University (morgan37 at msu.edu). Indigenous languages are powerful symbols of self-determination and sovereignty for tribal communities in the United States, and many community-based programs have been developed to support and maintain them. The successes of these programs, however, have been difficult to replicate at large research institutions. This article examines the issues of incorporating Indigenous languages into the university system by focusing on a series of language events developed as part of the Ojibwe language program at Michigan State University. These language events demonstrate a way for communities to participate in and maintain control of Indigenous language programs despite their location in nontribal educational institutions. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 06:37:53 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:37:53 -0700 Subject: Michif Language (fwd link) Message-ID: Michif Words, Michif Phrases http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/creelang/language/index.html [note: this site makes an interesting use of flash based .swf sound files. phil cc] From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 06:50:01 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:50:01 -0700 Subject: Din=?utf-8?Q?=C3=A9?= Language Association (fwd link) Message-ID: Diné Language Association (DLA) Nihizaad Bee Nideiilnish Our Language Empowers What We Do Spring Conference, April 22 & 23, 2005 http://cdte.dinecollege.edu/dla.htm From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 06:53:54 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:53:54 -0700 Subject: 2005 Latin American eLCTL Conference (fwd link) Message-ID: 2005 Latin American eLCTL Conference April 21 - 23, 2005, San Diego State University The purpose of The Latin American eLCTL Project Conference is to convene national discussions among specialists in Latin American Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages who have projects that may be better served via electronic distance/distributed learning. Assessing the language learner and emerging technologies for LCTLs will be addressed from a perspective of building quality electronic language programs for Latin American LCTLs. http://larcnet.sdsu.edu/elctl.php From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 07:03:29 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:03:29 -0700 Subject: Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) 2005 (fwd link) Message-ID: Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) 2005 The University of Alberta is pleased to present the sixth annual Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Institute (CILLDI) 2005. This program provides a unique opportunity to earn university credit while learning about selected Canadian Indigenous languages and cultures. Participants include undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning an Indigenous language or gaining expertise in the areas of linguistics, language and literacy, curriculum development, second language teaching and research. Dates July 25 to August 12, 2005 Location The Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute will be held on campus at the University of Alberta. Course offerings Students will choose a maximum of six credits from the course offerings above. For more information Department of Elementary Education Telephone: (780) 492-4188 Or check out the CILLDI website: www.ualberta.ca/~cilldi From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 07:19:35 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:19:35 -0700 Subject: Remote Aboriginal Youth Go online with New Webpages (fwd) Message-ID: Media Release 3rd Feb 2004 Remote Aboriginal Youth Go online with New Webpages A series of web-pages, created by young Aboriginal people in Central Australia was launched this week. The unique 'Outbush' pages 9on the Deadly mob website) feature the music, stories, interviews, video and photography of young Aboriginal people from communities surrounding Alice Springs. The aim of the Youth Out Bush Tour was to raise awareness of new media technologies, particularly the internet, in these communities. Workshops were conducted o­n using email, web browsing, using digital cameras, web cams and image manipulation software. The tour was just o­ne of many projects that make up the Deadly Mob organisation (auspiced by the Gap Youth Centre Aboriginal Corporation) in Alice Springs. Deadly Mob also run an Internet Café for indigenous youth in Alice Springs and have developed a Deadly Mob website which features free web-mail, a workplace search engine and now remote community pages. Communities visited included: Utju, Ntaria, Yuendumu, Titjikala, Docker River, Finke, Kintore, Papunya, Ikuntji, Nyirrpi, Alekarenge and Ampilwatwatja. The Youth Out Bush pages are a place for young people in remote communities to upload and browse songs, stories, videos (to be uploaded) and photography relevant to their lives. Given the serious lack of engaging indigenous youth content o­n the web, the site has already become extremely popular with the kids. Visit the community pages at http://www.deadlymob.org/outbush View the Language datashow at: http://www.deadlymob.org/col2_ob.cfm?randid=413061 Media contact: Jason Gibson 0427774469, 08 89524955, jay at deadlymob.org From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 18:25:24 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 11:25:24 -0700 Subject: NT: IAD publishes Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary (fwd) Message-ID: 14 April 2005 NT: IAD publishes Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary http://www.abc.net.au/message/news/stories/s1345138.htm In Alice Springs, Australia's oldest independent Indigenous publishing house, IAD Press, is continuing its significant contribution to Australia's cultural wealth and knowledge base by launching the Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary, the 4th volume in its highly acclaimed series of Aboriginal language picture dictionaries. [photo inset - Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary] Ngaanyatjarra speakers in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands worked with linguist Kazuko Obata and literacy consultant Inge Kral to compile the Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary, a language and literacy resource based on aspects of Ngaanyatjarra culture. "We feel proud to still hold on to our grandfathers and grandmothers country. This dictionary is for people, young people, and the young generation to learn our language, and also for children to rise up and learn our language so that they will keep holding our language and will not forget it," says Dorothy Ward, one of the Ngaanyatjarra contributors to the picture dictionary. Ngaanyatjarra (approximate pronunciation Nah.na.tha.rra) is a dialect of the Western Desert Language spoken by around 3000 people who live in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands in the Central Desert region of Western Australia near the tri-state border. Other Ngaanyatjarra speakers have migrated further west to townships such as Laverton, Leonora and Kalgoorlie in the Eastern Goldfields area of Western Australia. Most of the contributors to this dictionary live in Warburton, the largest of the 11 communities in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. The Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary contains more than 500 entries accompanied by about 400 pictures. Entries are divided into different categories including flora and fauna found on the Lands, and there are other categories reflecting the life and culture of Ngaanyatjarra people. The Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary will be a valuable resource for Ngaanyatjarra school children and adult literacy learners and their teachers, and also for those who come and live in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands and anybody interested in Australian Indigenous languages. LAUNCH DETAILS The Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary will be launched by Mr Barry Haase MP at the Tjulyuru Cultural and Civic Centre, Warburton Community, Western Australia at 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 19th April 2005. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 20:07:44 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 13:07:44 -0700 Subject: University of Utah Works to Revitalize Lost Languages (fwd) Message-ID: Globe Link - Community Issue: 4/14/05 University of Utah Works to Revitalize Lost Languages By Brenda Lewis http://www.slccglobelink.com/news/2005/04/14/Community/University.Of.Utah.Works.To.Revitalize.Lost.Languages-923218.shtml The death of a language can be the death of a culture. The University of Utah's Center for American Indian Languages hopes to revitalize those languages in the Americas that may soon be lost. "Lots and lots of people work on endangered languages, but there is no infrastructure," Dr. Lyle Campbell, Director of CAIL said. CAIL wants to change that by opening its doors to visiting scholars, postdoctoral fellows and students. Located at Fort Douglas, University of Utah Campus at 618A Detrobriand Street, the Center has a reference library containing books and materials on language endangerment, language revitalization, and Native American languages. CAIL's Opening Celebration on April 7 featured traditional Native American songs, dances, stories, music and food. A young Shoshoni man sang the "Handgame" song that an elderly woman taught him. Another Native American played traditional songs on a wooden flute. A troupe of four men performed the "Grass Dance" followed by a pair of them doing "The Eagle Dance." One young man appeared solo doing "The Hoop Dance." On their website www.cail.utah.edu CAIL states, "The Americas are home to more than 180 language families - half of those recognized in the world. Several whole language families have become extinct as all their member languages have disappeared - others will soon follow." The site goes on to say that CAIL is dedicated to working with community members, where languages and cultures are endangered, towards linguistic and cultural revitalization; urgent and ambitious research on the endangered languages of Native America, and training students to address scholarly and practical needs involving these languages and their communities of speakers. According to Dr. Campbell, funding for study and research comes primarily from federal grants. When the grants end after two or three year's time, the work ends. "It's a really important topic," Campbell said. He said that in the Americas there are only 20 of the 175 languages here that are still active. This is because children are learning them. In California, for example, there were 100 Native American languages on record at the turn of the last century. Today there are only 50 and they are considered endangered because no one under the age of 50 speaks them. The goal of CAIL is to halt this trend and help preserve the languages and the cultures that use them. In collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, CAIL is developing a publication series and holding an annual conference dedicated to endangered American Indian languages. The current projects that CAIL is working on are "Preserving and Enhancing Accessibility of Gosiute/Shoshoni Materials" and "Description of Chorote, Nivacle and Kadiweu: Three of the Least Known and Most Endangered Languages of the Chaco." Under the direction of Dr. Campbell who speaks Mayan, Uto-Aztecan, Mesoamerican and Matacoan, CAIL's staff includes Dr. Mauricio Mixco (Yuman, Siouan and Shoshoni), Dr. David Iannucci (Numic) and Dr. Marianna DiPaolo (Shoshoni). Dr. DiPaolo is also Chair of Linguistics at the U who, at the opening of the Center, thanked Campbell for his vision and very hard work toward making the Center happen. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 15 17:39:11 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 10:39:11 -0700 Subject: Cherokees agree the preservation of language, culture are critical for tribe (fwd) Message-ID: Friday, April 15, 2005 Cherokees agree the preservation of language, culture are critical for tribe By APRIL STONE,Press Staff Writer http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/articles/2005/04/15/news/top_stories/aaalanguage.txt The Cherokee language is dying, and a move to preserve it is at the top of the tribe's agenda. The most recent advances in that preservation project headlined the address by the keynote speaker for Wednesday's opening ceremonies of the 33rd annual Symposium on the American Indian. Harry Oosahwee, supervisor at the Cherokee Language Immersion class at the Child Development Center, spoke about the progress of teaching the Cherokee language to more tribal members, and the importance of preserving the language. "Our language is a huge part of our culture, and we are almost at the end of the line for the Cherokee language," said Oosahwee. "That's why I'm so adamant about Cherokee language and teaching it to our young people." Oosahwee remembers growing up as a young Cherokee boy who could speak the language. He wasn't discouraged by the teasing he got from other kids who weren't Cherokee. "I remember being called names because I was speaking Cherokee, but it only made me stronger and made me who I am today," said Oosahwee, who added that others weren't as strong-willed as he was. "A lot of people stopped speaking in Cherokee because of the teasing and taunting, and many of them lost the language that way." Oosahwee first began studying the differences between English and Cherokee - and wrote a paper for class - in 1968, when he attended Bacone College in Muskogee. This was the first time he researched the Cherokee language, and had no idea that, at that same time, other Cherokees were working on similar projects. "Little did I know that Durbin Feeling was writing a Cherokee dictionary at that time, and later I ended up working with him," said Oosahwee. "The Cherokee Nation itself began to teach the Cherokee language in the 1960s. That's how long they have been trying to preserve the language, but the program hasn't been too successful until the past two years." It took some time, but Oosahwee and a few others sat down with the curriculum that was used to teach Cherokee to adults. He said that made it easier to teach to every age group. By removing the emphasis on writing and reading the language, and just focusing on teaching people to speak Cherokee, they made real progress. "We have 3- and 4-year-olds in our immersion class at the CDC, which I supervise, and these kids are learning the language. They speak Cherokee in class as the universal language; when they want directions, when they want something to snack on, when they are sick, they ask in Cherokee," said Oosahwee. "It's hard for them to get used to most of the time, but they catch on, and it is working." Parents of children enrolled in the Cherokee immersion class meet every Wednesday to catch up with what their children have learned each week. Oosahwee said they have 100 percent participation in the program. A survey of Cherokee citizens residing in the 14-county jurisdictional boundaries of the tribe showed Oosawhee the need to perservere. "Most of the fluent Cherokee speakers were either full-blood or three-quarters Cherokee, and most had either a high school education or their GED, but nothing higher," said Oosahwee. "Most Cherokees who have a college degree do not know how to speak Cherokee. One thing we are trying to do there is incorporate Cherokee language into the college curriculum, but that is difficult, since we must have teachers who are qualified to teach at the college level." The survey conducted in 2002 found that 64 percent of those surveyed could not speak Cherokee, and of the small percent of people who could, 10 percent are highly fluent, 3 percent can hold a conversation in Cherokee, and 1 percent are masters of the language - meaning they can speak, read and write the language. Oosahwee hopes that by teaching the young children the language, the tribe's goal to bring it back will be easier to reach. "As time goes on, I can see a multitude of language going on. One hundred years from now, I can see a multitude of young people talking the language, and 30 years from now, I can see employees at the tribal complex conversing and doing business in the Cherokee language," said Oosahwee, who encouraged teachers in his audience to visit the immersion class and observe. "We can't let it die; if we do, we have failed our people." From fmarmole at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 15 20:34:23 2005 From: fmarmole at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Francisco Marmolejo) Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 13:34:23 -0700 Subject: Canadian and Native Studies Program Scholarships / Beca estudiantil para el Programa de Estudios Canadienses e Indigenas Message-ID: Dear colleagues: Please forward to those interested, the enclosed information about a scholarship available by CONAHEC member University of Alberta, for students participating at their Summer Program in Canadian and Native Studies. Agradecemos difundir la informacion anexa sobre una oportunidad de beca estudiantil ofrecida por la Universidad de Alberta, institucion miembro del CONAHEC, para interesados en participar en el Programa de Verano sobre Estudios Canadienses e Indigenas. Regards, Francisco Marmolejo Executive Director Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC) University of Arizona PO Box 210300 220 W. Sixth Street. Tucson, AZ 85721-0300 USA Tel. (520) 621-9080 / 621-7761 Fax (520) 626-2675 Email: fmarmole at email.arizona.edu http://conahec.org ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WHAT/QUE: $ 1,000 scholarships for U.S., or Mexican students interested in participating in a 6 week international summer program in Canadian and Native Studies Beca de $ 1,000 dolares canadienses para estudiantes mexicanos o de E.U.A. interesados en participar en el Programa de Verano de 6 semanas sobre Estudios Canadienses e Indígenas. WHERE/DONDE: University of Alberta. Edmonton, Canada. http://www.ualberta.ca WHEN/CUANDO: July 1 – August 13, 2005 DEADLINE/FECHA LIMITE: Applications for scholarships and registration for the program should be received by U.Alberta up to May 1, 2005. Applicants will automatically be considered for a scholarship upon submitting their application. Las solicitudes de beca y el registro para el Programa deben recibirse en la Universidad de Alberta a mas tardar el 1 DE MAYO DEL 2005. Los solicitantes al momento de registrarse seran considerados automáticamente para la posibilidad de obtención de la Beca. PROGRAM/PROGRAMA: http://www.international.ualberta.ca/summerschool MORE INFORMATION: Catherine Broomfield Manager, Summer & Term Programs Education Abroad Program University of Alberta International 8920 HUB Mall Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E1 Phone:(780)492-6273 Fax:(780)492-6213 catherine.broomfield at ualberta.ca http://www.international.ualberta.ca ====================================================================== You have received this message because you are subscribed to EAIE-L, an e-mail discussion list for international educators. Users of the list are SOLELY responsible for the content of their messages. 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URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 18 17:09:21 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:09:21 -0700 Subject: Deal keeps education in Mi'kmaq hands (fwd) Message-ID: Deal keeps education in Mi'kmaq hands Last Updated Apr 15 2005 04:02 PM ADT CBC News http://novascotia.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ns-mikmaq-education20050415 MEMBERTOU, N.S. – Ten Mi'kmaq First Nations have renewed a five-year deal with Ottawa that keeps education under their control. The $145-million agreement allows them to deliver both school and post-secondary programs focusing on Mi'kmaq history, culture and language. "I think you're going to find great similarity in terms of the recommendations that are made for the entire country, in terms of what you've already achieved here," said federal Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott. Since the Mi'kmaq Education Act was signed in 1999, more than two dozen Mi'kmaq teachers have been trained and more native students are completing high school. The program's executive director, Eleanor Bernard, is happy to be called a model for the country. "I know a lot of communities are trying to gain jurisdiction, educational jurisdiction. That's quite a feat. We could set an example for them," she said. Membertou Chief Terry Paul said he believes that if youth know their culture they'll have more confidence in life. "It's your identity, your language. Losing the speech is forever. And I'm going to work hard to make sure we do our best to instill our culture and our language in our children," he said From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 18 17:11:36 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:11:36 -0700 Subject: Publisher who built on oral tradition honoured (fwd) Message-ID: Publisher who built on oral tradition honoured Last Updated Fri, 18 Mar 2005 12:24:22 EST CBC Arts http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/03/17/Arts/randyfredVA050317.html VANCOUVER - A First Nations publisher who helped turn oral history into compelling reading is being honoured by the British Columbia publishing industry. Randy Fred founder of Theytus Press, will receive a Distinguished Service Award on April 7 in Vancouver. Established in 1981, Theytus was the first aboriginal-owned and operated publishing company in Canada. Like many native kids in the 1950s and '60s, Fred was taken from his family to be sent to residential school. The children were forbidden to speak their own language, and abuse at the schools was common. Fred described how he learned to cope: "It was a great escape to travel to these places just through reading, and I really learned to love books." That passion for reading was complicated by the fact that Fred was slowly going blind. Fred began developing publishing and video courses for native people at Malaspina College in Nanaimo, B.C. That led to the creation of Theytus Books in 1981. Theytus is a Coast Salish word which means "preserving for the sake of handing down." The challenge for Fred was how to capture an oral storytelling tradition on the printed page. One of the first books published by Theytus was Kwaulasalwut: Stories from the Coast Salish, by Ellen White. "She has such a presence, and when she speaks, everybody has to listen. But to take her oral stories and put them on paper, oh man, was that ever a challenge," he said. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Apr 19 08:00:18 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 01:00:18 -0700 Subject: links of interest... Message-ID: dear ILAT, i have added some new technology links (in the Links section), perhaps enough to make it interesting. Technology-Enhanced Language Revitalization http://projects.ltc.arizona.edu/gates/TELR.html phil cash cash UofA From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Wed Apr 20 05:48:43 2005 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 22:48:43 -0700 Subject: Culture & language (community) Message-ID: Young American Indians strive to maintain traditional culture BRAD PERRIELLO Associated Press EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. - When Emanuel Red Bear and his friends wanted to learn the traditional songs of the Lakota Sioux, they turned to 76-year-old Burdell Blue Arm and his extensive knowledge of Lakota culture. "We were thinking about singing some songs, and Burdell said, 'Let's sing some old songs, traditional songs,'" said Red Bear, who lives in Eagle Butte on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Along with Blue Arm and his nephews, Red Bear began a traditional drum group called "Wakpa Waste," pronounced WALK-pah WASH-tay, Lakota for "Good River." That is also how the tribe refers to its namesake, the Cheyenne River. "We try to sing the older songs (so) that the people will hear," Red Bear said. But preserving those songs, and American Indian culture in general, is becoming increasingly difficult as tribal elders pass away. For example, Blue Arm lives in a nursing home in Mobridge, more than 80 miles from Eagle Butte. He is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and is beginning to lose his memory. "That's the way my mind is - I forget now and then," Blue Arm said. As his memory fades, the tribe loses one of its most important resources. "Burdell is a living library of Lakota music," said his nephew, Steve Emery, a member of Wakpa Waste and a lawyer for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. For Red Bear, who teaches Lakota language and culture to students in Eagle Butte, keeping younger Indians interested in the ways of their people is a challenge. Many just don't care to learn the ways of their ancestors because of the allure of contemporary American culture, he said. "We have more influences of the modern society. Gangs, television, alcohol and drugs - everything's right here," Red Bear said. "We live in two worlds, the Lakota world and the non-Indian world." The Cheyenne River tribe passed an ordinance in 1993 requiring that Lakota language and culture be taught in reservation classrooms. But it is a struggle to capture students' interest, Red Bear said. "We have people, our own tribal members, who are ashamed to be (Lakota), and they don't want to learn the language," he said. "It's sad to see." Another problem are the differences in dialects between tribes, Red Bear said. The Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Standing Rock and Cheyenne River tribes all have different ways of referring to things and there are specific endings indicating the gender of the speaker. That means it's nearly impossible to reach a consensus on what needs to be taught, he said. "We're standing in one place spinning our wheels, arguing about who's right and who's wrong, and in the meantime we're losing our language," Red Bear said. But there is hope. Red Bear grew up speaking Lakota at home, and said learning such everyday phrases as "brush your teeth" and "go play" is crucial to saving the language. In outlying areas of the reservation, away from towns such as Eagle Butte, there are still families that speak Lakota at home, he said. Encouraging them to keep that up will help preserve the Lakota way, Red Bear said. "We still have a chance if we get the ones that live in the outlying districts," he said. In addition, Red Bear and others are spearheading projects such as a Lakota language immersion camp at the Cheyenne River reservation, which will be held for the second time this summer. Sponsored by the tribe, Si Tanka University and a bilingual education program, it involves language classes and instruction in such cultural activities as erecting tipis. The campers, mainly college students, are taught by members of the Cheyenne River tribe. Drum groups like Wakpa Waste also help by keeping people familiar with the older songs and exposing new people to them, Red Bear said. During the 2005 legislative session, Wakpa Waste took a drum to Pierre and sang in the South Dakota Capitol rotunda before a crowd that included lawmakers and Gov. Mike Rounds. For Blue Arm, the efforts of people like Red Bear and his nephews to learn - and preserve - the Lakota way are a beacon of hope. "It means something that they can speak the language. Maybe God is helping us," Blue Arm said. From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Wed Apr 20 05:57:55 2005 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 22:57:55 -0700 Subject: Klallam Teacher (language) Message-ID: Klallam language teacher Valadez honored by Washington State Indian Education Association 2005-04-12 by RAUL VASQUEZ PORT ANGELES -- After graduating from The Evergreen State College in 1986, Jamie Valadez tried to land a full-time teaching job with the Port Angeles School District. But the district wouldn't take her. ``For three years, I tried to get my foot in the door,'' said Valadez, Port Angeles High School Klallam language instructor who last week was named Teacher of the Year by the Washington State Indian Education Association. ``But I couldn't. Maybe I was still pretty young and immature.'' It turns out that not getting a full-time teaching job with the district started Valadez on a road that would lead her to become one of the pioneer Native American teachers not only for the Port Angeles School District, but beyond. In 1998, Valadez -- a member of Lower Elwha Klallam tribe -- was instrumental in the formation of a breakthrough agreement between the tribe and Port Angeles School District. First tribe-district pact It was the first known agreement between a tribe and public school agency in the state. It set out goals to include Native American curriculum in Port Angeles schools and set the stage for the creation of a Lower Elwha language course at Port Angeles High School in 1999, which Valadez still teaches. Today, Valadez is also in the process of developing a pilot curriculum for eighth-grade students that combines the history, culture and language of the Lower Elwha. From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET Wed Apr 20 17:16:38 2005 From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 10:16:38 -0700 Subject: Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums: Preserving Our Language, Memory and Lifeways (fwd) Message-ID: Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums: Preserving Our Language, Memory and Lifeways National Conference II May 24-27, 2005 Please join us at the second national conference of tribal archives, libraries and museums. Modeled after our previous national and regional gatherings, the conference will create a network of support for tribal cultural institutions and programs; articulate contemporary issues related to the development of tribal libraries, archives and museums and encourage collaboration among tribal and non-tribal cultural institutions. The goals of the conference will be achieved through plenary sessions with keynote speakers, information and resource tables, concurrent panels, affinity breakfasts, group meals and special events. Registration fee includes: all conference meals, breaks, ground transportation to special events, and conference materials. Registrations received after May 13 will not be processed and on-site registration will be required. Conference Program The program contains detailed information on each day of the conference including speakers and panel descriptions. Post-Conference Workshop A post-conference workshop entitled, "Language and Technology" will be held on Friday, May 27 from 1:45 - 5:00 pm. Conference Hotel A block of rooms have been reserved at the Phoenix Marriott Mesa, 200 N. Centennial Way, Mesa, Arizona at the special rate of $79.00 (single or double occupancy plus applicable taxes). Mention the Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums National Conference when making your reservations to receive the special rate. Deadline for hotel reservations is April 25, 2005. After this date rooms at the special rate will be subject to availability. Make your reservations early by calling (480) 898-8300. Click on this link for all information, registration form, etc.: http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/aip/leadershipgrant/natlconf/ index.shtml For further information, you may contact: Alyce Sadongei or Susan Secakuku TALM National Conference (520) 621-4500, (520) 626-9448 sadongei at email.arizona.edu secakuku at aol.com Alyce Sadongei Assistant Curator for Native American Relations Arizona State Museum University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721-0026 http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu (520) 621-4500, 626-9448 P (520) 621-2976 Fax From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 21 17:56:03 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 10:56:03 -0700 Subject: Brain research on Indian children possible (fwd) Message-ID: Brain research on Indian children possible Yale University expert cites opportunities at education meeting http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6355 SANTE FE NM Rick St. Germaine 4/21/2005 When Bill Demmert was much younger, he worked far across the continent with the Kennedy brothers (Robert and Edward) on a major research study that resulted in landmark legislation, the Indian Education Act of 1972. A lot of ground has passed since that time and Demmert, a Tlingit-Oglala education researcher at Western Washington University, spends much of his time nowadays exploring questions of Native language and student learning. In mid-March, Dr. Demmert co-sponsored a colloquium in Santa Fe on Improving Academic Performance Among Native Students. A host of eminent researchers were invited to address the issues of identification and assessment of learning and learning disabilities in Native children, including leading brain researchers, Ken Pugh of Yale University and Elise Temple of Cornell University. According to Temple, an explosion of student brain studies occurred within the past ten years as neuroimaging machines became available to educational psychologists. The applications in child development are nearly endless and incredibly valuable, especially to those educators who seek an understanding of reading and literacy development. Pugh concurred. "Spoken language is a biological specialization," he said, "while written language is largely a cultural invention." He elaborated, "Spoken language is mastered naturally in all people without direct instruction, but reading is difficult and reading failure occurs in large numbers of children across all languages." After describing in some detail, the brain research underway in the Haskins Laboratory at Yale University, Pugh pondered out loud the uses of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in American Indian children. He expressed an interest in applying an fMRI study of reading disorder in American Indian students, to better understand perhaps the biology of Indian children. Temple, of Cornell University, explained that when a child forms a thought, there is an increase in neural activity because of an increase in blood flow, bringing increased oxygen to special sectors of the brain. "Oxygen is what we image in fMRI," she explained. Neuroimaging is revolutionary because it is a non-invasive measure of brain function, Temple explained. There is no radioactive material involved and it can be used with young kids, multiple times. Temple showed fMRI slides of cross sections of children's brains axial slices (parallel to the floor) and sagittal slices (side cuts) to compare what the brains of reading proficient and reading disorder kids look like. It was clear from Temple's descriptions that blood flow and oxygen were not reaching certain vectors of the brains of reading disorder children. It was scary, seeing it in living color. Is this what's happening, or rather, not happening in the brains of Native American children across the land? If you believe the results of batteries of standardized tests currently in use to measure reading proficiency, American Indian students have the highest reading score gaps with white students than any other racial group in America. Temple explained that the major concern in reading research is how can we achieve maximum literacy? Researchers in the field hypothesize that behavioral remediation can alter the effects of dyslexia and other reading disorders. In other words, interventions or training programming can improve reading and language arts. "There's plasticity in the brain, even in older children," added Ken Pugh, of Yale University. "There's hope!" he continued, as he also posed questions about research on behavioral remediation in different cultures (American Indian) with different strategies. "This research is in its infancy," Pugh stated, as he noted that environment can modify the brain. "We are progressing toward brain fluency," he said. "Reading requires a lot of rewiring in order to work," he continued. "However, we can describe patterns from the images, observations in the brain, but we need to explain it," he cautioned. Pugh is conducting research with two cohorts (experimental and control groups) of elementary students in Pennsylvania. His team must fly the students to his laboratory in Connecticut several times a year following intervals of treatment. "One fMRI costs $450, plus transportation and travel expenses of each child," he explained to the audience of Indian educators. Using a calculator, one can begin to add up the huge cost of such research. The neuroimaging machine is extremely loud and scares kids. Children must remain absolutely still, which is hard for kids under five. The small tube that they move through is claustrophobic. Responding to questions posed by Indian educators, Pugh offered his interest in brain research with Native American reading disorders. "I don't want to get in the way," he asserted, "I'd simply like to be a resource in this." ~~~ Rick St. Germaine is a school reform and school leader trainer who has worked in the past fourteen years with over 80 schools, most of them Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal. He is a former tribal chairman, school superintendent, and professor of education. Rick can be reached at stgermainerick at aol.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 22 19:47:17 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 12:47:17 -0700 Subject: Fighting threatens existence of Colombia's indigenous peoples, UN warns (fwd) Message-ID: Fighting threatens existence of Colombia's indigenous peoples, UN warns http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=14050&Cr=Colombia&Cr1=# 22 April 2005 – Colombia's indigenous peoples, caught up in the fighting between the Government, rebels and armed militias, are facing tragedy as violent attacks and forced displacement increase, with fears that some smaller and more vulnerable groups and their cultures may actually disappear, the United Nations refugee agency warned today. In the past week, fighting between the Colombian Army and leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) uprooted some 3,500 Nasa people in the south-west, while in the north-west, some 4,000 Embera are at imminent risk of displacement because of fighting between guerrillas and paramilitary groups, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported. "The tragedy afflicting the indigenous peoples remains largely invisible," spokesman Ron Redmond told a news briefing in Geneva. "They often become displaced within their remote regions of origin as they try to preserve ties to their ancestral lands, or else they flee into other remote areas where they cannot be easily detected." The National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), a UNHCR partner, has reported the murder or disappearance of more than 20 indigenous leaders so far this year. The Andean country's more than 80 indigenous groups together make up a population of just under 1 million people. Although they represent only 2 to 3 per cent of the total population, they make up as much as 8 per cent of the more than 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Virtually all the indigenous groups have been victims of forced displacement or are at serious risk of being displaced from their ancestral lands. Since indigenous identity and culture are closely linked to the land, these communities suffer irreversible damage when forced to flee. This can mean loss of traditional and cultural patterns, including language, and a dramatic deterioration of lifestyle, UNHCR said. The warning was the latest in a series, focusing most recently on the north-western province of Choco, where irregular armed groups have increased their activities since the beginning of this year, imposing blockades to stop food, medicine, fuel and other vital supplies from reaching some communities. But UNHCR and other UN agencies were today visiting the south-western province of Cauca to evaluate the humanitarian needs and support relief efforts by civilian authorities following this week's displacement of the Nasas, which observers on the ground agree could quickly reach as many as 5,000, if fighting continues. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 22 19:50:49 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 12:50:49 -0700 Subject: Government of Canada Supports Creation of Trilingual Inuit Culture Web Site (fwd) Message-ID: Government of Canada Supports Creation of Trilingual Inuit Culture Web Site http://www.news.gc.ca/cfmx/CCP/view/en/index.cfm?articleid=140639 MONTREAL, April 22, 2005 -- President of the Privy Council, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and Member of Parliament (Westmount--Ville Marie) Lucienne Robillard, on behalf of Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women Liza Frulla, today announced $50,000 in funding for Igloolik Isuma Productions. The funds will help to create "Sila," a Web site about Inuit culture, language, and the Arctic environment. "One of our Government's priorities is to highlight the contributions, experiences, and culture of Aboriginal Canadians," said Minister Robillard. "The creation of this Web site will allow Internet users to learn more about Inuit culture and languages, as well as to raise awareness of the Aboriginal communities' unique place in our country." "The development of this e-learning resource offers us a valuable opportunity to learn more about our northern Aboriginal communities," said Minister Frulla. "By providing the Inuit community with a presence on the Net, we are also helping to promote a deeper understanding of Inuit culture throughout Canada and the world." The « Sila » Web site will feature an extensive teachers' resource centre. It will also present a learning zone module that will be structured along the lines of traditional Inuit culture: watching, storytelling, listening, and game playing. The Inuktitut component will help to improve communication among Canada's dispersed Inuit population, and the French component will address the current lack of French-language teaching materials on Inuit culture. The new site will target youth 12 years and older, educators, and parents. Financial assistance is provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Studies program. This program supports the production of educational material aimed at all Canadians and focusses on neglected or under-researched areas of Canadian studies. Funding announced today was provided for in the February 2005 federal budget. -30- Information: Jean-Philippe Côté Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women (819) 997-7788 Nathalie Dallaire Special Assistant Riding Office (514) 283-2013 Myriam Brochu Chief, Media Relations Canadian Heritage (819) 997-9314 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 22 19:52:55 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 12:52:55 -0700 Subject: Computer translation brings Inuktitut one step closer to language of government (fwd) Message-ID: April 22, 2005 Computer translation brings Inuktitut one step closer to language of government Microsoft to roll out local language-based Windows operating system SARA MINOGUE http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/50422_09.html A giant project is underway to make computing much more friendly for Inuit - not by fixing any bugs and technical glitches, but by translating the entire Windows operating system into Inuktitut. Iqaluit's Pirurvik Centre has been working on the translation since early last year, when a Microsoft employee approached the language and cultural centre about working with them to create the first Inuktitut operating system. The project is part of Microsoft's Local Language Program, launched in March, 2004. The program is partly charitable, and partly a way to guarantee future customers, though in this case, the market is tiny. But Gavin Nesbitt, who runs the Pirurvik Centre along with Leena Evic, thinks the impact could be huge. "What do you need to make Inuktitut the working language of government? Well, you need to be able to work in Inuktitut," Nesbitt says. "People look at that at being able to have conversations in the hallway, but it actually means you could sit at your computer and type in Inuktitut without wacky things happening when you do it." Nesbitt has been working with Inuktitut on computers ever since he came to Nunavut in 1998. Over the years he's provided technical support for Inuktitut speakers typing, or building databases, in syllabics. Until 2000, when the Unicode font standard was created, which allowed people to build fonts in multiple languages, working with Inuktitut meant using fonts that you could see and work with, but that would not necessarily mesh with other users' systems. That made simple things like email and document sharing especially difficult. In Nesbitt's view, now that fonts can be shared safely, the next step for computing in Inuktitut is to get fonts recognized at the system level - in other words, putting the Inuktitut language right on your screen. After that, comes "localization," or translating actual software programs, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook - all of which are scheduled for translation in this project. One technical glitch remains. The first Inuktitut version will not be in syllabics, but in roman orthography, because the current Windows operating system still can't handle the unusual characters. However, using dual orthography, translating this version into syllabics should be simple once Windows releases its next operating system. If all goes well, Inuit could get a glimpse of the system in roman orthography by October of this year. Finding new words Working directly with Microsoft has meant a giant leap forward for Inuktitut computing. "There's still technical issues to be resolved," Nesbitt said, "but by and large, it's now a cultural and language project." Windows XP - the latest operating system - has about 300,000 words that need to be translated. The software programs have a further 400,000 terms. Pirurvik got the project started last summer with a series of language workshops with local computer users, elders and language authorities. That produced 2,000 Inuktitut computing terms that will form the core of the translation. "We know we have fantastic words; we know we have awful words," Nesbitt says. "The test or evaluation of whether or not it works is if people use them." Eva Aariak, the former languages commissioner of Nunavut is now working with the Pirurvik Centre. She says getting used to the new terms in Inuktitut "won't be any different from using new technical terms in English." Aariak also believes that the project will have a major impact on the workplace, by raising the profile of Inuktitut and by proving that there's no reason Inuktitut cannot evolve to meet the new needs of its speakers. Chris Douglas, director of official languages and services at the Government of Nunavut's department of culture, language, elders and youth, says his department is "very excited" about the project, but he's not sure how quickly it will affect GN workers. "A lot of people won't be comfortable working with an operating system in Roman orthography and they'll want to see something in syllabics. They're going to have to wait until the next version of the operating system comes out." From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 22 20:53:23 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 13:53:23 -0700 Subject: Native Media Program (fwd) Message-ID: Native Media Program http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=collaboration&second=media The Native Media Program of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), includes two radio series, Living Voices/Voces Vivas and Time. The Native Media Program is designed for individuals, school and youth groups, museums, radio stations and media producers that service Native communities of the Western Hemisphere and Hawai'i to collaboratively produce audio segments and document community experiences. The purpose of the Native Media Project is to actively involve local communities in support of language preservation, communication and oral history projects. Living Voices/Voces Vivas NMAI is soliciting proposals to interview individuals to be included in the Living Voices/Voces Vivas Radio Series. Living Voices/Voces Vivas is an audio series of short (5-minute) profiles representing many ages, traditions, and perspectives. Profiles tell personal stories that are educational, moving, and entertaining, incorporating community and culturally-based perspectives. The production cycle of Living Voices/Voces Vivas will target 15 individual profiles, and will be made available for broadcast by Native and other community and public radio stations. For this proposal cycle, the NMAI is requesting proposals that describe potential interviewees. A review committee will recommend both interviewees and interviewers who will be contracted to conduct the interviews and provide necessary technical needs. This series aims to reflect the diversity of contemporary Native and indigenous people of the Americas and Hawai'i. As a series, these modules will: Tell a contemporary personal story of cultural preservation, language preservation, artistic expression, or other positive experience important to Indigenous communities -Offer a wide array of indigenous voices of many ages, genders, traditions and experiences -Support tribal sovereignty and self-determination -Display the full range of cultural expression and diverse activities in indigenous communities -Whenever possible, demonstrate a relationship to a tribal cultural organization or the NMAI -Reflect the geographic diversity of Indigenous peoples in the Americas and Hawaii from both urban and rural communities. Time Radio Series As an on-site community collaboration between NMAI and Native and indigenous media producers, the Time radio series offers Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and indigenous peoples of Latin America the opportunity to tell compelling contemporary personal stories that highlight a significant change, or a story framed in time. Distributed as a series, short edited modules will be presented in a radio magazine format. These modules will showcase culturally based stories centered in time and communicate the concepts of five categories: Personal, Community, Philosophical/Spiritual, Geography, and Time. This series aims to reflect the diversity of contemporary Native and indigenous people of the Americas and Hawai'i. As a series, these modules will: -Tell a contemporary personal story framed in the context of time -Allow Native and indigenous people the opportunity to place their experiences, perspectives, and traditions in the context of the bigger picture of life -Display the full range of cultural expression and diverse activities in indigenous communities -Display a wide array of Native voices of many ages, genders, traditions, experiences, and reflect the geographic diversity of Native peoples in the Americas and Hawai'i covering both urban and rural community perspectives The deadline to submit a radio series application is May 2, 2005. Native Media Program information and application Contact For more information about the Native Media Program, including Living Voices and the Time radio series, please contact: Native Media Program Email: begays at si.edu Phone: 301-238-1546 Fax: 301-238-3200 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Apr 24 19:18:23 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 12:18:23 -0700 Subject: A Twist for an Ancient Tongue Trying to Survive (fwd) Message-ID: >From the Los Angeles Times A Twist for an Ancient Tongue Trying to Survive By John Daniszewski Times Staff Writer April 24, 2005 http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-gaelic24apr24,0,6987410.story?coll=ny-leadworldnews-headlines AN SPIDEAL, Ireland — Generations of English-speaking tourists who have used this pretty village of thatched cottages as a jumping-off point for the pleasures of the wild Connemara region have known it as Spiddal. But a new government policy means that the settlement, which boasts spectacular views of Galway Bay and the Aran Islands in the distance, will be known only by its Gaelic name, An Spideal. As of March 28, all English versions of place names were eliminated in the Gaeltacht, the pockets of Ireland where a majority of people still speak Gaelic. English no longer has official standing on signposts, legal documents or government maps. (For now, until the sign-makers get cracking, officials are just covering up the English names.) It is the latest official gesture in support of the Irish tongue. But is it too little, too late? In the midst of an economic boom that is both encouraging and threatening Gaelic's popularity, many advocates for the republic's "first official language" are worried. "It is terrible how things are going," said Seamas O Cualain, an 82-year-old enthusiast of the language of his forebears, which is almost always called Irish on this island to distinguish it from the Scottish form of Gaelic. "The language is dying in the Gaeltacht." The lilting tongue, which arrived in Ireland with the Celts centuries before Romans reached the British Isles, has an alluring sound, aspirated consonants and a rich trove of poetry and folklore. Just a few words have moved into English: "smithereens" and "leprechaun," for example. But something of its musical syntax is captured by Irish English, as in the phrase, " 'Tis himself that's coming now." The change in the place names makes sense, advocates say. The English versions, put down by government surveyors in the early 1800s, are mostly nonsensical phonetic approximations of Gaelic words. Spiddal, for instance, has no meaning in English or Irish. But in Irish, An Spideal means "the hospital," a name that derives from the village's having once been the site of a leper colony. Another egregious example is a spit of land with the bowdlerized English name of Muckanaghederdauhaulia. In Irish, it won't be much easier to spell: Muiceanach idir Dha Shaile. But at least it will have a meaning: the point between two tides. Tourist maps, however, will continue to carry English place names in the Gaeltacht — which includes parts of seven counties — alongside the Irish. The changes are a way to encourage Gaeltacht residents who may be wavering to hang on to their language by showing it its due respect, said Deaglan O Briain of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in Dublin. "Official Ireland [is] saying to people in the Gaeltacht areas that we do recognize that you are there, and your language exists." O Cualain, meticulously dressed, with glassine skin, blue eyes and a shock of white hair, met a reporter in his neat cottage, the fireplace aglow in his cozy study cum dining room. He is, he said, part of a generation of native speakers trained as teachers in Irish-only preparatory colleges. The goal was for these graduates to spread the language across the island, bringing the dying tongue back to life in all of the 26 counties that secured de facto independence from Britain in 1922. The idea was promulgated by W.T. Cosgrave, leader of the Irish Free State, the nation's first incarnation as a republic. More than 80 years later, a debate rages about the efficacy of those efforts, prompted in part by the Irish-language commissioner's recent criticism of the teaching of the language in public schools. Students must study Irish for 13 years, from kindergarten through high school, receiving more than 1,500 hours of instruction in all. Yet many still graduate without fluency, says Commissioner Sean O Cuirreain. He is a government official who acts as an ombudsman for Irish-speaking citizens and monitors government departments' implementation of Irish-language policy from his office in An Spideal. O Cuirreain believes that the country could do much better and that teaching methods should be reviewed. On the other hand, he sees positive signs — such as a recent trend of parents outside the Gaeltacht sending their children to all-Irish-speaking schools. Five percent of Irish children are in such classrooms, he said, while an Irish-language TV station gets 100,000 viewers a day, and people listen to pop music on a 24-hour Irish-language radio station. In all, 1.57 million — or nearly 40% — of the nation's 4 million people say they speak Irish, and 337,000 (counting schoolchildren) say they use it daily, according to the latest census figures. In the Gaeltacht, 60,000 people employ it each day. But at a restaurant in An Spideal called An t'Sean Ceibh (The Old Pier), where a fresh sea breeze wafted through the sunlit bar as patrons sipped pints and ate Irish stew, Soracha Ni Chonghaile admitted that she wasn't always among those. "It's dying," the 23-year-old waitress said of the language. "I would speak it with my family and with the older customers who come in here, but I don't speak it with my friends. It's not the norm." O Cuirreain, however, believes that Irish, in contrast to the vast majority of the 6,800 other languages in the world, is on course to survive at least through the next century — thanks to continued government support and its core of thousands of Irish men and women who still use the language daily in their lives. "We should not be complacent about that … but we should take a certain degree of comfort that we have a fighting chance," he said in a telephone interview. Why all the effort to keep Irish alive when the world seems to be converging on English? That tongue is not only the language of international business and technology, but also Ireland's most commonly spoken since at least the mid-19th century. "The Irish language has been spoken for thousands of years," O Cuirreain said. "It is the language of the hearts and minds of peoples for generations in this country…. To lose that would be unthinkable, as far as I'm concerned." Because of the influx of non-Irish-speakers propelled by Ireland's economic boom, however, the language is threatened even in the Gaeltacht, said Nollaigh O Muraile, a professor of Irish studies at the National University of Ireland in Galway. "Two things are pressing on it: One is English culture through the media and World Wide Web, and the other is the housing developments stretching out right up into the Gaeltacht area," O Muraile said. "The language is being diluted." Children speak Irish in the classroom, but English is the language during recess. Partly offsetting the trend, however, is a vibrant community of people who have taken up Irish on their own initiative. Residents protective of their language in An Spideal have recently demanded that a developer devote most of his 17-home project to people who can pass a test in Irish and show they are dedicated to the language. The national planning appeals board gave a mixed ruling Friday. It said it was too late to impose the mandate on the development, which had already received preliminary approval without any language rule. But the board said such requirements could be made of developers in the future, both in the An Spideal area and other parts of the Gaeltacht. The rules could mandate that new housing developments maintain the same proportion of Irish- and English-speaking residents as in the surrounding areas. The dispute over the 17 homes was complicated, with the developer asking that the language requirement be lifted and some townspeople demanding an even tougher restriction, O Cuirreain said. "It's one of those things where you'd need half the Los Angeles Times to explain it, on a good day," he said with a laugh. But the key point, he added, is that planners had endorsed the principle. "It's a step being taken to protect the linguistic integrity of those areas," he said. Retired teacher O Cualain said he was glad about the changes but discouraged at young people's apparent lack of dedication to the language. "When I went to school, we spoke nothing but Irish going and coming," he said in a soft, sad brogue. "Even those who didn't know the language, if they came here, they picked it up by listening. But nowadays, I very seldom hear the young people speaking it." Some commentators have questioned whether it is a losing battle to keep the language alive through government policy. Alan Ruddock, a columnist writing in the Sunday Times of London, took on O Cuirreain last month, challenging the need to force-feed the language to schoolchildren. He said the Irish Republic was willing to pay only "expensive lip service" — costly schooling, subsidized Irish-language radio and television and "often-garbled" Irish at the start of major political speeches. "But in no way are we serious about promoting Irish in every aspect of national life. Nor should we be," he wrote. "Ireland is not bilingual. We are an English-speaking country, have been from the moment we gained independence and were for a century before. "Nothing O Cuirreain does will change that, and neither will anything in the Official Languages Act. If Irish is to survive, then it must be freed from the albatross of compulsion." O Muraile said he saw encouraging signs. Ireland's newfound prosperity, and the pride rising with the "Celtic tiger" economy, is making it "almost a trendy thing to speak Irish." But in the Gaeltacht itself, it is diminishing as an everyday language. "I don't know what the future holds, but perhaps we have to exist as a second language," he said. "In a way, it has been a misfortune of Ireland to come up against the most powerful language the world has ever seen." * (BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX) Gaelic revival The Gaeltacht, areas of Ireland where Gaelic is extensively spoken, includes portions of seven counties. English and Gaelic are vastly different languages. Here's how they look, for example, in a comparison of the Lord's Prayer: - Ar nAthair ata ar neamh, Our father, who art in heaven, - go naofar d'ainm; hallowed be thy name; - go dtaga do riocht, thy kingdom come, - go ndeantar do thoil ar an talamh thy will be done on earth - mar a dheantar ar neamh. as it is in heaven. - Ar n-aran laethuil tabhair duinn inniu, Give us this day our daily bread, - agus maith duinn ar bhfiacha and forgive us our trespasses - mar a mhaithimidne dar bhfeichiuna fein. as we forgive those who trespass xxagainst us. - Agus na lig sinn i gcathu, And lead us not into temptation, - ach saor sinn o olc. Amen. but deliver us from evil. Amen. * Sources: http://www.irishgaelictranslator.com , http://www.iol.ie , ESRI. Graphics reporting by Tom Reinken Copyright © 2005, The Los Angeles Times From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 25 05:05:02 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 22:05:02 -0700 Subject: powerpoint tidbits... Message-ID: dear ilat, fyi, the folks at OpenOffice.org (free office suite) made their Impress presentational software (ppt equivalent) with the option of exporting to .swf (Flash file format)! i would download it just for that. http://www.openoffice.org/product2/impress.html what is nice about Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac 2004 is its export to .mov Quicktime format. Microsoft Powerpoint 2003 (Windows) has nothing like this (.swf or .mov) but continues to promote its Producer plug-in. phil cash cash UofA, ilat From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 25 05:09:06 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 22:09:06 -0700 Subject: 25 Years of the American Indian Language Development Institute Message-ID: Language Research News UANEWS.ORG 25 Years of the American Indian Language Development Institute http://uanews.org/sections/language/index.html Since its foundation in 1978, the American Indian Language Development Institute has been a model of native language education and a champion in indigenous language rights. To celebrate the institute’s 25th anniversary, participants remember their past struggles and triumphs and speculate about the future of this essential component of the language revitalization movement. From deprees at U.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Apr 26 20:13:04 2005 From: deprees at U.ARIZONA.EDU (Depree ShadowWalker) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 13:13:04 -0700 Subject: Convert PowerPoint to Flash easyway Message-ID: SWiSHpresenter is a Microsoft PowerPoint plugin that converts your PowerPoint presentations to Flash. SWiSHpresenter is the quickest easiest way to get your PowerPoint presentations on the web http://www.swishzone.com/index.php?area=products&tab=overview&product=presen ter The good thing about this is you can create a self executable which means you can view it without buying the software program. it's the BETA version so they are working on bugs and letting us try a fully functional version before you buy it! You can test it out for free. I made this conversion in less than 5 mins from an existing PowerPoint. You can add audio and timing, special effects, which of course takes longer. Here is a link to a no frills (hit button) conversion from PowerPoint just using the default settings. http://www.redpony.us/flash/EndofaTalePopularCulture.swf Swish also has a reasonable program for creating self executable files in Flash format called: $49.95 USD SWiSHstudio lets you convert your SWF files to projector executables, screensavers or burn directly to a CD-ROM in three easy steps. more info > SWiSHpresenter is a Microsoft PowerPoint plugin that converts your PowerPoint presentations to Flash. SWiSHpresenter is the quickest easiest way to get your PowerPoint presentations on the web! more info > Hope the server is set up for HTML? Depree ShadowWalker, M.Ed. emphasis in Learning Technologies Doctoral Student, Language, Reading and Culture GA @ Native American Research and Training Center voice (520) 626-0348 fax (520) 621-9802 websites: http://www.fcm.arizona.edu/research/nartc/diabetes_camp.htm www.septa.arizona.edu Red Pony Heritage Language Team website : www.redpony.us From anguksuar at YAHOO.COM Wed Apr 27 15:13:30 2005 From: anguksuar at YAHOO.COM (Richard LaFortune) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:13:30 -0700 Subject: slightly scary but nevertheless interesting technology #1 of 2 In-Reply-To: <20050422125255.qgymft2yocckcwos@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Woody Norris has a way of getting inside your head ... by David Sparrow Woody Norris has a way of getting inside your head. No, we don't mean his overpowering handshake or Barnumesque penchant for self-promotion ("This is the biggest thing in audio in 77 years"). We mean HyperSonic Sound, his latest creation. (A prolific inventor, Norris, 64, also won a Best of What's New for a personal flying machine.) Unlike traditional speakers, which scatter sound, Norris' device streams it in a precise, laser-like beam for up to 150 yards with almost no degradation in quality or volume. If that seems incredible, trust me, it is. When I met Norris in September he pointed the 7-inch-square emitter at me from 30 feet away. Suddenly I heard the sound of birds chirping. The noise didn't seem to emanate from his device; I felt like it was generated inside my noggin. Yet a guy just 2 feet away from me couldn't hear it. How does it work? The piezoelectric transducer emits sound at frequencies above the human ear's 20,000-cycle threshold. Unlike low-frequency waves, the high-frequency signals don't spread out as they travel through air. Yet they do interact with the air to induce a related set of ultrasonic waves. These waves combine with the original waves, interfering to create an audible signal, focused into a beam. The applications are numerous, if not apparent: Thousands of soda machines in Tokyo will soon bombard passersby with the enticing sound of a Coke being poured, and several U.S. supermarkets will promote products to shoppers as they walk down corresponding aisles. Eventually HyperSonic Sound might enable a nightclub to play disco on one side of the dance floor and salsa on the other. Ambulances equipped with hypersonic sirens could clear the streets without waking the neighbors. Norris' company, American Technology, sells the devices for $600. http://www.popsci.com/popsci/bown/article/0,16106,388134,00.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From anguksuar at YAHOO.COM Wed Apr 27 15:14:50 2005 From: anguksuar at YAHOO.COM (Richard LaFortune) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:14:50 -0700 Subject: slightly scary but nevertheless interesting technology #2 of 2 In-Reply-To: <20050422125255.qgymft2yocckcwos@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: We've heard hypersonic sound. It could change everything. by Suzanne Kantra Kirschner It's the most promising audio advance in years, and it's coming this fall: Hypersonic speakers, from American Technology (headed by the irrepressible Woody Norris, whose radical personal flying machine appeared on our August cover), focus sound in a tight beam, much like a laser focuses light. The technology was first demonstrated to Popular Science five years ago ("Best of What's New," Dec. '97), but high levels of distortion and low volume kept it in R&D labs. When it rolls out in Coke machines and other products over the next few months, audio quality will rival that of compact discs. The applications are many, from targeted advertising to virtual rear-channel speakers. The key is frequency: The ultrasonic speakers create sound at more than 20,000 cycles per second, a rate high enough to keep in a focused beam and beyond the range of human hearing. As the waves disperse, properties of the air cause them to break into three additional frequencies, one of which you can hear. This sonic frequency gets trapped within the other three, so it stays within the ultrasonic cone to create directional audio. Step into the beam and you hear the sound as if it were being generated inside your head. Reflect it off a surface and it sounds like it originated there. At 30,000 cycles, the sound can travel 150 yards without any distortion or loss of volume. Here's a look at a few of the first applications. 1. Virtual Home Theater How about 3.1-speaker Dolby Digital sound? With hypersonic, you can eliminate the rear speakers in a 5.1 setup. Instead, you create virtual speakers on the back wall. 2. Targeted Advertising "Get $1 off your next purchase of Wheaties," you might hear at the supermarket. Take a step to the right, and a different voice hawks Crunch Berries. 3. Sound Bullets Jack the sound level up to 145 decibels, or 50 times the human threshold of pain, and an offshoot of hypersonic sound technology becomes a nonlethal weapon. 4. Moving Movie voices For heightened realism, an array of directional speakers could follow actors as they walk across the silver screen, the sound shifting subtly as they turn their heads. 5. Pointed Messages "You're out too far," a lifeguard could yell into his hypersonic megaphone, disturbing none of the bathing beauties nearby. 6. Discreet Speakerphone With its adjustable reach, a hypersonic speakerphone wouldn't disturb your cube neighbors. http://www.prisonplanet.com/audios_the_next_big_thing.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Apr 27 17:25:49 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 10:25:49 -0700 Subject: Rep. Tancredo Introduces Official English Constitutional Amendment (fwd) Message-ID: Rep. Tancredo Introduces Official English Constitutional Amendment; Colorado Rep. Stands Behind One Common Language for America 4/26/2005 11:06:00 AM To: National Desk Contact: Rob Toonkel of U.S. English, 202-833-0100 http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=46389 WASHINGTON, April 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In an effort to unite Americans under one common language, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) introduced a Constitutional Amendment that would declare English the official language of the United States. Reversing the recent trend of divisive and costly multilingualism, H.J. Res. 43 would ensure that government business is conducted in English, providing a common ground for communication and understanding. A Constitutional Amendment to make English the official language was first proposed in 1981 by Senator S.I. Hayakawa, who later founded U.S. English. Since that time, more than 550 Members of Congress have either co-sponsored or voted for official English legislation, including 89 co-sponsors of H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act of 2005, in the 109th Congress. That measure, introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is currently pending in two House committees. "We congratulate Rep. Tancredo for emphasizing English, the unifying factor of our diverse nation," said Mauro E. Mujica, chairman of U.S. English. "Through the Constitutional Amendment, we are focusing on our strengths, rather than allowing our nation to divide along linguistic lines. Senator Hayakawa's goal of keeping our nation united is in good hands." According to the U.S. Census, 322 languages are spoken at home in the United States. Statistics reveal that more than 21 million, or 1-in-12 Americans, struggle with English. "Coming to the United States is a dream for many immigrants, but English proficiency is the key to achieving that dream.," explained Mujica. "Immigrants who can speak English earn two-and-a-half times what non-English proficient immigrants earn. This is a significant gap that legislators ignore at their peril." ------ U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non- partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States (website: http://www.us-english.org ). Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S.English, Inc. now has more than 1.8 million members nationwide. http://www.usnewswire.com/ -0- /© 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/ From gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Apr 27 20:11:00 2005 From: gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Garry Forger) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:11:00 -0700 Subject: First Naitons SchoolNet In-Reply-To: <20050427102549.r2hc7k044sswc880@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: First Nations SchoolNet and Cisco Systems Networking Academy Launch Distance Learning Initiative http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2005/26/c0472.html ______________________ Garry J. Forger, MLS Assistant Director Learning Technologies Center The University of Arizona 1077 N. Highland Ave Tucson, AZ 85721-0073 gforger at u.arizona.edu http://www.ltc.arizona.edu/ Phone 520-626-7761 Fax 520-626-8220 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mona at ALLIESMEDIAART.COM Thu Apr 28 16:07:03 2005 From: mona at ALLIESMEDIAART.COM (Smith) Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 11:07:03 -0500 Subject: slightly scary but nevertheless interesting technology #1 of 2 In-Reply-To: <20050427151330.62276.qmail@web31111.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: We used speakers very much like these (bet they were these) in the installation at the History Center (Cloudy Waters: Dakota Reflections on the River). We used motion detection, too, so that when someone walked underneath the speaker they would hear - either the names of the 38 hung in Mankato in 1862 combined with water sounds - or brief information about Dakota history. They are freaky...ummmmm...you hear the voices in your head, not your ears. It's a power that should only be used for good. ____________________________________ http://gmr.typepad.com Marty's blog-in-progress On Apr 27, 2005, at 10:13 AM, Richard LaFortune wrote: > Woody Norris has a way of getting inside your head ... > > by David Sparrow > > > > > Woody Norris has a way of getting inside your head. > No, we don't mean his overpowering handshake or > Barnumesque penchant for self-promotion ("This is the > biggest thing in audio in 77 years"). We mean > HyperSonic Sound, his latest creation. (A prolific > inventor, Norris, 64, also won a Best of What's New > for a personal flying machine.) > > Unlike traditional speakers, which scatter sound, > Norris' device streams it in a precise, laser-like > beam for up to 150 yards with almost no degradation in > quality or volume. If that seems incredible, trust me, > it is. > > When I met Norris in September he pointed the > 7-inch-square emitter at me from 30 feet away. > Suddenly I heard the sound of birds chirping. The > noise didn't seem to emanate from his device; I felt > like it was generated inside my noggin. Yet a guy just > 2 feet away from me couldn't hear it. > > How does it work? The piezoelectric transducer emits > sound at frequencies above the human ear's > 20,000-cycle threshold. Unlike low-frequency waves, > the high-frequency signals don't spread out as they > travel through air. Yet they do interact with the air > to induce a related set of ultrasonic waves. These > waves combine with the original waves, interfering to > create an audible signal, focused into a beam. > > The applications are numerous, if not apparent: > Thousands of soda machines in Tokyo will soon bombard > passersby with the enticing sound of a Coke being > poured, and several U.S. supermarkets will promote > products to shoppers as they walk down corresponding > aisles. Eventually HyperSonic Sound might enable a > nightclub to play disco on one side of the dance floor > and salsa on the other. Ambulances equipped with > hypersonic sirens could clear the streets without > waking the neighbors. Norris' company, American > Technology, sells the devices for $600. > > http://www.popsci.com/popsci/bown/article/0,16106,388134,00.html > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 2894 bytes Desc: not available URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 29 18:11:57 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 11:11:57 -0700 Subject: Preservation of ethnic minority languages urged (fwd) Message-ID: Preservation of ethnic minority languages urged www.chinaview.cn 2005-04-29 09:33:59 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/29/content_2892878.htm BEIJING, April 29 -- Scholars from some famous universities in the mailand and Hong Kong have called for measures to preserve China's ethnic minority languages, at a seminar held in Guangzhou on the language and culture of ethnic minority groups. Experts say many of China's 120 minority languages face extinction due to under-use as society is dominated by the Mandarin language. They say it's the nation's obligation to record and preserve them as cultural treasures. Their suggestions included the use audio and video equipments as means of preservation. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 29 18:07:29 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 11:07:29 -0700 Subject: Lakota immersion camp teaches tribal language, traditions (fwd) Message-ID: Date posted online: Friday, April 29, 2005 Lakota immersion camp teaches tribal language, traditions http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2005/04/29/news/south_dakota/0d9f443b66ee701686256ff200113d67.txt SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Every morning for a week last summer, Karen Little Wounded awoke in her tent at dawn to take part in a traditional morning star ceremony. Every night, she would sing, dance and learn to interpret dreams. The rituals were part of a Lakota language and culture immersion camp near Cherry Creek on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Sponsored by the tribe, Si Tanka University, the reservation's Takini School and Waonspekiye Oyasin, a teacher training organization, the camp hosted about 40 people interested in learning the Lakota way. This year the camp is set to be held June 12-17 on the reservation. Carole Rave, one of its organizers, said she expects there to be even more campers this year. "We started registration yesterday," Rave said Thursday. "I already got messages from people in Rosebud who want to come." Rave said the camp is a collaborative effort. For example, last year the tribe donated portable toilets and sprayed the campsite for mosquitos. Campers contributed food and a tribal member let the group camp on some of his land in the Big Timber area near the Cheyenne River. "It's a place where, years ago, our people camped by the thousands," Rave said. Free for tribal members, the camp costs about $500 a day for others. That money, along with funding from Waonspekiye Oyasin (pronounced "Wah-own-SPECK-ee-yay ooh-ee-YAH-seen"), pays for the camp, Rave said, adding that non-Indians are welcome. Besides participation in traditional ceremonies, the camp offers training in Lakota by language teachers from the reservation's various schools and colleges. Those instructors often become students because they are working toward certification as Lakota teachers, Rave said. The classes count as college credit hours, up to six each day. Besides basic Lakota for non-speakers, the classes teach Lakota history, culture and philosophy. This year, there will be a course on poverty and its effect on the tribe, Rave said. She said tribal elders play an important role in the camp, both as teachers and participants. Last year elders offered instruction in traditional practices such as drying meat and erecting tipis, and were honored with a dance, Rave said. "It's such a nice setting that usually in the evening the elders stay longer. They don't want to come back to town," she said. Little Wounded said the camp was a great experience. She originally intended to volunteer there, but ended up as a participant. Her favorite activity, she said, was a presentation by a tribal elder on women's roles in traditional Lakota society. "It was really fun," Little Wounded said. "I'm going back again this year." From coyotez at DARKWING.UOREGON.EDU Fri Apr 29 19:31:25 2005 From: coyotez at DARKWING.UOREGON.EDU (David Gene Lewis) Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 12:31:25 -0700 Subject: Request In-Reply-To: <20050429111157.cbbj4g0gcskk4ss8@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Klahowya Tillikums and Bostons, I'm looking for some good references to research and theory on archives and social memory. I'm trying to get ahold of a few volumes of the History of the Human Sciences, from 1998 and 1999. These seem rare on the west coast and expensive through Sage. specifically, Irving Velody, ‘The Archive and the Human Sciences’, History of the Human Sciences 11 (1998), 1-16 (introduction to two special issues on archives and memory which include a number of useful papers on history, museums, archives, and institutions in relation to memory) and I understand there is also a special volume for 1999 on archives too. Any references would be appreciated. David Lewis University of Oregon Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde From sdp at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Apr 30 21:49:22 2005 From: sdp at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Susan Penfield) Date: Sat, 30 Apr 2005 14:49:22 -0700 Subject: Fw: Tohono O'odham (Papago Indian) and Mission San Xavier bibliography Message-ID: All, This is a great example of an online bibliographic resource. Subject: Tohono O'odham (Papago Indian) and Mission San Xavier bibliography This is to let everyone who might be interested know that Tumacacori National Historical Park has posted my 915-page annotated bibliography of the Tohono O'odham (Papago Indians) and of Mission San Xavier del Bac and, by extension, the Spanish and Mexican-period history of the Pimería Alta, on its web site. It is in word searchable form and can be directly accessed at http://www.nps.gov/tuma/bibliography. The bibliography is the culmination of an effort that began in 1956. Bunny \ / Fontana 0 _( )_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 1 18:41:07 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2005 11:41:07 -0700 Subject: Languages kept alive (fwd) Message-ID: Friday, April?1, 2005 "Languages are the reservoir of knowledge and culture. Each language is a particular window on the world." Valerie Guerin Director of the Language Preservation Project at UH-Manoa [photo inset - GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE at STARBULLETIN.COM University of Hawaii students Ryoko Hattori, center, and Matias Gomes sit at a computer station and go over sound files of an East Timorese dialect called Ema as a part of the Language Preservation Project.] Languages kept alive A UH linguistics project helps native speakers preserve little-known cultures By Craig Gima cgima at starbulletin.com http://starbulletin.com/2005/04/01/news/story7.html At a computer in a University of Hawaii-Manoa linguistics lab, Joao Sarmento from East Timor is trying to figure out how to write the language of his birth. Sarmento was raised speaking Makasae, one of several languages and dialects in East Timor. But it's not a written language. So for about 2 1/2 hours a week, he and graduate student Ryoko Hattori work on documenting vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation, in an effort to preserve the language. "Language is culture," Sarmento said. "I'm trying to be part of my culture, to be culturally aware." Sarmento is among about 35 linguistics students and native speakers who are part of the Language Preservation Project at UH-Manoa. It's the brainchild of graduate student Meylysa Tseng, who started it last year as a community service project for the Linguistics Society of Hawaii. The idea is to teach native speakers more about their own language while giving the graduate linguistics students a practical way to use what they are learning in class. Hawaii, and in particular the University of Hawaii-Manoa, with its many ethnic groups and students from all over the world, seemed like the perfect place to start the project. "There's a great opportunity in Hawaii," said Valerie Guerin, the current director of the program. "There's so much diversity to gather as many languages as possible." So far, the project is documenting about 17 languages, ranging from Kalmyk -- a Mongolian language spoken in the Republic of Kalmyia in Russia -- to Tiwa, which is spoken by the T'ai Pueblo community in New Mexico. Many of the languages are endangered, meaning that they could die because of a dwindling number of native speakers. "Languages are the reservoir of knowledge and culture," said Guerin. "Each language is a particular window on the world." The project's Web site features a description of each language and where it is spoken. Some languages are more documented than others and include audio clips, recordings of songs and other cultural details. On Saturday the Language Preservation Project will have a booth at the Bishop Museum to show off what it has done so far. Visitors can learn to say hello and other words in the different languages that are part of the project. The project by itself will not save dying languages, Tseng said, but the people who participate will hopefully learn how to begin the effort to save their culture. "The idea is to get people involved in documentation," Guerin said, "to show them it's possible to make a difference." The volunteers can then take what they have learned back home to continue the work. That is what Sarmento, a former journalist and graduate linguistics student, hopes to do. His main emphasis is Tetum, which is more widely spoken in East Timor. But because Makasae is the language of his family, he said he will continue to document it. "It would be a negation of my education if I turned my back on this language," he said. UH Language Documentation Center www.ling.hawaii.edu/%7Euhdoc/ From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Apr 2 17:46:15 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 10:46:15 -0700 Subject: Tribal delegates gather to talk about saving their language (fwd) Message-ID: Tribal delegates gather to talk about saving their language By Chet Barfield UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER April 2, 2005 http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20050402-9999-1n2language.html YUMA, Ariz. ? In a conference hall echoing with chanted songs almost as old as the nearby Colorado River, hundreds of American Indians are rekindling a fundamental flame of their diverse but related cultures. They're trying to save their language. About 300 tribal delegates from Southern California, western Arizona and northern Mexico are here to help revive and sustain the Yuman language, the root of dialects spoken by the Kumeyaay, Cocopah and more than a dozen other tribes from the Grand Canyon to the Pacific Ocean. These are oral languages with no alphabet. Elders who grew up with them are dying off. And kids on reservations today have many other influences. "We realize we're just a generation away from our languages becoming extinct," said Emilio Escalanti, councilman for the Yuma-area Quechan tribe and a coordinator of this week's fourth annual Yuman Family Language Summit. "What makes us Quechan (pronounced KWUT-san) is our Quechan language," he said. "Otherwise we would be like Joe Public. But we're not. We were created to be here, in this spot in the world.'" At the three-day conference, which ends today at the Yuma Civic and Convention Center, participants are sharing songs, dances and stories. They're weaving grass baskets and bark skirts. And they're learning innovative ways, new and old, that native language can be restored in their communities. It might be with a computer video of an elder singing a song, with scrolled words that can be clicked to display pronunciation and definition. Or, as the Grand Canyon-area Hualapais are doing, it can be done through traditional games dating back hundreds of years. Tribal groups are creating words for things that didn't exist in aboriginal times. The Hualapai word for computer, says elder Lucille Watahomigie, is derived from "metal thing where you store writing." Indians must walk in both worlds, ancient and modern, said Cheryle Beecher, a Hualapai family-services worker. "Things are changing. Our language is changing," she said. "We need to hold onto our culture and teach our children that way." Indian gaming helps and hinders. Casino proceeds fund cultural-enrichment programs and pay expenses for delegates to attend conferences such as this. At the same time, soaring profits are pushing some tribes more and more toward capitalistic values and away from their roots. A cultural historian at Barona, Larry Banegas, says it's hard to get more than 10 to 12 tribal members in his Kumeyaay language classes. "They're too busy, off looking at other things," he said. Since the arrival of Europeans, natives have struggled to maintain identity while pushed to assimilate. Until recent decades, Indian children were sent to boarding schools, stripped of their language and rituals. Today, leaders say, external forces on tribal youth are less blatant but just as strong: party drugs, popular music, the Internet, consumerism. "They're pressured with things that are not part of our tradition," said Edmund Domingues, vice chairman of the Cocopah tribe southwest of Yuma. "Our language," he said, "is what establishes ourselves as Cocopah. This is what establishes ourselves as unique." Chet Barfield: (619) 542-4572; chet.barfield at uniontrib.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Apr 2 17:49:29 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 2 Apr 2005 10:49:29 -0700 Subject: Quechans getting creative to help keep their language alive (fwd) Message-ID: Quechans getting creative to help keep their language alive BY PAIGE LAUREN DEINER Apr 2, 2005 http://sun.yumasun.com/artman/publish/articles/story_15793.php Susie Gilbert is learning Quechan for her husband. Once she's mastered the language, she plans to teach it to her husband, a Quechan who never learned his native tongue. "I am doing this to give something back to my husband. It's his language. It's my gift to him," Gilbert said. Gilbert has a common goal with the people who turned out Friday at the Yuma Civic and Convention center for the fourth annual Yuman Family Language Summit sponsored by the Quechan Indian tribe, the theme of which is "e-yah ny aam pii pik" ? Language is Our Survival. The goal of the conference, which began on March 21 and ends today, is to promote and educate attendees about lan- guage and cultural preservation through different projects undertaken by the 17 Yuman tribes from Arizona, California and Mexico. The projects ranged from teaching language and culture through games and arts and crafts to creating oral history movies and computer software to learn native languages. Gilbert said in an interview with The Sun that she began taking classes this year with Barbara Levy, a Quechan language teacher in Yuma, but the schedule is somewhat irregular because Levy does not have a classroom or a regular meeting place. Students gather at Levy's house at night, or meet under the trees on the Fort Yuma reservation. Still, students manage to meet with Levy about three times a week to learn about their culture, language and hear stories that elders once told, said Gilbert, who gave a presentation with Levy about Quechan language learning during the summit. Levy has been teaching the class for four years, while at the same time participating in another project to keep the Quechan language alive. That project, also discussed at the summit, involves developing an English-to-Quechan dictionary to enable people to look up and learn Quechan words and phrases. The project began more than 70 years ago, when linguist Abraham Halpern came to study the Quechan language. He stayed with the Quechans off and on for three years, writing down words and figuring out the grammatical structure of the language, said Amy Miller, who is creating the dictionary. The time lapse occurred because Halpern became involved in other projects and did not return to the Quechan reservation until his retirement in 1975. Then he began to record the language and stories of the elders, who feared that without some sort of record their language and culture might be lost, said Miller, who has spent the last seven years trying to finish the dictionary Halpern started. She is working with Levy and with 84-year-old George Bryant of Yuma, who grew up speaking Quechan and didn't learn English until he started school, to develop the dictionary. Miller said the project has taught her "how beautiful and complex the Quechan language is." She said creating a dictionary for the Quechan language is sometimes complicated because it has 38 sounds, many of which are not found in English. So far the dictionary has 3,964 words, about 800 contributed or verified by Bryant. The first word in the sample dictionary Miller provides was 'axakatom paa'aw, a hippopotamus. The word is used as a common phrase said jokingly about a large person swimming, according to Miller's dictionary. 'Axakatom paa'awets veeyemk is the phrase meaning "there goes a hippo." Bryant said this dictionary will allow people "to keep a record of our language." "All we know is that we talk the language and what we say makes sense," said Levy. She added that she was reluctant to get involved with the project at first because she felt she wasn't old enough, but decided that since she grew up speaking Quechan, she could be helpful to Miller. Provided that no other words are discovered, Miller said the dictionary will take more than two years to compete. "It seemed like a job that would never be completed, but I see an end coming. I hope schools will computerize all these systems into one big system while we still have people who know the language ? I think it's a good thing to know," said George Bryant. ? Copyright, YumaSun.com From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Sun Apr 3 16:15:41 2005 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 09:15:41 -0700 Subject: Preservation (language) Message-ID: NSU to help preserve language View opinions on this and other stories. By SEAN KENNEDY, Press Staff Writer Thursday, March 31, 2005 8:48 AM CST Preservation of traditional tribal language has been an ongoing battle for American Indian tribes across the nation for years. "Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chad Smith, in one of the first meetings I had with him after he was elected, told me we need to address the preservation of the Cherokee language," said Northeastern State University President Larry Williams. "He said we must save the native language of the Cherokee people." Thanks to the combined efforts of the Cherokee Nation and NSU, the university will debut a new bachelor of arts in education in Cherokee education this fall. NSU and the Cherokee Nation made the announcement at a joint press conference Tuesday morning at the Gene Branscum Alumni Center. The program will prepare college students to teach Cherokee language and culture for pre-K through 12th grade, with emphasis on speaking, reading and writing the Cherokee language. "It's a long and difficult process to get new programs approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education," said Williams. "We got approval of our program in record time. It usually takes three, four or five years to get a new program approved." NSU received the official seal of approval for the program in February. John Ketcher, former principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, said this was an important step in preserving the traditional language and culture of the Cherokee people. "For years, the Cherokee ministers kept the Cherokee language alive in their Sunday school classes," said Ketcher. "But now fewer and fewer people are speaking the language. This program is a step in the right direction." Smith said that through the cooperative efforts of the university and the tribe, a strong effort is being made to preserve the language of the Cherokee people. "We need to take a moment and acknowledge the greatness that is going to come from the seed being planted here today," said Smith. A 2002 survey conducted by the Cherokee Nation revealed that less than 7 percent of tribal members in northeastern Oklahoma could speak the language. According to the Fishman Scale of Language Loss, the Cherokee language is about two generations away from extinction. "We always have to be mindful that this is a first step," said Smith. "We need to develop 10,000 new speakers to keep the language alive. This program is teaching teachers to teach the language and the vital importance of the language to our culture. This will help bring our language back from the edge of extinction to the grandeur that it once was." The four-year program will start off with several basic courses offered for students, Elementary Cherokee I, Conversational Cherokee I, Intermediate Cherokee I, Cherokee Conversational Practicum and Cherokee Cultural Heritage. During the course of pursuing their degree, students will take a total of 40 hours in Cherokee language and culture, 40 hours in education, along with required core classes and electives. "This is a great achievement," said Smith. "The Cherokee education degree supports our long-range goal to revitalize the Cherokee language. Young Cherokees want to learn their language, and by certifying language teachers, we can give our kids the chance to study their language in public schools, as well as at home. I thank our education team for their research, and I commend the university for recognizing the need for this degree." Dr. James Pate, NSU vice president for academic affairs, said the college and the Cherokee Nation have a long history of working together, dating back to the university's inception in 1909. To keep the program going, NSU must enroll 18 students by 2010, and have several students graduate by the end of the 2009-2010 school year. "Each of our students enrolled in the program will be provided with a foundation in Cherokee language and culture," Pate said. The new program will also mean new positions at NSU, with a full-time program coordinator and at least two full time faculty members teaching, with a possible third faculty member, Pate said. Pate said the program at NSU will be a model for the nation because it is the only one of its kind at a state university that offers a degree to teach an American Indian language and culture. Western Carolina University is also watching the program, as officials there are considering creating a similar program for the Eastern Band of Cherokees in North Carolina. One of the challenges will be creating a job market for graduates outside the bounds of northeastern Oklahoma, Pate said. But it's something the university is studying. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Apr 3 18:03:48 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 11:03:48 -0700 Subject: UW language faculty create multimedia training tool (fwd) Message-ID: UW language faculty create multimedia training tool Les Chappell, 03/30/05 http://www.wistechnology.com/article.php?id=1666 Madison, Wis. ? Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created an interactive multimedia tool for learning languages, the Multimedia LessonBuilder. The computer program tests foreign language students on several levels, helping them learn with audio and visual components. "It's a way to guide an individual into creating a lesson that incorporates audio MP3 files and compressed flash video files," said Benjamin Rifkin, chair of the Department of?Slavic Languages and Literature at UW-Madison and one of the project's founders. Rifkin said the university is looking into publishing the system beyond UW-Madison ? possibly adapting it for corporate training ? but these talks have gotten no further than "casual discussions of interest". For now, they are focused on branching out by providing parts of the system via the College of Letters and Sciences licensing service. The project began in June 1999 as part of UW-Madison's Engage program, which works to expand tech-based learning initiatives. A team of foreign language faculty and students worked with the Division of Information Technology to devise Web-based projects teaching Russian, Spanish, and English as a second language. While working on these lessons, the team began looking at taking the ideas of Web-based lessons and figuring out how they could be mass-produced. By the time their initial contract with Transforming Teaching Through Technology ended in June 2003, they had developed two pieces of software for that purpose. "In the first grant period, we created three widgets ? the lessons?and then we created two widget makers ? the software," Rifkin said. LessonBuilder extends the early successes by providing a blueprint to help teachers develop lesson plans, leading them through the steps of developing a multimedia presentation. They are shown where audio and video clips of recordings of gestures, speeches and cultural facts, helping them develop questions that have one or more possible answers. Educators have free rein to customize the lesson. "The clips can be anything ? excerpts from films, TV shows, or video-based material in the language being studied that the instructor creates himself," said Dianna Murphy, project director and associate director of UW-Madison's language institute. Multimedia Annotator, a companion system to the LessonBuilder, allows users to insert a series of notes into the presentations. Captions, text comments and alternative audio/video recordings can be overlayed into the film with microsecond timing, allowing professors to emphasize facts that are important to the lesson. Rifkin said a benefit of the combination is that it allows teachers using it to "group in terms of sequence", meaning they can prioritize what information the students see first. Recordings, transcripts and translations can be combined in the best way for a lesson, switched around depending on the teacher's needs. According to Murphy the system works with all the languages offered by the UW-Madison curriculum. It still has some problems with right-to-left languages like Persian, although it can display the characters correctly. Professors have used the programs to create two video-based learning programs in UW-Madison courses. Rifkin is involved in the RAILS (Russian Advanced Interactive Listening Series) program to teach Slavic languages, while Professor Magdalena Hunter has created Utamaduni Online for Swahili lessons. LessonBuilder has also received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education to develop 24 programs for advanced Russian comprehension, with the first three programs already online. Twelve more systems are scheduled to be released in May, and the final group is scheduled for June of 2006. Les Chappell is a staff writer for WTN and can be reached at les at wistechnology.com. ? 2004 Wisconsin Technology Network LLC. All Rights Reserved From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 4 13:57:23 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 06:57:23 -0700 Subject: Native-language program to get $250,000 boost (fwd) Message-ID: Native-language program to get $250,000 boost Monday, April 4, 2005 Page S2 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050404/BCBRIEFS04-1/TPNational/Canada Victoria -- An Internet-based computer program designed to preserve aboriginal languages will become more accessible after a cash injection of $250,000, the province's Minister of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services announced yesterday. "Our heritage, diversity and inclusive society are sources of provincial pride and a strategic asset that we must maximize," Murray Coell said. "The preservation of language is a key to building strong aboriginal communities." FirstVoices.com was launched in 2003 by an international team of aboriginal language teachers, linguists and technology specialists as an easy and cost-effective way to record and teach indigenous languages. It provides a set of tools to archive text, sound, picture and video and to present these resources in language-teaching materials. The new funding will help additional communities receive training and have access to language archiving in FirstVoices.com for one year. CP From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 4 14:04:23 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 07:04:23 -0700 Subject: Rapa Nui struggle to keep Indigenous culture alive (fwd) Message-ID: Rapa Nui struggle to keep Indigenous culture alive Last Updated 04/04/2005, 04:14:40 http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1337219.htm The indigenous people of remote Easter Island say they're struggling to keep their culture alive. As Gillian Bradford reports from Easter Island, fewer and fewer children are speaking the local language: "Easter Islanders know their country and its language as Rapa Nui. Though it's still spoken widely across the island, only around a third of children can speak it well. Easter Island is still governed by Chile and most TV and radio on the island is in Spanish. The local Rapa Nui, who make up about half of the island's four-thousand people, say more needs to be done to keep their culture alive. The Rapa Nui have many similarities with New Zealand's Maoris." From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Mon Apr 4 20:41:08 2005 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Mon, 4 Apr 2005 13:41:08 -0700 Subject: Abstracts needed Message-ID: Call for Abstracts: FEL IX - Creating Outsiders: Endangered Languages, Migration and Marginalization The Foundation for Endangered Languages: Ninth Conference Stellenbosch, South Africa, 18-20 November 2005 Today's world-maps, political and linguistic, were laid out through human population movements, some ancient but some of them very recent. In this year's conference we want to address the effects of these movements on language communities: how they dissolve communities, and change their status; how communities may re-form in foreign places, and the relations between incomers and the established populations, whichever has the upper hand; the impact of empires, deportation, mass immigration, population loss from emigration. Remembered migration histories may be relevant to the modern self-image of communities. Internal migration by dominant-language speakers into the territories of minorities may lead to the marginalization of others /in situ/; and minorities often decamp to the dominant centres under various pressures. The UN has declared a second International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples. The languages we talk about will be very varied, and likely to include the languages of communities all over the world. Some of them are spoken by indigenous communities, which have become a minority on their own original territory due to the immigration of a dominant majority group. This kind of marginalization is very common, and notable examples include the San languages in South Africa, the Ainu language in Japan and many pre-Hispanic languages in California. It plays a major role in the current civil disorder in Nepal. In some cases, endangered languages may have gone into their own world-wide diapora: such is the case of Plautdietsch, language of the Mennonites, who emigrated to many places (Siberia, Canada, Mexico, Paraguay), where often their language became marginalised. Marginalization can, however, result from a variety of causes: a state policy of forced assimilation, military domination, religious conversion, the wish for social betterment, attendance at boarding schools, etc. We shall look at how both the State and communities can address the causes of marginalization, and of course its effects on the survival and development of languages. Besides the international dimension, this year's location in South Africa will give members an opportunity to get acquainted with many of the local linguistic issues, among them the position of Khoe and San, the past and future of Afrikaans, but also the Makhuwa-speaking ex-slaves from Durban, the Phuthi speakers from Eastern Cape, and no doubt many others. Issues that may arise include: ? Why are migration histories so treasured as sources of language identity? ? Do language-communities always (or ever) have better prospects of survival in their home territories than when transplanted? ? Can language-communities on their home ground and in diaspora give each other effective support? ? Can small language-communities create new identities in remote territories? ? Can new communities resulting from migration or deportation establish a new quasi-indigenous identity based on a shared language? ? What is the value of cultural resources for maintenance of status and active language use within endangered language communities? ? Do technical media have a significant role in combatting or reinforcing marginalization? ? Is it possible to reconcile the recognition of official languages with respect for a much larger number of indigenous languages? ? Can minority and even endangered languages play an active role in a state?s policy of multilingualism? Local Site The University of Stellenbosch is in South Africa's Western Cape, close to Cape Town. It has had a Department of African Languages for more than half a century (http://academic.sun.ac.za/african_languages); it has a Department of General Linguistics (.../linguist/index_english.htm) and a Language Centre (.../taalsentrum/index_engframeset.htm). Abstract Submission Abstracts should not exceed 500 words. They may be submitted in two ways: by electronic submission, and alternatively on paper. Most simply, they should be written in English. Other languages may also be accepted by prior arrangement with the Conference Chair Nigel Crawhall or FEL Chairman Nicholas Ostler 1) Electronic submission: Electronic submission (by 24 April 2005) should be as an attachment in Word, or simply as an email message to , with a copy to . Please fill in the subject domain as follows: FEL_Abstract The e-mail should also contain, in the following format: NAME : Names of the author(s) TITLE: Title of the paper EMAIL: Email address of the first author, if any ADDRESS: Postal address of the first author TEL: Telephone number of the first author, if any FAX: Fax number of the first author, if any The name of the first author will be used in all correspondence. 2) Paper abstracts: Three copies should be sent (to arrive by 1 May 2005) to: FEL IX Conference Admin Foundation for Endangered Languages 172 Bailbrook Lane Bath BA1 7AA United Kingdom This should have a clear short title, but should not bear anything to identify the author(s). On a separate sheet, enclosed in an envelope, please include the following information: NAME : Names of the author(s) TITLE: Title of the paper EMAIL: Email address of the first author, if any ADDRESS: Postal address of the first author TEL: Telephone number of the first author, if any FAX: Fax number of the first author, if any The name of the first author will be used in all correspondence. (If possible, please also send an e-mail to Funmi Adeniyi informing her of the paper submission. This is in case the hard copy does not reach its destination in time. This e-mail should contain the information specified in the above section.) Oral presentations will last twenty minutes each, with a further ten minutes for discussion. Plenary lectures will last forty-five minutes each. Authors will be expected to submit a written paper with the full version of the lecture for publication in the proceedings well in advance of the conference. Important Dates ? Abstract arrival deadlines - 24 April 2005 (e-mail); 1 May 2005 (by post) ? Committee's decision 15 May 2005 ? In case of acceptance, the full paper should be sent by 31 Aug 2005. (Further details on the format of text will be specified to the authors) ? Conference 18-20 November 2005 -- Foundation for Endangered Languages Registered Charity: England and Wales 1070616 172 Bailbrook Lane, Bath BA1 7AA, England +44-1225-852865 nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk http://www.ogmios.org From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Apr 5 18:26:39 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 11:26:39 -0700 Subject: Language anxiety? Try immersion therapy (fwd) Message-ID: Language anxiety? Try immersion therapy By THOMAS J. FITZGERALD Thursday, March 31, 2005 Updated at 9:35 AM EST New York Times News Service http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050317.gtlanguagemar17/BNStory/Technology/ Technology has not yet produced an effortless way to learn another language, but it can lend a helping hand. Advancements in multimedia and the growth of the Internet have led to an assortment of language tools that can complement academic studies or enable studying on your own schedule. Software options offer a variety of technological features and instructional materials, and can range from straightforward drill-oriented tools to interactive programs with speech recognition and 750 hours of learning. On-line offerings can range from free self-tutoring websites to live virtual classrooms with instructors for groups or individual instruction. The options also have different philosophies behind their teaching methods, enabling users to choose a delivery mode best suited to their style of learning. Some choices can be expensive, though, so understanding what a program promises to teach and the features it offers can be worth some initial research. A program called Rosetta Stone (www.rosettastone.com), from Fairfield Language Technologies, based in Harrisonburg, Va., offers study software that uses an immersion technique. The program strives to replicate the way children learn their native language; all of the instruction is in the foreign language, and nothing written or spoken is translated to English. To emulate this childhood learning process, the program displays a series of photographs combined with audio and text. For example, at the beginning of the first lesson of German, the user is presented with four photographs along with the text and spoken words of "ein Hund." The user must then select the photograph of ein Hund, or a dog, to advance to the next screen. As you advance through the screens, each displaying four photographs from which to choose the correct response, the materials become more complex, building on what was previously learned. By the final screen of Lesson 1, you are asked to choose the correct photo for phrases like "ein Junge in einem Flugzeug, " or a boy in an airplane. A critical element in the Rosetta Stone approach is deductive reasoning. Through an intentional juxtaposition of the photographs that encourages you to discern the correct response, often through a process of elimination, you are developing deductive reasoning skills that can be transferred to real life situations, according to the company, enabling you to think and learn on your feet. "For us, that skill, the skill of learning how to learn language, is probably the most important thing we do, because ultimately it is the skill you need when you finally get away from the computer," said Duane M. Sider, director of training and marketing for Fairfield Language. For example, while you may not understand every word when you hear someone speaking the language you are learning, Sider said, you can start with what you do know, then add clues from facial expressions, body gestures and your surroundings. "You begin to deduce the meaning," Sider said. "Since you are doing that at every screen on Rosetta Stone, it is a skill we feel is crucial to develop and reinforce as you move along." Rosetta Stone has other features and is available for 28 languages, from Arabic to Welsh, and runs on PCs and Macs. Prices vary depending upon the level offered for a particular language ($195 U.S. for Level 1; $225 for Level 2; and $329 for Levels 1 and 2 combined, are some examples). On-line versions are available on a subscription basis. LanguageNow!, software from Transparent Language (transparent.com), based in Nashua, N.H., takes a different approach. The program's objectives are to provide fast access to reference materials and to make learning enjoyable. "You learn a language, or frankly anything, by having frequent successful experiences in that language," said Charles McGonagle, a vice-president and general manager at Transparent Language. "We provide all the help reference right on the screen. When you come to a word you don't know, you can just look down and see the translation of it." In one of its main features, the program plays video with native-speaking actors acting out scenes in the foreign language, while at the bottom of the screen the dialogue is displayed in the foreign language and in English. This is useful for beginners; you can pause on a word to explore its meaning and hear it pronounced by native speakers. You can also pause on a sentence and replay it to translate each word or to listen to it in the native language as many times as you need to understand the concepts being taught. In the Italian version of the software, for example, the characters in the video, Gabriella and Piero, are travelling through Italy to gather information to publish a travel guide. At times people they encounter may speak quickly for beginners to understand; having the option to pause over those sentences, to break them down word by word, is useful. There are also ways to practice speaking the language. Using a microphone, you can play the parts of characters in the video, then replay your lines to hear how you sound. The program has grammar reference materials and includes quizzes and games like crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blank and unscramble. The pricing for LanguageNow!, available for 16 languages, is $40 for most languages, including French, Russian and Spanish; $90 for others like Irish Gaelic and Portuguese; and $130 for Latin and Arabic. Tell Me More, a program from Auralog (auralog.com), based in France, takes another approach. The premium version of the software ($195) includes three CD-ROMs with instructional material, a headset with a microphone and 750 hours of instruction. The program uses speech recognition as a central teaching tool. For example, in one section the user listens to questions and must speak answers to continue. There is also a sentence pronunciation section. You can practice speaking sentences and compare the results against native speakers, and the program highlights mispronounced words. And in a section of phonetic exercises, the program demonstrates how to pronounce sounds by using 3-D animations of lip and mouth movements and analyzes your pronunciation. Another program, called Instant Immersion, from Topics Entertainment (topics-ent.com), based in Renton, Wash., offers many languages and several types of programs. Options are available for children as well. Transparent's KidSpeak ($30) offers lessons in French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. JumpStart Spanish ($18), from Knowledge Adventure (jumpstart.com), is another option for children. websites with free lessons are plentiful. A free site offered by Barbara Nelson, an assistant professor at Colby College in Maine, (www.colby.edu/TILDEbknelson/exercises) has interactive lessons for Spanish that include audio, video and exercises. Many of the lessons provide immediate feedback , Nelson said, which is one advantage technology has over textbooks. A list of free and commercial on-line resources is at ilovelanguages.com. For on-line instruction with teachers, Berlitz, the language teaching company, offers a distance-learning option for 32 languages called Berlitz Virtual Classroom (www.berlitz.us/on-line). The teaching method is the same as in conventional Berlitz classes, an immersion technique, and users can learn in groups or have individual lessons with a Berlitz instructor. The on-line instruction employs Web conferencing software from Interwise; a student speaks and listens through a computer, writes on a shared whiteboard and can record the lessons. Videoconferencing is not a part of the program (neither the teacher nor the other students are visible). The cost for the group classes is $799 for 10 sessions (2 hours 15 minutes each). For individual instruction the cost is $1,975 for 18 sessions (90 minutes each). Sifting through such an array of language-learning tools can seem daunting. One rule of thumb, according to Jessamine Cooke-Plagwitz, assistant professor of German at Northern Illinois University, is to look for options that cover the four main language modes: listening, speaking, writing and reading. "Most of them do not work on all four areas," said Cooke-Plagwitz, who is working on a book about technology-enhanced language learning. "But the best ones do." Cooke-Plagwitz also says programs that include video of native speakers carry an added benefit. "You can read a lot just by the way a person moves their hands, or their facial expressions," she said. "There is a lot more comprehension that can go on if you can actually see somebody speaking your target language." Translation tools An assortment of language translation tools is available for people studying languages and for travellers, options that run on computers and also on hand-held devices like Pocket PCs and iPods. Google (google.com/language(USCORE)tools) offers a free Web-based option to translate text and website content. You can insert text from applications like word-processing programs to translate content from many languages to English and vice versa. You can also translate the text of a website by typing in the address. Mac users will find a translation tool inside Sherlock. Called Translation, the feature can translate text among many languages and is powered by Systran (www.systransoft.com), a provider of translation products. Sherlock is located in Applications in Mac OS X. Desktop translation software is also available. A program from Babylon (babylon.com), called Babylon-Pro ($49.50), and one from Transparent Language (transparent.com), called EasyTranslator ($49.95), include many translation features. Mobile software is available for devices that run the Pocket PC and Palm operating systems, and also for iPods and cellphones. MobiLearn's Talking Phrasebook (mobilearn.net), for Pocket PC devices, translates common phrases for travelers using audio. Talking Panda's iLingo (talkingpanda.com) runs on iPods, and Ectaco (ectaco.com) offers solutions software for Pocket PC's, Palm OS devices and cellphones. Additional products can be found at www.handango.com. [note: some text is missing in the original article. pcc] From sdp at U.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Apr 5 19:24:36 2005 From: sdp at U.ARIZONA.EDU (Susan D. Penfield) Date: Tue, 5 Apr 2005 12:24:36 -0700 Subject: Fwd: tesol--new tech ideas Message-ID: Thanks to Garry Forger for this report: here is some info from the conference. In particular check out the cloze reading tool. TESOL Conference 2005 I attended the 2005 TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) Conference on April 1 and 2. http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/index.asp Graduate student Paul Lyddon and I provided a brief presentation on the OLE Board that was very well received. Powerpoint of the presentation is at http://www.ole.arizona.edu/ppt2/olemarch5_files/frame.htm The focus of the presentation was on the work that Paul is doing to establish pedagogical strategies for using the OLE Board in instruction. Paul is actively using the Board in his ESL class this semester. Some of the other presentations that were interesting are included here: The Lesson Plan Builder is a free online resource for creating lessons plans, mostly focused on adult education courses http://www.adultedlessons.org/login.cfm?fuseaction=login Wichita State has an interesting program for online Journal Writing that they developed. Unfortunately I don't think it is on the web but the website of the department that developed it is interesting http://webs.wichita.edu/ielc-lab/ The journal writing software provides prompts to students on spelling and grammer help. A really cool free application for language instruction the Webgapper http://newtongue.org/webgapper/ Go to the above URL, in the box at the top put in a url such as http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue42/daw/ click on get page button. This will put a box at top of the page that lets you retrieve page with letters missing. Students then have to figure out what letters are missing. If I have not explained that well I can give a demo of this. This type of exercise is called 'cloze reading'. There were two people at the conference who have used qtvr to develop online language tutorials. Info on the first is at http://alexwrege.com/files/tesol_2005.pdf This is his handout but I could not find the actual module online. Another is at http://homepages.utoledo.edu/dcolema/motelzero/student.htm G -- _______________________________________ Photos from Sonoran trip, paleoarchaeological site March 2005 http://staff.ltc.arizona.edu/garry/terapa ______________________ Garry J. Forger, MLS Assistant Director Learning Technologies Center The University of Arizona 1077 N. Highland Ave Tucson, AZ 85721-0073 gforger at u.arizona.edu http://www.ltc.arizona.edu/ Phone 520-626-7761 Fax 520-626-8220 ----- End forwarded message ----- Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. Department of English The Writing Program Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Ph.D. Program (affiliate faculty) Indigenous Languages and Technology Southwest Center, Research Associate in Anthropology University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721 ----- End forwarded message ----- Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. Department of English, Writing Program Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Program Indigenous Languages and Technology University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Apr 6 17:56:49 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 10:56:49 -0700 Subject: Indians hope saving languages will revitalize cultures (fwd) Message-ID: Posted on Wed, Apr. 06, 2005 Indians hope saving languages will revitalize cultures AMERICAN INDIAN ISSUES: Native language revitalization organizers hope to learn lessons from New Zealand's Maori. BY STEVE KUCHERA NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/11322769.htm CARLTON - American Indians and the Maori of New Zealand live nearly half a world apart. But they've shared the experience of watching their languages approach extinction. Some Maori, however, have worked for more than 20 years to revitalize their language. "Without it, we have no culture. ... We are no one," Timoti Karetu, director of the Institute of Excellence in the Maori Language, said Tuesday. Karetu and two other Maori attended the three-day Minnesota Indigenous Language Symposium to share their experience with more than 200 attendees. "We brought them here because we are in the embryonic stages of language revitalization," said Gabrielle Strong, program officer for the Grotto Foundation. The foundation co-sponsored the symposium with Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and the University of Minnesota Duluth. In 2001, the Twin Cities-based foundation began a 15-year native language revitalization effort. "Language is more than words," Strong said. "It's about whole systems of knowledge and philosophy that are embedded in that language. There's healing in language. We have a lot of desire to revitalize the languages." But the desire is not matched evenly by skills. The symposium's goal is to showcase model native language revitalization programs. "There's great things going in small pockets all over," said Amy Bergstrom. "This is a start -- coming together and laying out the path for our efforts." Bergstrom is director of the Gekinoo'imaagejig (the Ones Who Teach) Teacher Education Program, a collaboration between Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and UMD. The schools developed the program to recruit and train American Indian students interested in becoming teachers. The students earn a teaching minor in the Ojibwe language. Linguists estimate that 500 years ago, American Indians in what was to become the continental United States spoke more than 300 languages. About half survive. Some were lost when tribes were exterminated. Others vanished or faded as schools and missionaries worked to quash native languages and cultures. A 1995 survey of reservations in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan found 418 fluent Ojibwemowin speakers, none younger than 45. Most were elders. And fewer than 30 fully fluent Dakota speakers remain in Minnesota, according to the Dakota Ojibwe Language Revitalization Alliance. "Much of what happened to you happened to us," Karetu said. By the 1970s, fewer than 20 percent of Maori could speak their language fluently. Most of those were elderly. Maori began efforts to keep their language alive in the late 1970s. In 1987, New Zealand declared Maori an official language. By 1997, more than 55,000 children had learned Maori. But saving a language requires more than classroom lessons, Karetu said. "If you want your language to survive, use it," he said. "It will survive by being spoken all the time." When the Institute of Excellence in the Maori Language began, Karetu began the practice of requiring Maori be spoken all the time, everywhere. "Drown the children in language," he said. "Expose children to the best speakers, which for you is probably the grandmothers and grandfathers -- like it was for us." Pania Papa, an institute member accompanying Karetu, noted that one of the island nation's three television channels is now Maori. "That's a wonderful thing for our kids," she said. In addition to the Maori, symposium attendees heard from people involved in language revitalization efforts across Minnesota, in Hawaii, Montana and New Mexico. STEVE KUCHERA can be reached at (218) 279-5503, toll free at (800) 456-8282, or by e-mail at skuchera at duluthnews.com. ? 2005 Duluth News Tribune and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.duluthsuperior.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Apr 6 18:00:15 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 11:00:15 -0700 Subject: Scholar wants to create Ojibwe language center (fwd) Message-ID: Posted on Wed, Apr. 06, 2005 Scholar wants to create Ojibwe language center NEWS TRIBUNE http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/11322770.htm CARLTON - Charisa "Chris" Homan is working toward a Ph.D. in sociolinguistics, focusing on endangered languages. But she doesn't want to simply study people and books and publish a bunch of statistics for her graduate project. Instead, she wants to help create an Ojibwe Language Resource Center. "I'm offering my work to the community," she said Tuesday at the Minnesota Indigenous Language Symposium. "I'm trying to make a difference. The most important part of this is language revitalization." Homan graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in December 2003 with double majors in English and American Indian studies with an Ojibwe emphasis. She's working on her Ph.D. at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. While at UMD, Homan heard of the idea of creating an Ojibwe Language Resource Center to help revitalize the language. "This isn't my idea. It's an idea that was identified by members of the community," she said. Such a center could be a meeting place for community members and language experts, a place where people could meet to talk about the language -- in Ojibwe, if they chose. Its staff could work with other communities involved in language revitalization efforts. They could collect, record and share language resources. Homan is looking for help and guidance from the Ojibwe community to answer questions like where a center should be located and whether it should be affiliated with a tribal college. While Homan is willing to help organize efforts to create the center and to help find funding, she doesn't want to control the center. "What I want is the experience and knowledge gained from the work I do," she said. From gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Apr 6 19:23:27 2005 From: gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Garry Forger) Date: Wed, 6 Apr 2005 12:23:27 -0700 Subject: Southern Arizona Language Fair In-Reply-To: <20050406110015.s0o4c8ksss48o0ss@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: A record number of K-16 language students, parents and teachers will participate in the annual Southern Arizona Language Fair, held Saturday, April 9, at the UA. The event offers multicultural opportunities and attractions, including competitions in poetry, drama, proficiency, art competitions and non-competitive performances. Students will play games exclusively in a second language, with peers, parents, students and instructors from the UA and Pima Community College. http://www.coh.arizona.edu/pal/lf05/index.htm ______________________ Garry J. Forger, MLS Assistant Director Learning Technologies Center The University of Arizona 1077 N. Highland Ave Tucson, AZ 85721-0073 gforger at u.arizona.edu http://www.ltc.arizona.edu/ Phone 520-626-7761 Fax 520-626-8220 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 7 17:20:36 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 10:20:36 -0700 Subject: Mbeki calls for preservation of indigenous languages (fwd) Message-ID: Mbeki calls for preservation of indigenous languages President Mbeki wants traditional leaders, to stop indigenous languages from disappearing April 07, 2005, 17:00 http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/general/0,2172,101617,00.html President Thabo Mbeki wants traditional leaders to stop indigenous languages from disappearing. Mbeki was speaking at the annual opening of the National House of Traditional Leaders in Cape Town today. Mbeki says he is very concerned that African languages and traditions are lapsing in both rural and urban areas. Mbeki says African pride shines when people express their culture in the way they dress, the traditions they uphold and the languages they speak. But these are in danger of being pushed aside. The president says at school level, fewer and fewer of African children are taking African languages as subjects. He says many young people are more in tune with Western trends. Hence in many instances it is easy for the youth to identify with rock stars from places they have never seen. He called on traditional leaders to bring back language and tradition. He says they should work with communities, government departments and the private sector to raise the importance of African languages. Mbeki also wants to see festivals celebrating traditions, songs and dances becoming a regular feature in cities and rural areas countrywide. This has been welcomed by the traditional leaders. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 7 17:32:22 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 10:32:22 -0700 Subject: Utilizing song and film to teach Hopi language (fwd) Message-ID: Navajo-Hopi Observer- News Utilizing song and film to teach Hopi language By S.J. Wilson The Observer http://www.navajohopiobserver.com/NAVAJOHOPIOBSERVER/myarticles.asp?P=1103147&S=392&PubID=13929 FLAGSTAFF Thanks to an unlikely partnership and the blending of modern media, Hopi youngsters, families and teachers have yet another teaching tool to preserve traditional culture and language. Ferrell Secakuku and Anita Poleahla have produced a popular CD called Learning Through Hopi Songs. "We wanted to inspire younger children, to provide a way for them to hear the words, to put themselves into the Hopi language, to bring them back to speaking Hopi," Secakuku said. "We are working uphill it's a challenge to bring back the Hopi language." [photo inset - S.J. Wilson/Observer. Ferrell Secakuku, left, and Anita Poleahla join Natasa Garic, center, at her March 17 presentation at Northern Arizona University.] This is important to Secakuku and Poleahla. Like all native cultures, the Hopi language is the root of Hopi culture and life, Secakuku insisted. Secakuku, a former Hopi Tribal Chairman, met Natasa Garic in a graduate level anthropology class at Northern Arizona University. Garic, a Serbian/Croatian from Slovenia, is an international student in the Anthropology Department. She is fluent in English and Croatian, and speaks Italian and German. Garic is a 2002 graduate of NAU, majoring in cultural anthropology. She said she has always been interested in ancient cultures and native people. She originally came to Arizona to study the Navajo and has worked closely with the Hopi. A professional volleyball player, Garic is passionate about archaeology, petroglyphs and the tracing of migration patterns. Garic's interest in Hopi culture led Secakuku and Poleahla to invite Garic to illustrate a song from their CD. Garic presented the finished product, Hopi Maidenhood Ceremony, on the afternoon of March 17 during a colloquia at the Anthropology Department, where Secakuku and Poleahla joined her. A self-described applied anthropologist, Garic told the gathering that the intention of her work is to prove that there are other ways to do anthropology. "I thought this would be a good way to inspire the younger generation along with their parents and grandparents," Secakuku said. Garic, Secakuku and Poleahla chose the Hopi maidenhood ceremony, deciding to bring the experience into Hopi homes and classrooms. This would allow children who might not otherwise view the ceremony to share the experience. Rather than filming video footage of the ceremony, Garic decided to use still photographs. Garic began the presentation by explaining to fellow students and faculty members that traditional Hopi education is much different from that of the western world. "On Hopi, there are different ways of education. Girls learn how to grind corn and how to cook traditional foods," Garic said. "The men and boys meet together in the kivas during the winter for lessons. In this way they learn respect for tribal elders." Garic went on to explain that the learning style of Native American youth is experiential, and that culturally based, active experiences help engage their interest. "If you've never been to Hopi, let me tell you, the world there is not the same. The pace is different," Garic said. "The people hold a different philosophy of life." Garic described the journey of a young girl becoming a maiden, learning to make traditional foods like piki bread and somiviki, and the butterfly whorl hairstyle announcing the young woman's new status. She shared a brief explanation of the maiden's ritual and social roles, of receiving gifts of cornmeal and valuable advice for moving into adulthood. "I wanted children to associate the words of the song with the pictures. I wanted historic photos to represent cultural continuity," Garic said. "I tried to make it about the young woman represented in the pictures, and about her family. I hope that the experience [of viewing the presentation] will spark an interest in other cultural roles." As the chant of Poleahla and Secakuku pulsed resonantly, viewers were treated to a slideshow of vignettes of Hopi life of the family of a young woman entering her maidenhood. The photographs were compelling, moving through vistas of skyline beyond the edge of ancient villages, historic photos, family gatherings and corn plants. So far the audience of the film has primarily been school children, as well as a showing to teachers at the summer session of Hopi Day School. Garic agrees with Poleahla and Secakuku that this medium is a great way to teach, but she believes that the youth themselves can bring their own productions to life. "Kids today have learned the technology," she said. Poleahla, the Hopi Language teacher at Hopi Jr/Sr High School, describes herself at the grassroots level of technology. "Forget about housework," she laughed. "This isn't really work, this is fun." "Songs from Learning Through Hopi Songs has received a lot of play in northern Arizona. We hear the songs everywhere," Poleahla said. "We hear them on the radio, students are singing them." "We are working on teaching material to accompany these songs. We are so fortunate to have Natasa to do this for us. This has been a new learning experience," Poleahla said. Secakuku and Poleahla's audience is asking for the next CD and it is in the works. Entitled "Teaching Through Hopi Songs," fans of this duo can expect to see this new CD in late April or early May. From jtucker at STARBAND.NET Sat Apr 9 13:06:28 2005 From: jtucker at STARBAND.NET (Jan Tucker) Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2005 09:06:28 -0400 Subject: tech book In-Reply-To: <02e001c4bad8$415af9c0$abed7b80@red6bvg9btk> Message-ID: Mia, Your book sounds like a great idea. In thinking about it, it seems that a book about applying technology might be best shared on the web itself. An ebook abut the application of technology. Also it seems that from exploring all the wonderful sites you have been sharing in this discussion that a annotated webliography of resources or where to get them would be a huge asset to anyone looking for ideas. Finally, why not coauthor or have a place where people can submit their story of best practices themselves and you be the editor. This way not only would you be presenting applied usages of technology but it would be available widely to apply. Might be able to get a grant for something like this. The book could come later, at least the compilation of resources would be there. PS: One of the strengths of this list serve is getting to see all the amazing work being done. It's the good news you don't here about cultural and language revitalization. Jan Adjunct Professor Applied Cultural Anthropology -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]On Behalf Of MiaKalish at LFP Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 5:19 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: tech book I am thinking of submitting a proposal for a book on Technology and revitalization/language type applications, but I don't think I sent a general notice to the list. I can't remember if I saw another email go by about it. It's right now a question of whether I can edit a book while doing the research for my PhD and finishing my dissertation. Also, if I did this book, it would be about how people Applied the Theory. We have lots of good books on theory, and about how teaching in culture is more effective than teaching out of culture. Also, we have lots, and lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of papers and articles about the Possibilities of using Technology, hence the focus: Best Practices in Technology Applications for Language and Culture Revitalization. best, Mia ----- Original Message ----- From: Rrlapier at AOL.COM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 9:35 PM Subject: tech book Can someone respond to Michael Price? Rosalyn LaPier Piegan Institute www.pieganinstitute.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Apr 10 19:17:45 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 12:17:45 -0700 Subject: Young American Indians strive to maintain traditional culture (fwd) Message-ID: Posted on Sun, Apr. 10, 2005 Young American Indians strive to maintain traditional culture BRAD PERRIELLO Associated Press http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/news/11361166.htm EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. - When Emanuel Red Bear and his friends wanted to learn the traditional songs of the Lakota Sioux, they turned to 76-year-old Burdell Blue Arm and his extensive knowledge of Lakota culture. "We were thinking about singing some songs, and Burdell said, 'Let's sing some old songs, traditional songs,'" said Red Bear, who lives in Eagle Butte on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Along with Blue Arm and his nephews, Red Bear began a traditional drum group called "Wakpa Waste," pronounced WALK-pah WASH-tay, Lakota for "Good River." That is also how the tribe refers to its namesake, the Cheyenne River. "We try to sing the older songs (so) that the people will hear," Red Bear said. But preserving those songs, and American Indian culture in general, is becoming increasingly difficult as tribal elders pass away. For example, Blue Arm lives in a nursing home in Mobridge, more than 80 miles from Eagle Butte. He is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and is beginning to lose his memory. "That's the way my mind is - I forget now and then," Blue Arm said. As his memory fades, the tribe loses one of its most important resources. "Burdell is a living library of Lakota music," said his nephew, Steve Emery, a member of Wakpa Waste and a lawyer for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. For Red Bear, who teaches Lakota language and culture to students in Eagle Butte, keeping younger Indians interested in the ways of their people is a challenge. Many just don't care to learn the ways of their ancestors because of the allure of contemporary American culture, he said. "We have more influences of the modern society. Gangs, television, alcohol and drugs - everything's right here," Red Bear said. "We live in two worlds, the Lakota world and the non-Indian world." The Cheyenne River tribe passed an ordinance in 1993 requiring that Lakota language and culture be taught in reservation classrooms. But it is a struggle to capture students' interest, Red Bear said. "We have people, our own tribal members, who are ashamed to be (Lakota), and they don't want to learn the language," he said. "It's sad to see." Another problem are the differences in dialects between tribes, Red Bear said. The Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Standing Rock and Cheyenne River tribes all have different ways of referring to things and there are specific endings indicating the gender of the speaker. That means it's nearly impossible to reach a consensus on what needs to be taught, he said. "We're standing in one place spinning our wheels, arguing about who's right and who's wrong, and in the meantime we're losing our language," Red Bear said. But there is hope. Red Bear grew up speaking Lakota at home, and said learning such everyday phrases as "brush your teeth" and "go play" is crucial to saving the language. In outlying areas of the reservation, away from towns such as Eagle Butte, there are still families that speak Lakota at home, he said. Encouraging them to keep that up will help preserve the Lakota way, Red Bear said. "We still have a chance if we get the ones that live in the outlying districts," he said. In addition, Red Bear and others are spearheading projects such as a Lakota language immersion camp at the Cheyenne River reservation, which will be held for the second time this summer. Sponsored by the tribe, Si Tanka University and a bilingual education program, it involves language classes and instruction in such cultural activities as erecting tipis. The campers, mainly college students, are taught by members of the Cheyenne River tribe. Drum groups like Wakpa Waste also help by keeping people familiar with the older songs and exposing new people to them, Red Bear said. During the 2005 legislative session, Wakpa Waste took a drum to Pierre and sang in the South Dakota Capitol rotunda before a crowd that included lawmakers and Gov. Mike Rounds. For Blue Arm, the efforts of people like Red Bear and his nephews to learn - and preserve - the Lakota way are a beacon of hope. "It means something that they can speak the language. Maybe God is helping us," Blue Arm said. ? 2005 AP Wire and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.aberdeennews.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Apr 10 19:20:53 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 10 Apr 2005 12:20:53 -0700 Subject: Living language (fwd) Message-ID: Living language April 10, 2005 KATE GOLDEN/Frontiersman http://www.frontiersman.com/articles/2005/04/10/news/news1.txt CHICKALOON - At the village's all-ages Ahtna language class, kids from 6 to 60 acted out everything from fiddlehead ferns to moose calves. Appreciative audience members called out their guesses and heckled the actors. A roster going around listed eight teachers and eight students. As usual, neither generation nor demeanor gave a clue as to which ones were which. "Hit me!" Calin Wade challenged his mother. Angie Wade turned up a flash card with a fish on it. "Trout," she said. "Tsabaey," he said. "How much you want to bet?" The issue was solved with another flip of the cards and a word from teacher Sondra Stuart. He was right, and he gloated. These games have serious import. Kari Johns, educational director of Chickaloon's Ya Ne Dah Ah village school, which the children attend, said, "We're doing it to keep a language alive." Loneliness Katie Wade, Calin's great-grandmother, has not had a full-blown Ahtna conversation in years. "I cannot tell a story in my own language," she said. Growing up in Chickaloon, Wade acted as go-between between her traditional, Ahtna-speaking maternal grandparents and her white, English-speaking, bootlegger father. The Indian side, she said, was much richer: They sang, danced and told stories constantly. Ahtna, she remembered, was a fun language. She and her siblings made up words, used it as a secret language and played tricks on people. Stories were funnier in Ahtna. Now, she is the only fluent speaker of her dialect. At some point, she vowed, "I miss it so much I'm going to try to teach those kids to how to talk to me." Ten years ago, Wade started teaching the younger generations of the Chickaloon tribe. Two of her earliest students, Stuart and Daniel Harrison, are now the main teachers. The kids aren't far enough along yet to shoot the breeze with Wade. And disuse has jumbled her syntax over the years. But she's hopeful that Ahtna will revive. "I think (they) can get pretty far with it," she said. Difficult for oldsters Brainwise, children always have the advantage in learning languages. There are a few things, however, that make Ahtna inherently more challenging for adults. Once hard-wired, the alphabets we learn as children are difficult to expand. And there are some sounds in Athabaskan languages that don't occur in English. For example, where English recognizes just the letter t, Ahtna makes words with the variations t', tl, tl', ts and ts'. Athabaskan expert Siri Tuttle, an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, calls the language "smooth and lovely and musical." Angie Wade laughed as she complained, "'Grass,' 'hand' and 'butt' all sound the same." Both words and sentences are structured differently than English. Tuttle said that verbs seem to be "inside out," rare among the world's languages. Wade said that translating sentences is "like unscrewing some puzzle." And a little twist to a syllable can change the meaning of a word so drastically that the corresponding English fix would be to add a whole new sentence. The form of a verb can vary around several dimensions, indicating time and the way an action is carried out. Take the verb "chop," for example. Dozens of variations could indicate whether the object was chopped now, yesterday, in half, or whether it was hewn into a certain shape. "The language forces you to pay extremely close attention to the way actions are carried out," said Gary Holden, assistant professor of linguistics at University of Alaska Fairbanks. "The way you can include nouns inside verbs, verbs inside nouns - you can make words that have really deep meaning," Tuttle said. "Ahtna ... has really remarkable poetic capabilities." Blame the white man It's easy to point blame for the murder of Alaskan Native languages, Holden said. The history is not pretty. Nearly a century of official language policy not only favored English but in many cases forbade the use of native languages. "They made everybody so afraid," Katie Wade said. Now, there are those who grew up hearing the language but who cut it off from themselves - "passive speakers," in linguists' argot. They understand the language, but often they can't get past their psychological conditioning to speak it. Wade said she escaped brainwashing because she never went to school. "I still think like my ancestors did," she said. There's resentment, too. People sometimes feel that if their language has been taken away, they want it given back, Holden said. Which is, of course, impossible. It's been taken away, and now they have to dedicate their lives to reconstructing it. Adding speakers is a slow, one-by-one process. But the language of the forefathers can never come back as it was. "What comes back is something different," he said. "But it's still language." Teaching challenges Wade put resentment aside for the worthy cause of teaching the younger generation. Her motivation is larger than her linguistic loneliness. The death of a language, she maintained, causes the death of the culture that's inextricably linked. Ahtna stories never translated well into English, children never gleaned the values they related, and it's time she did something about it. "The only way you know who you are is when you know your language," she said. Kari Johns, educational director of Chickaloon Native school Ya Ne Dah Ah, said, "People have to visualize a culture as being a lure, a thing, a basket. It's so much deeper than that ... It's how we look at things." The task for older students is to abandon their self-consciousness - of learning as an adult, of past prohibitions on the language - and those in Chickaloon has done so remarkably, according to Tuttle. "It seems as though people in this community have just decided to give up their neuroses and just do what they can do," she said. Teacher Stuart said it's a "humbling" process. They're all still working on basic words and little sentences, like "Black bear came to see us." But at this point, most of the grade-school students have been exposed to the language training since they were in kindergarten. "This is everyday life for them," said Stuart, who teaches them daily at Ya Ne Dah Ah. They've got the tools They may lack the usually requisite community of fluent speakers, but they have killer teaching tools. There's a dictionary, compiled by Jim Carrey and published in 2000, for which teachers Harrison and Wade served as key informants. Syntax is more of a challenge, but Tuttle plans to put together a comprehensive grammar eventually. And there are field recordings from decades of linguistic work. Another linguistic resource: Tuttle herself. She said her role is to suggest unorthodox solutions to problems or to act as the outsider who inspires others with her own learning - "If a stupid white lady can get it ..." she laughed. Sondra Stuart described a pedagogical gap between Chickaloon elders' traditionally hands-off teaching style and the Western-grown "But Why?" style of the youngest generation. The elder's answer to why, she said, was often "You just do it." As a linguist, Stuart said Tuttle often can explain the 'why' in terms of the language's internal logic. Which is something her inquisitive students are always seeking. They're constantly taking words apart, digging into the syllables to find related words that might have contributed meaning. But as for those raw archives, as Holden said, "You really have to be a connoisseur to appreciate a Dena'ina field recording from 1972." The Chickaloon challenge is to transform technical linguistics into user-friendly teaching tools. And that, he said, is where Chickaloon natives shine. Any kid who watches cartoons can appreciate Chickaloon Native Dimi Macheras's anime-influenced illustrations. On the Chickaloon village iBook, you click the dragonfly, which looks like it flew out of a comic book, and Daniel Harrison's voice says, "Tselc'utsaey." The posters of alphabet letters adorning the walls, the animal flash cards on the table, and the other seven Ahtna CD-ROMs all bear Macheras's marks. His intricate drawings suggest new ways to use an old language. A picture accompanying the word for 'house,' for example shows a modern house, not an ancestral Athabaskan one. Macheras said he went new-school consciously, looking for an aesthetic that "could resonate with a lot of people that are Native." Urban Native youths are asking, Johns noted, how they can incorporate computers into their ancestral languages. That doesn't mean the old ways are dead. Angie Wade, a birder, relies on Ahtna's many subtle distinctions between chickadees. Kate Golden can be reached at 352-2284 or kate.golden@ frontiersman.com. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 11 23:44:14 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 16:44:14 -0700 Subject: Endangered Language Fund (fwd link) Message-ID: Endangered Language Fund The Endangered Language Fund provides grants for language maintenance and linguistic field work. The work most likely to be funded will serve both the native community and the field of linguistics. The language involved must be in danger of disappearing within a generation or two. Grants are up to $4,000, averaging about $2,000 and normally for 1 year. DEADLINE: April 20, 2005 http://sapir.ling.yale.edu/~elf/rfp_0405.htm From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 11 23:50:08 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 16:50:08 -0700 Subject: Maliseet Sounds (fwd link) Message-ID: Maliseet Sounds http://www.ling.yale.edu/~elf/maliseet1.html [note: this website might be of interest to many of you as it offers an interesting representation on "computer-generated dictionaries". i will be adding this site to the ILAT resource listing soon. philcc] From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 06:15:46 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:15:46 -0700 Subject: Special Issue Call for Papers: "Minority languages, multimedia and the Web" (fwd) Message-ID: "Minority languages, multimedia and the Web" For The New Review of Hypermedia and Multimedia, 2005 (2) Guest Editors: Daniel Cunliffe, University of Glamorgan, UK (djcunlif at glam.ac.uk), Susan Herring, Indiana University, USA (herring at indiana.edu) Information and communications technology, and in particular the World Wide Web, can be a double-edged sword as regards the maintenance and revitalisation of minority languages. On the one hand, minority language communities can be active shapers of these technologies, creating their own tools, adapting existing tools to local needs, and creating culturally authentic, indigenous electronic media. On the other hand, these technologies can be seen as a force for globalisation and neo-colonisation, reinforcing the existing dominance of majority languages and breaking down geographical boundaries that in the past may have protected minority language groups. Researching the effects of multimedia and the Web on minority languages is challenging, and it is not yet clear how best to utilise these technologies to maintain and revitalise minority languages. This special issue invites researchers and practitioners who are actively engaged in addressing these issues from practical or theoretical viewpoints to share their findings and experiences and to contribute to a platform for future research. Relevant topics include, but are not limited to: Minority language applications: designing, implementing and evaluating applications measuring the impact of applications on language use promoting indigenous production and participatory design Influence of ICTs on minority languages: adaptation of languages to online environments, e.g., Romanisation behaviour of minority language speakers in online environments Measuring online minority languages: quantitative and qualitative measurement of online presence and use content related analysis of online presence and use Strategic issues: understanding barriers to online minority language use integrating multimedia and the Web into language planning Article submissions should typically be no longer than 7,000 words (excluding references) and should follow the formatting guidelines in the Instructions to Authors on the NRHM web site (www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/13614568.asp). Submissions should be sent by email to the Guest Editors, in Word, rtf or pdf format. If you have any questions concerning the scope of the call or require further information, please contact the Guest Editors. Open topic papers meeting NRHM's scope in general are also welcome (contact the Editor for further information). Submission deadline: April 30, 2005 Acceptance notification: June 30, 2005 Final manuscripts due: August 31, 2005 NRHM Editor Douglas Tudhope - dstudhope at glam.ac.uk Associate Editor Daniel Cunliffe - djcunlif at glam.ac.uk NRHM is published by Taylor & Francis From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 06:22:18 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:22:18 -0700 Subject: Redefining the Ojibwe Classroom (fwd abstract) Message-ID: Anthropology & Education Quarterly March 2005, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 96-103 Redefining the Ojibwe Classroom: Indigenous Language Programs within Large Research Universities MINDY J.?MORGAN Mindy J. Morgan is an assistant professor of anthropology at Michigan State University (morgan37 at msu.edu). Indigenous languages are powerful symbols of self-determination and sovereignty for tribal communities in the United States, and many community-based programs have been developed to support and maintain them. The successes of these programs, however, have been difficult to replicate at large research institutions. This article examines the issues of incorporating Indigenous languages into the university system by focusing on a series of language events developed as part of the Ojibwe language program at Michigan State University. These language events demonstrate a way for communities to participate in and maintain control of Indigenous language programs despite their location in nontribal educational institutions. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 06:37:53 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:37:53 -0700 Subject: Michif Language (fwd link) Message-ID: Michif Words, Michif Phrases http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/creelang/language/index.html [note: this site makes an interesting use of flash based .swf sound files. phil cc] From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 06:50:01 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:50:01 -0700 Subject: Din=?utf-8?Q?=C3=A9?= Language Association (fwd link) Message-ID: Din? Language Association (DLA) Nihizaad Bee Nideiilnish Our Language Empowers What We Do Spring Conference, April 22 & 23, 2005 http://cdte.dinecollege.edu/dla.htm From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 06:53:54 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2005 23:53:54 -0700 Subject: 2005 Latin American eLCTL Conference (fwd link) Message-ID: 2005 Latin American eLCTL Conference April 21 - 23, 2005, San Diego State University The purpose of The Latin American eLCTL Project Conference is to convene national discussions among specialists in Latin American Less-Commonly-Taught-Languages who have projects that may be better served via electronic distance/distributed learning. Assessing the language learner and emerging technologies for LCTLs will be addressed from a perspective of building quality electronic language programs for Latin American LCTLs. http://larcnet.sdsu.edu/elctl.php From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 07:03:29 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:03:29 -0700 Subject: Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) 2005 (fwd link) Message-ID: Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) 2005 The University of Alberta is pleased to present the sixth annual Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Institute (CILLDI) 2005. This program provides a unique opportunity to earn university credit while learning about selected Canadian Indigenous languages and cultures. Participants include undergraduate and graduate students interested in learning an Indigenous language or gaining expertise in the areas of linguistics, language and literacy, curriculum development, second language teaching and research. Dates July 25 to August 12, 2005 Location The Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute will be held on campus at the University of Alberta. Course offerings Students will choose a maximum of six credits from the course offerings above. For more information Department of Elementary Education Telephone: (780) 492-4188 Or check out the CILLDI website: www.ualberta.ca/~cilldi From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 07:19:35 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:19:35 -0700 Subject: Remote Aboriginal Youth Go online with New Webpages (fwd) Message-ID: Media Release 3rd Feb 2004 Remote Aboriginal Youth Go online with New Webpages A series of web-pages, created by young Aboriginal people in Central Australia was launched this week. The unique 'Outbush' pages 9on the Deadly mob website) feature the music, stories, interviews, video and photography of young Aboriginal people from communities surrounding Alice Springs. The aim of the Youth Out Bush Tour was to raise awareness of new media technologies, particularly the internet, in these communities. Workshops were conducted o?n using email, web browsing, using digital cameras, web cams and image manipulation software. The tour was just o?ne of many projects that make up the Deadly Mob organisation (auspiced by the Gap Youth Centre Aboriginal Corporation) in Alice Springs. Deadly Mob also run an Internet Caf? for indigenous youth in Alice Springs and have developed a Deadly Mob website which features free web-mail, a workplace search engine and now remote community pages. Communities visited included: Utju, Ntaria, Yuendumu, Titjikala, Docker River, Finke, Kintore, Papunya, Ikuntji, Nyirrpi, Alekarenge and Ampilwatwatja. The Youth Out Bush pages are a place for young people in remote communities to upload and browse songs, stories, videos (to be uploaded) and photography relevant to their lives. Given the serious lack of engaging indigenous youth content o?n the web, the site has already become extremely popular with the kids. Visit the community pages at http://www.deadlymob.org/outbush View the Language datashow at: http://www.deadlymob.org/col2_ob.cfm?randid=413061 Media contact: Jason Gibson 0427774469, 08 89524955, jay at deadlymob.org From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 18:25:24 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 11:25:24 -0700 Subject: NT: IAD publishes Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary (fwd) Message-ID: 14?April?2005 NT: IAD publishes Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary http://www.abc.net.au/message/news/stories/s1345138.htm In Alice Springs, Australia's oldest independent Indigenous publishing house, IAD Press, is continuing its significant contribution to Australia's cultural wealth and knowledge base by launching the Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary, the 4th volume in its highly acclaimed series of Aboriginal language picture dictionaries. [photo inset - Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary] Ngaanyatjarra speakers in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands worked with linguist Kazuko Obata and literacy consultant Inge Kral to compile the Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary, a language and literacy resource based on aspects of Ngaanyatjarra culture. "We feel proud to still hold on to our grandfathers and grandmothers country. This dictionary is for people, young people, and the young generation to learn our language, and also for children to rise up and learn our language so that they will keep holding our language and will not forget it," says Dorothy Ward, one of the Ngaanyatjarra contributors to the picture dictionary. Ngaanyatjarra (approximate pronunciation Nah.na.tha.rra) is a dialect of the Western Desert Language spoken by around 3000 people who live in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands in the Central Desert region of Western Australia near the tri-state border. Other Ngaanyatjarra speakers have migrated further west to townships such as Laverton, Leonora and Kalgoorlie in the Eastern Goldfields area of Western Australia. Most of the contributors to this dictionary live in Warburton, the largest of the 11 communities in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands. The Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary contains more than 500 entries accompanied by about 400 pictures. Entries are divided into different categories including flora and fauna found on the Lands, and there are other categories reflecting the life and culture of Ngaanyatjarra people. The Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary will be a valuable resource for Ngaanyatjarra school children and adult literacy learners and their teachers, and also for those who come and live in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands and anybody interested in Australian Indigenous languages. LAUNCH DETAILS The Ngaanyatjarra Picture Dictionary will be launched by Mr Barry Haase MP at the Tjulyuru Cultural and Civic Centre, Warburton Community, Western Australia at 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday 19th April 2005. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 14 20:07:44 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 13:07:44 -0700 Subject: University of Utah Works to Revitalize Lost Languages (fwd) Message-ID: Globe Link - Community Issue: 4/14/05 University of Utah Works to Revitalize Lost Languages By Brenda Lewis http://www.slccglobelink.com/news/2005/04/14/Community/University.Of.Utah.Works.To.Revitalize.Lost.Languages-923218.shtml The death of a language can be the death of a culture. The University of Utah's Center for American Indian Languages hopes to revitalize those languages in the Americas that may soon be lost. "Lots and lots of people work on endangered languages, but there is no infrastructure," Dr. Lyle Campbell, Director of CAIL said. CAIL wants to change that by opening its doors to visiting scholars, postdoctoral fellows and students. Located at Fort Douglas, University of Utah Campus at 618A Detrobriand Street, the Center has a reference library containing books and materials on language endangerment, language revitalization, and Native American languages. CAIL's Opening Celebration on April 7 featured traditional Native American songs, dances, stories, music and food. A young Shoshoni man sang the "Handgame" song that an elderly woman taught him. Another Native American played traditional songs on a wooden flute. A troupe of four men performed the "Grass Dance" followed by a pair of them doing "The Eagle Dance." One young man appeared solo doing "The Hoop Dance." On their website www.cail.utah.edu CAIL states, "The Americas are home to more than 180 language families - half of those recognized in the world. Several whole language families have become extinct as all their member languages have disappeared - others will soon follow." The site goes on to say that CAIL is dedicated to working with community members, where languages and cultures are endangered, towards linguistic and cultural revitalization; urgent and ambitious research on the endangered languages of Native America, and training students to address scholarly and practical needs involving these languages and their communities of speakers. According to Dr. Campbell, funding for study and research comes primarily from federal grants. When the grants end after two or three year's time, the work ends. "It's a really important topic," Campbell said. He said that in the Americas there are only 20 of the 175 languages here that are still active. This is because children are learning them. In California, for example, there were 100 Native American languages on record at the turn of the last century. Today there are only 50 and they are considered endangered because no one under the age of 50 speaks them. The goal of CAIL is to halt this trend and help preserve the languages and the cultures that use them. In collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, CAIL is developing a publication series and holding an annual conference dedicated to endangered American Indian languages. The current projects that CAIL is working on are "Preserving and Enhancing Accessibility of Gosiute/Shoshoni Materials" and "Description of Chorote, Nivacle and Kadiweu: Three of the Least Known and Most Endangered Languages of the Chaco." Under the direction of Dr. Campbell who speaks Mayan, Uto-Aztecan, Mesoamerican and Matacoan, CAIL's staff includes Dr. Mauricio Mixco (Yuman, Siouan and Shoshoni), Dr. David Iannucci (Numic) and Dr. Marianna DiPaolo (Shoshoni). Dr. DiPaolo is also Chair of Linguistics at the U who, at the opening of the Center, thanked Campbell for his vision and very hard work toward making the Center happen. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 15 17:39:11 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 10:39:11 -0700 Subject: Cherokees agree the preservation of language, culture are critical for tribe (fwd) Message-ID: Friday, April 15, 2005 Cherokees agree the preservation of language, culture are critical for tribe By APRIL STONE,Press Staff Writer http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/articles/2005/04/15/news/top_stories/aaalanguage.txt The Cherokee language is dying, and a move to preserve it is at the top of the tribe's agenda. The most recent advances in that preservation project headlined the address by the keynote speaker for Wednesday's opening ceremonies of the 33rd annual Symposium on the American Indian. Harry Oosahwee, supervisor at the Cherokee Language Immersion class at the Child Development Center, spoke about the progress of teaching the Cherokee language to more tribal members, and the importance of preserving the language. "Our language is a huge part of our culture, and we are almost at the end of the line for the Cherokee language," said Oosahwee. "That's why I'm so adamant about Cherokee language and teaching it to our young people." Oosahwee remembers growing up as a young Cherokee boy who could speak the language. He wasn't discouraged by the teasing he got from other kids who weren't Cherokee. "I remember being called names because I was speaking Cherokee, but it only made me stronger and made me who I am today," said Oosahwee, who added that others weren't as strong-willed as he was. "A lot of people stopped speaking in Cherokee because of the teasing and taunting, and many of them lost the language that way." Oosahwee first began studying the differences between English and Cherokee - and wrote a paper for class - in 1968, when he attended Bacone College in Muskogee. This was the first time he researched the Cherokee language, and had no idea that, at that same time, other Cherokees were working on similar projects. "Little did I know that Durbin Feeling was writing a Cherokee dictionary at that time, and later I ended up working with him," said Oosahwee. "The Cherokee Nation itself began to teach the Cherokee language in the 1960s. That's how long they have been trying to preserve the language, but the program hasn't been too successful until the past two years." It took some time, but Oosahwee and a few others sat down with the curriculum that was used to teach Cherokee to adults. He said that made it easier to teach to every age group. By removing the emphasis on writing and reading the language, and just focusing on teaching people to speak Cherokee, they made real progress. "We have 3- and 4-year-olds in our immersion class at the CDC, which I supervise, and these kids are learning the language. They speak Cherokee in class as the universal language; when they want directions, when they want something to snack on, when they are sick, they ask in Cherokee," said Oosahwee. "It's hard for them to get used to most of the time, but they catch on, and it is working." Parents of children enrolled in the Cherokee immersion class meet every Wednesday to catch up with what their children have learned each week. Oosahwee said they have 100 percent participation in the program. A survey of Cherokee citizens residing in the 14-county jurisdictional boundaries of the tribe showed Oosawhee the need to perservere. "Most of the fluent Cherokee speakers were either full-blood or three-quarters Cherokee, and most had either a high school education or their GED, but nothing higher," said Oosahwee. "Most Cherokees who have a college degree do not know how to speak Cherokee. One thing we are trying to do there is incorporate Cherokee language into the college curriculum, but that is difficult, since we must have teachers who are qualified to teach at the college level." The survey conducted in 2002 found that 64 percent of those surveyed could not speak Cherokee, and of the small percent of people who could, 10 percent are highly fluent, 3 percent can hold a conversation in Cherokee, and 1 percent are masters of the language - meaning they can speak, read and write the language. Oosahwee hopes that by teaching the young children the language, the tribe's goal to bring it back will be easier to reach. "As time goes on, I can see a multitude of language going on. One hundred years from now, I can see a multitude of young people talking the language, and 30 years from now, I can see employees at the tribal complex conversing and doing business in the Cherokee language," said Oosahwee, who encouraged teachers in his audience to visit the immersion class and observe. "We can't let it die; if we do, we have failed our people." From fmarmole at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 15 20:34:23 2005 From: fmarmole at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Francisco Marmolejo) Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 13:34:23 -0700 Subject: Canadian and Native Studies Program Scholarships / Beca estudiantil para el Programa de Estudios Canadienses e Indigenas Message-ID: Dear colleagues: Please forward to those interested, the enclosed information about a scholarship available by CONAHEC member University of Alberta, for students participating at their Summer Program in Canadian and Native Studies. Agradecemos difundir la informacion anexa sobre una oportunidad de beca estudiantil ofrecida por la Universidad de Alberta, institucion miembro del CONAHEC, para interesados en participar en el Programa de Verano sobre Estudios Canadienses e Indigenas. Regards, Francisco Marmolejo Executive Director Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC) University of Arizona PO Box 210300 220 W. Sixth Street. Tucson, AZ 85721-0300 USA Tel. (520) 621-9080 / 621-7761 Fax (520) 626-2675 Email: fmarmole at email.arizona.edu http://conahec.org ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WHAT/QUE: $ 1,000 scholarships for U.S., or Mexican students interested in participating in a 6 week international summer program in Canadian and Native Studies Beca de $ 1,000 dolares canadienses para estudiantes mexicanos o de E.U.A. interesados en participar en el Programa de Verano de 6 semanas sobre Estudios Canadienses e Ind?genas. WHERE/DONDE: University of Alberta. Edmonton, Canada. http://www.ualberta.ca WHEN/CUANDO: July 1 ? August 13, 2005 DEADLINE/FECHA LIMITE: Applications for scholarships and registration for the program should be received by U.Alberta up to May 1, 2005. Applicants will automatically be considered for a scholarship upon submitting their application. Las solicitudes de beca y el registro para el Programa deben recibirse en la Universidad de Alberta a mas tardar el 1 DE MAYO DEL 2005. Los solicitantes al momento de registrarse seran considerados autom?ticamente para la posibilidad de obtenci?n de la Beca. PROGRAM/PROGRAMA: http://www.international.ualberta.ca/summerschool MORE INFORMATION: Catherine Broomfield Manager, Summer & Term Programs Education Abroad Program University of Alberta International 8920 HUB Mall Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2E1 Phone:(780)492-6273 Fax:(780)492-6213 catherine.broomfield at ualberta.ca http://www.international.ualberta.ca ====================================================================== You have received this message because you are subscribed to EAIE-L, an e-mail discussion list for international educators. Users of the list are SOLELY responsible for the content of their messages. 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URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 18 17:09:21 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:09:21 -0700 Subject: Deal keeps education in Mi'kmaq hands (fwd) Message-ID: Deal keeps education in Mi'kmaq hands Last Updated Apr 15 2005 04:02 PM ADT CBC News http://novascotia.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=ns-mikmaq-education20050415 MEMBERTOU, N.S. ? Ten Mi'kmaq First Nations have renewed a five-year deal with Ottawa that keeps education under their control. The $145-million agreement allows them to deliver both school and post-secondary programs focusing on Mi'kmaq history, culture and language. "I think you're going to find great similarity in terms of the recommendations that are made for the entire country, in terms of what you've already achieved here," said federal Indian Affairs Minister Andy Scott. Since the Mi'kmaq Education Act was signed in 1999, more than two dozen Mi'kmaq teachers have been trained and more native students are completing high school. The program's executive director, Eleanor Bernard, is happy to be called a model for the country. "I know a lot of communities are trying to gain jurisdiction, educational jurisdiction. That's quite a feat. We could set an example for them," she said. Membertou Chief Terry Paul said he believes that if youth know their culture they'll have more confidence in life. "It's your identity, your language. Losing the speech is forever. And I'm going to work hard to make sure we do our best to instill our culture and our language in our children," he said From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 18 17:11:36 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 10:11:36 -0700 Subject: Publisher who built on oral tradition honoured (fwd) Message-ID: Publisher who built on oral tradition honoured Last Updated Fri, 18 Mar 2005 12:24:22 EST CBC Arts http://www.cbc.ca/story/arts/national/2005/03/17/Arts/randyfredVA050317.html VANCOUVER - A First Nations publisher who helped turn oral history into compelling reading is being honoured by the British Columbia publishing industry. Randy Fred founder of Theytus Press, will receive a Distinguished Service Award on April 7 in Vancouver. Established in 1981, Theytus was the first aboriginal-owned and operated publishing company in Canada. Like many native kids in the 1950s and '60s, Fred was taken from his family to be sent to residential school. The children were forbidden to speak their own language, and abuse at the schools was common. Fred described how he learned to cope: "It was a great escape to travel to these places just through reading, and I really learned to love books." That passion for reading was complicated by the fact that Fred was slowly going blind. Fred began developing publishing and video courses for native people at Malaspina College in Nanaimo, B.C. That led to the creation of Theytus Books in 1981. Theytus is a Coast Salish word which means "preserving for the sake of handing down." The challenge for Fred was how to capture an oral storytelling tradition on the printed page. One of the first books published by Theytus was Kwaulasalwut: Stories from the Coast Salish, by Ellen White. "She has such a presence, and when she speaks, everybody has to listen. But to take her oral stories and put them on paper, oh man, was that ever a challenge," he said. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Apr 19 08:00:18 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 01:00:18 -0700 Subject: links of interest... Message-ID: dear ILAT, i have added some new technology links (in the Links section), perhaps enough to make it interesting. Technology-Enhanced Language Revitalization http://projects.ltc.arizona.edu/gates/TELR.html phil cash cash UofA From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Wed Apr 20 05:48:43 2005 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 22:48:43 -0700 Subject: Culture & language (community) Message-ID: Young American Indians strive to maintain traditional culture BRAD PERRIELLO Associated Press EAGLE BUTTE, S.D. - When Emanuel Red Bear and his friends wanted to learn the traditional songs of the Lakota Sioux, they turned to 76-year-old Burdell Blue Arm and his extensive knowledge of Lakota culture. "We were thinking about singing some songs, and Burdell said, 'Let's sing some old songs, traditional songs,'" said Red Bear, who lives in Eagle Butte on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Along with Blue Arm and his nephews, Red Bear began a traditional drum group called "Wakpa Waste," pronounced WALK-pah WASH-tay, Lakota for "Good River." That is also how the tribe refers to its namesake, the Cheyenne River. "We try to sing the older songs (so) that the people will hear," Red Bear said. But preserving those songs, and American Indian culture in general, is becoming increasingly difficult as tribal elders pass away. For example, Blue Arm lives in a nursing home in Mobridge, more than 80 miles from Eagle Butte. He is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and is beginning to lose his memory. "That's the way my mind is - I forget now and then," Blue Arm said. As his memory fades, the tribe loses one of its most important resources. "Burdell is a living library of Lakota music," said his nephew, Steve Emery, a member of Wakpa Waste and a lawyer for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. For Red Bear, who teaches Lakota language and culture to students in Eagle Butte, keeping younger Indians interested in the ways of their people is a challenge. Many just don't care to learn the ways of their ancestors because of the allure of contemporary American culture, he said. "We have more influences of the modern society. Gangs, television, alcohol and drugs - everything's right here," Red Bear said. "We live in two worlds, the Lakota world and the non-Indian world." The Cheyenne River tribe passed an ordinance in 1993 requiring that Lakota language and culture be taught in reservation classrooms. But it is a struggle to capture students' interest, Red Bear said. "We have people, our own tribal members, who are ashamed to be (Lakota), and they don't want to learn the language," he said. "It's sad to see." Another problem are the differences in dialects between tribes, Red Bear said. The Rosebud, Pine Ridge, Standing Rock and Cheyenne River tribes all have different ways of referring to things and there are specific endings indicating the gender of the speaker. That means it's nearly impossible to reach a consensus on what needs to be taught, he said. "We're standing in one place spinning our wheels, arguing about who's right and who's wrong, and in the meantime we're losing our language," Red Bear said. But there is hope. Red Bear grew up speaking Lakota at home, and said learning such everyday phrases as "brush your teeth" and "go play" is crucial to saving the language. In outlying areas of the reservation, away from towns such as Eagle Butte, there are still families that speak Lakota at home, he said. Encouraging them to keep that up will help preserve the Lakota way, Red Bear said. "We still have a chance if we get the ones that live in the outlying districts," he said. In addition, Red Bear and others are spearheading projects such as a Lakota language immersion camp at the Cheyenne River reservation, which will be held for the second time this summer. Sponsored by the tribe, Si Tanka University and a bilingual education program, it involves language classes and instruction in such cultural activities as erecting tipis. The campers, mainly college students, are taught by members of the Cheyenne River tribe. Drum groups like Wakpa Waste also help by keeping people familiar with the older songs and exposing new people to them, Red Bear said. During the 2005 legislative session, Wakpa Waste took a drum to Pierre and sang in the South Dakota Capitol rotunda before a crowd that included lawmakers and Gov. Mike Rounds. For Blue Arm, the efforts of people like Red Bear and his nephews to learn - and preserve - the Lakota way are a beacon of hope. "It means something that they can speak the language. Maybe God is helping us," Blue Arm said. From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Wed Apr 20 05:57:55 2005 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 22:57:55 -0700 Subject: Klallam Teacher (language) Message-ID: Klallam language teacher Valadez honored by Washington State Indian Education Association 2005-04-12 by RAUL VASQUEZ PORT ANGELES -- After graduating from The Evergreen State College in 1986, Jamie Valadez tried to land a full-time teaching job with the Port Angeles School District. But the district wouldn't take her. ``For three years, I tried to get my foot in the door,'' said Valadez, Port Angeles High School Klallam language instructor who last week was named Teacher of the Year by the Washington State Indian Education Association. ``But I couldn't. Maybe I was still pretty young and immature.'' It turns out that not getting a full-time teaching job with the district started Valadez on a road that would lead her to become one of the pioneer Native American teachers not only for the Port Angeles School District, but beyond. In 1998, Valadez -- a member of Lower Elwha Klallam tribe -- was instrumental in the formation of a breakthrough agreement between the tribe and Port Angeles School District. First tribe-district pact It was the first known agreement between a tribe and public school agency in the state. It set out goals to include Native American curriculum in Port Angeles schools and set the stage for the creation of a Lower Elwha language course at Port Angeles High School in 1999, which Valadez still teaches. Today, Valadez is also in the process of developing a pilot curriculum for eighth-grade students that combines the history, culture and language of the Lower Elwha. From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET Wed Apr 20 17:16:38 2005 From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 20 Apr 2005 10:16:38 -0700 Subject: Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums: Preserving Our Language, Memory and Lifeways (fwd) Message-ID: Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums: Preserving Our Language, Memory and Lifeways National Conference II May 24-27, 2005 Please join us at the second national conference of tribal archives, libraries and museums. Modeled after our previous national and regional gatherings, the conference will create a network of support for tribal cultural institutions and programs; articulate contemporary issues related to the development of tribal libraries, archives and museums and encourage collaboration among tribal and non-tribal cultural institutions. The goals of the conference will be achieved through plenary sessions with keynote speakers, information and resource tables, concurrent panels, affinity breakfasts, group meals and special events. Registration fee includes: all conference meals, breaks, ground transportation to special events, and conference materials. Registrations received after May 13 will not be processed and on-site registration will be required. Conference Program The program contains detailed information on each day of the conference including speakers and panel descriptions. Post-Conference Workshop A post-conference workshop entitled, "Language and Technology" will be held on Friday, May 27 from 1:45 - 5:00 pm. Conference Hotel A block of rooms have been reserved at the Phoenix Marriott Mesa, 200 N. Centennial Way, Mesa, Arizona at the special rate of $79.00 (single or double occupancy plus applicable taxes). Mention the Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums National Conference when making your reservations to receive the special rate. Deadline for hotel reservations is April 25, 2005. After this date rooms at the special rate will be subject to availability. Make your reservations early by calling (480) 898-8300. Click on this link for all information, registration form, etc.: http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/aip/leadershipgrant/natlconf/ index.shtml For further information, you may contact: Alyce Sadongei or Susan Secakuku TALM National Conference (520) 621-4500, (520) 626-9448 sadongei at email.arizona.edu secakuku at aol.com Alyce Sadongei Assistant Curator for Native American Relations Arizona State Museum University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721-0026 http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu (520) 621-4500, 626-9448 P (520) 621-2976 Fax From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Apr 21 17:56:03 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 10:56:03 -0700 Subject: Brain research on Indian children possible (fwd) Message-ID: Brain research on Indian children possible Yale University expert cites opportunities at education meeting http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6355 SANTE FE NM Rick St. Germaine 4/21/2005 When Bill Demmert was much younger, he worked far across the continent with the Kennedy brothers (Robert and Edward) on a major research study that resulted in landmark legislation, the Indian Education Act of 1972. A lot of ground has passed since that time and Demmert, a Tlingit-Oglala education researcher at Western Washington University, spends much of his time nowadays exploring questions of Native language and student learning. In mid-March, Dr. Demmert co-sponsored a colloquium in Santa Fe on Improving Academic Performance Among Native Students. A host of eminent researchers were invited to address the issues of identification and assessment of learning and learning disabilities in Native children, including leading brain researchers, Ken Pugh of Yale University and Elise Temple of Cornell University. According to Temple, an explosion of student brain studies occurred within the past ten years as neuroimaging machines became available to educational psychologists. The applications in child development are nearly endless and incredibly valuable, especially to those educators who seek an understanding of reading and literacy development. Pugh concurred. "Spoken language is a biological specialization," he said, "while written language is largely a cultural invention." He elaborated, "Spoken language is mastered naturally in all people without direct instruction, but reading is difficult and reading failure occurs in large numbers of children across all languages." After describing in some detail, the brain research underway in the Haskins Laboratory at Yale University, Pugh pondered out loud the uses of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in American Indian children. He expressed an interest in applying an fMRI study of reading disorder in American Indian students, to better understand perhaps the biology of Indian children. Temple, of Cornell University, explained that when a child forms a thought, there is an increase in neural activity because of an increase in blood flow, bringing increased oxygen to special sectors of the brain. "Oxygen is what we image in fMRI," she explained. Neuroimaging is revolutionary because it is a non-invasive measure of brain function, Temple explained. There is no radioactive material involved and it can be used with young kids, multiple times. Temple showed fMRI slides of cross sections of children's brains axial slices (parallel to the floor) and sagittal slices (side cuts) to compare what the brains of reading proficient and reading disorder kids look like. It was clear from Temple's descriptions that blood flow and oxygen were not reaching certain vectors of the brains of reading disorder children. It was scary, seeing it in living color. Is this what's happening, or rather, not happening in the brains of Native American children across the land? If you believe the results of batteries of standardized tests currently in use to measure reading proficiency, American Indian students have the highest reading score gaps with white students than any other racial group in America. Temple explained that the major concern in reading research is how can we achieve maximum literacy? Researchers in the field hypothesize that behavioral remediation can alter the effects of dyslexia and other reading disorders. In other words, interventions or training programming can improve reading and language arts. "There's plasticity in the brain, even in older children," added Ken Pugh, of Yale University. "There's hope!" he continued, as he also posed questions about research on behavioral remediation in different cultures (American Indian) with different strategies. "This research is in its infancy," Pugh stated, as he noted that environment can modify the brain. "We are progressing toward brain fluency," he said. "Reading requires a lot of rewiring in order to work," he continued. "However, we can describe patterns from the images, observations in the brain, but we need to explain it," he cautioned. Pugh is conducting research with two cohorts (experimental and control groups) of elementary students in Pennsylvania. His team must fly the students to his laboratory in Connecticut several times a year following intervals of treatment. "One fMRI costs $450, plus transportation and travel expenses of each child," he explained to the audience of Indian educators. Using a calculator, one can begin to add up the huge cost of such research. The neuroimaging machine is extremely loud and scares kids. Children must remain absolutely still, which is hard for kids under five. The small tube that they move through is claustrophobic. Responding to questions posed by Indian educators, Pugh offered his interest in brain research with Native American reading disorders. "I don't want to get in the way," he asserted, "I'd simply like to be a resource in this." ~~~ Rick St. Germaine is a school reform and school leader trainer who has worked in the past fourteen years with over 80 schools, most of them Bureau of Indian Affairs and tribal. He is a former tribal chairman, school superintendent, and professor of education. Rick can be reached at stgermainerick at aol.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 22 19:47:17 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 12:47:17 -0700 Subject: Fighting threatens existence of Colombia's indigenous peoples, UN warns (fwd) Message-ID: Fighting threatens existence of Colombia's indigenous peoples, UN warns http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=14050&Cr=Colombia&Cr1=# 22 April 2005 ? Colombia's indigenous peoples, caught up in the fighting between the Government, rebels and armed militias, are facing tragedy as violent attacks and forced displacement increase, with fears that some smaller and more vulnerable groups and their cultures may actually disappear, the United Nations refugee agency warned today. In the past week, fighting between the Colombian Army and leftist rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) uprooted some 3,500 Nasa people in the south-west, while in the north-west, some 4,000 Embera are at imminent risk of displacement because of fighting between guerrillas and paramilitary groups, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported. "The tragedy afflicting the indigenous peoples remains largely invisible," spokesman Ron Redmond told a news briefing in Geneva. "They often become displaced within their remote regions of origin as they try to preserve ties to their ancestral lands, or else they flee into other remote areas where they cannot be easily detected." The National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), a UNHCR partner, has reported the murder or disappearance of more than 20 indigenous leaders so far this year. The Andean country's more than 80 indigenous groups together make up a population of just under 1 million people. Although they represent only 2 to 3 per cent of the total population, they make up as much as 8 per cent of the more than 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Virtually all the indigenous groups have been victims of forced displacement or are at serious risk of being displaced from their ancestral lands. Since indigenous identity and culture are closely linked to the land, these communities suffer irreversible damage when forced to flee. This can mean loss of traditional and cultural patterns, including language, and a dramatic deterioration of lifestyle, UNHCR said. The warning was the latest in a series, focusing most recently on the north-western province of Choco, where irregular armed groups have increased their activities since the beginning of this year, imposing blockades to stop food, medicine, fuel and other vital supplies from reaching some communities. But UNHCR and other UN agencies were today visiting the south-western province of Cauca to evaluate the humanitarian needs and support relief efforts by civilian authorities following this week's displacement of the Nasas, which observers on the ground agree could quickly reach as many as 5,000, if fighting continues. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 22 19:50:49 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 12:50:49 -0700 Subject: Government of Canada Supports Creation of Trilingual Inuit Culture Web Site (fwd) Message-ID: Government of Canada Supports Creation of Trilingual Inuit Culture Web Site http://www.news.gc.ca/cfmx/CCP/view/en/index.cfm?articleid=140639 MONTREAL, April 22, 2005 -- President of the Privy Council, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, and Member of Parliament (Westmount--Ville Marie) Lucienne Robillard, on behalf of Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women Liza Frulla, today announced $50,000 in funding for Igloolik Isuma Productions. The funds will help to create "Sila," a Web site about Inuit culture, language, and the Arctic environment. "One of our Government's priorities is to highlight the contributions, experiences, and culture of Aboriginal Canadians," said Minister Robillard. "The creation of this Web site will allow Internet users to learn more about Inuit culture and languages, as well as to raise awareness of the Aboriginal communities' unique place in our country." "The development of this e-learning resource offers us a valuable opportunity to learn more about our northern Aboriginal communities," said Minister Frulla. "By providing the Inuit community with a presence on the Net, we are also helping to promote a deeper understanding of Inuit culture throughout Canada and the world." The ? Sila ? Web site will feature an extensive teachers' resource centre. It will also present a learning zone module that will be structured along the lines of traditional Inuit culture: watching, storytelling, listening, and game playing. The Inuktitut component will help to improve communication among Canada's dispersed Inuit population, and the French component will address the current lack of French-language teaching materials on Inuit culture. The new site will target youth 12 years and older, educators, and parents. Financial assistance is provided by the Department of Canadian Heritage through the Canadian Studies program. This program supports the production of educational material aimed at all Canadians and focusses on neglected or under-researched areas of Canadian studies. Funding announced today was provided for in the February 2005 federal budget. -30- Information: Jean-Philippe C?t? Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women (819) 997-7788 Nathalie Dallaire Special Assistant Riding Office (514) 283-2013 Myriam Brochu Chief, Media Relations Canadian Heritage (819) 997-9314 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 22 19:52:55 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 12:52:55 -0700 Subject: Computer translation brings Inuktitut one step closer to language of government (fwd) Message-ID: April 22, 2005 Computer translation brings Inuktitut one step closer to language of government Microsoft to roll out local language-based Windows operating system SARA MINOGUE http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/50422_09.html A giant project is underway to make computing much more friendly for Inuit - not by fixing any bugs and technical glitches, but by translating the entire Windows operating system into Inuktitut. Iqaluit's Pirurvik Centre has been working on the translation since early last year, when a Microsoft employee approached the language and cultural centre about working with them to create the first Inuktitut operating system. The project is part of Microsoft's Local Language Program, launched in March, 2004. The program is partly charitable, and partly a way to guarantee future customers, though in this case, the market is tiny. But Gavin Nesbitt, who runs the Pirurvik Centre along with Leena Evic, thinks the impact could be huge. "What do you need to make Inuktitut the working language of government? Well, you need to be able to work in Inuktitut," Nesbitt says. "People look at that at being able to have conversations in the hallway, but it actually means you could sit at your computer and type in Inuktitut without wacky things happening when you do it." Nesbitt has been working with Inuktitut on computers ever since he came to Nunavut in 1998. Over the years he's provided technical support for Inuktitut speakers typing, or building databases, in syllabics. Until 2000, when the Unicode font standard was created, which allowed people to build fonts in multiple languages, working with Inuktitut meant using fonts that you could see and work with, but that would not necessarily mesh with other users' systems. That made simple things like email and document sharing especially difficult. In Nesbitt's view, now that fonts can be shared safely, the next step for computing in Inuktitut is to get fonts recognized at the system level - in other words, putting the Inuktitut language right on your screen. After that, comes "localization," or translating actual software programs, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook - all of which are scheduled for translation in this project. One technical glitch remains. The first Inuktitut version will not be in syllabics, but in roman orthography, because the current Windows operating system still can't handle the unusual characters. However, using dual orthography, translating this version into syllabics should be simple once Windows releases its next operating system. If all goes well, Inuit could get a glimpse of the system in roman orthography by October of this year. Finding new words Working directly with Microsoft has meant a giant leap forward for Inuktitut computing. "There's still technical issues to be resolved," Nesbitt said, "but by and large, it's now a cultural and language project." Windows XP - the latest operating system - has about 300,000 words that need to be translated. The software programs have a further 400,000 terms. Pirurvik got the project started last summer with a series of language workshops with local computer users, elders and language authorities. That produced 2,000 Inuktitut computing terms that will form the core of the translation. "We know we have fantastic words; we know we have awful words," Nesbitt says. "The test or evaluation of whether or not it works is if people use them." Eva Aariak, the former languages commissioner of Nunavut is now working with the Pirurvik Centre. She says getting used to the new terms in Inuktitut "won't be any different from using new technical terms in English." Aariak also believes that the project will have a major impact on the workplace, by raising the profile of Inuktitut and by proving that there's no reason Inuktitut cannot evolve to meet the new needs of its speakers. Chris Douglas, director of official languages and services at the Government of Nunavut's department of culture, language, elders and youth, says his department is "very excited" about the project, but he's not sure how quickly it will affect GN workers. "A lot of people won't be comfortable working with an operating system in Roman orthography and they'll want to see something in syllabics. They're going to have to wait until the next version of the operating system comes out." From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 22 20:53:23 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 13:53:23 -0700 Subject: Native Media Program (fwd) Message-ID: Native Media Program http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpage=collaboration&second=media The Native Media Program of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), includes two radio series, Living Voices/Voces Vivas and Time. The Native Media Program is designed for individuals, school and youth groups, museums, radio stations and media producers that service Native communities of the Western Hemisphere and Hawai'i to collaboratively produce audio segments and document community experiences. The purpose of the Native Media Project is to actively involve local communities in support of language preservation, communication and oral history projects. Living Voices/Voces Vivas NMAI is soliciting proposals to interview individuals to be included in the Living Voices/Voces Vivas Radio Series. Living Voices/Voces Vivas is an audio series of short (5-minute) profiles representing many ages, traditions, and perspectives. Profiles tell personal stories that are educational, moving, and entertaining, incorporating community and culturally-based perspectives. The production cycle of Living Voices/Voces Vivas will target 15 individual profiles, and will be made available for broadcast by Native and other community and public radio stations. For this proposal cycle, the NMAI is requesting proposals that describe potential interviewees. A review committee will recommend both interviewees and interviewers who will be contracted to conduct the interviews and provide necessary technical needs. This series aims to reflect the diversity of contemporary Native and indigenous people of the Americas and Hawai'i. As a series, these modules will: Tell a contemporary personal story of cultural preservation, language preservation, artistic expression, or other positive experience important to Indigenous communities -Offer a wide array of indigenous voices of many ages, genders, traditions and experiences -Support tribal sovereignty and self-determination -Display the full range of cultural expression and diverse activities in indigenous communities -Whenever possible, demonstrate a relationship to a tribal cultural organization or the NMAI -Reflect the geographic diversity of Indigenous peoples in the Americas and Hawaii from both urban and rural communities. Time Radio Series As an on-site community collaboration between NMAI and Native and indigenous media producers, the Time radio series offers Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and indigenous peoples of Latin America the opportunity to tell compelling contemporary personal stories that highlight a significant change, or a story framed in time. Distributed as a series, short edited modules will be presented in a radio magazine format. These modules will showcase culturally based stories centered in time and communicate the concepts of five categories: Personal, Community, Philosophical/Spiritual, Geography, and Time. This series aims to reflect the diversity of contemporary Native and indigenous people of the Americas and Hawai'i. As a series, these modules will: -Tell a contemporary personal story framed in the context of time -Allow Native and indigenous people the opportunity to place their experiences, perspectives, and traditions in the context of the bigger picture of life -Display the full range of cultural expression and diverse activities in indigenous communities -Display a wide array of Native voices of many ages, genders, traditions, experiences, and reflect the geographic diversity of Native peoples in the Americas and Hawai'i covering both urban and rural community perspectives The deadline to submit a radio series application is May 2, 2005. Native Media Program information and application Contact For more information about the Native Media Program, including Living Voices and the Time radio series, please contact: Native Media Program Email: begays at si.edu Phone: 301-238-1546 Fax: 301-238-3200 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Apr 24 19:18:23 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 12:18:23 -0700 Subject: A Twist for an Ancient Tongue Trying to Survive (fwd) Message-ID: >From the Los Angeles Times A Twist for an Ancient Tongue Trying to Survive By John Daniszewski Times Staff Writer April 24, 2005 http://www.nynewsday.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-gaelic24apr24,0,6987410.story?coll=ny-leadworldnews-headlines AN SPIDEAL, Ireland ? Generations of English-speaking tourists who have used this pretty village of thatched cottages as a jumping-off point for the pleasures of the wild Connemara region have known it as Spiddal. But a new government policy means that the settlement, which boasts spectacular views of Galway Bay and the Aran Islands in the distance, will be known only by its Gaelic name, An Spideal. As of March 28, all English versions of place names were eliminated in the Gaeltacht, the pockets of Ireland where a majority of people still speak Gaelic. English no longer has official standing on signposts, legal documents or government maps. (For now, until the sign-makers get cracking, officials are just covering up the English names.) It is the latest official gesture in support of the Irish tongue. But is it too little, too late? In the midst of an economic boom that is both encouraging and threatening Gaelic's popularity, many advocates for the republic's "first official language" are worried. "It is terrible how things are going," said Seamas O Cualain, an 82-year-old enthusiast of the language of his forebears, which is almost always called Irish on this island to distinguish it from the Scottish form of Gaelic. "The language is dying in the Gaeltacht." The lilting tongue, which arrived in Ireland with the Celts centuries before Romans reached the British Isles, has an alluring sound, aspirated consonants and a rich trove of poetry and folklore. Just a few words have moved into English: "smithereens" and "leprechaun," for example. But something of its musical syntax is captured by Irish English, as in the phrase, " 'Tis himself that's coming now." The change in the place names makes sense, advocates say. The English versions, put down by government surveyors in the early 1800s, are mostly nonsensical phonetic approximations of Gaelic words. Spiddal, for instance, has no meaning in English or Irish. But in Irish, An Spideal means "the hospital," a name that derives from the village's having once been the site of a leper colony. Another egregious example is a spit of land with the bowdlerized English name of Muckanaghederdauhaulia. In Irish, it won't be much easier to spell: Muiceanach idir Dha Shaile. But at least it will have a meaning: the point between two tides. Tourist maps, however, will continue to carry English place names in the Gaeltacht ? which includes parts of seven counties ? alongside the Irish. The changes are a way to encourage Gaeltacht residents who may be wavering to hang on to their language by showing it its due respect, said Deaglan O Briain of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in Dublin. "Official Ireland [is] saying to people in the Gaeltacht areas that we do recognize that you are there, and your language exists." O Cualain, meticulously dressed, with glassine skin, blue eyes and a shock of white hair, met a reporter in his neat cottage, the fireplace aglow in his cozy study cum dining room. He is, he said, part of a generation of native speakers trained as teachers in Irish-only preparatory colleges. The goal was for these graduates to spread the language across the island, bringing the dying tongue back to life in all of the 26 counties that secured de facto independence from Britain in 1922. The idea was promulgated by W.T. Cosgrave, leader of the Irish Free State, the nation's first incarnation as a republic. More than 80 years later, a debate rages about the efficacy of those efforts, prompted in part by the Irish-language commissioner's recent criticism of the teaching of the language in public schools. Students must study Irish for 13 years, from kindergarten through high school, receiving more than 1,500 hours of instruction in all. Yet many still graduate without fluency, says Commissioner Sean O Cuirreain. He is a government official who acts as an ombudsman for Irish-speaking citizens and monitors government departments' implementation of Irish-language policy from his office in An Spideal. O Cuirreain believes that the country could do much better and that teaching methods should be reviewed. On the other hand, he sees positive signs ? such as a recent trend of parents outside the Gaeltacht sending their children to all-Irish-speaking schools. Five percent of Irish children are in such classrooms, he said, while an Irish-language TV station gets 100,000 viewers a day, and people listen to pop music on a 24-hour Irish-language radio station. In all, 1.57 million ? or nearly 40% ? of the nation's 4 million people say they speak Irish, and 337,000 (counting schoolchildren) say they use it daily, according to the latest census figures. In the Gaeltacht, 60,000 people employ it each day. But at a restaurant in An Spideal called An t'Sean Ceibh (The Old Pier), where a fresh sea breeze wafted through the sunlit bar as patrons sipped pints and ate Irish stew, Soracha Ni Chonghaile admitted that she wasn't always among those. "It's dying," the 23-year-old waitress said of the language. "I would speak it with my family and with the older customers who come in here, but I don't speak it with my friends. It's not the norm." O Cuirreain, however, believes that Irish, in contrast to the vast majority of the 6,800 other languages in the world, is on course to survive at least through the next century ? thanks to continued government support and its core of thousands of Irish men and women who still use the language daily in their lives. "We should not be complacent about that but we should take a certain degree of comfort that we have a fighting chance," he said in a telephone interview. Why all the effort to keep Irish alive when the world seems to be converging on English? That tongue is not only the language of international business and technology, but also Ireland's most commonly spoken since at least the mid-19th century. "The Irish language has been spoken for thousands of years," O Cuirreain said. "It is the language of the hearts and minds of peoples for generations in this country . To lose that would be unthinkable, as far as I'm concerned." Because of the influx of non-Irish-speakers propelled by Ireland's economic boom, however, the language is threatened even in the Gaeltacht, said Nollaigh O Muraile, a professor of Irish studies at the National University of Ireland in Galway. "Two things are pressing on it: One is English culture through the media and World Wide Web, and the other is the housing developments stretching out right up into the Gaeltacht area," O Muraile said. "The language is being diluted." Children speak Irish in the classroom, but English is the language during recess. Partly offsetting the trend, however, is a vibrant community of people who have taken up Irish on their own initiative. Residents protective of their language in An Spideal have recently demanded that a developer devote most of his 17-home project to people who can pass a test in Irish and show they are dedicated to the language. The national planning appeals board gave a mixed ruling Friday. It said it was too late to impose the mandate on the development, which had already received preliminary approval without any language rule. But the board said such requirements could be made of developers in the future, both in the An Spideal area and other parts of the Gaeltacht. The rules could mandate that new housing developments maintain the same proportion of Irish- and English-speaking residents as in the surrounding areas. The dispute over the 17 homes was complicated, with the developer asking that the language requirement be lifted and some townspeople demanding an even tougher restriction, O Cuirreain said. "It's one of those things where you'd need half the Los Angeles Times to explain it, on a good day," he said with a laugh. But the key point, he added, is that planners had endorsed the principle. "It's a step being taken to protect the linguistic integrity of those areas," he said. Retired teacher O Cualain said he was glad about the changes but discouraged at young people's apparent lack of dedication to the language. "When I went to school, we spoke nothing but Irish going and coming," he said in a soft, sad brogue. "Even those who didn't know the language, if they came here, they picked it up by listening. But nowadays, I very seldom hear the young people speaking it." Some commentators have questioned whether it is a losing battle to keep the language alive through government policy. Alan Ruddock, a columnist writing in the Sunday Times of London, took on O Cuirreain last month, challenging the need to force-feed the language to schoolchildren. He said the Irish Republic was willing to pay only "expensive lip service" ? costly schooling, subsidized Irish-language radio and television and "often-garbled" Irish at the start of major political speeches. "But in no way are we serious about promoting Irish in every aspect of national life. Nor should we be," he wrote. "Ireland is not bilingual. We are an English-speaking country, have been from the moment we gained independence and were for a century before. "Nothing O Cuirreain does will change that, and neither will anything in the Official Languages Act. If Irish is to survive, then it must be freed from the albatross of compulsion." O Muraile said he saw encouraging signs. Ireland's newfound prosperity, and the pride rising with the "Celtic tiger" economy, is making it "almost a trendy thing to speak Irish." But in the Gaeltacht itself, it is diminishing as an everyday language. "I don't know what the future holds, but perhaps we have to exist as a second language," he said. "In a way, it has been a misfortune of Ireland to come up against the most powerful language the world has ever seen." * (BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX) Gaelic revival The Gaeltacht, areas of Ireland where Gaelic is extensively spoken, includes portions of seven counties. English and Gaelic are vastly different languages. Here's how they look, for example, in a comparison of the Lord's Prayer: - Ar nAthair ata ar neamh, Our father, who art in heaven, - go naofar d'ainm; hallowed be thy name; - go dtaga do riocht, thy kingdom come, - go ndeantar do thoil ar an talamh thy will be done on earth - mar a dheantar ar neamh. as it is in heaven. - Ar n-aran laethuil tabhair duinn inniu, Give us this day our daily bread, - agus maith duinn ar bhfiacha and forgive us our trespasses - mar a mhaithimidne dar bhfeichiuna fein. as we forgive those who trespass xxagainst us. - Agus na lig sinn i gcathu, And lead us not into temptation, - ach saor sinn o olc. Amen. but deliver us from evil. Amen. * Sources: http://www.irishgaelictranslator.com , http://www.iol.ie , ESRI. Graphics reporting by Tom Reinken Copyright ? 2005, The Los Angeles Times From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 25 05:05:02 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 22:05:02 -0700 Subject: powerpoint tidbits... Message-ID: dear ilat, fyi, the folks at OpenOffice.org (free office suite) made their Impress presentational software (ppt equivalent) with the option of exporting to .swf (Flash file format)! i would download it just for that. http://www.openoffice.org/product2/impress.html what is nice about Microsoft PowerPoint for Mac 2004 is its export to .mov Quicktime format. Microsoft Powerpoint 2003 (Windows) has nothing like this (.swf or .mov) but continues to promote its Producer plug-in. phil cash cash UofA, ilat From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Apr 25 05:09:06 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 24 Apr 2005 22:09:06 -0700 Subject: 25 Years of the American Indian Language Development Institute Message-ID: Language Research News UANEWS.ORG 25 Years of the American Indian Language Development Institute http://uanews.org/sections/language/index.html Since its foundation in 1978, the American Indian Language Development Institute has been a model of native language education and a champion in indigenous language rights. To celebrate the institute?s 25th anniversary, participants remember their past struggles and triumphs and speculate about the future of this essential component of the language revitalization movement. From deprees at U.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Apr 26 20:13:04 2005 From: deprees at U.ARIZONA.EDU (Depree ShadowWalker) Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2005 13:13:04 -0700 Subject: Convert PowerPoint to Flash easyway Message-ID: SWiSHpresenter is a Microsoft PowerPoint plugin that converts your PowerPoint presentations to Flash. SWiSHpresenter is the quickest easiest way to get your PowerPoint presentations on the web http://www.swishzone.com/index.php?area=products&tab=overview&product=presen ter The good thing about this is you can create a self executable which means you can view it without buying the software program. it's the BETA version so they are working on bugs and letting us try a fully functional version before you buy it! You can test it out for free. I made this conversion in less than 5 mins from an existing PowerPoint. You can add audio and timing, special effects, which of course takes longer. Here is a link to a no frills (hit button) conversion from PowerPoint just using the default settings. http://www.redpony.us/flash/EndofaTalePopularCulture.swf Swish also has a reasonable program for creating self executable files in Flash format called: $49.95 USD SWiSHstudio lets you convert your SWF files to projector executables, screensavers or burn directly to a CD-ROM in three easy steps. more info > SWiSHpresenter is a Microsoft PowerPoint plugin that converts your PowerPoint presentations to Flash. SWiSHpresenter is the quickest easiest way to get your PowerPoint presentations on the web! more info > Hope the server is set up for HTML? Depree ShadowWalker, M.Ed. emphasis in Learning Technologies Doctoral Student, Language, Reading and Culture GA @ Native American Research and Training Center voice (520) 626-0348 fax (520) 621-9802 websites: http://www.fcm.arizona.edu/research/nartc/diabetes_camp.htm www.septa.arizona.edu Red Pony Heritage Language Team website : www.redpony.us From anguksuar at YAHOO.COM Wed Apr 27 15:13:30 2005 From: anguksuar at YAHOO.COM (Richard LaFortune) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:13:30 -0700 Subject: slightly scary but nevertheless interesting technology #1 of 2 In-Reply-To: <20050422125255.qgymft2yocckcwos@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Woody Norris has a way of getting inside your head ... by David Sparrow Woody Norris has a way of getting inside your head. No, we don't mean his overpowering handshake or Barnumesque penchant for self-promotion ("This is the biggest thing in audio in 77 years"). We mean HyperSonic Sound, his latest creation. (A prolific inventor, Norris, 64, also won a Best of What's New for a personal flying machine.) Unlike traditional speakers, which scatter sound, Norris' device streams it in a precise, laser-like beam for up to 150 yards with almost no degradation in quality or volume. If that seems incredible, trust me, it is. When I met Norris in September he pointed the 7-inch-square emitter at me from 30 feet away. Suddenly I heard the sound of birds chirping. The noise didn't seem to emanate from his device; I felt like it was generated inside my noggin. Yet a guy just 2 feet away from me couldn't hear it. How does it work? The piezoelectric transducer emits sound at frequencies above the human ear's 20,000-cycle threshold. Unlike low-frequency waves, the high-frequency signals don't spread out as they travel through air. Yet they do interact with the air to induce a related set of ultrasonic waves. These waves combine with the original waves, interfering to create an audible signal, focused into a beam. The applications are numerous, if not apparent: Thousands of soda machines in Tokyo will soon bombard passersby with the enticing sound of a Coke being poured, and several U.S. supermarkets will promote products to shoppers as they walk down corresponding aisles. Eventually HyperSonic Sound might enable a nightclub to play disco on one side of the dance floor and salsa on the other. Ambulances equipped with hypersonic sirens could clear the streets without waking the neighbors. Norris' company, American Technology, sells the devices for $600. http://www.popsci.com/popsci/bown/article/0,16106,388134,00.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From anguksuar at YAHOO.COM Wed Apr 27 15:14:50 2005 From: anguksuar at YAHOO.COM (Richard LaFortune) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 08:14:50 -0700 Subject: slightly scary but nevertheless interesting technology #2 of 2 In-Reply-To: <20050422125255.qgymft2yocckcwos@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: We've heard hypersonic sound. It could change everything. by Suzanne Kantra Kirschner It's the most promising audio advance in years, and it's coming this fall: Hypersonic speakers, from American Technology (headed by the irrepressible Woody Norris, whose radical personal flying machine appeared on our August cover), focus sound in a tight beam, much like a laser focuses light. The technology was first demonstrated to Popular Science five years ago ("Best of What's New," Dec. '97), but high levels of distortion and low volume kept it in R&D labs. When it rolls out in Coke machines and other products over the next few months, audio quality will rival that of compact discs. The applications are many, from targeted advertising to virtual rear-channel speakers. The key is frequency: The ultrasonic speakers create sound at more than 20,000 cycles per second, a rate high enough to keep in a focused beam and beyond the range of human hearing. As the waves disperse, properties of the air cause them to break into three additional frequencies, one of which you can hear. This sonic frequency gets trapped within the other three, so it stays within the ultrasonic cone to create directional audio. Step into the beam and you hear the sound as if it were being generated inside your head. Reflect it off a surface and it sounds like it originated there. At 30,000 cycles, the sound can travel 150 yards without any distortion or loss of volume. Here's a look at a few of the first applications. 1. Virtual Home Theater How about 3.1-speaker Dolby Digital sound? With hypersonic, you can eliminate the rear speakers in a 5.1 setup. Instead, you create virtual speakers on the back wall. 2. Targeted Advertising "Get $1 off your next purchase of Wheaties," you might hear at the supermarket. Take a step to the right, and a different voice hawks Crunch Berries. 3. Sound Bullets Jack the sound level up to 145 decibels, or 50 times the human threshold of pain, and an offshoot of hypersonic sound technology becomes a nonlethal weapon. 4. Moving Movie voices For heightened realism, an array of directional speakers could follow actors as they walk across the silver screen, the sound shifting subtly as they turn their heads. 5. Pointed Messages "You're out too far," a lifeguard could yell into his hypersonic megaphone, disturbing none of the bathing beauties nearby. 6. Discreet Speakerphone With its adjustable reach, a hypersonic speakerphone wouldn't disturb your cube neighbors. http://www.prisonplanet.com/audios_the_next_big_thing.html __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Apr 27 17:25:49 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 10:25:49 -0700 Subject: Rep. Tancredo Introduces Official English Constitutional Amendment (fwd) Message-ID: Rep. Tancredo Introduces Official English Constitutional Amendment; Colorado Rep. Stands Behind One Common Language for America 4/26/2005 11:06:00 AM To: National Desk Contact: Rob Toonkel of U.S. English, 202-833-0100 http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=46389 WASHINGTON, April 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In an effort to unite Americans under one common language, Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) introduced a Constitutional Amendment that would declare English the official language of the United States. Reversing the recent trend of divisive and costly multilingualism, H.J. Res. 43 would ensure that government business is conducted in English, providing a common ground for communication and understanding. A Constitutional Amendment to make English the official language was first proposed in 1981 by Senator S.I. Hayakawa, who later founded U.S. English. Since that time, more than 550 Members of Congress have either co-sponsored or voted for official English legislation, including 89 co-sponsors of H.R. 997, the English Language Unity Act of 2005, in the 109th Congress. That measure, introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is currently pending in two House committees. "We congratulate Rep. Tancredo for emphasizing English, the unifying factor of our diverse nation," said Mauro E. Mujica, chairman of U.S. English. "Through the Constitutional Amendment, we are focusing on our strengths, rather than allowing our nation to divide along linguistic lines. Senator Hayakawa's goal of keeping our nation united is in good hands." According to the U.S. Census, 322 languages are spoken at home in the United States. Statistics reveal that more than 21 million, or 1-in-12 Americans, struggle with English. "Coming to the United States is a dream for many immigrants, but English proficiency is the key to achieving that dream.," explained Mujica. "Immigrants who can speak English earn two-and-a-half times what non-English proficient immigrants earn. This is a significant gap that legislators ignore at their peril." ------ U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non- partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States (website: http://www.us-english.org ). Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa of California, U.S.English, Inc. now has more than 1.8 million members nationwide. http://www.usnewswire.com/ -0- /? 2005 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/ From gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Apr 27 20:11:00 2005 From: gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Garry Forger) Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 13:11:00 -0700 Subject: First Naitons SchoolNet In-Reply-To: <20050427102549.r2hc7k044sswc880@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: First Nations SchoolNet and Cisco Systems Networking Academy Launch Distance Learning Initiative http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2005/26/c0472.html ______________________ Garry J. Forger, MLS Assistant Director Learning Technologies Center The University of Arizona 1077 N. Highland Ave Tucson, AZ 85721-0073 gforger at u.arizona.edu http://www.ltc.arizona.edu/ Phone 520-626-7761 Fax 520-626-8220 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mona at ALLIESMEDIAART.COM Thu Apr 28 16:07:03 2005 From: mona at ALLIESMEDIAART.COM (Smith) Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 11:07:03 -0500 Subject: slightly scary but nevertheless interesting technology #1 of 2 In-Reply-To: <20050427151330.62276.qmail@web31111.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: We used speakers very much like these (bet they were these) in the installation at the History Center (Cloudy Waters: Dakota Reflections on the River). We used motion detection, too, so that when someone walked underneath the speaker they would hear - either the names of the 38 hung in Mankato in 1862 combined with water sounds - or brief information about Dakota history. They are freaky...ummmmm...you hear the voices in your head, not your ears. It's a power that should only be used for good. ____________________________________ http://gmr.typepad.com Marty's blog-in-progress On Apr 27, 2005, at 10:13 AM, Richard LaFortune wrote: > Woody Norris has a way of getting inside your head ... > > by David Sparrow > > > > > Woody Norris has a way of getting inside your head. > No, we don't mean his overpowering handshake or > Barnumesque penchant for self-promotion ("This is the > biggest thing in audio in 77 years"). We mean > HyperSonic Sound, his latest creation. (A prolific > inventor, Norris, 64, also won a Best of What's New > for a personal flying machine.) > > Unlike traditional speakers, which scatter sound, > Norris' device streams it in a precise, laser-like > beam for up to 150 yards with almost no degradation in > quality or volume. If that seems incredible, trust me, > it is. > > When I met Norris in September he pointed the > 7-inch-square emitter at me from 30 feet away. > Suddenly I heard the sound of birds chirping. The > noise didn't seem to emanate from his device; I felt > like it was generated inside my noggin. Yet a guy just > 2 feet away from me couldn't hear it. > > How does it work? The piezoelectric transducer emits > sound at frequencies above the human ear's > 20,000-cycle threshold. Unlike low-frequency waves, > the high-frequency signals don't spread out as they > travel through air. Yet they do interact with the air > to induce a related set of ultrasonic waves. These > waves combine with the original waves, interfering to > create an audible signal, focused into a beam. > > The applications are numerous, if not apparent: > Thousands of soda machines in Tokyo will soon bombard > passersby with the enticing sound of a Coke being > poured, and several U.S. supermarkets will promote > products to shoppers as they walk down corresponding > aisles. Eventually HyperSonic Sound might enable a > nightclub to play disco on one side of the dance floor > and salsa on the other. Ambulances equipped with > hypersonic sirens could clear the streets without > waking the neighbors. Norris' company, American > Technology, sells the devices for $600. > > http://www.popsci.com/popsci/bown/article/0,16106,388134,00.html > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 2894 bytes Desc: not available URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 29 18:11:57 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 11:11:57 -0700 Subject: Preservation of ethnic minority languages urged (fwd) Message-ID: Preservation of ethnic minority languages urged www.chinaview.cn 2005-04-29 09:33:59 http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-04/29/content_2892878.htm BEIJING, April 29 -- Scholars from some famous universities in the mailand and Hong Kong have called for measures to preserve China's ethnic minority languages, at a seminar held in Guangzhou on the language and culture of ethnic minority groups. Experts say many of China's 120 minority languages face extinction due to under-use as society is dominated by the Mandarin language. They say it's the nation's obligation to record and preserve them as cultural treasures. Their suggestions included the use audio and video equipments as means of preservation. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Apr 29 18:07:29 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 11:07:29 -0700 Subject: Lakota immersion camp teaches tribal language, traditions (fwd) Message-ID: Date posted online: Friday, April 29, 2005 Lakota immersion camp teaches tribal language, traditions http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2005/04/29/news/south_dakota/0d9f443b66ee701686256ff200113d67.txt SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- Every morning for a week last summer, Karen Little Wounded awoke in her tent at dawn to take part in a traditional morning star ceremony. Every night, she would sing, dance and learn to interpret dreams. The rituals were part of a Lakota language and culture immersion camp near Cherry Creek on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Sponsored by the tribe, Si Tanka University, the reservation's Takini School and Waonspekiye Oyasin, a teacher training organization, the camp hosted about 40 people interested in learning the Lakota way. This year the camp is set to be held June 12-17 on the reservation. Carole Rave, one of its organizers, said she expects there to be even more campers this year. "We started registration yesterday," Rave said Thursday. "I already got messages from people in Rosebud who want to come." Rave said the camp is a collaborative effort. For example, last year the tribe donated portable toilets and sprayed the campsite for mosquitos. Campers contributed food and a tribal member let the group camp on some of his land in the Big Timber area near the Cheyenne River. "It's a place where, years ago, our people camped by the thousands," Rave said. Free for tribal members, the camp costs about $500 a day for others. That money, along with funding from Waonspekiye Oyasin (pronounced "Wah-own-SPECK-ee-yay ooh-ee-YAH-seen"), pays for the camp, Rave said, adding that non-Indians are welcome. Besides participation in traditional ceremonies, the camp offers training in Lakota by language teachers from the reservation's various schools and colleges. Those instructors often become students because they are working toward certification as Lakota teachers, Rave said. The classes count as college credit hours, up to six each day. Besides basic Lakota for non-speakers, the classes teach Lakota history, culture and philosophy. This year, there will be a course on poverty and its effect on the tribe, Rave said. She said tribal elders play an important role in the camp, both as teachers and participants. Last year elders offered instruction in traditional practices such as drying meat and erecting tipis, and were honored with a dance, Rave said. "It's such a nice setting that usually in the evening the elders stay longer. They don't want to come back to town," she said. Little Wounded said the camp was a great experience. She originally intended to volunteer there, but ended up as a participant. Her favorite activity, she said, was a presentation by a tribal elder on women's roles in traditional Lakota society. "It was really fun," Little Wounded said. "I'm going back again this year." From coyotez at DARKWING.UOREGON.EDU Fri Apr 29 19:31:25 2005 From: coyotez at DARKWING.UOREGON.EDU (David Gene Lewis) Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 12:31:25 -0700 Subject: Request In-Reply-To: <20050429111157.cbbj4g0gcskk4ss8@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Klahowya Tillikums and Bostons, I'm looking for some good references to research and theory on archives and social memory. I'm trying to get ahold of a few volumes of the History of the Human Sciences, from 1998 and 1999. These seem rare on the west coast and expensive through Sage. specifically, Irving Velody, ?The Archive and the Human Sciences?, History of the Human Sciences 11 (1998), 1-16 (introduction to two special issues on archives and memory which include a number of useful papers on history, museums, archives, and institutions in relation to memory) and I understand there is also a special volume for 1999 on archives too. Any references would be appreciated. David Lewis University of Oregon Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde From sdp at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Apr 30 21:49:22 2005 From: sdp at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Susan Penfield) Date: Sat, 30 Apr 2005 14:49:22 -0700 Subject: Fw: Tohono O'odham (Papago Indian) and Mission San Xavier bibliography Message-ID: All, This is a great example of an online bibliographic resource. Subject: Tohono O'odham (Papago Indian) and Mission San Xavier bibliography This is to let everyone who might be interested know that Tumacacori National Historical Park has posted my 915-page annotated bibliography of the Tohono O'odham (Papago Indians) and of Mission San Xavier del Bac and, by extension, the Spanish and Mexican-period history of the Pimer?a Alta, on its web site. It is in word searchable form and can be directly accessed at http://www.nps.gov/tuma/bibliography. The bibliography is the culmination of an effort that began in 1956. Bunny \ / Fontana 0 _( )_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: