From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 1 19:45:33 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2005 12:45:33 -0700 Subject: Aboriginal tribes saved by distance (fwd) Message-ID: Aboriginal tribes saved by distance By Suresh Seshadri REUTERS NEWS AGENCY Published December 31, 2004 http://washingtontimes.com/world/20041230-111256-1920r.htm PORT BLAIR, India -- India's dwindling aboriginal population in the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands is safe because most lived in jungles, far away from the coast hit by a devastating tsunami, a coast guard official said yesterday.     Experts had feared that some Stone Age tribal people, who have been living on the far-flung archipelago for thousands of years, could be on the verge of extinction after the killer waves that have killed more than 117,000 people across Asia and Africa.     "There have been several media reports talking about a threat to the aborigines, indigenous people and tribals of the islands," said Vice Adm. Arun Kumar Singh, director general of the coast guard, which is involved in rescue operations.     "I have personally verified the extent of this claim, and let me tell you that it is absolutely rubbish."     The Andaman and Nicobar group is a cluster of more than 550 islands, of which about three dozen are inhabited.     The island chain is home to about six tribes of Mongoloid and Negrito origin. Many of the indigenous people are seminomadic and subsist on hunting with spears, bows and arrows as well as fishing and gathering fruit and roots. They still cover themselves with tree bark or leaves.     Adm. Singh said the Nicobarese, the largest tribal group that lives on Car Nicobar and adjoining islands, bore the brunt of the waves, but the exact death toll was not known.     Coast guard surveys showed that the rest of the tribes such as the Shompen, the Jarawa and the Sentinelese had escaped, either because they lived in the jungles far from the coast or because their islands were barely touched by the waves.     "In the Middle Andaman, the Jarawa tribes are there, and there has not been a single report of casualty. The Sentinelese of North Sentinel Island, which some reports say have been completely wiped out, are all very much there," Adm. Singh said.     More than 13,000 people are dead or feared dead in India from the tsunami, but rescuers are still struggling to assess the toll in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.     Officials said more than 6,000 people were feared dead in the island chain, which is closer to Burma and Indonesia than the Indian mainland and is home to more than 350,000 people.     About 30,000 of the islands' total population is tribal, the majority Nicobarese.     The rest are smaller groups. Some such as the Great Andamanese are down to about 30 people, while others such as the Shompen number 200 to 250.     The number of the Onge, one of the most primitive tribes, has fallen in past decades to about 100. There are about 200 Sentinelese, probably one of the world's only surviving Paleolithic people, who are generally hostile to outsiders.     "Our helicopter pilot who flew over the island told me that he has seen several groups of Sentinelese on the beach and that when he dropped food packets they threw stones at the helicopter." From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Sun Jan 2 01:55:40 2005 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2005 20:55:40 -0500 Subject: Aboriginal tribes saved by distance (fwd) Message-ID: The government of India, which has been desirous to greatly expand tourism in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, was very quick in making these claims, even before more rigorous surveys were carried out. Various scholars IN India have reacted quite negatively to the assertions. Reporters and aid workers have been kept away from the areas in question, so there is no way of verifying them. Some reports by government and military personnel have made the interesting claim that the tribal peoples of the islands survived because they "instinctually" knew to get out of the way of the tsunami (much as have animals in Sri Lanka, which has been the buzz in science newsfeeds for the past couple of days)- one even claims that the Andamanese sleep in the tree tops (in the same manner as apes perhaps?). The Indian minister in charge of tribal affairs had prior to the quake/tsunami shrugged off charges that the proposed opening up of lands, up to now off limits, to tourism and settlement, would have any adverse effect on the native peoples, and statements of a just a day or two ago by the Prime Minister indicated that development plans would go ahead in spite of everything that has just happened. The scholarly community, particularly the linguists and anthropologists of Indian origin permitted by the government to work with these peoples, has not been heard from, though there will be reports on the languages of the islands at the upcoming meeting of the Association for Linguistic Typology in Padang, West Sumatra in July. Given the tight controls on access to the native peoples of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, it will be interesting to see whether workers are able to say particularly how things really are on the ground. A fine line to tread indeed. It is wonderful that the Indian government has allowed the native peoples to live in relative peace, but the plans for tourism expansion and settlement leave me wondering just how altruistic this all is. Are they animals? Children? Don't they have the right to know what is going on around them, and maybe the right to some empowerment over what becomes of them? They aren't zoo or museum specimens, after all. Or are they, considering their oft cited "primitiveness", genetic uniqueness (at least for the Andamanese, and both linguistically and DNA-wise), etc. Eco-tourism veers awfully close to systemic exploitation of marginalized peoples as side-shows. Perhaps the scholarly community isn't doing enough to distance itself from this sort of thing, and prevent themselves from becoming the elite equivalent of carnival barkers. In any case we all know who is going to get the short end of the stick. My own concern is for endangered peoples and their cultures and languages as knowledge systems of inherent worth, not as "specimens". We all know what collectors are like. Anyway, that's my say, for the moment. Some I've corresponded feel I should be focussing on the needs of the many more victims of the tsunami who belong to majority cultures. As a human being my gut sank when I first read about the quake and tsunami, just an hour after it happened. At the magnitude then being reported (which has since been upgraded twice), all I could think was "Krakatau", and I knew it was going to be really, really bad, much worse than the casualty figures which initially came in, and the week has borne out my worst fears (geotectonics has been a hobby since the early '70's). The situation is more than heart-wrenching, and I'm doing what I can from my end to lend a hand. But the "hey, there's lots more of us than there are of them" argument, which may be great for democratic politics, falls flat when the absolute survival, both in the short and long terms, of minority peoples is at stake, as it is here. The tsunami wiped out entire native villages in the Nicobars. Islands are GONE. Reports that the tribal peoples have not lost a single soul (which are now circulating), are just a little too good to be true (unless of course one goes the animal/"sixth sense" route), don't you think? But maybe the issue here isn't on numbers, but on levels of human-ness in the belief systems of the figures in authority, and the peoples they represent? Heck, "real (hard working, civilized, pious, even educated) people, like us" are in mortal danger. One needn't worry about the natives- they can fend for themselves in any case (with their wonderful instinctual powers). So expect a free-for-all to redirect attention and resources, which I suppose is just human nature, just as the governments of the world are one-upping each other with aid announcements. I keep hoping in my heart of hearts that this crisis might in the end result in a more equitable resolution for the situation that existed before, but don't expect me to bet the farm on it. In the meantime I'll update the list with anything more detailed that I can find. Jess Tauber phonosemantics at earthlink.net From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Sun Jan 2 11:41:46 2005 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2005 06:41:46 -0500 Subject: Web site for information on Andaman and Nicobar native peoples Message-ID: Anyone interested in getting much more "up close and personal" regarding the situation in the Andamans and Nicobars, both before the quake/tsunami and the developing disaster, is invited to go and read from the web pages of the Andaman Association- http://www.andaman.org These pages cover much of the history, anthropology, genetics, linguistics, and politics of the islands, and are as of yesterday being updated re the current situation. I will continue to try to comb through the newsfeeds, and find out what information is filtering through from those sources. I am hoping to put together a more comprehensive on-line collection of materials relating to Andaman and Nicobar languages which might one day help keep those languages from extinction, assuming of course that there are people left who might wish to retain them. First things first. Let us all pray for swift relief from disease and famine for all affected. Jess Tauber phonosemantics at earthlink.net From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Mon Jan 3 05:37:01 2005 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 00:37:01 -0500 Subject: Aboriginal tribes saved by distance (fwd) Message-ID: There is a program listed on the National Geographic Channel about the Andamanese, scheduled for 4 am either tonite (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday). Inconvenient time, but it will be shown again at a better one- Jan 5 at midnite (and again at 4 am). Here is the blurb: First Out of Africa Follow Dr. Erika Hagelberg and international scientists to the remote Andaman Islands as they piece together the ancestry of a compelling people who still live a stone age existence. Their quest reveals the history of the Andaman Islanders whose origin has been clouded in mystery for centuries. The lush islands with pristine sandy white beaches yield few clues to the Andamanese past. Dr. Hagelberg searches for answers in the few precious DNA samples collected from the Andamanese. The results may turn commonly held theories of human evolution upside down. Jess Tauber phonosemantics at earthlink.net From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 3 18:35:22 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 11:35:22 -0700 Subject: Preserving a language, safeguarding a culture (fwd) Message-ID: Preserving a language, safeguarding a culture BY JONATHAN CLARK/The Herald Mexico El Universal Lunes 03 de enero de 2005 Nuestro mundo, página 1 http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=8578&tabla=miami A Oaxacan woman completes a Ph.D. on her indigenous language with an eye towards bettering overall conditions for her community. In 1980, when she was only 8 years old, Emiliana Cruz was sent from her home in San Juan Quiahije in the southern mountains of Oaxaca to the state capital to work as a servant. With the Spanish language becoming more and more necessary for indigenous people in Mexican society people like the 28,000 strong Chatino community to which Emiliana belonged it became a common practice for indigenous parents to send their children to work as servants in the cities so as to learn the country's sole official language. Emiliana found work in Oaxaca city with a family that agreed to enroll her in evening Spanish classes. But during this time spent working and studying, she felt herself losing contact with her own family and community. Slowly, she adapted herself to the values and conventions of the city, for the situation surrounding her allowed no room to speak her native Chatino language or to practice her own cultural traditions. "Living in this different environment," she recalls, "I struggled to continue believing that my culture and traditions had wisdom and knowledge." Yet still, she couldn't forget the mandate that she had been given upon her departure for the capital. "Although my parents sent me to the city for better opportunities," Emiliana says, "they also told me never to forget where I came from." She never has. Throughout a journey that has taken her from San Juan Quiahije to Oaxaca city to Washington state and now to Austin, Texas, Emiliana has kept her vision keenly set on the Chatino community of Oaxaca and the greater plight of the indigenous peoples of Mexico. "From early childhood, I saw my father working on indigenous issues, and this had a strong influence on me," she says. "My desire for better conditions for indigenous people has always persisted." Then, in 1989, Emiliana's father, the Chatino intellectual and rights activist Tomas Cruz Lorenzo, was killed by landowners during a campaign for sustainable forest exploitation in the mountainous Sierra Sur region of Oaxaca. He had been actively involved in community development and indigenous rights throughout his life, and it was a role that his daughter was quick to inherit and embrace. Emiliana chose an academic route from which to focus her efforts. In 1994 she emigrated to Washington in search of work, later attended community college to improve her English skills, and then completed an undergraduate degree at Evergreen State University. Now she is a doctoral student in linguistics and linguistic anthropology at the University of Texas, where her research program is aimed at documenting, describing, and preserving the Chatino language. In doing so, she is at the same time documenting and preserving her indigenous culture. "The primary force that motivates me in striving to keep the Chatino language alive is that the language is not just a verbal form of communication," she says, "but rather it is intimately connected with the cultural reality of the Chatino people and their complex history, dynamic cultural development, and diversity with all its own richness." DECLINING USE It is difficult to say exactly how many different indigenous languages are spoken in Mexico. Some sources put the number in the 50s, others in the 60s. But according to Enrique Fernando Nava, professor of linguistics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and director of the newly created National Institute of Indigenous Languages (INALI), there may be as many as 150 different languages spoken nationwide. "Zapoteco, for example, is not really one language but rather a family of languages," he explains, referring to the largest linguistic group in Oaxaca. "The same is true of Mixteco and Chinanteco and many others." But while the precise number of individual languages may be uncertain, one fact is clear: the number of people speaking indigenous languages is in rapid decline. And according to Emiliana Cruz, this phenomenon is due to prevailing attitudes in the dominant mestizo (mixed-race) culture that devalue indigenous language and culture. "In Mexico, indigenous languages are not considered valid for education and for written communication because they are thought of as incomplete and are looked upon as simply dialects or sub-languages," she says. Indeed, Mexicans including many indigenous people themselves often refer to the languages as dialectos , or dialects. Professor Nava calls this terminology "a form of racism" that conveys an idea that the indigenous languages are somehow inferior to Spanish. And this attitude results not only in the virtual exclusion of the languages from the educational system and public sphere, it also discourages speakers from passing their linguistic tradition along to younger generations. Azael Pérez, 28, who now runs a business consulting firm in Oaxaca city, was raised in the Zapotec village of San Antonino Castillo Velasco. And while the older members of his family all speak Zapoteco, he laments the fact that neither family members nor the schools he attended instructed him in the language. He says that now as an adult, he would very much like to learn Zapoteco, but he admits that it has been very difficult to motivate himself for the task. "The truth is, it really wouldn't help me at all in my day-to-day and professional life," he says. "It would just be something that would be nice so that when I go back to the village to visit with my grandparents and aunts and uncles, we could talk in Zapoteco." THE SOLUTION If Mexico is going to preserve its indigenous languages, says Nava, the nation needs a fundamental change in attitude in both its mestizo and indigenous societies to recognize the importance and value of indigenous culture and linguistic tradition. And that means creating opportunities where the languages can be used for a wider range of purposes than simply conversing with grandparents. First, he wants to see a greater effort from the larger mestizo community to integrate indigenous languages into the mainstream. For example, he would like for indigenous languages to be used more often in areas such as advertising and on food labels. Popular entertainment produced in indigenous languages would also be a step in the right direction, for after all, Mexicans watch a great number of English-language T.V. programs and movies subtitled in Spanish, so why not a program in Nahuatl with Spanish subtitles? In addition, Nava says there must be a stronger societal commitment to promote public bilingual education in all of the nation's indigenous communities and at a higher level of quality than currently exists. But, he adds, it is not only the responsibility of the larger mestizo society to affect these changes; Mexico's indigenous people must also assume a more active role in language and cultural preservation. "It is very important that the indigenous people themselves work to preserve their own culture and language," he says, "and so at INALI, we would like to see that each community has its own professional linguist to undertake this work." This is where people like Emiliana Cruz come in. And as she continues to do the important work of documenting the Chatino language, Emiliana says that she can see how preserving her language and combating linguistic marginalization in Mexico can contribute to hers and her father's goal of better overall conditions for indigenous people. "The larger culture propagates the dominant language for the purpose of achieving national integration," she says. "But because indigenous people do not have access to the same educational systems as non-indigenous people, individuals lose their native language while still not achieving a high level of education." Consequently, she says, Mexico has created an undereducated and perpetually impoverished class of people. So as she furthers her own efforts to preserve, dignify, and promote wider usage of indigenous language, Emiliana says she has a message for her fellow indigenous peoples of Mexico: "Go to school and use education to teach and inform others about the importance and unique value of indigenous languages and customs." To all Mexicans, she says. "Our language is a language and not dialect! (Let's) preserve human cultural diversity and nurture respect for this diversity. Recognize that indigenous people are under-represented, and are thus discriminated against both individually and institutionally." © 2005 Copyright El Universal-El Universal Online From fhm at UNIMELB.EDU.AU Mon Jan 3 23:02:19 2005 From: fhm at UNIMELB.EDU.AU (Felicity Meakins) Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 10:02:19 +1100 Subject: analog-to-digital devices In-Reply-To: <1104520596.858ff492d274e@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hello everyone, > Video (analog-to-digital) > > Canopus ADVC-100 > http://www.simplydv.co.uk/advc100.html Just to add to the review of these devices. We (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre (Australia)) were convinced to buy one of these devices. We found it worked only sporadically and it was better to use a digital video camera as an analogue/digital adapter. Of course it could have just been our Canopus, but you could save yourself some money anyway if you have already have a digital video camera. Felicity Meakins Melbourne Uni, Australia From sdp at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 4 00:49:27 2005 From: sdp at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Susan Penfield) Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 17:49:27 -0700 Subject: Manual on PDF: Technology-Enhanced Language Revitalization Message-ID: Hi everyone, Thanks to Phil's efforts, 'Technology-Enhanced Language Revitalization' ( Volume #1 - a beginner's manual), is now on PDF --- You can download it through the 'Projects' link at http://projects.ltc.arizona.edu/gates/TELR.html. This manual was an outcome of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant which Phil and I completed this past year. This first volume is very introductory -- other volumes are planned (the next will be devoted to language documentation). The manual is large so Phil has conveniently divided it into separate sections for downloading. There have been other upgrades to the website including easier navigation and better browser capability. Check it out! If you have any questions or comments about the manual, or if you would like a hard copy, please feel free to contact me directly at sdp at u.arizona.edu Susan Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. Department of English Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Indigenous Languages and Technology Language, Reading and culture University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 4 16:19:24 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:19:24 -0700 Subject: A living history book (fwd) Message-ID: A living history book Tribal-language teacher is spreading the word Judy Nichols The Arizona Republic Jan. 4, 2005 12:00 AM Danny Lopez, 68, worries about dying. Not because he's ill, but because he's afraid of taking too much of the Tohono O'odham history and language with him. "Everything that I know I want to leave for my people," Lopez said. "It belongs to them. "When an elder is gone, what he knows, the songs, the history, whatever he didn't set down, that knowledge is buried underneath the ground." Lopez, who has worked for decades to preserve his tribe's culture and language, was recently chosen for the first Spirit of the Heard award. The award, given by the Heard Museum, is to honor a living member of a Southwest tribe who has demonstrated personal excellence or community leadership in a chosen field. Lopez, who teaches the Tohono O'odham language and culture at Tohono O'odham Community College, also has taught the language and culture to hundreds of children at Topawa Middle School in Topawa and Indian Oasis Primary School in Sells. He also has taught the language to paramedics so they can speak to Tohono O'odham elders when responding to calls. A storyteller, singer and cultural expert, Lopez has taught key aspects of the O'odham Himdag - the Desert People's Lifeways - to hundreds of Tohono O'odham youths, adults and elders over the past 30 years. "Lopez's commitment to his people and community in working tirelessly to teach and preserve the life and culture of the Tohono O'odham Nation makes him the perfect first recipient," said Frank Goodyear, museum director. Part of tribal identity Ofelia Zepeda, a Tohono O'odham and a professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona, said language is a critical part of tribal identity. "It's one of the main things that makes you a distinct group," Zepeda said. "The O'odham still having a number of speakers points to the fact that the tribe is still cohesive in that way." About 15-20 students enroll in Zepeda's Tohono O'odham language class each semester. One of them was Lopez. But Zepeda said he is both student and teacher. "He will send me e-mails or call about an O'odham question structure," she said. "I can be his teacher in that way, but he's my teacher in other areas because he knows so much of the language." Humble beginnings There is no public record of Lopez's birth. He was born at home in Big Field on the Tohono O'odham Reservation on Dec. 24, 1936. He attended the two-room Catholic school in Cowlic. His mother, who spoke only Tohono O'odham, would cook and sew clothes. His father, who spoke about second-grade English, would earn money chopping wood and helping with the livestock roundups. "Most of the English we heard was from peddlers who would come selling canned goods," Lopez said. The family would leave home in May, following the cotton harvest in Coolidge, Eloy, Casa Grande, Picacho and Marana. "When September came, we would go to whatever school was around," he said. "In February, the farmers would take us back home in big trucks." Eventually, Lopez went to St. John's Indian Mission in Komatke. He also attended Pima Community College, the University of Arizona and Prescott College. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in education, focusing on the Tohono O'odham language. More English spoken And he began to worry about the loss of his native language. "Everywhere, community members were using more English," Lopez said. "Meetings were conducted in O'odham, but when kids were playing outside, they spoke English. "I was concerned about the future. The elders are not going to be here forever." Jon Reyhner, a professor of education at Northern Arizona University, said Lopez's fear is not unfounded. Research shows fewer and fewer children are speaking the language. "Within a generation or two if something isn't done the language will be gone," said Reyhner, who has written books on indigenous language and has a book, American Indian Education: A History, that will be published this spring by the University of Oklahoma Press. "For 100 years there was a concerted effort to wipe out the languages in federal Indian schools and then public schools," Reyhner said. "It was part of the assimilation effort." Reyhner said that many tribes in California have lost their language and 50 or so are trying to revive them. Indigenous languages are being preserved in New Zealand and Hawaii, too. A living museum "Preservation is important so that when an elder dies all that stuff is not lost," Reyhner said. "Putting it all in a museum or an archive is better than nothing. But these languages need to live and breathe." Zepeda, who was the first generation in her family to speak English, estimated that about half the tribe, mostly the elders, still speak the language. "It's wonderful that Danny is getting the recognition for what he does," Zepeda said "He's very good, very conscientious. "He loves to learn, whether he's being a student or teaching. That's one of the things that keeps him going." Sharing a song A video of Lopez receiving his award was played recently for the faculty at Tohono O'odham Community College. Afterward they rose to their feet in a standing ovation. "When I heard that, I had to go lie down and cry," Lopez said. "I thought of all the people out there, some of them gone, my parents, my sisters, people who were willing to share a song with me. My mother-in-law, I learned a lot from her. All those people. "I wish they all could have been there. The recognition also goes to them." From mikinakn at SHAW.CA Fri Jan 7 02:52:24 2005 From: mikinakn at SHAW.CA (Rolland Nadjiwon) Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 21:52:24 -0500 Subject: Question Message-ID: Is ILAT still alive and running? Excuse the query. ------- wahjeh rolland nadjiwon From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET Fri Jan 7 19:48:05 2005 From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:48:05 -0700 Subject: Question In-Reply-To: <001101c4f463$ec6d6b30$167e4c18@Nadjiwon> Message-ID: happy new year Rolland, yes, i think ILAT stirs and is stirred every so often. phil UofA On Jan 6, 2005, at 7:52 PM, Rolland Nadjiwon wrote: > Is ILAT still alive and running? Excuse the query. > > ------- > wahjeh > rolland nadjiwon > From mikinakn at SHAW.CA Fri Jan 7 20:23:04 2005 From: mikinakn at SHAW.CA (Rolland Nadjiwon) Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 15:23:04 -0500 Subject: Question Message-ID: Thanks Phil...maybe like our own languages - words only serve to separate the silence ------- wahjeh rolland nadjiwon ----- Original Message ----- From: "phil cash cash" To: Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 2:48 PM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question > happy new year Rolland, yes, i think ILAT stirs and is stirred every so > often. > > phil > UofA > > On Jan 6, 2005, at 7:52 PM, Rolland Nadjiwon wrote: > >> Is ILAT still alive and running? Excuse the query. >> >> ------- >> wahjeh >> rolland nadjiwon >> > From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Mon Jan 10 16:34:26 2005 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (MiaKalish@LFP) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 09:34:26 -0700 Subject: Question Message-ID: I think so. We got email just last week when Phil added [ILAT] to the subject line, and there were some messages from Dr. Penfield. Mia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rolland Nadjiwon" To: Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 7:52 PM Subject: [ILAT] Question > Is ILAT still alive and running? Excuse the query. > > ------- > wahjeh > rolland nadjiwon > > From liko at LEOKI.UHH.HAWAII.EDU Mon Jan 10 16:29:32 2005 From: liko at LEOKI.UHH.HAWAII.EDU (Liko Puha) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 06:29:32 -1000 Subject: Question Message-ID: I mea e ÿike ai ÿoe, ÿaÿole au ma ka hana mai ka lä 10 a i ka lä 27 o ÿIanuali. No ke käkoÿo ÿenehana, e kähea iä Kala'i Aiona. Inä kaÿawale ÿole ÿo ia e kähea iä Keola Donaghy. Mahalo, Liko From mikinakn at SHAW.CA Mon Jan 10 17:01:13 2005 From: mikinakn at SHAW.CA (Rolland Nadjiwon) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 12:01:13 -0500 Subject: Question Message-ID: Thank you Mia for responding...the only posts I have received are from yourself, now, and Phil earlier telling me we are still up and running. However, apparently, I am still capable of receiving and sending. I find the postings interesting and thought provoking although I am not a linguist. My field is literary and critical theory. Within that, I have been interested in the psychocultural impact of folk/tribal cultures moving from a primary orality to writing, even rudimentary. ------- wahjeh rolland nadjiwon ----- Original Message ----- From: "MiaKalish at LFP" To: Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 11:34 AM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question >I think so. We got email just last week when Phil added [ILAT] to the > subject line, and there were some messages from Dr. Penfield. > > Mia From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Mon Jan 10 17:40:07 2005 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (MiaKalish@LFP) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 10:40:07 -0700 Subject: Question Message-ID: Well that sounds very interesting, Rolland. I am kind of interested in how one characterizes a 'folk culture'. The original inhabitants of North & South American were very sophisticated in math, science and communication. However, since the colonists annihilated all the leaders and the the medicine people who maintained, shared and spread such information, and since people recording language only asked questions that paralled their European culture, a lot was lost. Here, we have writing on the rocks, and languages scripted through various lengths of time. Are you in Canada? I looked up www.shaw.ca, and it seems to be a cable or satellite tv company. Yes? Mia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rolland Nadjiwon" To: Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 10:01 AM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question > Thank you Mia for responding...the only posts I have received are from > yourself, now, and Phil earlier telling me we are still up and running. > However, apparently, I am still capable of receiving and sending. > > I find the postings interesting and thought provoking although I am not a > linguist. My field is literary and critical theory. Within that, I have been > interested in the psychocultural impact of folk/tribal cultures moving from > a primary orality to writing, even rudimentary. > > ------- > wahjeh > rolland nadjiwon > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "MiaKalish at LFP" > To: > Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 11:34 AM > Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question > > > >I think so. We got email just last week when Phil added [ILAT] to the > > subject line, and there were some messages from Dr. Penfield. > > > > Mia > > From mrb1 at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 10 18:45:52 2005 From: mrb1 at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Baptiste, Maxine Rose) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 11:45:52 -0700 Subject: Manual on PDF: Technology-Enhanced Language Revitalization In-Reply-To: <001a01c4f1f7$45026ee0$68ba8945@CRIT01> Message-ID: Hi Dr. Penfield, How are you? Hope your holidays wer fun and relaxing. I am writing to see if the course Oral Traditions is still taking place and are there any text books required for the course. Also I would like a hard copy of the book you and Phil Cash Cash put together. Thank you, Maxine Quoting Susan Penfield : > Hi everyone, > > Thanks to Phil's efforts, 'Technology-Enhanced Language Revitalization' ( > Volume #1 - a beginner's manual), is now on PDF --- You can download it > through the 'Projects' link at > http://projects.ltc.arizona.edu/gates/TELR.html. > > This manual was an outcome of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant > which Phil and I completed this past year. This first volume is very > introductory -- other volumes are planned (the next will be devoted to > language documentation). The manual is large so Phil has conveniently divided > it into separate sections for downloading. > > There have been other upgrades to the website including easier navigation and > better browser capability. > Check it out! > > If you have any questions or comments about the manual, or if you would like > a hard copy, please feel free to contact me directly at > sdp at u.arizona.edu > > > Susan > > > Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. > Department of English > Second Language Acquisition and Teaching > Indigenous Languages and Technology > Language, Reading and culture > University of Arizona, > Tucson, AZ 85721 From CRANEM at MAIL.ECU.EDU Mon Jan 10 19:27:53 2005 From: CRANEM at MAIL.ECU.EDU (Bizzaro, Resa Crane) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 14:27:53 -0500 Subject: Question Message-ID: Happy new year, all! Rolland--I, too, am not a linguist. My field is identity rhetorics and Native Studies. But I have found lots of interesting information (and research help) by being on this list. I look forward to seeing more. Resa -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology on behalf of Rolland Nadjiwon Sent: Mon 1/10/2005 12:01 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Cc: Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question Thank you Mia for responding...the only posts I have received are from yourself, now, and Phil earlier telling me we are still up and running. However, apparently, I am still capable of receiving and sending. I find the postings interesting and thought provoking although I am not a linguist. My field is literary and critical theory. Within that, I have been interested in the psychocultural impact of folk/tribal cultures moving from a primary orality to writing, even rudimentary. ------- wahjeh rolland nadjiwon ----- Original Message ----- From: "MiaKalish at LFP" To: Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 11:34 AM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question >I think so. We got email just last week when Phil added [ILAT] to the > subject line, and there were some messages from Dr. Penfield. > > Mia From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 10 23:43:11 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 16:43:11 -0700 Subject: Chickasaw Language Preservation Efforts Underway (fwd) Message-ID: Monday, January 10, 2005 - 4:06:52 PM Chickasaw Language Preservation Efforts Underway http://www.kten.com/article.asp?id=5909 >From news release: The Chickasaw language is currently spoken by a relatively small number of older persons. The language is in danger of being lost unless steps are taken to revitalize it, wrote Dr. William J. Pulte in a recently proposed plan to help revitalize the Chickasaw language. Dr. Pulte is one of two highly-qualified linguists who will offer instruction on teaching theory and language curriculum development at Murray State College beginning February 19. These classes are part of a long-term plan to revitalize the Chickasaw language. Dr. Durbin Feeling and Dr. William J. Pulte will teach the course designed to give language facilitators the knowledge of teaching theory and curriculum development needed to help design community-based Chickasaw language classes. Language facilitators will team with fluent Chickasaw speakers as paid employees to design and teach classes for two different groups. Classes will help those who understand and speak some Chickasaw to become fluent speakers. As the number of proficient Chickasaw speakers increases, the scope and number of classes can be increased. Other classes will be structured to teach Chickasaw to those with no knowledge of the language, and will be tailored to age ranges from pre kindergarten, grade school, high school and adults. These classes should complement each other as parents learn to talk to their Head Start through college age children. Current plans are to continue offering language classes for language facilitators who will team with fluent speakers to teach community-based classes on an ongoing basis. Dr. Feeling has more than 25 years experience planning and teaching Cherokee courses in northeastern Oklahoma and is a leader among Native American language specialists. Dr. Pulte is the author of a pioneering study of Chickasaw that pointed out for the first time significant differences between the Chickasaw and Choctaw languages. He is a nationally known linguist who specializes in the study of Native American languages and has worked with bilingual programs serving Cherokee, Choctaw and Spanish speaking students. Dr. Pulte and Dr. Feeling will be assisted as needed by Dr. Abigail Bartoshesky, an expert in methods and techniques proven effective in language teaching. Dr. Bartoshesky recently completed her doctorate in language teaching at George Washington University, where she worked with some of the most outstanding specialists in the field of language learning. Language Facilitators Needed Language facilitators and fluent Chickasaw speakers are being sought for a plan to revitalize and preserve the Chickasaw language. A three-hour college-credit class in language teaching methods will be offered through Murray State College six Saturdays beginning February 19 and ending April 9. Approximately 30 students will be accepted into the class. This class is designed to provide language facilitators with the knowledge and skills needed to work with fluent speakers in offering community based language classes beginning in summer 2005. Several paid positions are being created for fluent speakers of Chickasaw and language facilitators who will pair up as teaching teams in various communities across the Chickasaw Nation. These community-based classes will be open to the public at no charge. Ideal candidates for language facilitators will have some knowledge of Chickasaw and some teaching experience. A teaching certificate is not required and teaching experience can be as informal as teaching a Sunday school class or as formal as classroom teaching. For information, contact Terri Haney at (580) 332-8478 From mona at ALLIESMEDIAART.COM Tue Jan 11 02:32:06 2005 From: mona at ALLIESMEDIAART.COM (MM Smith) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:32:06 -0600 Subject: Hmmmm..... Message-ID:    -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 83 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 60 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- Rats Can Tell Languages Apart -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 152 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 123 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- The ability to distinguish between two different languages is not unique to humans. New research indicates that rats can manage this as well, making them the third type of mammal with this documented ability. Juan M. Toro and his colleagues at the Parc Cientific de Barcelona in Spain studied 16 rats exposed to sentences spoken in either Japanese or Dutch. The researchers trained the animals to push a lever in response to a specific sentence, and then played sentences in the other language as well. Rats that were trained to respond to Dutch did not push the lever after hearing Japanese and vice versa. Moreover, the creatures could differentiate between Japanese and Dutch sentences that they hadn't previously listened to. The rats' abilities were somewhat limited, however: when different speakers were used for each sentence, the animals encountered more difficulty telling them apart. Nevertheless, Toro says "It was striking to find that rats can track certain information that seems to be so important in language development in humans." Previously, the ability to distinguish one type of speech from another had been observed only in humans and tamarin monkeys. But just because rats share this skill with humans does not mean the animals utilize it in the same manner that we do. "Rats have not evolved the ability to track prosodic [rhythmic and intonational] clues for linguistic requirements," Toro explains. "It is more likely that they do it as a byproduct of other abilities that have some evolutionary relevance for them." The scientists present their findings in the January issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes. --Sarah Graham -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 1776 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 48 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- © 1996-2005 Scientific American, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 191 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Tue Jan 11 16:52:58 2005 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Donald Z. Osborn) Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 10:52:58 -0600 Subject: CFP: UNESCO-IFAP funding for projects Message-ID: FYI... this item seems to be an interesting opportunity (it is making the rounds of several lists - pardon the duplicate posting). Don Osborn Bisharat.net UNESCO Calls for Proposals of Projects for Funding Under Information for All Programme 29-12-2004 (UNESCO) http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=17828&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html UNESCO calls for proposals for projects to be funded by its Information for All Programme, an international information society initiative launched in 2001. Proposals with budgets ranging from approximately US$25,000 (national projects) to US$45,000 (international projects) should cover one of three areas: information literacy, preservation of information, and ethical, legal and societal implications of the information society. Projects shall have specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound objectives and be operationally, technically and financially feasible. They must include an evaluation component. Projects submitted should also contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and correspond to the areas of the Action Plan adopted by the World Summit on the Information Society. Project applicants must complete on-line project proposals forms at http://www.unesco.org/webworld/ifapprojects, where detailed submission guidelines are available. Applications must be submitted no later than 20 February 2005. The Information for All Programme (IFAP) provides a framework for international co-operation and international and regional partnerships. It supports the development of common strategies, methods and tools for building inclusive, open and pluralistic knowledge societies and for narrowing the gap between the information rich and the information poor. IFAP contribute to the fulfillment of UNESCO's mandate to contribute to "education for all", to the "free exchange of ideas and knowledge" and to "increase the means of communication between peoples". The Special Fund of the Information for All Programme (IFAP Special Fund) is supported by voluntary contributions from UNESCO Member States or any other donors. The total level of funding available for 2005 is US$750,000. -- From jtucker at STARBAND.NET Tue Jan 11 19:46:23 2005 From: jtucker at STARBAND.NET (Jan Tucker) Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 14:46:23 -0500 Subject: Question In-Reply-To: <001101c4f463$ec6d6b30$167e4c18@Nadjiwon> Message-ID: Greetings Rolland, I've been lurking on ILAT and have learned so much from reading the posts. I'm an applied cultural anthropologist by training and a virtual professor of race and ethnic relations, applied anthro, sociology and what ever they throw my way to teach. This discussion forum has been the balance of information in my reading of contemporary cultural revitalization in terms of language. I appreciate the scholarly updates and the community partnerships and issues of integrating indigenous fluent language speakers into educational efforts. I've also learned a great deal about technology and language revitalization that I had no idea existed or were in the works. So often the information I receive is negative, I do see good things happening from the posts in here for language revitalization. Jan Tucker -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]On Behalf Of Rolland Nadjiwon Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 9:52 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Question Is ILAT still alive and running? Excuse the query. ------- wahjeh rolland nadjiwon From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 14 19:36:41 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 12:36:41 -0700 Subject: Tribal voices rise again (fwd) Message-ID: Article published Jan 14, 2005 Tribal voices rise again Students learn Chitimacha language Richard Burgess rburgess at theadvertiser http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050114/NEWS01/501140315/1002 CHARENTON - The hands shoot up as Sandra "Sam" Boutte points to her leg. "Leg," blurts out one of the fifth-graders. "Sitimaxanki," the teacher says. "Say it in Chitimacha." "Wix," another student answers. The teacher nods and moves on to arms, fingers, head. After class at the Chitimacha Tribal School, fifth-grader Taylor Darden sees a vision of the future when asked about her lesson. "It would be nice for me and my kids ... it would be nice for us to have a conversation in Chitimacha," she said. It's a vision shared by a small group hoping to revive the language of Darden's Native American ancestors, a language that was teetering on the edge of extinction. Chitimacha lost its last fluent speaker in 1940. That year might have marked the end of the language had it not been for a group of government ethnographers who recorded and studied Chitimacha speakers in the early 20th century - and a small group now determined to revive the language. "There was a movement to document endangered languages, and we just got lucky," said Chitimacha Tribe Cultural Director Kim Walden. The Chitimacha language, believed to have been spoken for 7,000 years, was the victim of the countless indignities suffered by Native Americans across the country during forced assimilation. "We had never heard the language spoken, only a few words," Walden said. "My grandparents were ordered not to speak it, like what was done with the (Cajun) French." >From the old recordings - done on wax cylinders - field notes from the ethnographers and bits of the language remembered by elders, the Chitimacha tribe has developed a curriculum to teach the language that starts with students as early as six weeks old. The tribe contracted in 1997 with linguist Julian Granberry, who had learned the basics of Chitimacha while studying a distantly related native language. Walden said Granberry was given a test of sorts to determine if he was credible. Elders who had heard the language as children were brought to meet with the linguist to determine if they recognized what he was saying. "He asked if anyone had memories of the language, and it was silent. No one said they did, and I knew better," Walden said. Then Granberry spoke a few words in Chitimacha. "There were ladies who hadn't heard the language since they were children and had tears in their eyes," Walden said. The tribe developed a teaching packet and first sent it out to all tribal members in 1997. The school program began in 1999, and two teachers now work full time on language instruction. The tribe is planning on publishing an in-depth grammar guide and dictionary this year. "The Chitimacha have gone the farthest from the zero base than any other tribe in the country," said Granberry, a part-Mississippi Choctaw who runs the Florida-based Native American Language Services and works with several Native American groups in language revitalization efforts. "I would say in another decade, at the most, there will be a new first generation of Chitimacha speakers." Out of roughly 1,070 tribal members, 121 are enrolled in language classes. Most are in the four-day-a-week courses required in kindergarten through eighth grade. Instruction is also given at the tribal daycare center, and special classes are held for adults and elders interested in the language. "The scary part to me is that the language was one generation from becoming extinct," said Carolyn Savage, who teaches Chitimacha at the tribal daycare and to adults. Savage, who is 58, said she remembered hearing Chitimacha only once when she was growing up. She said she felt like something was missing in her life when she grew older and came into contact with other Native American groups that had retained more of their culture. "The only reason we knew we were Indian was because we lived on a reservation and went to school on a reservation," she said. "We were told we were Chitimacha, but we didn't know what that meant." Now, Savage is giddy when she hears her students speak. "I see them all over town and when they say something to me in Chitimacha, it's exciting," she said. In the language classroom at the tribal school, the teachers are trying everything they can to excite the students. They play Chitimacha bingo, sing Chitimacha renderings of "Humpty Dumpty" and "Jack and Jill." "We do a game called 'Who Wants to Learn Chitimacha?' kind of like 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' " said Boutte, the teacher. Boutte admits she sometimes gives her students a hard time when they slack off, reminding them of the importance of their culture. "Sometimes we don't feel like learning, but she kind of convinces us to learn it, talks about our history," Darden said. The challenge now is to encourage the use of the language outside the classroom. Chitimacha has been integrated into ceremonies and tribal staff meetings. There's talk of Chitimacha street signs and classes that bring in entire families. All the while, the teachers stay just a few steps ahead of the students in developing fluency. "Before I die, I want to be fluent in the language," Savage said. " ... To me, that is a dream, sitting when I'm older and speaking with younger children in Chitimacha." From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Sun Jan 16 05:20:33 2005 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 00:20:33 -0500 Subject: More on Andamanese Message-ID: Hello again. As more reports come in about the situation in the Andaman and Nicobar islands affected by the earthquake and tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004 it is clear that the picture on the ground is still unsettled in some places. The Indian government administrative line is still that all the Andamanese came through with no casualties, but other news reports say some groups, such as the Sentinelese (with whom there is no real contact) may have taken a hit. Remember also that the medical, food and water facts may change the numbers. Reports about "instinctual" behaviors having saved those who lived are giving way to more enlightened ones about tribals' cultural knowledge (when you see the sea recede after a big quake, run like hell to the high ground). Foreign reporters have been sneaking illegally onto reserves to take shots of the quaint natives- trading trinkets for usable posed footage- and military personnel have facilitated this. Now that this has been brought to the attention of the authorities, such footage will now be inspected before the reporters can leave the islands (though I don't know how this will work for electronic data, or same already transmitted). Aid has been diverted from tribals by some in the military, by local administrators, etc. This of course is apparently widespread in the region, where racial and caste considerations are taking center stage. Only foreign pressure can change this, since the government won't admit it has a problem publicly, and only steps in to change things when caught red-handed (and even then one may need to keep the spotlight focussed to force follow-through). My own belief is that this is a big part of what drives the denial of access to foreign NGO's - no need to let the outside world see all the dirty laundry. Those of you in the US old enough to remember the civil rights struggle in the South in the 50's and 60's may recall similar attitudes about interfering northerners. In any case here is a link from the Associated Press from Jan 16 that might give you a taste of something hopeful, maybe. The link is: http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050116/ap/d87ks9g82.html Jess Tauber phonosemantics at earthlink.net From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 17 02:29:23 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 19:29:23 -0700 Subject: New Aboriginal curriculum a model (fwd) Message-ID: Published on TaipeiTimes http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/01/16/2003219606 New Aboriginal curriculum a model PRESERVING CULTURES: The editor of a pioneering new curriculum that covers 40 Aboriginal languages said that the work will serve as a global example By Mo Yan-chih STAFF REPORTER Sunday, Jan 16, 2005 The first government-edited Aboriginal Languages Curriculum has reached its final editing stage, and is expected to be published this year. Editor in chief of the curriculum materials Lin Hsiu-che (???), an ethnology professor at the Center for Aboriginal Languages Culture Education at National Chengchi University, said the pioneering new curriculum is a model for similar efforts across the globe. "All Aboriginal languages in Taiwan, as well as in other parts of the world, are on the verge of extinction," Lin said in a press conference held on Friday to showcase the sample textbook. "Taiwan is in a leading position globally in terms of editing curriculum materials for aboriginal languages. The curriculum helps preserve the disappearing languages and further shows our appreciation of Aboriginal cultures." The curriculum, which covers 40 languages and dialects from the 12 Aboriginal Peoples in Taiwan, is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the Council of Indigenous Peoples. The Center for Aboriginal Languages Culture Education is authorized to lead the editing of the curriculum. The design of the curriculum is based on the premise of localization and practicality. Both the contents and the pictures in the textbooks are carefully researched and reviewed by editors and respected tribal elders. In addition to the textbooks, there is also an online edition to help students learn and practice the curriculum outside the classroom. Lin said that Aboriginal language classes are only taught one hour per week in most schools. This learning Web site will provide students with more chance to practice what they learn in schools. Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (???) said the curriculum is valuable because the editing team has designed specific curriculums for each of the 40 Aboriginal languages. "As the first complete set of Aboriginal languages curriculum, this material will be able to fully preserve all Aboriginal languages," said Tu. Council of Indigenous Peoples Chairman Chen Chien-nien (???) also praised the editing team's work since many Aboriginal dialects are disappearing. He further pledged to develop a better system to cultivate and hire certified teachers. "Qualified teachers will help bring the curriculum materials into full usage. And we hope Aboriginal language education will be spread out from schools to tribes, families and even the public," Chen said. Since the beginning of the Nine-Year Educational Program launched in 2001, the Ministry of Education has added the Aboriginal languages classes as required classes in elementary schools. According to the program, all the cities and counties with Aboriginal students need to prepare Aboriginal language classes. In the past, the language textbooks were designed by local governments and Aboriginal language curriculum materials have not been organized and unified. While the new curriculum, whose textbooks are already sent out to schools with Aboriginal language classes, has won many acknowledgments, it also drew some criticism. Aziman Isdana, an Aboriginal language teacher in Nantou County's Tongpu Elementary School, has been teaching Bunan dialects since last year. He complained that there are many grammatical and pronunciation mistakes in the textbooks, and some of the contents are simply too hard for first and second-graders. "My students often tell me that Aboriginal languages are harder than English," Aziman said. In addition, both the limited class hours and the fact that test scores from the language classes do not count in semester transcripts discourages students from taking the class seriously. Aziman suggested the government should establish some rules, such as adding the scores of the language classes to semester transcripts, so that schools can follow such standards and provide a more positive learning environment for Aboriginal languages. Feng Ya-Chun (???), secretary of the Indigenous Peoples Commission of the Taipei City Government, said that while she is happy to see the government complete a set of Aboriginal language curriculum materials, it is even more crucial to encourage the public at large to learn Aboriginal languages. "The Taipei City Indigenous Peoples Commission for example, has adopted a movement called `Language Nest' from New Zealand, which established the program with an attempt to immerse children in the Maori language," Feng said. Feng added that the commission may consider using the government-edition textbooks for the program if the government wants to integrate their curriculum materials with the language nest program. Copyright © 1999-2005 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved. From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET Mon Jan 17 19:21:31 2005 From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 12:21:31 -0700 Subject: Smithsonian joins U. to log tribal languages (fwd) Message-ID: Deseret Morning News, Monday, January 17, 2005 http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600105377,00.html Smithsonian joins U. to log tribal languages By Stephen Speckman Deseret Morning News Out of 175 American Indian languages, only about 20 are being taught to children as generations of Indians die off and leave little or no evidence of their languages or cultures. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: a011705lan.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 43270 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: xclear.gif Type: image/gif Size: 44 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- [Desert Morning News graphic] "This is probably the hottest topic in linguistics right now," said Lyle Campbell, director of the University of Utah's Center for American Indian Languages (CAIL). "The languages are becoming extinct at such an accelerated rate. "This is a worldwide problem," Campbell added. "All of the Utah (Indian) languages are in trouble." It's a big enough problem that the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., has decided to partner with the U. center in an effort to record and archive Indian languages, stories and cultural histories in video, audio and book form. When languages are lost, Campbell said, "then we're all diminished, because we don't have access to their experiences." One of the U.'s current projects, funded by an ongoing grant, involves the preservation of endangered languages in northern Argentina and Brazil. The Smithsonian is lending its support to the U. center with the use of linguists and anthropologists. "They have very similar interests to ours, so it was a natural collaboration," Campbell said. "We'll be able to get more people involved — we need more human resources." Unique collections of endangered languages are kept in the National Anthropological Archives, which is housed in the National Museum of Natural History. Within that museum is the Department of Anthropology's senior linguist, Ives Goddard, who said the department's staff has made the study of Native American languages a priority for over 150 years. The one-of-a-kind arrangement with the U. will have students traveling to Washington to work with Smithsonian collections and staff. "We realized that we were both thinking along the same lines after the appointment of Lyle Campbell to head CAIL last year," Goddard said. After two meetings in Washington, the two sides drew up a declaration of shared interests and goals. The Smithsonian partnership will be housed in the same building at Fort Douglas on the U. campus where U. professor of linguistics Mauricio J. Mixco has been working on a language preservation project, funded by the National Science Foundation. Mixco is part of four teams sifting through 120 audio tapes filled with interviews, stories and anecdotes from members of the Shoshone tribe. The recordings date back to the 1960s and 1970s, when anthropological linguist Wick R. Miller ventured onto reservations with a curiosity and a tape recorder. Miller left the tapes behind as part of his estate. Mixco's project has been in the exploratory phase since its beginning last September. The teams will act as audio archaeologists, uncovering legends and histories that have not been heard since they were recorded, according to Mixco. "All Shoshone in the Great Basin area will uncover a huge library of their history," Mixco said. The recordings will be digitally preserved and rendered archive-ready, which means greater access to those who want to learn more about Shoshone Indians and their language. With only about 20 percent of the tribe still speaking the language, Mixco estimates that the Shoshone dialect could be nonexistent within 20 or 25 years. "Here's the question around the world: 'Are children learning the language?' " Mixco said. "If it's 'No,' then that's the death warrant." In places like Hawaii and New Zealand, where there are larger communities of indigenous speakers, "language nests" have helped revive dying languages, Mixco said. The "grandparent generation" in these areas was organized into groups that included children, who were taught the language once spoken regularly by their elders. It's estimated that more than 2,000 languages were once spoken throughout the Americas, with fewer than 200 remaining in North America and 450 in Latin America. Worldwide, it's expected that 90 percent of all languages will not survive this century or that, best case, as many as 50 percent will die off, according the U. center. "Linguists are racing against time to study and understand the languages spoken by small groups around the world before they are replaced by regional and national languages in the onslaught of globalization," Goddard said. "This effort is critical to our ability to understand the possibilities of human language in general and will be crucial to all future attempts to understand the basic principles that underlie all languages, including our own." E-mail: sspeckman at desnews.com © 2005 Deseret News Publishing Company From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET Mon Jan 17 19:49:21 2005 From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 12:49:21 -0700 Subject: analog-to-digital devices In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Thanks Felicity. Just recently Sony released into the market a digital device which burns directly to DVD from a camcorder or VCR input (without any a computer connection!). However, it too has its limitations (see review). In the end though I imagine this development trend in analogue-to-digital devices will only get better and cheaper. PC Magazine http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1750312,00.asp Phil Cash Cash UofA On Jan 3, 2005, at 4:02 PM, Felicity Meakins wrote: > Hello everyone, > >> Video (analog-to-digital) >> >> Canopus ADVC-100 >> http://www.simplydv.co.uk/advc100.html > > Just to add to the review of these devices. We (Katherine Regional > Aboriginal Language Centre (Australia)) were convinced to buy one of > these > devices. We found it worked only sporadically and it was better to use > a > digital video camera as an analogue/digital adapter. Of course it > could have > just been our Canopus, but you could save yourself some money anyway > if you > have already have a digital video camera. > > Felicity Meakins > Melbourne Uni, Australia > From justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU Mon Jan 17 22:55:57 2005 From: justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU (Justin Spence) Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:25:57 +0930 Subject: DV storage options Message-ID: Dear ILATers (ILATists? ILATicians?), I'm a linguist working for Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) Australia's Northern Territory. I'm new to the list and to endangered language work in general and am hoping someone out there might be able to help clarify a few issues related to digital video storage. In a nutshell, we record things on DV cassette and edit them with Final Cut Pro 3 on a Power Mac G4, but up 'til now we've been unable to keep digital master copies of our finished projects due to lack of disk space. Instead we've generally been exporting the final edit to VHS and then deleting the intermediate files from the G4 (so we're left with the raw footage on DVC and an analog master of the final edit on VHS). Since we're probably losing some quality and flexibility in the digital-to-analog conversion, we're exploring our options for keeping digital masters. One possibility is storing them on DV cassette. I've been able to do this from iMovie, but is this possible from FC Pro? Also, my understanding of DV technology is quite shaky here: Is there quality lost in (a) transferring raw footage to the G4 in the first place and/or (b) transferring edited footage back to DV cassette (if this is even possible with FC Pro)? Although both (a) and (b) are digital-to-digital transfers via firewire, this doesn't seem quite the same as just copying files since things like "frames per second" are involved. (We import things to the G4 using the "DV PAL 48 kHz" setting in FC Pro). Is DV cassette even a reasonable option for long-term storage? The other major option on the table is to buy some large-capacity hard disks, but then we have the problem of how to back everything up and who on staff will have the skills to cope with inevitable disk snafus. How have others out there tackled these issues? Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer! -- Justin Spence Southwest Linguist Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 e: justin.spence at kathlangcentre.org.au p: (08) 89 711 233 f: (08) 89 710 561 From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Wed Jan 19 06:00:35 2005 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Donald Z. Osborn) Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 00:00:35 -0600 Subject: "Bilingual Education in South America" Message-ID: FYI... (forwarded from the Linguist list). DZO Date: 11-Jan-2005 From: Kathryn King Subject: Bilingual Education in South America: de Mejia (Ed) Title: Bilingual Education in South America Series Title: Bilingual Education & Bilingualism Published: 2005 Publisher: Multilingual Matters http://www.multilingual-matters.com/ Book URL: http://www.multilingual-matters.com/multi/display.asp?isb=1853598194 Editor: Anne-Marie de Mejia, Hardback: ISBN: 1853598194 Pages: 140 Price: U.K. £ 29.95 Hardback: ISBN: 1853598194 Pages: 140 Price: U.S. $ 54.95 Abstract: This book presents a vision of bilingual education in six South American nations: three Andean countries, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, and three 'Southern Cone' countries, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. It provides an integrated perspective, including work carried out in majority as well as minority language contexts, referring to developments in the fields of indigeneous, Deaf, and international bilingual and multilingual provision. Linguistic Field(s): Sociolinguistics Written In: English (ENG ) See this book announcement on our website: http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=12931 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 19 17:45:52 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 10:45:52 -0700 Subject: In defence of 'lost' languages (fwd) Message-ID: In defence of 'lost' languages By Duncan Walker BBC News Of the 6,000-odd languages in the world, one is said to disappear every fortnight. Should the English-speaking world care? Somewhere on the remote Timor Sea coast of north Australia lives Patrick Nudjulu, one of three remaining speakers of Mati Ke. It is problem enough that one of the other speakers doesn't live nearby and speaks a slightly different dialect. But the 60-year-old Aborigine also has to cope with the fact the other speaker is his sister - who traditional culture has forbidden him from speaking to since puberty. Patrick's language then, is almost certainly going to die out. It's not the only one. The problem is repeated to various degrees in practically every country, with dialects vanishing under the weight of major languages like English, says the writer Mark Abley. 'Pathetic' It was 10 years ago that Mr Abley's interest in these disappearing dialects was sparked by an elderly woman in Quebec, Canada, trying to teach Abenaki to other members of her native American community. [inset - WORDS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED Coghal - big lump of dead flesh after a wound is opened (Manx) Tkhetsikhe'tenhawihtennihs - I am bringing sugar to somebody (Mohawk - Canada and USA) Puijilittatuq - he does not know which way to turn because of the many seals he has seen come to the ice surface (Inuktitut - Canadian Arctic) Tl'imshya'isita'itlma - He invites people to a feast (Nootka - Canada)] "I thought it was poignant and pathetic," says Mr Abley. "But I later realised it was also very interesting that she had the passion to do everything she could to revive her language." Movies, computer games, music and TV shows do not get made in minority languages and so the dialects start to become the preserve of the old, says the author of Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages. "One of the main things that's happening is that young people all over the world are being exposed to 21st Century culture, which is very often arriving in the form of English," he says. Parrot talk That languages occasionally disappear is nothing new. Some 200 years ago the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt stumbled upon the village of Maypures, near the Orinoco river, in what's now Venezuela. [inset - MORE WORDS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED Onsra - to love for the last time (Boro - NE India and Bangladesh) Sjonvarp - television (Faroese - a language in good health) Nartutaka - small plum-like fruit for which there is no English word (Wangkajunga, central Australia) Th'alatel - a device for the heart (Halkomelem, Canada)] While there he heard a parrot speaking and asked the villagers what it was saying. None knew since the parrot spoke Atures and was its last native speaker. But such changes - whether they are caused by war, famine, marriage or mass media - should not mean the loss of dialects is acceptable, says Mr Abley. English and other major languages, while often acting as a democratising force, do not always reflect the breadth of meaning in the language they supersede. The Inuit language of Inuktitut, for example, has many verbs for the word "know", ranging from "utsimavaa" - meaning he or she knows from experience to "nalunaiqpaa" - he or she is no longer unaware of something. "The point is that it's not just picturesque details that are lost if a language dies out, it's also a whole way of understanding human experience." Welsh porn Most attempts to revive threatened languages flounder, but they can succeed - particularly if they become a part of popular culture. Think Lisa Simpson and her recent flag-waving on behalf of Cornish and the teaching of Manx in Isle of Man schools. But it is Welsh that stands out as a "great example", with popular TV soap operas made in the language and bands like Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci recording in it. There's even been a pornographic novel written entirely in Welsh. "That's all for the good because it means the language is flourishing," says Mr Abley. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4172085.stm Published: 2005/01/19 10:39:39 GMT © BBC MMV From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 19 19:25:19 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:25:19 -0700 Subject: DV storage options In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Hi Justin, I can provide a few comments on a DV videotape archive. The word from the LAFCPUG (Los Angeles Final Cut Pro user Group http://www.lafcpug.org/tutorials.html ) is that quality brand DVC tape is good for at least 20 years. In FCP 3, I believe it is possible to transfer directly to DV videotape (check the the user manual Vol. 1 page 322) but I am not sure what the actual steps are for doing so. The international settings are the DV-PAL codec which is 25 frames-per-sec, which is appropriate in your case, as opposed the US standard which is the DV-NTSC codec at 29.97 frames-per-sec. The recent versions of FCP HD also have the DVPRO HD codec which takes advantage of the latest HD technology. But for now, the DV-PAL and DV-NTSC codecs are the most widely used transfer formats. The word in the EMELD school (http://emeld.org/ ), and I may wrong on this, is that MPEG-4 compression is the desirable standard for archving digital video whereas industry standards usually follow a MPEG-2 compression standard (DVD quality). The Sorensen standard rivals the MPEG-4 standard so you have several options. Ideally, transfering film clips digital-to-digital should result in virtually no loss in information. However, the manner in which this is done can take several avenues. A minimal set-up would be a single camera and a Mac G4 with FCP (and an analog VHS recorder). The limits of your archive would be the limits of your hard drive storage and with standard Mac G4s this is not a lot of storage! In any film project the maxim is - storage is everything and you can never get enough of it. So you have four options. The first is to continue with what you are doing (which may not really be an option). The second is to buy storage. This may not be so bad as storage is getting better and cheaper. But for archiving film clips you will want a particular kind of storage that is suitable to film projects (meaning you want to be able to playback your film clips at suitable editing speeds). Take a look at the recent RAID technology (http://www.videoguys.com/gtech.html ) as this may be a nice afforable option for storage, one that I am seriously considering. The third option will be to purchase a digital video tape deck (like the Sony GV-D800). These little tape decks are handy for a number of reasons, the first of which is you are able to transfer digit-to-digital (camera to digital video tape deck) fairly easy without having to go thru a desktop computer. Once you create a copy you can use the copy for playback onto a tv or Mac. Finally, an added (fairly new) option is transferring your film to DVD. Of course, for your Mac G4, you will have to have DVD Studio Pro (a bit of a high learning curve but am not sure about the most recent version). The newest DVD discs are now being made with scratch resistant surfaces and some are able to double their storage capacity (Blue Ray technology is one of the buzz words I think). Anyway, these are just a few suggestions based on my limited experience in working with FCPRO and student filmmaking. Phil Cash Cash (cayuse/nez perce) UofA > ----- Message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU --------- > Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:25:57 +0930 > From: Justin Spence > Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology > Subject: [ILAT] DV storage options > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > > Dear ILATers (ILATists? ILATicians?), > > I'm a linguist working for Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation > (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) Australia's Northern > Territory. I'm new to the list and to endangered language work in > general > and am hoping someone out there might be able to help clarify a few > issues > related to digital video storage. > > In a nutshell, we record things on DV cassette and edit them with > Final Cut > Pro 3 on a Power Mac G4, but up 'til now we've been unable to keep > digital > master copies of our finished projects due to lack of disk space. > Instead > we've generally been exporting the final edit to VHS and then > deleting the > intermediate files from the G4 (so we're left with the raw footage on > DVC > and an analog master of the final edit on VHS). > > Since we're probably losing some quality and flexibility in the > digital-to-analog conversion, we're exploring our options for keeping > digital masters. One possibility is storing them on DV cassette. > I've been > able to do this from iMovie, but is this possible from FC Pro? Also, > my > understanding of DV technology is quite shaky here: Is there quality > lost > in (a) transferring raw footage to the G4 in the first place and/or > (b) > transferring edited footage back to DV cassette (if this is even > possible > with FC Pro)? Although both (a) and (b) are digital-to-digital > transfers > via firewire, this doesn't seem quite the same as just copying files > since > things like "frames per second" are involved. (We import things to > the G4 > using the "DV PAL 48 kHz" setting in FC Pro). > > Is DV cassette even a reasonable option for long-term storage? The > other > major option on the table is to buy some large-capacity hard disks, > but then > we have the problem of how to back everything up and who on staff > will have > the skills to cope with inevitable disk snafus. > > How have others out there tackled these issues? > > Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer! > > -- > Justin Spence > Southwest Linguist > Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation > (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) > PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 > e: justin.spence at kathlangcentre.org.au > p: (08) 89 711 233 > f: (08) 89 710 561 > > > ----- End message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU ----- From justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU Thu Jan 20 02:19:11 2005 From: justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU (Justin Spence) Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 11:49:11 +0930 Subject: DV storage options In-Reply-To: <1106162719.aeaaf359b0a5c@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hi Phil, Thanks so much for your comments! I'll play around with FC Pro some more and try to muster the patience to actually read the you-know-what manual; the possibility of scratch-resistant DVDs is appealing as well. I took a look at the external RAID drive you pointed out on the videoguys website. Is it correct that there's no speed advantage in using internal vs. external firewire drives for video capture and playback? I'd been assuming that there would be (since our older firewire connection is limited to max. transfer rate of 50Mbytes/second), but after some research it seems that most hard drives' sustained transfer rate (STR) is generally less than 40Mbytes/second, that is, less than the STR of the firewire (and the total STR is equal to the STR of the slowest part of the connection). cf. http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Buyers_Guide/HardDrives.jsp http://www.glyphtech.com/site/technology_firewire.html Also, I'm trying to get a handle on where exactly STR logjams can occur in transferring footage to and from DV cassette. The camera is connected to the firewire, which is connected to the firewire port in the back of the computer, which is connected to the motherboard; on the other end, the hard drive is connected to the motherboard. Are there any other relevant connections in this data transfer chain? Does the quality of one's video/graphics card matter for capture, or only for playback? (There is output on the monitor when doing video capture, but is the incoming data stream from the firewire routed through the video card on its way to the hard drive, or is the video card getting a separate stream? Finally, although there might not be a speed advantage in using internal hard drives, this option might turn out to be cheaper. The G4 has bays for up to four hard drives (including the boot drive) and OS X has a built-in software RAID configuration tool. But I've gathered that software-based RAID is less than optimal since it saps processor cycles and can lead to problems if the boot drive fails (see http://www.uni-mainz.de/~neuffer/scsi/what_is_raid.html). Do you (or does anyone else) have experience with the Mac RAID software? Or any recommendations for a (Mac-compatible) ATA RAID controller for 2 or 3 disks? I hope these questions aren't too tedious for everyone on the list... Justin > From: phil cash cash > Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology > Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:25:19 -0700 > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: Re: [ILAT] DV storage options > > Hi Justin, > > I can provide a few comments on a DV videotape archive. The word from > the LAFCPUG (Los Angeles Final Cut Pro user Group > http://www.lafcpug.org/tutorials.html ) is that quality brand DVC tape > is good for at least 20 years. > > In FCP 3, I believe it is possible to transfer directly to DV videotape > (check the the user manual Vol. 1 page 322) but I am not sure what the > actual steps are for doing so. The international settings are the > DV-PAL codec which is 25 frames-per-sec, which is appropriate in your > case, as opposed the US standard which is the DV-NTSC codec at 29.97 > frames-per-sec. The recent versions of FCP HD also have the DVPRO HD > codec which takes advantage of the latest HD technology. But for now, > the DV-PAL and DV-NTSC codecs are the most widely used transfer > formats. The word in the EMELD school (http://emeld.org/ ), and I may > wrong on this, is that MPEG-4 compression is the desirable standard for > archving digital video whereas industry standards usually follow a > MPEG-2 compression standard (DVD quality). The Sorensen standard > rivals the MPEG-4 standard so you have several options. > > Ideally, transfering film clips digital-to-digital should result in > virtually no loss in information. However, the manner in which this is > done can take several avenues. A minimal set-up would be a single > camera and a Mac G4 with FCP (and an analog VHS recorder). The limits > of your archive would be the limits of your hard drive storage and with > standard Mac G4s this is not a lot of storage! In any film project the > maxim is - storage is everything and you can never get enough of it. > > So you have four options. The first is to continue with what you are > doing (which may not really be an option). The second is to buy > storage. This may not be so bad as storage is getting better and > cheaper. But for archiving film clips you will want a particular kind > of storage that is suitable to film projects (meaning you want to be > able to playback your film clips at suitable editing speeds). Take a > look at the recent RAID technology (http://www.videoguys.com/gtech.html > ) as this may be a nice afforable option for storage, one that I am > seriously considering. The third option will be to purchase a digital > video tape deck (like the Sony GV-D800). These little tape decks are > handy for a number of reasons, the first of which is you are able to > transfer digit-to-digital (camera to digital video tape deck) fairly > easy without having to go thru a desktop computer. Once you create a > copy you can use the copy for playback onto a tv or Mac. Finally, an > added (fairly new) option is transferring your film to DVD. Of course, > for your Mac G4, you will have to have DVD Studio Pro (a bit of a high > learning curve but am not sure about the most recent version). The > newest DVD discs are now being made with scratch resistant surfaces and > some are able to double their storage capacity (Blue Ray technology is > one of the buzz words I think). > > Anyway, these are just a few suggestions based on my limited experience > in working with FCPRO and student filmmaking. > > Phil Cash Cash (cayuse/nez perce) > UofA > > > >> ----- Message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU --------- >> Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:25:57 +0930 >> From: Justin Spence >> Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology > >> Subject: [ILAT] DV storage options >> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >> >> Dear ILATers (ILATists? ILATicians?), >> >> I'm a linguist working for Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation >> (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) Australia's Northern >> Territory. I'm new to the list and to endangered language work in >> general >> and am hoping someone out there might be able to help clarify a few >> issues >> related to digital video storage. >> >> In a nutshell, we record things on DV cassette and edit them with >> Final Cut >> Pro 3 on a Power Mac G4, but up 'til now we've been unable to keep >> digital >> master copies of our finished projects due to lack of disk space. >> Instead >> we've generally been exporting the final edit to VHS and then >> deleting the >> intermediate files from the G4 (so we're left with the raw footage on >> DVC >> and an analog master of the final edit on VHS). >> >> Since we're probably losing some quality and flexibility in the >> digital-to-analog conversion, we're exploring our options for keeping >> digital masters. One possibility is storing them on DV cassette. >> I've been >> able to do this from iMovie, but is this possible from FC Pro? Also, >> my >> understanding of DV technology is quite shaky here: Is there quality >> lost >> in (a) transferring raw footage to the G4 in the first place and/or >> (b) >> transferring edited footage back to DV cassette (if this is even >> possible >> with FC Pro)? Although both (a) and (b) are digital-to-digital >> transfers >> via firewire, this doesn't seem quite the same as just copying files >> since >> things like "frames per second" are involved. (We import things to >> the G4 >> using the "DV PAL 48 kHz" setting in FC Pro). >> >> Is DV cassette even a reasonable option for long-term storage? The >> other >> major option on the table is to buy some large-capacity hard disks, >> but then >> we have the problem of how to back everything up and who on staff >> will have >> the skills to cope with inevitable disk snafus. >> >> How have others out there tackled these issues? >> >> Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer! >> >> -- >> Justin Spence >> Southwest Linguist >> Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation >> (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) >> PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 >> e: justin.spence at kathlangcentre.org.au >> p: (08) 89 711 233 >> f: (08) 89 710 561 >> >> >> ----- End message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU ----- From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 20 17:38:24 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 10:38:24 -0700 Subject: Online technology used to preserve Choctaw language (fwd) Message-ID: Online technology used to preserve Choctaw language By Ken Studer Herald Democrat http://www.heralddemocrat.com/articles/2005/01/20/local_news/iq_1715132.txt DURANT - Choctaw Nation is combining history with the future by using the newest online technology to preserve its native language. Creating community classes for teaching the Choctaw language was a priority for Chief Gregory Pyle when he was elected in 1997. Pyle hired a language coordinator and a language specialist whose priority was to develop these community classes. The 48-week community class curriculum of literacy, vocabulary and conversation has been attractive enough to students to be able to create more than 30 classes in the 10 counties. In the year 2000, the Choctaw Nation decided to take advantage of modern technology and created an Internet course. At that time, the course served approximately 1,000 students Technology has provided the avenue for the Choctaw language to be taught in the public schools. Terry Ragan, language director of Choctaw Nation, has spent most of his adult life in education. Ragan spent 16 years as school superintendent before coming to this program. "We have been in the forefront of native language preservation and teaching on the public school and college level," Ragan said. "The strengths of the other languages like German, Spanish and French is they have been taught for a hundred years." Ragan said when the Choctaw language course first started in the schools, it was considered an elective class. Now, through legislation, it has become an accredited class. Using the tools provided by modern technology, the Choctaw Nation has harnessed the power of the Internet to create distant learning programs in 37 schools and four colleges. The program has reached the international level with students from Germany, Japan, Thailand, United Kingdom and Canada. "Mainly these students are service-related people who are of Choctaw descent and either they tape it because of the time difference, or some of them are on live with our people," Ragan said. As the course progressed, the classes grew from one beginning Choctaw class to multiple beginning and intermediate classes during the day and evening. Currently, the language program makes use of streaming audio and video on a T-1 line. A student can enroll in the course by visiting the Choctaw Nation Web site listed below. The interested party can navigate the site to reach the enrollment form and enroll online. There is absolutely no restriction on who can enroll. A student can also call the Nation's toll-free number to enroll. At that time a student is given a user name and password. Wayne Coston, technology and media specialist of Choctaw Language School, said, "Currently the students can see the teacher, but she cannot see them. They can communicate with the teacher by typing their questions and answers into the system. With the next version of the software, the students will be able to talk back to the teacher, only if they are set up with a broadband connection, such as DSL. The version after that will have video and audio going back and forth." As the program progresses, the qualifications for teaching continue to grow. Ragan said, currently the colleges don't have nearly the curriculum requirements as public schools do, nor do they have the requirements on teacher certification as public schools. The No Child Left Behind Act affects the teachers as well with state accreditation mandates. "All of our people that we have teaching have to have highly qualified stats. That means they have to have a bachelor degree as well as having gone through the certification program by the Nation. The bachelor degree is not for the community teachers but for the people we have here teaching in the public realm," Ragan said. The Choctaw language is also being taught in the 14 Headstart facilities scattered throughout the 10 counties. "The program is developing childhood curriculum from 4 years old to third grade. You don't build a ball team when the kids are juniors and seniors," Ragan said. According to Congressional testimony in 1992, several hundred indigenous languages were spoken on this continent at one time, but only about 155 still remain. The testimony emphasized that language is a core component of culture of the Choctaw people so its survival is imperative. The preservation of the Choctaw language depends on at least two important factors: The number of speakers and the extent to which adults are teaching the language to children. www.choctawschool.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 20 17:44:37 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 10:44:37 -0700 Subject: Expand your vocabulary American Indian-style (fwd) Message-ID: Expand your vocabulary American Indian-style Thursday, January 20, 2005 By Gary W. Morrison The Grand Rapids Press http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-19/1106235932303740.xml HOPKINS -- Ed Pigeon is prepared to teach people that it takes mishiwaatik (kindling wood), agimaak (ash bow) and some patience for ishkode (fire-making) the old way -- and he has the funds to do it. Pigeon, 27, recently was named site coordinator for a $273,000 grant from the Administration for Native Americans that will focus on teaching 200 words of the Pottawatomi language through language classes and cultural activities. The classes are open to everyone. "That (200) is the minimum number of words a person needs to get along in Pottawatomi, but, actually, people will learn more," said Pigeon, a member of the Gun Lake Band of Pottawatomi council since 1999. "Because of variations and by adding suffixes and prefixes, a person will learn about 800 words or more." The Huron Band near Battle Creek and Pokagan Band near Dowagiac received similar grants. Don Perrot, a native Pottawatomi speaker, will teach the language classes, while Pigeon, a 1994 Hopkins High School graduate, will lead most of the cultural activities. Pigeon said he would teach black ash basket- making, pottery, tanning and finger weaving. He said his long-term goal was to construct a traditional Indian village in the area and show how to make birch bark canoes and sugar the way Americans Indians once did. "When I teach the cultural workshops, people will get a list of words relating to that activity as a way to learn the language," he said. © 2005 Grand Rapids Press. Used with permission From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET Sat Jan 22 09:17:56 2005 From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 02:17:56 -0700 Subject: DV storage options In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Hi Justin, I am not sure myself about the STR's you mention but I do know that the ideal limits for firewires run at 400Mb/s and 800Mb/s. If you are running at 50Mb/s that seems a bit too slow. Most Macs, I think, have a 400Mb/s run standard. So something is amiss and I am not sure what to tell you (except turn off your auto screensaver and other autorun internal devices while capturing clips). You can also upgrade your PCI (peripheral component interconnect). You may want to look at: Allegro http://www.sonnettech.com/product/allegro800.html You can also browse the (utterly abstract) developers notes on Mac firewires: http://developer.apple.com/devicedrivers/firewire/index.html Later, Phil Cash Cash On Jan 19, 2005, at 7:19 PM, Justin Spence wrote: > Hi Phil, > > Thanks so much for your comments! I'll play around with FC Pro some > more > and try to muster the patience to actually read the you-know-what > manual; > the possibility of scratch-resistant DVDs is appealing as well. > > I took a look at the external RAID drive you pointed out on the > videoguys > website. Is it correct that there's no speed advantage in using > internal > vs. external firewire drives for video capture and playback? I'd been > assuming that there would be (since our older firewire connection is > limited > to max. transfer rate of 50Mbytes/second), but after some research it > seems > that most hard drives' sustained transfer rate (STR) is generally less > than > 40Mbytes/second, that is, less than the STR of the firewire (and the > total > STR is equal to the STR of the slowest part of the connection). cf. > http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Buyers_Guide/HardDrives.jsp > http://www.glyphtech.com/site/technology_firewire.html > > Also, I'm trying to get a handle on where exactly STR logjams can > occur in > transferring footage to and from DV cassette. The camera is connected > to > the firewire, which is connected to the firewire port in the back of > the > computer, which is connected to the motherboard; on the other end, the > hard > drive is connected to the motherboard. Are there any other relevant > connections in this data transfer chain? Does the quality of one's > video/graphics card matter for capture, or only for playback? (There > is > output on the monitor when doing video capture, but is the incoming > data > stream from the firewire routed through the video card on its way to > the > hard drive, or is the video card getting a separate stream? > > Finally, although there might not be a speed advantage in using > internal > hard drives, this option might turn out to be cheaper. The G4 has > bays for > up to four hard drives (including the boot drive) and OS X has a > built-in > software RAID configuration tool. But I've gathered that > software-based > RAID is less than optimal since it saps processor cycles and can lead > to > problems if the boot drive fails (see > http://www.uni-mainz.de/~neuffer/scsi/what_is_raid.html). Do you (or > does > anyone else) have experience with the Mac RAID software? Or any > recommendations for a (Mac-compatible) ATA RAID controller for 2 or 3 > disks? > > I hope these questions aren't too tedious for everyone on the list... > > Justin > >> From: phil cash cash >> Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology >> >> Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:25:19 -0700 >> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >> Subject: Re: [ILAT] DV storage options >> >> Hi Justin, >> >> I can provide a few comments on a DV videotape archive. The word from >> the LAFCPUG (Los Angeles Final Cut Pro user Group >> http://www.lafcpug.org/tutorials.html ) is that quality brand DVC tape >> is good for at least 20 years. >> >> In FCP 3, I believe it is possible to transfer directly to DV >> videotape >> (check the the user manual Vol. 1 page 322) but I am not sure what the >> actual steps are for doing so. The international settings are the >> DV-PAL codec which is 25 frames-per-sec, which is appropriate in your >> case, as opposed the US standard which is the DV-NTSC codec at 29.97 >> frames-per-sec. The recent versions of FCP HD also have the DVPRO HD >> codec which takes advantage of the latest HD technology. But for now, >> the DV-PAL and DV-NTSC codecs are the most widely used transfer >> formats. The word in the EMELD school (http://emeld.org/ ), and I may >> wrong on this, is that MPEG-4 compression is the desirable standard >> for >> archving digital video whereas industry standards usually follow a >> MPEG-2 compression standard (DVD quality). The Sorensen standard >> rivals the MPEG-4 standard so you have several options. >> >> Ideally, transfering film clips digital-to-digital should result in >> virtually no loss in information. However, the manner in which this >> is >> done can take several avenues. A minimal set-up would be a single >> camera and a Mac G4 with FCP (and an analog VHS recorder). The limits >> of your archive would be the limits of your hard drive storage and >> with >> standard Mac G4s this is not a lot of storage! In any film project >> the >> maxim is - storage is everything and you can never get enough of it. >> >> So you have four options. The first is to continue with what you are >> doing (which may not really be an option). The second is to buy >> storage. This may not be so bad as storage is getting better and >> cheaper. But for archiving film clips you will want a particular kind >> of storage that is suitable to film projects (meaning you want to be >> able to playback your film clips at suitable editing speeds). Take a >> look at the recent RAID technology >> (http://www.videoguys.com/gtech.html >> ) as this may be a nice afforable option for storage, one that I am >> seriously considering. The third option will be to purchase a digital >> video tape deck (like the Sony GV-D800). These little tape decks are >> handy for a number of reasons, the first of which is you are able to >> transfer digit-to-digital (camera to digital video tape deck) fairly >> easy without having to go thru a desktop computer. Once you create a >> copy you can use the copy for playback onto a tv or Mac. Finally, an >> added (fairly new) option is transferring your film to DVD. Of >> course, >> for your Mac G4, you will have to have DVD Studio Pro (a bit of a high >> learning curve but am not sure about the most recent version). The >> newest DVD discs are now being made with scratch resistant surfaces >> and >> some are able to double their storage capacity (Blue Ray technology is >> one of the buzz words I think). >> >> Anyway, these are just a few suggestions based on my limited >> experience >> in working with FCPRO and student filmmaking. >> >> Phil Cash Cash (cayuse/nez perce) >> UofA >> >> >> >>> ----- Message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU --------- >>> Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:25:57 +0930 >>> From: Justin Spence >>> Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology >> >>> Subject: [ILAT] DV storage options >>> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >>> >>> Dear ILATers (ILATists? ILATicians?), >>> >>> I'm a linguist working for Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation >>> (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) Australia's Northern >>> Territory. I'm new to the list and to endangered language work in >>> general >>> and am hoping someone out there might be able to help clarify a few >>> issues >>> related to digital video storage. >>> >>> In a nutshell, we record things on DV cassette and edit them with >>> Final Cut >>> Pro 3 on a Power Mac G4, but up 'til now we've been unable to keep >>> digital >>> master copies of our finished projects due to lack of disk space. >>> Instead >>> we've generally been exporting the final edit to VHS and then >>> deleting the >>> intermediate files from the G4 (so we're left with the raw footage on >>> DVC >>> and an analog master of the final edit on VHS). >>> >>> Since we're probably losing some quality and flexibility in the >>> digital-to-analog conversion, we're exploring our options for keeping >>> digital masters. One possibility is storing them on DV cassette. >>> I've been >>> able to do this from iMovie, but is this possible from FC Pro? Also, >>> my >>> understanding of DV technology is quite shaky here: Is there quality >>> lost >>> in (a) transferring raw footage to the G4 in the first place and/or >>> (b) >>> transferring edited footage back to DV cassette (if this is even >>> possible >>> with FC Pro)? Although both (a) and (b) are digital-to-digital >>> transfers >>> via firewire, this doesn't seem quite the same as just copying files >>> since >>> things like "frames per second" are involved. (We import things to >>> the G4 >>> using the "DV PAL 48 kHz" setting in FC Pro). >>> >>> Is DV cassette even a reasonable option for long-term storage? The >>> other >>> major option on the table is to buy some large-capacity hard disks, >>> but then >>> we have the problem of how to back everything up and who on staff >>> will have >>> the skills to cope with inevitable disk snafus. >>> >>> How have others out there tackled these issues? >>> >>> Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer! >>> >>> -- >>> Justin Spence >>> Southwest Linguist >>> Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation >>> (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) >>> PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 >>> e: justin.spence at kathlangcentre.org.au >>> p: (08) 89 711 233 >>> f: (08) 89 710 561 >>> >>> >>> ----- End message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU ----- > From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 23 18:44:55 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 11:44:55 -0700 Subject: Language of Barams facing extinction (fwd) Message-ID: Language of Barams facing extinction By Our Correspondent, http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/pageloader.php?file=2005/01/23/topstories/main8 KATHMANDU, Jan 22: The language of one of the most marginalised indigenous communities Baram is on the verge of disappearing as the new generations does not know the mother tongue. Joint Secretary of the Gorkha Baram Association, Purna Baram, said that the new generation Barams were unaware of their language although an initiation had been made to prepare a thorough dictionary of their language. Even the president of the Gorkha district based association, Indra Bahadur Baram, cannot speak and understand his own mother tongue, who turned 51 this year. He said that no one from his community at his age could speak the mother tongue. Only some old people have the ability to speak our language, he added. According to joint secretary Baram, the young generation spoke the Nepali language instead of Baram. He said that the dictionary was being prepared by Tribhuwan University. Nepal Indigenous People National Empowerment Academy has listed the Baram community in the category of one of the most marginalised groups. Their population stands at 7,383 as per the census of 2001, according to the Central Bureau of Statistic (CBS). The association said that the community is found to have lived in 10 different districts of the country - Gorkha, Dhading, Chitwan, Lalitpur, Makawanpur, Dolakha, Rasuwa, Tanahun, Lamjung, Syngja and Nuwakot. But the population is thick in Gorkha. So, the initiation of establishing our identity began from Gorkha, Baram said. Their main profession has been farming. He said that the problems of the community in the different districts are yet to be identified, but the main and the common problem is the risk their language faces of extinction and also the community. President Baram said that the state had discriminated against them in providing opportunities in the government. He said that he himself had to change his second name to Gurung in the citizenship to be admitted to the army. The Gurungs and Magars the most preferred communities in the army at that time, he said. Thus, many people of our community have changed their actual identity. But our representation in the civil service and the security agencies is low said Joint secretary Baram. So, we seek the preservation of our language and community and reservation for us in the civil service so that our rights as citizens of Nepal could be ensured, he said. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 23 18:59:13 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 11:59:13 -0700 Subject: Legislature passes basic law for indigenous people's rights (fwd) Message-ID: Legislature passes basic law for indigenous people's rights 2005-01-22 / Taiwan News, Staff Writer / http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/Politics/2005/01/22/1106362019.htm After more than 10 years of deliberation, the Legislature yesterday passed a basic law for indigenous people that will allow autonomy for aborigines, recognize their traditional land, and require the government to take necessary measures to protect their culture, languages, and educational opportunities. Aboriginal lawmakers thanked their colleagues for their support of the legislation, which was initiated by aboriginal opinion leaders more than 10 years ago because of concern in declining aborigines' economic and social status in the Chinese-dominated society. This legislation is seen as a reassurance of what the government has promised over the past years to do for 420,000 aborigines, who account for about 2-3 percent of Taiwan's population of 23 million. The law requires the government to provide funds every year for the autonomy of indigenous people and local governments governing the areas with indigenous populations should have a special unit for indigenous affairs set up. These local governments should also have special units to study and develop the languages of the indigenous people and should establish a system to test and certify the indigenous people's ability to speak their mother tongues, according to the law. These governments should also recruit government employees from among the indigenous people through public examinations in which the indigenous peoples' language ability must be tested. Within their areas, the indigenous people may hunt wild animals, gather wild plants and fungus, mine, dig and gather earth and rocks, and utilize water resources. The government should seek the indigenous people's consent before developing the land or exploiting natural resources in these areas and should allow them to take part in any such activities. The government should seek the indigenous people's consent before establishing national parks or national scenic areas in the areas of indigenous people and should administer these parks and scenic areas together with the indigenous people. The law also prohibits the storage of toxic materials in the area of indigenous people, and forbids the removal of indigenous people from their areas unless there are clear and immediate dangers. Walis Peilin, a legislator of the Non-partisan Solidarity Union, said the passage of the law is proof that Taiwan has become a modern country, where citizens of different ethnic backgrounds are equal with the rights of the minorities protected by the law. Walis Peilin's colleague, Kao Chin Su-mei from the NSU, praised the passage of the law as a milestone and a historical movement in Taiwan's history. She said he hopes that the Council for Economic Planning and Development would carefully study the law and think more of the aborigines while planning economic polices for Taiwan. People First Party Legislator Tsai Chng-an thanked his colleagues for their support. "What is more important is for the government to carry out the law faithfully and thoroughly," he said. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 23 19:49:29 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 12:49:29 -0700 Subject: Ho-Chunk study centers promote language, culture (fwd) Message-ID: Ho-Chunk study centers promote language, culture By KATE SCHOTT / La Crosse Tribune http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2005/01/23/news/z05ho.txt In the first-floor conference room at the Ho-Chunk Nation Three Rivers House in La Crosse, Chenoa Bruguier sits cross-legged in a chair. Her ponytail bobbing, she quickly responds when the elder in front of her holds up a card of common animals. The 6-year-old, who is Ho-Chunk and Sioux, is slowly building her Ho-Chunk vocabulary thanks to regular language classes she takes while attending the study center at the Three Rivers House. Language is incorporated into everyday life at the study center: Students often have to ask to use the rest room in Ho-Chunk, as well as phrases like "please" and "thank you." Staff members at Three Rivers say there is a big push by the entire Nation for youngsters to learn the language because they don't want it to die out. The Nation has 10 study centers in Wisconsin, where children can come for help with school work but also do cultural enrichment activities. At the Three Rivers House, the second-floor study center is set up like a classroom. Achievements by students are posted on a bulletin board and artwork hangs in the room and the hallways leading up to it. The staff welcome 10 to 15 students each afternoon. Amanda De Cora-Heintz, study center coordinator, said the center is open from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, to any child with American Indian heritage. Students are picked up from school by a center employee and have a snack when they arrive. School work must be completed first, she said, stressing the importance of a good education. About 40 percent to 60 percent of American Indian students don't receive a high school diploma, said Fabian Carrimon, the area Ho-Chunk home school coordinator. Only one in 10 of the students who head to college actually graduate. "Schools in the United States have been trying to work on this problem," he said. "No one I know of at this point has found a solution." The room is filled with information. A revolving bookcase is crammed with college information. Bookshelves are filled with everything from history books to Harry Potter. And several computers are available. The center's staff often is assisted by volunteers from the area colleges: Most come to fulfill class or service hour requirements, De Cora-Heintz said, but usually stay much longer than is asked of them. Students are encouraged to take ownership of the study center as well. Teacher Crystal Sobotta said students run for and are elected to the study center council. Representatives meet with staff monthly to discuss ideas to improve the center; Sobotta said many times their suggestions are put into action. Devon Sprain, 18, has attended the center since elementary school and said employees offer her support and guidance. "These guys are like my family," the Logan High School senior said. Her younger sister, 10-year-old Matilda, said she's thankful for the opportunity to develop friendships with other American Indian children. She especially likes taking part in the enrichment projects, she added, because they allow her to learn more about her heritage. The study center staff say those projects are intended to promote pride in their culture. From making family trees to tracing lineage to learning how to sew traditional dresses, they want students to be content with who they are. "Having pride in themselves and culture is important," De Cora-Heintz said. Some children embrace their heritage, she said, but others have tried to hide it in fear of discrimination. "No matter where you go, you're going to find people who make it difficult," she said. That's just one reason why staff members from the Three Rivers House speak in local schools. Sobotta and Carrimon head into La Crosse and Holmen schools to work one-on-one with American Indian students as well as make group presentations or help organize awareness weeks in hopes of teaching all children more about the American Indian tribes of Wisconsin. Kate Schott can be reached at (608) 791-8226 or Kate.Schott at lacrossetribune.com. All stories copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 La Crosse Tribune and other attributed sources. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 24 17:23:46 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 10:23:46 -0700 Subject: Kiowa folk songs reborn in new storybooks (fwd) Message-ID: Kiowa folk songs reborn in new storybooks First in a series is now available CHICKASHA OK Beau B. Brewer 1/24/2005 http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=5856 A Kiowa woman noted as her people's Sequoyah -- a scribe devoted to preserving and teaching a native language in written form -- has taken legendary Kiowa folk songs and is now giving them life through storybooks. Author Alecia Gonzales has published the first of five books in this unique collection of bilingual children's stories, printed by the University of Science and Arts in Chickasha. Little Red Buffalo Song is available in the USAO Bookstore and from Anadarko Daily News. Gonzales is a woman of Kiowa and Apache descent, born in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma. At birth, she was given her Kiowa name Sahmah, which means, the lady from the North. Preservation of language, culture, and morals are the key components being taught to children and adults alike, through her colorfully illustrated storybooks. Readers see the story in both Kiowa and English shown parallel to one another. For non-native speakers, a special CD-ROM is included that features the author reading the story in both languages. Full color illustrations by ShaunDae Chaddlesone on each page truly open the hearts and minds of all who read this book, Gonzales said. She in a former student of the author's and is the daughter of noted Kiowa artist Sherman Chaddlesone. These storybooks are being designed to build the bonds of love and trust between mother and child as they interact together, Gonzales explained. This story is about a mother buffalo and her concerns for her child, Goule-ee, to be aware of dangers. This story and this song are used in counseling sessions too. This story and these songs that we have are used even into early adulthood, Gonzales said. Goule-ee means little red baby buffalo. The remaining four books in the collection of Kiowa story-songs, A Mother Bird's Song, Grandma Spider's Song, Grandmother's Song, and The Prairie Dog Song are set for release later this spring. The books are being printed by the University of Science and Arts in Chickasha. Gonzales, of Anadarko, graduated from the Oklahoma College for Women (now USAO) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964 and went on to Southwestern State College to obtain her masters in 1974. Further graduate studies led Gonzales to the University of Oklahoma as graduate fellow, Arizona State University, and Utah State University. Gonzales enjoys her roles as mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. But she devotes much of her time to preserving and teaching her language at USAO and Anadarko High School. She also offers in-service training for teachers in the use of her first book. Since Gonzales successful release of her first book, Thaum Khoiye Tdoen Gyah -- Beginning Kiowa Language in 2001, she has been honored nationally for her extensive knowledge of her Kiowa heritage. Her first book was praised as America's first textbook for preserving and sharing the Kiowa language. I love to share the ways of my people, the Kiowa, she said. Her work has made her a celebrity of sorts for her knowledge and enthusiasm about Kiowa history. In fact, visitors to the new American Indian-Smithsonian museum in Washington hear Gonzales voice in recorded segments on an audio tour. From anguksuar at YAHOO.COM Mon Jan 24 18:59:06 2005 From: anguksuar at YAHOO.COM (Richard LaFortune) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 10:59:06 -0800 Subject: Late Night with LaFortune headlines In-Reply-To: <1106587426.d430930c43048@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: here's something I sent in response to a NCLB (No Child Left Behind)piece that appeared over AP wires, courtesty of one of our Native listserves in MN. Richard ----------------------------------------------- > > Actually, the Associated Press headline is misrepresenting the whole issue, in my opinion. The headline properly written, should read: 'Bush Administration "No Child Left Behind" runs afoul of the Native American Languages Act (signed into law by his father).' -Richard > > > > [clip] Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. [Some western Alaska schools that for decades have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik language are in a quandary over meeting new federal testing requirements under the No Child [clip] > > > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Mon Jan 24 19:09:38 2005 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (MiaKalish@LFP) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:09:38 -0700 Subject: Late Night with LaFortune headlines Message-ID: was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? mia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard LaFortune" To: Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 11:59 AM Subject: [ILAT] Late Night with LaFortune headlines > here's something I sent in response to a NCLB (No > Child Left Behind)piece that appeared over AP wires, > courtesty of one of our Native listserves in MN. > Richard > > ----------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Actually, the Associated Press headline is > misrepresenting the whole issue, in my opinion. The > headline properly written, should read: 'Bush > Administration "No Child Left Behind" runs afoul of > the Native American Languages Act (signed into law by > his father).' > > -Richard > > > > > > > > [clip] Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No > Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike > Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated > Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 > Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. > > [Some western Alaska schools that for decades > have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik > language are in a quandary over meeting new > federal testing requirements under the No Child > [clip] > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. > http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 > > From anguksuar at YAHOO.COM Mon Jan 24 19:07:58 2005 From: anguksuar at YAHOO.COM (Richard LaFortune) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 11:07:58 -0800 Subject: No Child Left Behind In-Reply-To: <00a001c50248$424360e0$03ec7b80@red6bvg9btk> Message-ID: --- "MiaKalish at LFP" wrote: > was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? > mia ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. [Some western Alaska schools that for decades have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik language are in a quandary over meeting new federal testing requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act. In the Lower Kuskokwim School District, third grade children taught almost exclusively in the Yupik language may be required to pass federal tests written in English. In Alaska, where Natives speak 20 aboriginal languages and dialects, meeting a uniform federal law could ultimately be too expensive, conflict with Native cultural traditions as well as the local control that the rural villages treasure. Not many states face the issues that we do,� said state Education Commissioner Roger Sampson. Under the federal law, students would be tested annually from grades 3-8 and again in high school. States could make accommodations for language barriers, but after three years in U.S. public schools the children would be required to take English-only tests. Aside from the Heritage Language programs in more than 30 rural public schools, Alaska's largest city of Anchorage has more than 93 languages spoken by students, Sampson said. Already cash strapped, the state can little afford to translate tests into more than 100 languages, education officials said. And even if it could, the Yupik language, though spoken by thousands of Alaska Natives from Norton Sound to Bristol Bay, does not translate as completely as Spanish or other European languages. For instance, mathematics to American children is based on units of 10, where increments of 20 are used in Yupik math and numerous English words have no Yupik counterparts. The Lower Kuskokwim School District, which oversees schools in Bethel and surrounding villages has had an intensive Yupik language program for about 30 years, said Superintendent Bill Ferguson. A similar program instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in earlier years was seen as a progressive way to assimilate Native children into English fluency. Since then, it's become a way for Yupik-speaking Natives to sustain their language and culture just as other Alaska Native languages dwindle. I feel strongly that our kids should speak Yupik fluently, said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of Bethel. I really feel this isn't just an academic issue about benchmark tests, but about cultural and social well being.] __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Mon Jan 24 19:37:05 2005 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (MiaKalish@LFP) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:37:05 -0700 Subject: No Child Left Behind Message-ID: You know, I spoke with Ken Mayer, who was one, if not the primary, author, of NCLB, and I asked him specifically whether students could be taught in their native languages and he said the choice was up to the school district. I have heard other comments from people, one of which is that students have 3 years to develop English proficiency. However, there is no requirement for "English only", and with technology, there is no reason why people can't have lessons in both the Native language AND in English. This is hard to do with paper and pencil, and published books, but it is a piece of cake with technology. Of course on the other side, I have been preaching this for years, and have even developed technology for Athabascan material development with dictionary facilities, but there haven't been any takers. All I hear is that the language should be on CD.. . . sigh Mia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard LaFortune" To: Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:07 PM Subject: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind > --- "MiaKalish at LFP" > wrote: > > > was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? > > mia > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > > Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No > Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike > Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated > Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 > Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. > > [Some western Alaska schools that for decades > have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik > language are in a quandary over meeting new > federal testing requirements under the No Child > Left Behind Act. In the Lower Kuskokwim School > District, third grade children taught almost > exclusively in the Yupik language may be required > to pass federal tests written in English. In > Alaska, where Natives speak 20 aboriginal > languages and dialects, meeting a uniform federal > law could ultimately be too expensive, conflict > with Native cultural traditions as well as the > local control that the rural villages treasure. > Not many states face the issues that we do,' said > state Education Commissioner Roger Sampson. Under > the federal law, students would be tested > annually from grades 3-8 and again in high > school. States could make accommodations for > language barriers, but after three years in U.S. > public schools the children would be required to > take English-only tests. Aside from the Heritage > Language programs in more than 30 rural public > schools, Alaska's largest city of Anchorage has > more than 93 languages spoken by students, > Sampson said. Already cash strapped, the state > can little afford to translate tests into more > than 100 languages, education officials said. > And even if it could, the Yupik language, though > spoken by thousands of Alaska Natives from Norton > Sound to Bristol Bay, does not translate as > completely as Spanish or other European > languages. For instance, mathematics to American > children is based on units of 10, where > increments of 20 are used in Yupik math and > numerous English words have no Yupik > counterparts. The Lower Kuskokwim School > District, which oversees schools in Bethel and > surrounding villages has had an intensive Yupik > language program for about 30 years, said > Superintendent Bill Ferguson. A similar program > instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in > earlier years was seen as a progressive way to > assimilate Native children into English fluency. > Since then, it's become a way for Yupik-speaking > Natives to sustain their language and culture > just as other Alaska Native languages dwindle. I > feel strongly that our kids should speak Yupik > fluently, said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of > Bethel. I really feel this isn't just an academic > issue about benchmark tests, but about cultural > and social well being.] > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > From ssupahan at HUMBOLDT.K12.CA.US Mon Jan 24 19:58:06 2005 From: ssupahan at HUMBOLDT.K12.CA.US (Sarah Supahan) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 11:58:06 -0800 Subject: No Child Left Behind In-Reply-To: <00b501c5024c$15e5a9f0$03ec7b80@red6bvg9btk> Message-ID: This is a timely discussion because right now in our school district we are dealing with yet another problem with NCLB, namely that 'all teachers have to be credentialed' in order for the district to receive funding for the classes. My understanding of the Languages Act was that no one can require languages teachers to have a credential if they are qualified to teach the language. At this point we have one such teacher who is very qualified to teach Yurok, but who is not credentialed. Any thoughts on how to address this issue? Our district is resorting to speak to legal council about it, but I doubt that these attorneys know a lot about the Act. Sarah Supahan On Jan 24, 2005, at 11:37 AM, MiaKalish at LFP wrote: > You know, I spoke with Ken Mayer, who was one, if not the primary, > author, > of NCLB, and I asked him specifically whether students could be taught > in > their native languages and he said the choice was up to the school > district. > I have heard other comments from people, one of which is that students > have > 3 years to develop English proficiency. > > However, there is no requirement for "English only", and with > technology, > there is no reason why people can't have lessons in both the Native > language > AND in English. This is hard to do with paper and pencil, and published > books, but it is a piece of cake with technology. > > Of course on the other side, I have been preaching this for years, and > have > even developed technology for Athabascan material development with > dictionary facilities, but there haven't been any takers. All I hear > is that > the language should be on CD.. . . > > sigh > Mia > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Richard LaFortune" > To: > Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:07 PM > Subject: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind > > >> --- "MiaKalish at LFP" >> wrote: >> >>> was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? >>> mia >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >> >> Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No >> Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike >> Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated >> Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 >> Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. >> >> [Some western Alaska schools that for decades >> have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik >> language are in a quandary over meeting new >> federal testing requirements under the No Child >> Left Behind Act. In the Lower Kuskokwim School >> District, third grade children taught almost >> exclusively in the Yupik language may be required >> to pass federal tests written in English. In >> Alaska, where Natives speak 20 aboriginal >> languages and dialects, meeting a uniform federal >> law could ultimately be too expensive, conflict >> with Native cultural traditions as well as the >> local control that the rural villages treasure. >> Not many states face the issues that we do,' said >> state Education Commissioner Roger Sampson. Under >> the federal law, students would be tested >> annually from grades 3-8 and again in high >> school. States could make accommodations for >> language barriers, but after three years in U.S. >> public schools the children would be required to >> take English-only tests. Aside from the Heritage >> Language programs in more than 30 rural public >> schools, Alaska's largest city of Anchorage has >> more than 93 languages spoken by students, >> Sampson said. Already cash strapped, the state >> can little afford to translate tests into more >> than 100 languages, education officials said. >> And even if it could, the Yupik language, though >> spoken by thousands of Alaska Natives from Norton >> Sound to Bristol Bay, does not translate as >> completely as Spanish or other European >> languages. For instance, mathematics to American >> children is based on units of 10, where >> increments of 20 are used in Yupik math and >> numerous English words have no Yupik >> counterparts. The Lower Kuskokwim School >> District, which oversees schools in Bethel and >> surrounding villages has had an intensive Yupik >> language program for about 30 years, said >> Superintendent Bill Ferguson. A similar program >> instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in >> earlier years was seen as a progressive way to >> assimilate Native children into English fluency. >> Since then, it's become a way for Yupik-speaking >> Natives to sustain their language and culture >> just as other Alaska Native languages dwindle. I >> feel strongly that our kids should speak Yupik >> fluently, said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of >> Bethel. I really feel this isn't just an academic >> issue about benchmark tests, but about cultural >> and social well being.] >> >> >> __________________________________________________ >> Do You Yahoo!? >> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >> http://mail.yahoo.com >> >> > From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Mon Jan 24 20:15:32 2005 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (MiaKalish@LFP) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 13:15:32 -0700 Subject: No Child Left Behind Message-ID: Here in New Mexico the language teachers do not need to be credentialed by the State as if they were imports from New Jersey. They do have to be credentialed by their Tribe. I don't know what the precise details are of how this works, but, Joseph Suina, who is at UNM, 3 or so hours up the road from us, could tell you exactly what happened for Cochiti Pueblo, because he was involved in that effort at talked about it at AILDI at U. Arizona a couple of years ago. Here is the information I copied for him from this web page (http://coe.unm.edu/ForFacStaff/fs_list.cfm?ID=211): Joseph Suina , Associate Professor jsuina at unm.edu Office: Hokona Hall, Room 246 Tel: (505) 277-7781 Messages: (505) 277-3175 I think the people at UNM will be much more familiar with this than we are here at COE at UNM. Good luck. Mia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Supahan" To: Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:58 PM Subject: Re: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind > This is a timely discussion because right now in our school district we > are dealing with yet another problem with NCLB, namely that 'all > teachers have to be credentialed' in order for the district to receive > funding for the classes. My understanding of the Languages Act was that > no one can require languages teachers to have a credential if they are > qualified to teach the language. At this point we have one such teacher > who is very qualified to teach Yurok, but who is not credentialed. > > Any thoughts on how to address this issue? Our district is resorting to > speak to legal council about it, but I doubt that these attorneys know > a lot about the Act. > > Sarah Supahan > > > On Jan 24, 2005, at 11:37 AM, MiaKalish at LFP wrote: > > > You know, I spoke with Ken Mayer, who was one, if not the primary, > > author, > > of NCLB, and I asked him specifically whether students could be taught > > in > > their native languages and he said the choice was up to the school > > district. > > I have heard other comments from people, one of which is that students > > have > > 3 years to develop English proficiency. > > > > However, there is no requirement for "English only", and with > > technology, > > there is no reason why people can't have lessons in both the Native > > language > > AND in English. This is hard to do with paper and pencil, and published > > books, but it is a piece of cake with technology. > > > > Of course on the other side, I have been preaching this for years, and > > have > > even developed technology for Athabascan material development with > > dictionary facilities, but there haven't been any takers. All I hear > > is that > > the language should be on CD.. . . > > > > sigh > > Mia > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Richard LaFortune" > > To: > > Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:07 PM > > Subject: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind > > > > > >> --- "MiaKalish at LFP" > >> wrote: > >> > >>> was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? > >>> mia > >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > >> > >> Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No > >> Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike > >> Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated > >> Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 > >> Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. > >> > >> [Some western Alaska schools that for decades > >> have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik > >> language are in a quandary over meeting new > >> federal testing requirements under the No Child > >> Left Behind Act. In the Lower Kuskokwim School > >> District, third grade children taught almost > >> exclusively in the Yupik language may be required > >> to pass federal tests written in English. In > >> Alaska, where Natives speak 20 aboriginal > >> languages and dialects, meeting a uniform federal > >> law could ultimately be too expensive, conflict > >> with Native cultural traditions as well as the > >> local control that the rural villages treasure. > >> Not many states face the issues that we do,' said > >> state Education Commissioner Roger Sampson. Under > >> the federal law, students would be tested > >> annually from grades 3-8 and again in high > >> school. States could make accommodations for > >> language barriers, but after three years in U.S. > >> public schools the children would be required to > >> take English-only tests. Aside from the Heritage > >> Language programs in more than 30 rural public > >> schools, Alaska's largest city of Anchorage has > >> more than 93 languages spoken by students, > >> Sampson said. Already cash strapped, the state > >> can little afford to translate tests into more > >> than 100 languages, education officials said. > >> And even if it could, the Yupik language, though > >> spoken by thousands of Alaska Natives from Norton > >> Sound to Bristol Bay, does not translate as > >> completely as Spanish or other European > >> languages. For instance, mathematics to American > >> children is based on units of 10, where > >> increments of 20 are used in Yupik math and > >> numerous English words have no Yupik > >> counterparts. The Lower Kuskokwim School > >> District, which oversees schools in Bethel and > >> surrounding villages has had an intensive Yupik > >> language program for about 30 years, said > >> Superintendent Bill Ferguson. A similar program > >> instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in > >> earlier years was seen as a progressive way to > >> assimilate Native children into English fluency. > >> Since then, it's become a way for Yupik-speaking > >> Natives to sustain their language and culture > >> just as other Alaska Native languages dwindle. I > >> feel strongly that our kids should speak Yupik > >> fluently, said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of > >> Bethel. I really feel this isn't just an academic > >> issue about benchmark tests, but about cultural > >> and social well being.] > >> > >> > >> __________________________________________________ > >> Do You Yahoo!? > >> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > >> http://mail.yahoo.com > >> > >> > > > > From ssupahan at HUMBOLDT.K12.CA.US Mon Jan 24 20:19:57 2005 From: ssupahan at HUMBOLDT.K12.CA.US (Sarah Supahan) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:19:57 -0800 Subject: No Child Left Behind In-Reply-To: <00e701c50251$75214b90$03ec7b80@red6bvg9btk> Message-ID: Thanks Mia. I'll write him. Sarah On Jan 24, 2005, at 12:15 PM, MiaKalish at LFP wrote: > Here in New Mexico the language teachers do not need to be > credentialed by > the State as if they were imports from New Jersey. They do have to be > credentialed by their Tribe. I don't know what the precise details are > of > how this works, but, Joseph Suina, who is at UNM, 3 or so hours up the > road > from us, could tell you exactly what happened for Cochiti Pueblo, > because he > was involved in that effort at talked about it at AILDI at U. Arizona a > couple of years ago. > > Here is the information I copied for him from this web page > (http://coe.unm.edu/ForFacStaff/fs_list.cfm?ID=211): > Joseph Suina , Associate Professor > jsuina at unm.edu > Office: Hokona Hall, Room 246 > Tel: (505) 277-7781 > Messages: (505) 277-3175 > > > I think the people at UNM will be much more familiar with this than we > are > here at COE at UNM. > > Good luck. > Mia > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sarah Supahan" > To: > Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:58 PM > Subject: Re: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind > > >> This is a timely discussion because right now in our school district >> we >> are dealing with yet another problem with NCLB, namely that 'all >> teachers have to be credentialed' in order for the district to receive >> funding for the classes. My understanding of the Languages Act was >> that >> no one can require languages teachers to have a credential if they are >> qualified to teach the language. At this point we have one such >> teacher >> who is very qualified to teach Yurok, but who is not credentialed. >> >> Any thoughts on how to address this issue? Our district is resorting >> to >> speak to legal council about it, but I doubt that these attorneys know >> a lot about the Act. >> >> Sarah Supahan >> >> >> On Jan 24, 2005, at 11:37 AM, MiaKalish at LFP wrote: >> >>> You know, I spoke with Ken Mayer, who was one, if not the primary, >>> author, >>> of NCLB, and I asked him specifically whether students could be >>> taught >>> in >>> their native languages and he said the choice was up to the school >>> district. >>> I have heard other comments from people, one of which is that >>> students >>> have >>> 3 years to develop English proficiency. >>> >>> However, there is no requirement for "English only", and with >>> technology, >>> there is no reason why people can't have lessons in both the Native >>> language >>> AND in English. This is hard to do with paper and pencil, and >>> published >>> books, but it is a piece of cake with technology. >>> >>> Of course on the other side, I have been preaching this for years, >>> and >>> have >>> even developed technology for Athabascan material development with >>> dictionary facilities, but there haven't been any takers. All I hear >>> is that >>> the language should be on CD.. . . >>> >>> sigh >>> Mia >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Richard LaFortune" >>> To: >>> Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:07 PM >>> Subject: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind >>> >>> >>>> --- "MiaKalish at LFP" >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? >>>>> mia >>>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >>>> >>>> Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No >>>> Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike >>>> Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated >>>> Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 >>>> Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. >>>> >>>> [Some western Alaska schools that for decades >>>> have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik >>>> language are in a quandary over meeting new >>>> federal testing requirements under the No Child >>>> Left Behind Act. In the Lower Kuskokwim School >>>> District, third grade children taught almost >>>> exclusively in the Yupik language may be required >>>> to pass federal tests written in English. In >>>> Alaska, where Natives speak 20 aboriginal >>>> languages and dialects, meeting a uniform federal >>>> law could ultimately be too expensive, conflict >>>> with Native cultural traditions as well as the >>>> local control that the rural villages treasure. >>>> Not many states face the issues that we do,' said >>>> state Education Commissioner Roger Sampson. Under >>>> the federal law, students would be tested >>>> annually from grades 3-8 and again in high >>>> school. States could make accommodations for >>>> language barriers, but after three years in U.S. >>>> public schools the children would be required to >>>> take English-only tests. Aside from the Heritage >>>> Language programs in more than 30 rural public >>>> schools, Alaska's largest city of Anchorage has >>>> more than 93 languages spoken by students, >>>> Sampson said. Already cash strapped, the state >>>> can little afford to translate tests into more >>>> than 100 languages, education officials said. >>>> And even if it could, the Yupik language, though >>>> spoken by thousands of Alaska Natives from Norton >>>> Sound to Bristol Bay, does not translate as >>>> completely as Spanish or other European >>>> languages. For instance, mathematics to American >>>> children is based on units of 10, where >>>> increments of 20 are used in Yupik math and >>>> numerous English words have no Yupik >>>> counterparts. The Lower Kuskokwim School >>>> District, which oversees schools in Bethel and >>>> surrounding villages has had an intensive Yupik >>>> language program for about 30 years, said >>>> Superintendent Bill Ferguson. A similar program >>>> instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in >>>> earlier years was seen as a progressive way to >>>> assimilate Native children into English fluency. >>>> Since then, it's become a way for Yupik-speaking >>>> Natives to sustain their language and culture >>>> just as other Alaska Native languages dwindle. I >>>> feel strongly that our kids should speak Yupik >>>> fluently, said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of >>>> Bethel. I really feel this isn't just an academic >>>> issue about benchmark tests, but about cultural >>>> and social well being.] >>>> >>>> >>>> __________________________________________________ >>>> Do You Yahoo!? >>>> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >>>> http://mail.yahoo.com >>>> >>>> >>> >> >> > From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 24 23:52:16 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 16:52:16 -0700 Subject: Protecting Historic Properties and Cultural Traditions on Indian Lands (fwd) Message-ID: Protecting Historic Properties and Cultural Traditions on Indian Lands Fiscal Year 2005 Historic Preservation Fund Grants to Indian Tribes, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiian Organizations The National Park Service invites you to submit an application for Fiscal Year 2005 Historic Preservation Fund Grants to Indian Tribes, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiian Organizations. Grants are awarded to assist Federally recognized tribes in preserving and protecting their significant cultural and historic resources. The long-term goal is to assist tribes in building sustainable Preservation Programs. Grant Categories 1. Locating and Identifying Cultural Resources A. Survey and Inventory of Historic or Significant Places B. Survey of Traditional Skills and Information 2. Preserving a Historic Property listed on the National Register A. Project Planning (Plans and Specifications for Preserving a Specific Structure or Site) B. Repair Work to Preserve a Specific Historic Structure or Site 3. Comprehensive Preservation Planning 4. Oral History and Documenting Cultural Traditions 5. Education and Training for Building a Historic Preservation Program Funding Levels. The maximum grant award is $40,000 for all grants except for Category 2.B; the minimum is $5,000. Electronic versions of the application and guidelines may be found at our web site: http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tribal/index.htm The 2005 grant application must be received by 5 PM Eastern Standard Time, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2005. Send completed applications to: Tribal Preservation Program Heritage Preservation Services National Park Service Overnight Delivery Address 1201 Eye Street, NW, 6th Floor Washington, D.C. 20005 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 25 20:26:36 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 13:26:36 -0700 Subject: Professor wins linguistics award (fwd) Message-ID: Professor wins linguistics award Erin Madison Montana Kaimin http://www.kaimin.org/viewarticle.php?id=3849 For University of Montana professor Anthony Mattina, 30 years working with American Indians began with a single linguistics class in graduate school. “It was a class very much like the one I teach now,” said Mattina, who teaches Introduction to Linguistic Analysis. “There was an emphasis on so-called unwritten languages in that class, and that caught my imagination.” Earlier this month, he received the Ken Hale Prize from the Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas for his years of work with the Okanagan language. “He was very excited, but he was very humbled by it,” said his wife, Nancy Mattina, director of the UM Writing Center. The Ken Hale Prize is presented annually to recognize outstanding community language work and a commitment to the documentation, maintenance, promotion and revitalization of indigenous languages in North and South America. “Dr. Mattina was chosen for his outstanding contribution to the field of linguistics,” said his former student and nominator Shannon Bischoff. The award includes a $500 prize, which Mattina donated to the American Indian groups he works with. Mattina has spent his career working with the Okanagan people. Their language is spoken from Grand Coulee, Wash., to Vernon, British Columbia. “It’s huge. It’s a big territory,” Mattina said. About 500 to 1,000 people speak Okanagan, which is why the language gets so little attention, Mattina said. “It’s just another language, but yet it holds a special attraction for me,” he said. Mattina documents the language by recording Okanagan stories and transcribing them. He has edited nearly 30 books on Okanagan and written dozens of articles. He also works on language preservation with various tribes. “The languages are becoming extinct at an alarming rate,” Mattina said. “It’s an uphill battle to reverse the trend.” Mattina programmed a number of computer games that he installs in grade schools. The games teach animal names, pronunciation and Okanagan stories. “The kids love them,” Mattina said. Mattina hopes they will learn their language and help revitalize it. “He’s done a lot more than I could ever hope to do,” Nancy Mattina said. “He just fell in love with those people,” she said. “It just became his life.” Mattina visits the Okanagan as often as possible. He has a trip planned for early February. “You go out in the field, and you make friends, and that sort of becomes your community,” his wife said. “They love me and I love them,” Anthony Mattina said. From jeps at SBCGLOBAL.NET Wed Jan 26 02:01:38 2005 From: jeps at SBCGLOBAL.NET (Jesse Gaskell) Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 18:01:38 -0800 Subject: FW: reinstate Message-ID: -----Original Message----- From: L-Soft list server at The LINGUIST List. (1.8d) [mailto:LISTSERV at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG] Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 5:59 PM To: Sandra Gaskell, RPA Subject: Re: reinstate > help LISTSERV(R) version 1.8d - most commonly used commands INFO Order documentation (plain text files) SUBscribe listname Subscribe to a list SIGNOFF listname Sign off from a list SIGNOFF * (NETWIDE - from all lists on all servers Query listname Query your subscription options Search listname keyword... 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URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 27 23:42:57 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 16:42:57 -0700 Subject: Tribe fights to save language, Publishes dictionary (fwd) Message-ID: Tribe fights to save language Publishes dictionary MIAMI OK Miami University 1/27/2005 http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=5889 The vast majority of the estimated 300 languages spoken in North American before the arrival of Christopher Columbus are endangered or extinct. But the Miami language, once spoken throughout much of Ohio and Indiana, is in the process of being revitalized. Thanks to a cooperative effort by the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Miami University, the college named in honor of the tribe, the first comprehensive dictionary for the language is due to be published in late February. Titled Myaamia neehi peewaalia kaloosioni mahsinaakani (or A Miami-Peoria Dictionary), the 200-page book contains about 3,500 entries plus a brief description of the language and an English cross-reference list. The accomplishment reflects a university/tribe partnership that is unusual in higher education, says Daryl Baldwin, director of the Myaamia Project for Language Revitalization and a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. He, along with David Costa, a linguist who has done extensive language work on the Miami-Peoria language, are co-editors. When Miami University was founded in 1809, the Miami Tribe was well known throughout the Midwest, but in 1846 the tribe was forcibly removed from Ohio and Indiana and relocated first to Kansas and then in the 1870s to what is now Oklahoma. Being uprooted twice was devastating to a tribe struggling to maintain its way of life in the face of government efforts to suppress the use of native languages and force assimilation, says Baldwin. By the early 1960s, the last tribal member to speak the language conversationally had died but it was not until the late 1980s that there was attention to what that loss meant. In 1995, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma-partially in response to the 1990 passage of a native language law that reversed past federal policy-launched an organized effort to revive its language. Language is culture, explains Baldwin. "It's important because it embodies our values and belief system and generations of accumulated human knowledge. And all of these things are important to our identity as Miami people," says Baldwin. For example, Miamis say "nipwaahkaalo" when departing, which is often translated to "take care," but it also means to have wisdom or be conscious. The word is related to the verb "nipwaameewa," which means he teaches him. So this farewell term embodies a basic concept of Miami culture-that seeking knowledge is important. "There's a way of understanding the world that is embodied in this language. To me that's the real value of this effort," he says. There's much more work to be done to make Miami a living language, says Baldwin. Tribal elders, who can only recall fragmented phrases or bits of songs and prayers, are documenting their memories. In Miami Tribe households, children are beginning to use some of the ancient kinship terms-"iinka" for mother and "noohsa" for father-that have not been heard for decades. It took generations for the tribe to almost lose its language and it will take years to bring the language back, predicts Baldwin. But the process has begun and the outlook for the Miami language is hopeful. There are, explains Baldwin, lots of native studies program, but few if any universities have the intimate ties with a specific tribe that Miami University has with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. The relationship, which began in the 1970s, has steadily strengthened until now it includes several research and service projects in addition to language revitalization efforts. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 28 19:05:05 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 12:05:05 -0700 Subject: The Blackfeet language will be taught to all tribal staff (fwd) Message-ID: The Blackfeet language will be taught to all tribal staff By John McGill, Glacier Reporter Editor http://www.goldentrianglenews.com/articles/2005/01/27/glacier_reporter/news/news1.txt [photo inset - Ed North Peigan is set to begin offering classes in the Blackfeet language. Part of a new tribal program, North Peigan is located in the Tribal Conference Room and in Councilman Pat Schildt's office. Photo by John McGill] "One Councilman started the ball rolling," said Edward North Peigan, lead teacher of the Blackfeet language at Blackfeet Tribal Headquarters. "He wanted the Blackfeet language taught to all the staff, and he wanted to learn the language also." The BTBC resolved Dec. 2 to create a Blackfeet language teaching position in the tribal government, said North Peigan, who has taught the language at East Glacier Park Elementary, Browning High School and at Blackfeet Community College. Together with his wife, Wilma, he has logged many hours of Blackfeet language instruction time. "I'm a native speaker," he said. "English is my second language. I'm continuing to struggle with English." But according to North Peigan, his experience in learning the dominant language of the United States gives him hope that people can learn Blackfeet. "If I can learn English, then anyone can learn anything they choose," he said. North Peigan said he is using an alphabet given to him by Matthew Many Hides of Siksika, Alberta, Canada. Being a spoken rather than a written language, adapting an alphabet that accurately reflects the pronunciation and diction of the language has been problematic, but North Peigan is convinced the alphabet he is using is the best. Furthermore, he believes that the Blackfeet world view is contained in its language and is a direct entry point to the oral history of the Tribe. North Peigan is located in the Tribal Conference Room when it's available, or in Pat Schildt's office at other times. People may register for lessons between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and arrange a time, and while the program is aimed at tribal employees, "it is free to everyone because it's sponsored by the Blackfeet Language and Culture Department." Students should expect to attend classes at least once per week, said North Peigan. Handout information is available at his office. For more information, call Ed North Peigan at 226-9101, or write him at Box 248, East Glacier Park, MT 59434. From Rrlapier at AOL.COM Mon Jan 31 03:04:57 2005 From: Rrlapier at AOL.COM (Rrlapier at AOL.COM) Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 22:04:57 EST Subject: Fwd: Call for Manuscripts Message-ID: Rosalyn LaPier Piegan Institute www.pieganinstitute.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: "Ethnobotany Research and Applications e-Journal" Subject: Call for Manuscripts Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 13:22:06 -0800 Size: 12845 URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 31 16:59:21 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 09:59:21 -0700 Subject: Tongue ties (fwd) Message-ID: Tongue ties By Beth Curda/Enterprise staff writer http://www.davisenterprise.com/articles/2005/01/31/features/335fea0.txt At 65, Patrick Orozco is still learning who he is. A lifelong resident of Watsonville, he was a weighmaster and vegetable inspector for a frozen food company until retiring five years ago. He is married and has grown children. Still, he feels he has much to learn. He has known since his childhood that he is Native American, but until a couple of decades ago, he knew little more. When he was growing up, he visited his grandmother, Rose Rios, every other day. He brought her herbs he had found, and she told him what they were and how his ancestors had used them. She sang songs and told him stories in English, mixing in an Indian word here and there. She told him he was a Mission Indian, but she couldn't tell him anything more specific than that. What happened to his ancestors' language? Their dances? Their songs? In the mid-1970s, a battle over a tribal burial site in Watsonville sparked a research project Orozco and others around him have been involved in since -- research into their own family histories. At one point, he was working practically around the clock, dividing time between grading broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, squash and other vegetables, and researching his ancestry and that of others who requested help. He has had little success finding information from before the time Europeans arrived in the area. Information dwindled over the years, once Native Americans began intermarrying with the Spanish, he says. Little information -- some songs, some stories -- has survived. But he learned over the years that he is Juaneno from San Juan Capistrano, Chumash from San Buenaventura and Costanoan Ohlone. His ancestors were poor and did not have the education the Spanish had. They cut wood, farmed, fished or gathered berries for sale. More recently, he has had help. As Orozco continues to learn his own family history and assist others, researchers at UC Davis are cataloging thousands of pages of notes that were taken 50 to 100 years ago by the late John Peabody Harrington. More than a linguist Harrington meticulously recorded native cultures during the first half of the 20th century with the help of consultants within tribes in California and the western United States, other U.S. regions and portions of Meso-America and South America. Most of his work was in California and the Southwest. What languages did they speak? What did certain words mean? What did they eat? What materials did they use for homes, baskets? Harrington recorded far beyond the information of a typical linguist, said Lisa Woodward, a UCD graduate student cataloging his work. He was secretive about his work, she says. He abbreviated the names of his contacts so others conducting similar research could not duplicate it. He hid from the Bureau of American Ethnology, his employer, some of the work he was conducting, as it was beyond what he had been assigned, Woodward said. Generations of work Woodward is one of just a few people cataloging the notes, on hundreds of reels of microfilm that UCD's Native American Language Center is borrowing from UC Riverside and rewriting with the help of a National Science Foundation grant. Woodward and the other graduate students print out the microfilm frames, then retype Harrington's notes. The notes are faded in spots, scribbled, often abbreviated. The researchers catalog them in a database by line, paragraph, reel and volume. Alongside the more legible, accessible, searchable typed copy, the students create databases of tribal terms and Harrington's definitions and context for them. An excerpt from his notes on the language Klamath, for example, reads: They eat the root of the cattail and of the tule they eat the white lowest part of the stalk -- never the roots, the roots are black & are used for coloring (Klamath) baskets with. They eat both of these raw. p'p'a/.s, cattail. But p'p'sam, anything which is derived from p'p'as. For Serrano, another language Harrington studied, he visited the communities in 1916 and took 1,600 pages of notes on the language. It took three graduate students three months to enter the language into the project database. Only a few speakers of Serrano remain, when they used to spread through parts of the areas now known as San Bernardino and Riverside counties and eastward across the desert to the Salton Sea. They are on two reservations, Woodward said, San Manuel in San Bernardino County and Highland and Morongo reservation between Banning and Palm Springs. The remaining speakers are incorporating Harrington's notes into a language revitalization program, Woodward said. Harrington collected material on 135 languages. His original notes -- an estimated 1 million pages -- are in the Smithsonian Institution's National Anthropological Archives and copied onto 477 reels at UC Riverside. After Harrington died in 1961, people sent his work from all over to the Smithsonian. The University of California became interested and purchased the copy stored at the Riverside campus. The UCD group is interested in making his work available to scholars and Native Americans alike. "It's pretty inaccessible, especially to Indian people," said Martha Macri, director of both the Native American Language Center and of this project. The Language Center is within the university's department of Native American studies. "What we're trying to do," Macri said, "is make it possible (for) the people from whom this material was collected to have access to it." Many of the languages he studied are hardly spoken today -- some not at all. For some, the century-old notes are the only written record of their history. Varying depending on how much time he spent with a group and with whom he worked, some languages take up just part of one reel, while others fill 10 or more. Chumash is recorded onto 96 reels. Some of Harrington's notes on the language have never been read. "It becomes very precious (to preserve) these heritages," Macri said. Woodward claims no Native American ancestry, but became interested in the subject as an undergraduate student then as a professional archaeologist. She returned to campus to work more with Harrington's notes. "I think if this was just an academic project and it was just going for the benefit of scholars, I probably wouldn't be as enthused by it," Woodward, 32, said. "... Just being able to see the end result, taking these notes back to the (Native American) communities. ... People get so excited. And like we said before, some of Harrington's work is the only work for some of these languages. His notes are real resources for specific groups." The project will outlast Macri's lifetime, the 59-year-old says, so she is glad to have Woodward to carry it into the future. Bridging a gap Karen Santana, 24, grew up on a small reservation in Point Arena, but, until a couple of years ago, knew little about her heritage. The reservation was "kind of a low-class neighborhood," she says -- rural, with minimal medical services and widespread diabetes and high cholesterol, vandalism and a tendency to serve as a hideout for fugitives. "It's not the kind of neighborhood you want to walk around at dark," the UCD undergraduate student says. "Most people have dogs or guns, things they think they need to survive up there." Much of her family is there, and she visits often. Growing up, she didn't learn much about her tribal ancestors. She was told to do well in school and get a job. "I didn't hear a lot of my heritage before because ... I don't think people realize that that is an area where you can go into and actually make a living. So anything to do with culture wasn't really emphasized in my upbringing." She went to college with the intention of becoming a doctor, but eventually decided to change direction. She took a language class and became interested in learning more. Her tribe only has a few language "speakers" left. She met with one of them, and he gave her everything he had researched. "He basically sat me down and told me one day ... 'I've been waiting for somebody to come along, some youngster who wants to learn the language. I just want to see them, and I just want to see it go on.' " Studying her culture, Central Pomo, could be a way to give back to her family, she realized, and give her the new educational direction she had been seeking. She has been working on the Harrington project for a couple of years, learning about his century-old research and about herself. It is helping her understand the history of her tribe; she is learning things that she thinks some of her elders don't even know. "It gives me, one, a better sense of pride in my own culture," she said. "I'm attached to that culture, so I feel more of a responsibility to know it and understand it so I can teach it to other people." It's a good thing she is investing so much into learning the history. The elder she worked with last summer has died. "For me, that's like, I don't know, I know that there's a whole culture that was thriving before all of that happened. ... "I feel like people tend to forget that there's a rich history here, especially in California (at one time heavily populated with tribes). It's a really rich and complex history, so any part of it from before contact (between Indians and white people), I think it's something important to be known and recognized." Uncovering history During the 1975 battle over the burial ground in which Orozco and others occupied to prevent a warehouse development on the site, Orozco began thinking seriously about researching his heritage. "During that time, it was kind of like, will we ever know who we are, besides just Indians, you know? ... 'I am an Indian, but who am I?' That ran through my mind. It started to build up in me, you know, even though I was already in my 30s. I said, it's time to find out who we are." He didn't have to look far to find some of the information about his past. His great-grandmother and great-uncle are mentioned in the notes, as is a friend of his family who worked with Harrington. "It's exciting," Orozco said. "It inspires us even more to continue. Finding out not only about ourselves, but others, you know?" Through the Pajaro Valley Ohlone Indian Council, he helps track down family information for Native Americans. He said he takes pride in his work when he sees the responses of those he has helped. "We're helping other people trace their lineage. That makes us feel good about that, you know? That we helped this individual obtain his Indian lineage." He has been speaking in schools. "I'm teaching the kids language, I'm teaching (them) songs and dances. We put it all together. ... This way, they will know it -- we are still here. We are still here." -- Reach Beth Curda at bcurda at davisenterprise.net or 747-8045 Sunday, January 30, 2005 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 31 17:21:28 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 10:21:28 -0700 Subject: Slips mark language development (fwd link) Message-ID: Slips mark language development UB researcher finds kids’ slips of the tongue reveal what they know about language http://www.buffalo.edu/reporter/vol36/vol36n18/articles/Jaeger.html Thursday, January 20, 2005 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 1 19:45:33 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2005 12:45:33 -0700 Subject: Aboriginal tribes saved by distance (fwd) Message-ID: Aboriginal tribes saved by distance By Suresh Seshadri REUTERS NEWS AGENCY Published December 31, 2004 http://washingtontimes.com/world/20041230-111256-1920r.htm PORT BLAIR, India -- India's dwindling aboriginal population in the remote Andaman and Nicobar islands is safe because most lived in jungles, far away from the coast hit by a devastating tsunami, a coast guard official said yesterday. ????Experts had feared that some Stone Age tribal people, who have been living on the far-flung archipelago for thousands of years, could be on the verge of extinction after the killer waves that have killed more than 117,000 people across Asia and Africa. ????"There have been several media reports talking about a threat to the aborigines, indigenous people and tribals of the islands," said Vice Adm. Arun Kumar Singh, director general of the coast guard, which is involved in rescue operations. ????"I have personally verified the extent of this claim, and let me tell you that it is absolutely rubbish." ????The Andaman and Nicobar group is a cluster of more than 550 islands, of which about three dozen are inhabited. ????The island chain is home to about six tribes of Mongoloid and Negrito origin. Many of the indigenous people are seminomadic and subsist on hunting with spears, bows and arrows as well as fishing and gathering fruit and roots. They still cover themselves with tree bark or leaves. ????Adm. Singh said the Nicobarese, the largest tribal group that lives on Car Nicobar and adjoining islands, bore the brunt of the waves, but the exact death toll was not known. ????Coast guard surveys showed that the rest of the tribes such as the Shompen, the Jarawa and the Sentinelese had escaped, either because they lived in the jungles far from the coast or because their islands were barely touched by the waves. ????"In the Middle Andaman, the Jarawa tribes are there, and there has not been a single report of casualty. The Sentinelese of North Sentinel Island, which some reports say have been completely wiped out, are all very much there," Adm. Singh said. ????More than 13,000 people are dead or feared dead in India from the tsunami, but rescuers are still struggling to assess the toll in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. ????Officials said more than 6,000 people were feared dead in the island chain, which is closer to Burma and Indonesia than the Indian mainland and is home to more than 350,000 people. ????About 30,000 of the islands' total population is tribal, the majority Nicobarese. ????The rest are smaller groups. Some such as the Great Andamanese are down to about 30 people, while others such as the Shompen number 200 to 250. ????The number of the Onge, one of the most primitive tribes, has fallen in past decades to about 100. There are about 200 Sentinelese, probably one of the world's only surviving Paleolithic people, who are generally hostile to outsiders. ????"Our helicopter pilot who flew over the island told me that he has seen several groups of Sentinelese on the beach and that when he dropped food packets they threw stones at the helicopter." From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Sun Jan 2 01:55:40 2005 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2005 20:55:40 -0500 Subject: Aboriginal tribes saved by distance (fwd) Message-ID: The government of India, which has been desirous to greatly expand tourism in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, was very quick in making these claims, even before more rigorous surveys were carried out. Various scholars IN India have reacted quite negatively to the assertions. Reporters and aid workers have been kept away from the areas in question, so there is no way of verifying them. Some reports by government and military personnel have made the interesting claim that the tribal peoples of the islands survived because they "instinctually" knew to get out of the way of the tsunami (much as have animals in Sri Lanka, which has been the buzz in science newsfeeds for the past couple of days)- one even claims that the Andamanese sleep in the tree tops (in the same manner as apes perhaps?). The Indian minister in charge of tribal affairs had prior to the quake/tsunami shrugged off charges that the proposed opening up of lands, up to now off limits, to tourism and settlement, would have any adverse effect on the native peoples, and statements of a just a day or two ago by the Prime Minister indicated that development plans would go ahead in spite of everything that has just happened. The scholarly community, particularly the linguists and anthropologists of Indian origin permitted by the government to work with these peoples, has not been heard from, though there will be reports on the languages of the islands at the upcoming meeting of the Association for Linguistic Typology in Padang, West Sumatra in July. Given the tight controls on access to the native peoples of the Andaman and Nicobar islands, it will be interesting to see whether workers are able to say particularly how things really are on the ground. A fine line to tread indeed. It is wonderful that the Indian government has allowed the native peoples to live in relative peace, but the plans for tourism expansion and settlement leave me wondering just how altruistic this all is. Are they animals? Children? Don't they have the right to know what is going on around them, and maybe the right to some empowerment over what becomes of them? They aren't zoo or museum specimens, after all. Or are they, considering their oft cited "primitiveness", genetic uniqueness (at least for the Andamanese, and both linguistically and DNA-wise), etc. Eco-tourism veers awfully close to systemic exploitation of marginalized peoples as side-shows. Perhaps the scholarly community isn't doing enough to distance itself from this sort of thing, and prevent themselves from becoming the elite equivalent of carnival barkers. In any case we all know who is going to get the short end of the stick. My own concern is for endangered peoples and their cultures and languages as knowledge systems of inherent worth, not as "specimens". We all know what collectors are like. Anyway, that's my say, for the moment. Some I've corresponded feel I should be focussing on the needs of the many more victims of the tsunami who belong to majority cultures. As a human being my gut sank when I first read about the quake and tsunami, just an hour after it happened. At the magnitude then being reported (which has since been upgraded twice), all I could think was "Krakatau", and I knew it was going to be really, really bad, much worse than the casualty figures which initially came in, and the week has borne out my worst fears (geotectonics has been a hobby since the early '70's). The situation is more than heart-wrenching, and I'm doing what I can from my end to lend a hand. But the "hey, there's lots more of us than there are of them" argument, which may be great for democratic politics, falls flat when the absolute survival, both in the short and long terms, of minority peoples is at stake, as it is here. The tsunami wiped out entire native villages in the Nicobars. Islands are GONE. Reports that the tribal peoples have not lost a single soul (which are now circulating), are just a little too good to be true (unless of course one goes the animal/"sixth sense" route), don't you think? But maybe the issue here isn't on numbers, but on levels of human-ness in the belief systems of the figures in authority, and the peoples they represent? Heck, "real (hard working, civilized, pious, even educated) people, like us" are in mortal danger. One needn't worry about the natives- they can fend for themselves in any case (with their wonderful instinctual powers). So expect a free-for-all to redirect attention and resources, which I suppose is just human nature, just as the governments of the world are one-upping each other with aid announcements. I keep hoping in my heart of hearts that this crisis might in the end result in a more equitable resolution for the situation that existed before, but don't expect me to bet the farm on it. In the meantime I'll update the list with anything more detailed that I can find. Jess Tauber phonosemantics at earthlink.net From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Sun Jan 2 11:41:46 2005 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2005 06:41:46 -0500 Subject: Web site for information on Andaman and Nicobar native peoples Message-ID: Anyone interested in getting much more "up close and personal" regarding the situation in the Andamans and Nicobars, both before the quake/tsunami and the developing disaster, is invited to go and read from the web pages of the Andaman Association- http://www.andaman.org These pages cover much of the history, anthropology, genetics, linguistics, and politics of the islands, and are as of yesterday being updated re the current situation. I will continue to try to comb through the newsfeeds, and find out what information is filtering through from those sources. I am hoping to put together a more comprehensive on-line collection of materials relating to Andaman and Nicobar languages which might one day help keep those languages from extinction, assuming of course that there are people left who might wish to retain them. First things first. Let us all pray for swift relief from disease and famine for all affected. Jess Tauber phonosemantics at earthlink.net From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Mon Jan 3 05:37:01 2005 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 00:37:01 -0500 Subject: Aboriginal tribes saved by distance (fwd) Message-ID: There is a program listed on the National Geographic Channel about the Andamanese, scheduled for 4 am either tonite (Monday) or tomorrow (Tuesday). Inconvenient time, but it will be shown again at a better one- Jan 5 at midnite (and again at 4 am). Here is the blurb: First Out of Africa Follow Dr. Erika Hagelberg and international scientists to the remote Andaman Islands as they piece together the ancestry of a compelling people who still live a stone age existence. Their quest reveals the history of the Andaman Islanders whose origin has been clouded in mystery for centuries. The lush islands with pristine sandy white beaches yield few clues to the Andamanese past. Dr. Hagelberg searches for answers in the few precious DNA samples collected from the Andamanese. The results may turn commonly held theories of human evolution upside down. Jess Tauber phonosemantics at earthlink.net From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 3 18:35:22 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 11:35:22 -0700 Subject: Preserving a language, safeguarding a culture (fwd) Message-ID: Preserving a language, safeguarding a culture BY JONATHAN CLARK/The Herald Mexico El Universal Lunes 03 de enero de 2005 Nuestro mundo, p?gina 1 http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=8578&tabla=miami A Oaxacan woman completes a Ph.D. on her indigenous language with an eye towards bettering overall conditions for her community. In 1980, when she was only 8 years old, Emiliana Cruz was sent from her home in San Juan Quiahije in the southern mountains of Oaxaca to the state capital to work as a servant. With the Spanish language becoming more and more necessary for indigenous people in Mexican society people like the 28,000 strong Chatino community to which Emiliana belonged it became a common practice for indigenous parents to send their children to work as servants in the cities so as to learn the country's sole official language. Emiliana found work in Oaxaca city with a family that agreed to enroll her in evening Spanish classes. But during this time spent working and studying, she felt herself losing contact with her own family and community. Slowly, she adapted herself to the values and conventions of the city, for the situation surrounding her allowed no room to speak her native Chatino language or to practice her own cultural traditions. "Living in this different environment," she recalls, "I struggled to continue believing that my culture and traditions had wisdom and knowledge." Yet still, she couldn't forget the mandate that she had been given upon her departure for the capital. "Although my parents sent me to the city for better opportunities," Emiliana says, "they also told me never to forget where I came from." She never has. Throughout a journey that has taken her from San Juan Quiahije to Oaxaca city to Washington state and now to Austin, Texas, Emiliana has kept her vision keenly set on the Chatino community of Oaxaca and the greater plight of the indigenous peoples of Mexico. "From early childhood, I saw my father working on indigenous issues, and this had a strong influence on me," she says. "My desire for better conditions for indigenous people has always persisted." Then, in 1989, Emiliana's father, the Chatino intellectual and rights activist Tomas Cruz Lorenzo, was killed by landowners during a campaign for sustainable forest exploitation in the mountainous Sierra Sur region of Oaxaca. He had been actively involved in community development and indigenous rights throughout his life, and it was a role that his daughter was quick to inherit and embrace. Emiliana chose an academic route from which to focus her efforts. In 1994 she emigrated to Washington in search of work, later attended community college to improve her English skills, and then completed an undergraduate degree at Evergreen State University. Now she is a doctoral student in linguistics and linguistic anthropology at the University of Texas, where her research program is aimed at documenting, describing, and preserving the Chatino language. In doing so, she is at the same time documenting and preserving her indigenous culture. "The primary force that motivates me in striving to keep the Chatino language alive is that the language is not just a verbal form of communication," she says, "but rather it is intimately connected with the cultural reality of the Chatino people and their complex history, dynamic cultural development, and diversity with all its own richness." DECLINING USE It is difficult to say exactly how many different indigenous languages are spoken in Mexico. Some sources put the number in the 50s, others in the 60s. But according to Enrique Fernando Nava, professor of linguistics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and director of the newly created National Institute of Indigenous Languages (INALI), there may be as many as 150 different languages spoken nationwide. "Zapoteco, for example, is not really one language but rather a family of languages," he explains, referring to the largest linguistic group in Oaxaca. "The same is true of Mixteco and Chinanteco and many others." But while the precise number of individual languages may be uncertain, one fact is clear: the number of people speaking indigenous languages is in rapid decline. And according to Emiliana Cruz, this phenomenon is due to prevailing attitudes in the dominant mestizo (mixed-race) culture that devalue indigenous language and culture. "In Mexico, indigenous languages are not considered valid for education and for written communication because they are thought of as incomplete and are looked upon as simply dialects or sub-languages," she says. Indeed, Mexicans including many indigenous people themselves often refer to the languages as dialectos , or dialects. Professor Nava calls this terminology "a form of racism" that conveys an idea that the indigenous languages are somehow inferior to Spanish. And this attitude results not only in the virtual exclusion of the languages from the educational system and public sphere, it also discourages speakers from passing their linguistic tradition along to younger generations. Azael P?rez, 28, who now runs a business consulting firm in Oaxaca city, was raised in the Zapotec village of San Antonino Castillo Velasco. And while the older members of his family all speak Zapoteco, he laments the fact that neither family members nor the schools he attended instructed him in the language. He says that now as an adult, he would very much like to learn Zapoteco, but he admits that it has been very difficult to motivate himself for the task. "The truth is, it really wouldn't help me at all in my day-to-day and professional life," he says. "It would just be something that would be nice so that when I go back to the village to visit with my grandparents and aunts and uncles, we could talk in Zapoteco." THE SOLUTION If Mexico is going to preserve its indigenous languages, says Nava, the nation needs a fundamental change in attitude in both its mestizo and indigenous societies to recognize the importance and value of indigenous culture and linguistic tradition. And that means creating opportunities where the languages can be used for a wider range of purposes than simply conversing with grandparents. First, he wants to see a greater effort from the larger mestizo community to integrate indigenous languages into the mainstream. For example, he would like for indigenous languages to be used more often in areas such as advertising and on food labels. Popular entertainment produced in indigenous languages would also be a step in the right direction, for after all, Mexicans watch a great number of English-language T.V. programs and movies subtitled in Spanish, so why not a program in Nahuatl with Spanish subtitles? In addition, Nava says there must be a stronger societal commitment to promote public bilingual education in all of the nation's indigenous communities and at a higher level of quality than currently exists. But, he adds, it is not only the responsibility of the larger mestizo society to affect these changes; Mexico's indigenous people must also assume a more active role in language and cultural preservation. "It is very important that the indigenous people themselves work to preserve their own culture and language," he says, "and so at INALI, we would like to see that each community has its own professional linguist to undertake this work." This is where people like Emiliana Cruz come in. And as she continues to do the important work of documenting the Chatino language, Emiliana says that she can see how preserving her language and combating linguistic marginalization in Mexico can contribute to hers and her father's goal of better overall conditions for indigenous people. "The larger culture propagates the dominant language for the purpose of achieving national integration," she says. "But because indigenous people do not have access to the same educational systems as non-indigenous people, individuals lose their native language while still not achieving a high level of education." Consequently, she says, Mexico has created an undereducated and perpetually impoverished class of people. So as she furthers her own efforts to preserve, dignify, and promote wider usage of indigenous language, Emiliana says she has a message for her fellow indigenous peoples of Mexico: "Go to school and use education to teach and inform others about the importance and unique value of indigenous languages and customs." To all Mexicans, she says. "Our language is a language and not dialect! (Let's) preserve human cultural diversity and nurture respect for this diversity. Recognize that indigenous people are under-represented, and are thus discriminated against both individually and institutionally." ? 2005 Copyright El Universal-El Universal Online From fhm at UNIMELB.EDU.AU Mon Jan 3 23:02:19 2005 From: fhm at UNIMELB.EDU.AU (Felicity Meakins) Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 10:02:19 +1100 Subject: analog-to-digital devices In-Reply-To: <1104520596.858ff492d274e@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hello everyone, > Video (analog-to-digital) > > Canopus ADVC-100 > http://www.simplydv.co.uk/advc100.html Just to add to the review of these devices. We (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre (Australia)) were convinced to buy one of these devices. We found it worked only sporadically and it was better to use a digital video camera as an analogue/digital adapter. Of course it could have just been our Canopus, but you could save yourself some money anyway if you have already have a digital video camera. Felicity Meakins Melbourne Uni, Australia From sdp at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 4 00:49:27 2005 From: sdp at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Susan Penfield) Date: Mon, 3 Jan 2005 17:49:27 -0700 Subject: Manual on PDF: Technology-Enhanced Language Revitalization Message-ID: Hi everyone, Thanks to Phil's efforts, 'Technology-Enhanced Language Revitalization' ( Volume #1 - a beginner's manual), is now on PDF --- You can download it through the 'Projects' link at http://projects.ltc.arizona.edu/gates/TELR.html. This manual was an outcome of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant which Phil and I completed this past year. This first volume is very introductory -- other volumes are planned (the next will be devoted to language documentation). The manual is large so Phil has conveniently divided it into separate sections for downloading. There have been other upgrades to the website including easier navigation and better browser capability. Check it out! If you have any questions or comments about the manual, or if you would like a hard copy, please feel free to contact me directly at sdp at u.arizona.edu Susan Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. Department of English Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Indigenous Languages and Technology Language, Reading and culture University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 4 16:19:24 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 09:19:24 -0700 Subject: A living history book (fwd) Message-ID: A living history book Tribal-language teacher is spreading the word Judy Nichols The Arizona Republic Jan. 4, 2005 12:00 AM Danny Lopez, 68, worries about dying. Not because he's ill, but because he's afraid of taking too much of the Tohono O'odham history and language with him. "Everything that I know I want to leave for my people," Lopez said. "It belongs to them. "When an elder is gone, what he knows, the songs, the history, whatever he didn't set down, that knowledge is buried underneath the ground." Lopez, who has worked for decades to preserve his tribe's culture and language, was recently chosen for the first Spirit of the Heard award. The award, given by the Heard Museum, is to honor a living member of a Southwest tribe who has demonstrated personal excellence or community leadership in a chosen field. Lopez, who teaches the Tohono O'odham language and culture at Tohono O'odham Community College, also has taught the language and culture to hundreds of children at Topawa Middle School in Topawa and Indian Oasis Primary School in Sells. He also has taught the language to paramedics so they can speak to Tohono O'odham elders when responding to calls. A storyteller, singer and cultural expert, Lopez has taught key aspects of the O'odham Himdag - the Desert People's Lifeways - to hundreds of Tohono O'odham youths, adults and elders over the past 30 years. "Lopez's commitment to his people and community in working tirelessly to teach and preserve the life and culture of the Tohono O'odham Nation makes him the perfect first recipient," said Frank Goodyear, museum director. Part of tribal identity Ofelia Zepeda, a Tohono O'odham and a professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona, said language is a critical part of tribal identity. "It's one of the main things that makes you a distinct group," Zepeda said. "The O'odham still having a number of speakers points to the fact that the tribe is still cohesive in that way." About 15-20 students enroll in Zepeda's Tohono O'odham language class each semester. One of them was Lopez. But Zepeda said he is both student and teacher. "He will send me e-mails or call about an O'odham question structure," she said. "I can be his teacher in that way, but he's my teacher in other areas because he knows so much of the language." Humble beginnings There is no public record of Lopez's birth. He was born at home in Big Field on the Tohono O'odham Reservation on Dec. 24, 1936. He attended the two-room Catholic school in Cowlic. His mother, who spoke only Tohono O'odham, would cook and sew clothes. His father, who spoke about second-grade English, would earn money chopping wood and helping with the livestock roundups. "Most of the English we heard was from peddlers who would come selling canned goods," Lopez said. The family would leave home in May, following the cotton harvest in Coolidge, Eloy, Casa Grande, Picacho and Marana. "When September came, we would go to whatever school was around," he said. "In February, the farmers would take us back home in big trucks." Eventually, Lopez went to St. John's Indian Mission in Komatke. He also attended Pima Community College, the University of Arizona and Prescott College. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in education, focusing on the Tohono O'odham language. More English spoken And he began to worry about the loss of his native language. "Everywhere, community members were using more English," Lopez said. "Meetings were conducted in O'odham, but when kids were playing outside, they spoke English. "I was concerned about the future. The elders are not going to be here forever." Jon Reyhner, a professor of education at Northern Arizona University, said Lopez's fear is not unfounded. Research shows fewer and fewer children are speaking the language. "Within a generation or two if something isn't done the language will be gone," said Reyhner, who has written books on indigenous language and has a book, American Indian Education: A History, that will be published this spring by the University of Oklahoma Press. "For 100 years there was a concerted effort to wipe out the languages in federal Indian schools and then public schools," Reyhner said. "It was part of the assimilation effort." Reyhner said that many tribes in California have lost their language and 50 or so are trying to revive them. Indigenous languages are being preserved in New Zealand and Hawaii, too. A living museum "Preservation is important so that when an elder dies all that stuff is not lost," Reyhner said. "Putting it all in a museum or an archive is better than nothing. But these languages need to live and breathe." Zepeda, who was the first generation in her family to speak English, estimated that about half the tribe, mostly the elders, still speak the language. "It's wonderful that Danny is getting the recognition for what he does," Zepeda said "He's very good, very conscientious. "He loves to learn, whether he's being a student or teaching. That's one of the things that keeps him going." Sharing a song A video of Lopez receiving his award was played recently for the faculty at Tohono O'odham Community College. Afterward they rose to their feet in a standing ovation. "When I heard that, I had to go lie down and cry," Lopez said. "I thought of all the people out there, some of them gone, my parents, my sisters, people who were willing to share a song with me. My mother-in-law, I learned a lot from her. All those people. "I wish they all could have been there. The recognition also goes to them." From mikinakn at SHAW.CA Fri Jan 7 02:52:24 2005 From: mikinakn at SHAW.CA (Rolland Nadjiwon) Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2005 21:52:24 -0500 Subject: Question Message-ID: Is ILAT still alive and running? Excuse the query. ------- wahjeh rolland nadjiwon From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET Fri Jan 7 19:48:05 2005 From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 12:48:05 -0700 Subject: Question In-Reply-To: <001101c4f463$ec6d6b30$167e4c18@Nadjiwon> Message-ID: happy new year Rolland, yes, i think ILAT stirs and is stirred every so often. phil UofA On Jan 6, 2005, at 7:52 PM, Rolland Nadjiwon wrote: > Is ILAT still alive and running? Excuse the query. > > ------- > wahjeh > rolland nadjiwon > From mikinakn at SHAW.CA Fri Jan 7 20:23:04 2005 From: mikinakn at SHAW.CA (Rolland Nadjiwon) Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 15:23:04 -0500 Subject: Question Message-ID: Thanks Phil...maybe like our own languages - words only serve to separate the silence ------- wahjeh rolland nadjiwon ----- Original Message ----- From: "phil cash cash" To: Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 2:48 PM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question > happy new year Rolland, yes, i think ILAT stirs and is stirred every so > often. > > phil > UofA > > On Jan 6, 2005, at 7:52 PM, Rolland Nadjiwon wrote: > >> Is ILAT still alive and running? Excuse the query. >> >> ------- >> wahjeh >> rolland nadjiwon >> > From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Mon Jan 10 16:34:26 2005 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (MiaKalish@LFP) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 09:34:26 -0700 Subject: Question Message-ID: I think so. We got email just last week when Phil added [ILAT] to the subject line, and there were some messages from Dr. Penfield. Mia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rolland Nadjiwon" To: Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 7:52 PM Subject: [ILAT] Question > Is ILAT still alive and running? Excuse the query. > > ------- > wahjeh > rolland nadjiwon > > From liko at LEOKI.UHH.HAWAII.EDU Mon Jan 10 16:29:32 2005 From: liko at LEOKI.UHH.HAWAII.EDU (Liko Puha) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 06:29:32 -1000 Subject: Question Message-ID: I mea e ?ike ai ?oe, ?a?ole au ma ka hana mai ka l? 10 a i ka l? 27 o ?Ianuali. No ke k?ko?o ?enehana, e k?hea i? Kala'i Aiona. In? ka?awale ?ole ?o ia e k?hea i? Keola Donaghy. Mahalo, Liko From mikinakn at SHAW.CA Mon Jan 10 17:01:13 2005 From: mikinakn at SHAW.CA (Rolland Nadjiwon) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 12:01:13 -0500 Subject: Question Message-ID: Thank you Mia for responding...the only posts I have received are from yourself, now, and Phil earlier telling me we are still up and running. However, apparently, I am still capable of receiving and sending. I find the postings interesting and thought provoking although I am not a linguist. My field is literary and critical theory. Within that, I have been interested in the psychocultural impact of folk/tribal cultures moving from a primary orality to writing, even rudimentary. ------- wahjeh rolland nadjiwon ----- Original Message ----- From: "MiaKalish at LFP" To: Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 11:34 AM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question >I think so. We got email just last week when Phil added [ILAT] to the > subject line, and there were some messages from Dr. Penfield. > > Mia From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Mon Jan 10 17:40:07 2005 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (MiaKalish@LFP) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 10:40:07 -0700 Subject: Question Message-ID: Well that sounds very interesting, Rolland. I am kind of interested in how one characterizes a 'folk culture'. The original inhabitants of North & South American were very sophisticated in math, science and communication. However, since the colonists annihilated all the leaders and the the medicine people who maintained, shared and spread such information, and since people recording language only asked questions that paralled their European culture, a lot was lost. Here, we have writing on the rocks, and languages scripted through various lengths of time. Are you in Canada? I looked up www.shaw.ca, and it seems to be a cable or satellite tv company. Yes? Mia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rolland Nadjiwon" To: Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 10:01 AM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question > Thank you Mia for responding...the only posts I have received are from > yourself, now, and Phil earlier telling me we are still up and running. > However, apparently, I am still capable of receiving and sending. > > I find the postings interesting and thought provoking although I am not a > linguist. My field is literary and critical theory. Within that, I have been > interested in the psychocultural impact of folk/tribal cultures moving from > a primary orality to writing, even rudimentary. > > ------- > wahjeh > rolland nadjiwon > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "MiaKalish at LFP" > To: > Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 11:34 AM > Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question > > > >I think so. We got email just last week when Phil added [ILAT] to the > > subject line, and there were some messages from Dr. Penfield. > > > > Mia > > From mrb1 at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 10 18:45:52 2005 From: mrb1 at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Baptiste, Maxine Rose) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 11:45:52 -0700 Subject: Manual on PDF: Technology-Enhanced Language Revitalization In-Reply-To: <001a01c4f1f7$45026ee0$68ba8945@CRIT01> Message-ID: Hi Dr. Penfield, How are you? Hope your holidays wer fun and relaxing. I am writing to see if the course Oral Traditions is still taking place and are there any text books required for the course. Also I would like a hard copy of the book you and Phil Cash Cash put together. Thank you, Maxine Quoting Susan Penfield : > Hi everyone, > > Thanks to Phil's efforts, 'Technology-Enhanced Language Revitalization' ( > Volume #1 - a beginner's manual), is now on PDF --- You can download it > through the 'Projects' link at > http://projects.ltc.arizona.edu/gates/TELR.html. > > This manual was an outcome of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grant > which Phil and I completed this past year. This first volume is very > introductory -- other volumes are planned (the next will be devoted to > language documentation). The manual is large so Phil has conveniently divided > it into separate sections for downloading. > > There have been other upgrades to the website including easier navigation and > better browser capability. > Check it out! > > If you have any questions or comments about the manual, or if you would like > a hard copy, please feel free to contact me directly at > sdp at u.arizona.edu > > > Susan > > > Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. > Department of English > Second Language Acquisition and Teaching > Indigenous Languages and Technology > Language, Reading and culture > University of Arizona, > Tucson, AZ 85721 From CRANEM at MAIL.ECU.EDU Mon Jan 10 19:27:53 2005 From: CRANEM at MAIL.ECU.EDU (Bizzaro, Resa Crane) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 14:27:53 -0500 Subject: Question Message-ID: Happy new year, all! Rolland--I, too, am not a linguist. My field is identity rhetorics and Native Studies. But I have found lots of interesting information (and research help) by being on this list. I look forward to seeing more. Resa -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology on behalf of Rolland Nadjiwon Sent: Mon 1/10/2005 12:01 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Cc: Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question Thank you Mia for responding...the only posts I have received are from yourself, now, and Phil earlier telling me we are still up and running. However, apparently, I am still capable of receiving and sending. I find the postings interesting and thought provoking although I am not a linguist. My field is literary and critical theory. Within that, I have been interested in the psychocultural impact of folk/tribal cultures moving from a primary orality to writing, even rudimentary. ------- wahjeh rolland nadjiwon ----- Original Message ----- From: "MiaKalish at LFP" To: Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 11:34 AM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Question >I think so. We got email just last week when Phil added [ILAT] to the > subject line, and there were some messages from Dr. Penfield. > > Mia From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 10 23:43:11 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 16:43:11 -0700 Subject: Chickasaw Language Preservation Efforts Underway (fwd) Message-ID: Monday, January 10, 2005?-?4:06:52 PM Chickasaw Language Preservation Efforts Underway http://www.kten.com/article.asp?id=5909 >From news release: The Chickasaw language is currently spoken by a relatively small number of older persons. The language is in danger of being lost unless steps are taken to revitalize it, wrote Dr. William J. Pulte in a recently proposed plan to help revitalize the Chickasaw language. Dr. Pulte is one of two highly-qualified linguists who will offer instruction on teaching theory and language curriculum development at Murray State College beginning February 19. These classes are part of a long-term plan to revitalize the Chickasaw language. Dr. Durbin Feeling and Dr. William J. Pulte will teach the course designed to give language facilitators the knowledge of teaching theory and curriculum development needed to help design community-based Chickasaw language classes. Language facilitators will team with fluent Chickasaw speakers as paid employees to design and teach classes for two different groups. Classes will help those who understand and speak some Chickasaw to become fluent speakers. As the number of proficient Chickasaw speakers increases, the scope and number of classes can be increased. Other classes will be structured to teach Chickasaw to those with no knowledge of the language, and will be tailored to age ranges from pre kindergarten, grade school, high school and adults. These classes should complement each other as parents learn to talk to their Head Start through college age children. Current plans are to continue offering language classes for language facilitators who will team with fluent speakers to teach community-based classes on an ongoing basis. Dr. Feeling has more than 25 years experience planning and teaching Cherokee courses in northeastern Oklahoma and is a leader among Native American language specialists. Dr. Pulte is the author of a pioneering study of Chickasaw that pointed out for the first time significant differences between the Chickasaw and Choctaw languages. He is a nationally known linguist who specializes in the study of Native American languages and has worked with bilingual programs serving Cherokee, Choctaw and Spanish speaking students. Dr. Pulte and Dr. Feeling will be assisted as needed by Dr. Abigail Bartoshesky, an expert in methods and techniques proven effective in language teaching. Dr. Bartoshesky recently completed her doctorate in language teaching at George Washington University, where she worked with some of the most outstanding specialists in the field of language learning. Language Facilitators Needed Language facilitators and fluent Chickasaw speakers are being sought for a plan to revitalize and preserve the Chickasaw language. A three-hour college-credit class in language teaching methods will be offered through Murray State College six Saturdays beginning February 19 and ending April 9. Approximately 30 students will be accepted into the class. This class is designed to provide language facilitators with the knowledge and skills needed to work with fluent speakers in offering community based language classes beginning in summer 2005. Several paid positions are being created for fluent speakers of Chickasaw and language facilitators who will pair up as teaching teams in various communities across the Chickasaw Nation. These community-based classes will be open to the public at no charge. Ideal candidates for language facilitators will have some knowledge of Chickasaw and some teaching experience. A teaching certificate is not required and teaching experience can be as informal as teaching a Sunday school class or as formal as classroom teaching. For information, contact Terri Haney at (580) 332-8478 From mona at ALLIESMEDIAART.COM Tue Jan 11 02:32:06 2005 From: mona at ALLIESMEDIAART.COM (MM Smith) Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 20:32:06 -0600 Subject: Hmmmm..... Message-ID: ?? -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 83 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 60 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- Rats Can Tell Languages Apart -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 152 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 123 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- The ability to distinguish between two different languages is not unique to humans. New research indicates that rats can manage this as well, making them the third type of mammal with this documented ability. Juan M. Toro and his colleagues at the Parc Cientific de Barcelona in Spain studied 16 rats exposed to sentences spoken in either Japanese or Dutch. The researchers trained the animals to push a lever in response to a specific sentence, and then played sentences in the other language as well. Rats that were trained to respond to Dutch did not push the lever after hearing Japanese and vice versa. Moreover, the creatures could differentiate between Japanese and Dutch sentences that they hadn't previously listened to. The rats' abilities were somewhat limited, however: when different speakers were used for each sentence, the animals encountered more difficulty telling them apart. Nevertheless, Toro says "It was striking to find that rats can track certain information that seems to be so important in language development in humans." Previously, the ability to distinguish one type of speech from another had been observed only in humans and tamarin monkeys. But just because rats share this skill with humans does not mean the animals utilize it in the same manner that we do. "Rats have not evolved the ability to track prosodic [rhythmic and intonational] clues for linguistic requirements," Toro explains. "It is more likely that they do it as a byproduct of other abilities that have some evolutionary relevance for them." The scientists present their findings in the January issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes. --Sarah Graham -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 1776 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 48 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trans.gif Type: image/gif Size: 43 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- ? 1996-2005 Scientific American, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: text/enriched Size: 191 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Tue Jan 11 16:52:58 2005 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Donald Z. Osborn) Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 10:52:58 -0600 Subject: CFP: UNESCO-IFAP funding for projects Message-ID: FYI... this item seems to be an interesting opportunity (it is making the rounds of several lists - pardon the duplicate posting). Don Osborn Bisharat.net UNESCO Calls for Proposals of Projects for Funding Under Information for All Programme 29-12-2004 (UNESCO) http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=17828&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html UNESCO calls for proposals for projects to be funded by its Information for All Programme, an international information society initiative launched in 2001. Proposals with budgets ranging from approximately US$25,000 (national projects) to US$45,000 (international projects) should cover one of three areas: information literacy, preservation of information, and ethical, legal and societal implications of the information society. Projects shall have specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time bound objectives and be operationally, technically and financially feasible. They must include an evaluation component. Projects submitted should also contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and correspond to the areas of the Action Plan adopted by the World Summit on the Information Society. Project applicants must complete on-line project proposals forms at http://www.unesco.org/webworld/ifapprojects, where detailed submission guidelines are available. Applications must be submitted no later than 20 February 2005. The Information for All Programme (IFAP) provides a framework for international co-operation and international and regional partnerships. It supports the development of common strategies, methods and tools for building inclusive, open and pluralistic knowledge societies and for narrowing the gap between the information rich and the information poor. IFAP contribute to the fulfillment of UNESCO's mandate to contribute to "education for all", to the "free exchange of ideas and knowledge" and to "increase the means of communication between peoples". The Special Fund of the Information for All Programme (IFAP Special Fund) is supported by voluntary contributions from UNESCO Member States or any other donors. The total level of funding available for 2005 is US$750,000. -- From jtucker at STARBAND.NET Tue Jan 11 19:46:23 2005 From: jtucker at STARBAND.NET (Jan Tucker) Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 14:46:23 -0500 Subject: Question In-Reply-To: <001101c4f463$ec6d6b30$167e4c18@Nadjiwon> Message-ID: Greetings Rolland, I've been lurking on ILAT and have learned so much from reading the posts. I'm an applied cultural anthropologist by training and a virtual professor of race and ethnic relations, applied anthro, sociology and what ever they throw my way to teach. This discussion forum has been the balance of information in my reading of contemporary cultural revitalization in terms of language. I appreciate the scholarly updates and the community partnerships and issues of integrating indigenous fluent language speakers into educational efforts. I've also learned a great deal about technology and language revitalization that I had no idea existed or were in the works. So often the information I receive is negative, I do see good things happening from the posts in here for language revitalization. Jan Tucker -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]On Behalf Of Rolland Nadjiwon Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2005 9:52 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Question Is ILAT still alive and running? Excuse the query. ------- wahjeh rolland nadjiwon From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 14 19:36:41 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 12:36:41 -0700 Subject: Tribal voices rise again (fwd) Message-ID: Article published Jan 14, 2005 Tribal voices rise again Students learn Chitimacha language Richard Burgess rburgess at theadvertiser http://www.theadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050114/NEWS01/501140315/1002 CHARENTON - The hands shoot up as Sandra "Sam" Boutte points to her leg. "Leg," blurts out one of the fifth-graders. "Sitimaxanki," the teacher says. "Say it in Chitimacha." "Wix," another student answers. The teacher nods and moves on to arms, fingers, head. After class at the Chitimacha Tribal School, fifth-grader Taylor Darden sees a vision of the future when asked about her lesson. "It would be nice for me and my kids ... it would be nice for us to have a conversation in Chitimacha," she said. It's a vision shared by a small group hoping to revive the language of Darden's Native American ancestors, a language that was teetering on the edge of extinction. Chitimacha lost its last fluent speaker in 1940. That year might have marked the end of the language had it not been for a group of government ethnographers who recorded and studied Chitimacha speakers in the early 20th century - and a small group now determined to revive the language. "There was a movement to document endangered languages, and we just got lucky," said Chitimacha Tribe Cultural Director Kim Walden. The Chitimacha language, believed to have been spoken for 7,000 years, was the victim of the countless indignities suffered by Native Americans across the country during forced assimilation. "We had never heard the language spoken, only a few words," Walden said. "My grandparents were ordered not to speak it, like what was done with the (Cajun) French." >From the old recordings - done on wax cylinders - field notes from the ethnographers and bits of the language remembered by elders, the Chitimacha tribe has developed a curriculum to teach the language that starts with students as early as six weeks old. The tribe contracted in 1997 with linguist Julian Granberry, who had learned the basics of Chitimacha while studying a distantly related native language. Walden said Granberry was given a test of sorts to determine if he was credible. Elders who had heard the language as children were brought to meet with the linguist to determine if they recognized what he was saying. "He asked if anyone had memories of the language, and it was silent. No one said they did, and I knew better," Walden said. Then Granberry spoke a few words in Chitimacha. "There were ladies who hadn't heard the language since they were children and had tears in their eyes," Walden said. The tribe developed a teaching packet and first sent it out to all tribal members in 1997. The school program began in 1999, and two teachers now work full time on language instruction. The tribe is planning on publishing an in-depth grammar guide and dictionary this year. "The Chitimacha have gone the farthest from the zero base than any other tribe in the country," said Granberry, a part-Mississippi Choctaw who runs the Florida-based Native American Language Services and works with several Native American groups in language revitalization efforts. "I would say in another decade, at the most, there will be a new first generation of Chitimacha speakers." Out of roughly 1,070 tribal members, 121 are enrolled in language classes. Most are in the four-day-a-week courses required in kindergarten through eighth grade. Instruction is also given at the tribal daycare center, and special classes are held for adults and elders interested in the language. "The scary part to me is that the language was one generation from becoming extinct," said Carolyn Savage, who teaches Chitimacha at the tribal daycare and to adults. Savage, who is 58, said she remembered hearing Chitimacha only once when she was growing up. She said she felt like something was missing in her life when she grew older and came into contact with other Native American groups that had retained more of their culture. "The only reason we knew we were Indian was because we lived on a reservation and went to school on a reservation," she said. "We were told we were Chitimacha, but we didn't know what that meant." Now, Savage is giddy when she hears her students speak. "I see them all over town and when they say something to me in Chitimacha, it's exciting," she said. In the language classroom at the tribal school, the teachers are trying everything they can to excite the students. They play Chitimacha bingo, sing Chitimacha renderings of "Humpty Dumpty" and "Jack and Jill." "We do a game called 'Who Wants to Learn Chitimacha?' kind of like 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' " said Boutte, the teacher. Boutte admits she sometimes gives her students a hard time when they slack off, reminding them of the importance of their culture. "Sometimes we don't feel like learning, but she kind of convinces us to learn it, talks about our history," Darden said. The challenge now is to encourage the use of the language outside the classroom. Chitimacha has been integrated into ceremonies and tribal staff meetings. There's talk of Chitimacha street signs and classes that bring in entire families. All the while, the teachers stay just a few steps ahead of the students in developing fluency. "Before I die, I want to be fluent in the language," Savage said. " ... To me, that is a dream, sitting when I'm older and speaking with younger children in Chitimacha." From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Sun Jan 16 05:20:33 2005 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 00:20:33 -0500 Subject: More on Andamanese Message-ID: Hello again. As more reports come in about the situation in the Andaman and Nicobar islands affected by the earthquake and tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004 it is clear that the picture on the ground is still unsettled in some places. The Indian government administrative line is still that all the Andamanese came through with no casualties, but other news reports say some groups, such as the Sentinelese (with whom there is no real contact) may have taken a hit. Remember also that the medical, food and water facts may change the numbers. Reports about "instinctual" behaviors having saved those who lived are giving way to more enlightened ones about tribals' cultural knowledge (when you see the sea recede after a big quake, run like hell to the high ground). Foreign reporters have been sneaking illegally onto reserves to take shots of the quaint natives- trading trinkets for usable posed footage- and military personnel have facilitated this. Now that this has been brought to the attention of the authorities, such footage will now be inspected before the reporters can leave the islands (though I don't know how this will work for electronic data, or same already transmitted). Aid has been diverted from tribals by some in the military, by local administrators, etc. This of course is apparently widespread in the region, where racial and caste considerations are taking center stage. Only foreign pressure can change this, since the government won't admit it has a problem publicly, and only steps in to change things when caught red-handed (and even then one may need to keep the spotlight focussed to force follow-through). My own belief is that this is a big part of what drives the denial of access to foreign NGO's - no need to let the outside world see all the dirty laundry. Those of you in the US old enough to remember the civil rights struggle in the South in the 50's and 60's may recall similar attitudes about interfering northerners. In any case here is a link from the Associated Press from Jan 16 that might give you a taste of something hopeful, maybe. The link is: http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050116/ap/d87ks9g82.html Jess Tauber phonosemantics at earthlink.net From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 17 02:29:23 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 16 Jan 2005 19:29:23 -0700 Subject: New Aboriginal curriculum a model (fwd) Message-ID: Published on TaipeiTimes http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2005/01/16/2003219606 New Aboriginal curriculum a model PRESERVING CULTURES: The editor of a pioneering new curriculum that covers 40 Aboriginal languages said that the work will serve as a global example By Mo Yan-chih STAFF REPORTER Sunday, Jan 16, 2005 The first government-edited Aboriginal Languages Curriculum has reached its final editing stage, and is expected to be published this year. Editor in chief of the curriculum materials Lin Hsiu-che (???), an ethnology professor at the Center for Aboriginal Languages Culture Education at National Chengchi University, said the pioneering new curriculum is a model for similar efforts across the globe. "All Aboriginal languages in Taiwan, as well as in other parts of the world, are on the verge of extinction," Lin said in a press conference held on Friday to showcase the sample textbook. "Taiwan is in a leading position globally in terms of editing curriculum materials for aboriginal languages. The curriculum helps preserve the disappearing languages and further shows our appreciation of Aboriginal cultures." The curriculum, which covers 40 languages and dialects from the 12 Aboriginal Peoples in Taiwan, is co-sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the Council of Indigenous Peoples. The Center for Aboriginal Languages Culture Education is authorized to lead the editing of the curriculum. The design of the curriculum is based on the premise of localization and practicality. Both the contents and the pictures in the textbooks are carefully researched and reviewed by editors and respected tribal elders. In addition to the textbooks, there is also an online edition to help students learn and practice the curriculum outside the classroom. Lin said that Aboriginal language classes are only taught one hour per week in most schools. This learning Web site will provide students with more chance to practice what they learn in schools. Minister of Education Tu Cheng-sheng (???) said the curriculum is valuable because the editing team has designed specific curriculums for each of the 40 Aboriginal languages. "As the first complete set of Aboriginal languages curriculum, this material will be able to fully preserve all Aboriginal languages," said Tu. Council of Indigenous Peoples Chairman Chen Chien-nien (???) also praised the editing team's work since many Aboriginal dialects are disappearing. He further pledged to develop a better system to cultivate and hire certified teachers. "Qualified teachers will help bring the curriculum materials into full usage. And we hope Aboriginal language education will be spread out from schools to tribes, families and even the public," Chen said. Since the beginning of the Nine-Year Educational Program launched in 2001, the Ministry of Education has added the Aboriginal languages classes as required classes in elementary schools. According to the program, all the cities and counties with Aboriginal students need to prepare Aboriginal language classes. In the past, the language textbooks were designed by local governments and Aboriginal language curriculum materials have not been organized and unified. While the new curriculum, whose textbooks are already sent out to schools with Aboriginal language classes, has won many acknowledgments, it also drew some criticism. Aziman Isdana, an Aboriginal language teacher in Nantou County's Tongpu Elementary School, has been teaching Bunan dialects since last year. He complained that there are many grammatical and pronunciation mistakes in the textbooks, and some of the contents are simply too hard for first and second-graders. "My students often tell me that Aboriginal languages are harder than English," Aziman said. In addition, both the limited class hours and the fact that test scores from the language classes do not count in semester transcripts discourages students from taking the class seriously. Aziman suggested the government should establish some rules, such as adding the scores of the language classes to semester transcripts, so that schools can follow such standards and provide a more positive learning environment for Aboriginal languages. Feng Ya-Chun (???), secretary of the Indigenous Peoples Commission of the Taipei City Government, said that while she is happy to see the government complete a set of Aboriginal language curriculum materials, it is even more crucial to encourage the public at large to learn Aboriginal languages. "The Taipei City Indigenous Peoples Commission for example, has adopted a movement called `Language Nest' from New Zealand, which established the program with an attempt to immerse children in the Maori language," Feng said. Feng added that the commission may consider using the government-edition textbooks for the program if the government wants to integrate their curriculum materials with the language nest program. Copyright ? 1999-2005 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved. From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET Mon Jan 17 19:21:31 2005 From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 12:21:31 -0700 Subject: Smithsonian joins U. to log tribal languages (fwd) Message-ID: Deseret Morning News, Monday, January 17, 2005 http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,600105377,00.html Smithsonian joins U. to log tribal languages By Stephen Speckman Deseret Morning News Out of 175 American Indian languages, only about 20 are being taught to children as generations of Indians die off and leave little or no evidence of their languages or cultures. -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: a011705lan.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 43270 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: xclear.gif Type: image/gif Size: 44 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- [Desert Morning News graphic] "This is probably the hottest topic in linguistics right now," said Lyle Campbell, director of the University of Utah's Center for American Indian Languages (CAIL). "The languages are becoming extinct at such an accelerated rate. "This is a worldwide problem," Campbell added. "All of the Utah (Indian) languages are in trouble." It's a big enough problem that the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., has decided to partner with the U. center in an effort to record and archive Indian languages, stories and cultural histories in video, audio and book form. When languages are lost, Campbell said, "then we're all diminished, because we don't have access to their experiences." One of the U.'s current projects, funded by an ongoing grant, involves the preservation of endangered languages in northern Argentina and Brazil. The Smithsonian is lending its support to the U. center with the use of linguists and anthropologists. "They have very similar interests to ours, so it was a natural collaboration," Campbell said. "We'll be able to get more people involved ? we need more human resources." Unique collections of endangered languages are kept in the National Anthropological Archives, which is housed in the National Museum of Natural History. Within that museum is the Department of Anthropology's senior linguist, Ives Goddard, who said the department's staff has made the study of Native American languages a priority for over 150 years. The one-of-a-kind arrangement with the U. will have students traveling to Washington to work with Smithsonian collections and staff. "We realized that we were both thinking along the same lines after the appointment of Lyle Campbell to head CAIL last year," Goddard said. After two meetings in Washington, the two sides drew up a declaration of shared interests and goals. The Smithsonian partnership will be housed in the same building at Fort Douglas on the U. campus where U. professor of linguistics Mauricio J. Mixco has been working on a language preservation project, funded by the National Science Foundation. Mixco is part of four teams sifting through 120 audio tapes filled with interviews, stories and anecdotes from members of the Shoshone tribe. The recordings date back to the 1960s and 1970s, when anthropological linguist Wick R. Miller ventured onto reservations with a curiosity and a tape recorder. Miller left the tapes behind as part of his estate. Mixco's project has been in the exploratory phase since its beginning last September. The teams will act as audio archaeologists, uncovering legends and histories that have not been heard since they were recorded, according to Mixco. "All Shoshone in the Great Basin area will uncover a huge library of their history," Mixco said. The recordings will be digitally preserved and rendered archive-ready, which means greater access to those who want to learn more about Shoshone Indians and their language. With only about 20 percent of the tribe still speaking the language, Mixco estimates that the Shoshone dialect could be nonexistent within 20 or 25 years. "Here's the question around the world: 'Are children learning the language?' " Mixco said. "If it's 'No,' then that's the death warrant." In places like Hawaii and New Zealand, where there are larger communities of indigenous speakers, "language nests" have helped revive dying languages, Mixco said. The "grandparent generation" in these areas was organized into groups that included children, who were taught the language once spoken regularly by their elders. It's estimated that more than 2,000 languages were once spoken throughout the Americas, with fewer than 200 remaining in North America and 450 in Latin America. Worldwide, it's expected that 90 percent of all languages will not survive this century or that, best case, as many as 50 percent will die off, according the U. center. "Linguists are racing against time to study and understand the languages spoken by small groups around the world before they are replaced by regional and national languages in the onslaught of globalization," Goddard said. "This effort is critical to our ability to understand the possibilities of human language in general and will be crucial to all future attempts to understand the basic principles that underlie all languages, including our own." E-mail: sspeckman at desnews.com ? 2005 Deseret News Publishing Company From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET Mon Jan 17 19:49:21 2005 From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 12:49:21 -0700 Subject: analog-to-digital devices In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Thanks Felicity. Just recently Sony released into the market a digital device which burns directly to DVD from a camcorder or VCR input (without any a computer connection!). However, it too has its limitations (see review). In the end though I imagine this development trend in analogue-to-digital devices will only get better and cheaper. PC Magazine http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1750312,00.asp Phil Cash Cash UofA On Jan 3, 2005, at 4:02 PM, Felicity Meakins wrote: > Hello everyone, > >> Video (analog-to-digital) >> >> Canopus ADVC-100 >> http://www.simplydv.co.uk/advc100.html > > Just to add to the review of these devices. We (Katherine Regional > Aboriginal Language Centre (Australia)) were convinced to buy one of > these > devices. We found it worked only sporadically and it was better to use > a > digital video camera as an analogue/digital adapter. Of course it > could have > just been our Canopus, but you could save yourself some money anyway > if you > have already have a digital video camera. > > Felicity Meakins > Melbourne Uni, Australia > From justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU Mon Jan 17 22:55:57 2005 From: justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU (Justin Spence) Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:25:57 +0930 Subject: DV storage options Message-ID: Dear ILATers (ILATists? ILATicians?), I'm a linguist working for Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) Australia's Northern Territory. I'm new to the list and to endangered language work in general and am hoping someone out there might be able to help clarify a few issues related to digital video storage. In a nutshell, we record things on DV cassette and edit them with Final Cut Pro 3 on a Power Mac G4, but up 'til now we've been unable to keep digital master copies of our finished projects due to lack of disk space. Instead we've generally been exporting the final edit to VHS and then deleting the intermediate files from the G4 (so we're left with the raw footage on DVC and an analog master of the final edit on VHS). Since we're probably losing some quality and flexibility in the digital-to-analog conversion, we're exploring our options for keeping digital masters. One possibility is storing them on DV cassette. I've been able to do this from iMovie, but is this possible from FC Pro? Also, my understanding of DV technology is quite shaky here: Is there quality lost in (a) transferring raw footage to the G4 in the first place and/or (b) transferring edited footage back to DV cassette (if this is even possible with FC Pro)? Although both (a) and (b) are digital-to-digital transfers via firewire, this doesn't seem quite the same as just copying files since things like "frames per second" are involved. (We import things to the G4 using the "DV PAL 48 kHz" setting in FC Pro). Is DV cassette even a reasonable option for long-term storage? The other major option on the table is to buy some large-capacity hard disks, but then we have the problem of how to back everything up and who on staff will have the skills to cope with inevitable disk snafus. How have others out there tackled these issues? Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer! -- Justin Spence Southwest Linguist Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 e: justin.spence at kathlangcentre.org.au p: (08) 89 711 233 f: (08) 89 710 561 From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Wed Jan 19 06:00:35 2005 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Donald Z. Osborn) Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 00:00:35 -0600 Subject: "Bilingual Education in South America" Message-ID: FYI... (forwarded from the Linguist list). DZO Date: 11-Jan-2005 From: Kathryn King Subject: Bilingual Education in South America: de Mejia (Ed) Title: Bilingual Education in South America Series Title: Bilingual Education & Bilingualism Published: 2005 Publisher: Multilingual Matters http://www.multilingual-matters.com/ Book URL: http://www.multilingual-matters.com/multi/display.asp?isb=1853598194 Editor: Anne-Marie de Mejia, Hardback: ISBN: 1853598194 Pages: 140 Price: U.K. ? 29.95 Hardback: ISBN: 1853598194 Pages: 140 Price: U.S. $ 54.95 Abstract: This book presents a vision of bilingual education in six South American nations: three Andean countries, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, and three 'Southern Cone' countries, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. It provides an integrated perspective, including work carried out in majority as well as minority language contexts, referring to developments in the fields of indigeneous, Deaf, and international bilingual and multilingual provision. Linguistic Field(s): Sociolinguistics Written In: English (ENG ) See this book announcement on our website: http://linguistlist.org/get-book.html?BookID=12931 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 19 17:45:52 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 10:45:52 -0700 Subject: In defence of 'lost' languages (fwd) Message-ID: In defence of 'lost' languages By Duncan Walker BBC News Of the 6,000-odd languages in the world, one is said to disappear every fortnight. Should the English-speaking world care? Somewhere on the remote Timor Sea coast of north Australia lives Patrick Nudjulu, one of three remaining speakers of Mati Ke. It is problem enough that one of the other speakers doesn't live nearby and speaks a slightly different dialect. But the 60-year-old Aborigine also has to cope with the fact the other speaker is his sister - who traditional culture has forbidden him from speaking to since puberty. Patrick's language then, is almost certainly going to die out. It's not the only one. The problem is repeated to various degrees in practically every country, with dialects vanishing under the weight of major languages like English, says the writer Mark Abley. 'Pathetic' It was 10 years ago that Mr Abley's interest in these disappearing dialects was sparked by an elderly woman in Quebec, Canada, trying to teach Abenaki to other members of her native American community. [inset - WORDS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED Coghal - big lump of dead flesh after a wound is opened (Manx) Tkhetsikhe'tenhawihtennihs - I am bringing sugar to somebody (Mohawk - Canada and USA) Puijilittatuq - he does not know which way to turn because of the many seals he has seen come to the ice surface (Inuktitut - Canadian Arctic) Tl'imshya'isita'itlma - He invites people to a feast (Nootka - Canada)] "I thought it was poignant and pathetic," says Mr Abley. "But I later realised it was also very interesting that she had the passion to do everything she could to revive her language." Movies, computer games, music and TV shows do not get made in minority languages and so the dialects start to become the preserve of the old, says the author of Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages. "One of the main things that's happening is that young people all over the world are being exposed to 21st Century culture, which is very often arriving in the form of English," he says. Parrot talk That languages occasionally disappear is nothing new. Some 200 years ago the German explorer Alexander von Humboldt stumbled upon the village of Maypures, near the Orinoco river, in what's now Venezuela. [inset - MORE WORDS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED Onsra - to love for the last time (Boro - NE India and Bangladesh) Sjonvarp - television (Faroese - a language in good health) Nartutaka - small plum-like fruit for which there is no English word (Wangkajunga, central Australia) Th'alatel - a device for the heart (Halkomelem, Canada)] While there he heard a parrot speaking and asked the villagers what it was saying. None knew since the parrot spoke Atures and was its last native speaker. But such changes - whether they are caused by war, famine, marriage or mass media - should not mean the loss of dialects is acceptable, says Mr Abley. English and other major languages, while often acting as a democratising force, do not always reflect the breadth of meaning in the language they supersede. The Inuit language of Inuktitut, for example, has many verbs for the word "know", ranging from "utsimavaa" - meaning he or she knows from experience to "nalunaiqpaa" - he or she is no longer unaware of something. "The point is that it's not just picturesque details that are lost if a language dies out, it's also a whole way of understanding human experience." Welsh porn Most attempts to revive threatened languages flounder, but they can succeed - particularly if they become a part of popular culture. Think Lisa Simpson and her recent flag-waving on behalf of Cornish and the teaching of Manx in Isle of Man schools. But it is Welsh that stands out as a "great example", with popular TV soap operas made in the language and bands like Super Furry Animals and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci recording in it. There's even been a pornographic novel written entirely in Welsh. "That's all for the good because it means the language is flourishing," says Mr Abley. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/4172085.stm Published: 2005/01/19 10:39:39 GMT ? BBC MMV From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 19 19:25:19 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:25:19 -0700 Subject: DV storage options In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Hi Justin, I can provide a few comments on a DV videotape archive. The word from the LAFCPUG (Los Angeles Final Cut Pro user Group http://www.lafcpug.org/tutorials.html ) is that quality brand DVC tape is good for at least 20 years. In FCP 3, I believe it is possible to transfer directly to DV videotape (check the the user manual Vol. 1 page 322) but I am not sure what the actual steps are for doing so. The international settings are the DV-PAL codec which is 25 frames-per-sec, which is appropriate in your case, as opposed the US standard which is the DV-NTSC codec at 29.97 frames-per-sec. The recent versions of FCP HD also have the DVPRO HD codec which takes advantage of the latest HD technology. But for now, the DV-PAL and DV-NTSC codecs are the most widely used transfer formats. The word in the EMELD school (http://emeld.org/ ), and I may wrong on this, is that MPEG-4 compression is the desirable standard for archving digital video whereas industry standards usually follow a MPEG-2 compression standard (DVD quality). The Sorensen standard rivals the MPEG-4 standard so you have several options. Ideally, transfering film clips digital-to-digital should result in virtually no loss in information. However, the manner in which this is done can take several avenues. A minimal set-up would be a single camera and a Mac G4 with FCP (and an analog VHS recorder). The limits of your archive would be the limits of your hard drive storage and with standard Mac G4s this is not a lot of storage! In any film project the maxim is - storage is everything and you can never get enough of it. So you have four options. The first is to continue with what you are doing (which may not really be an option). The second is to buy storage. This may not be so bad as storage is getting better and cheaper. But for archiving film clips you will want a particular kind of storage that is suitable to film projects (meaning you want to be able to playback your film clips at suitable editing speeds). Take a look at the recent RAID technology (http://www.videoguys.com/gtech.html ) as this may be a nice afforable option for storage, one that I am seriously considering. The third option will be to purchase a digital video tape deck (like the Sony GV-D800). These little tape decks are handy for a number of reasons, the first of which is you are able to transfer digit-to-digital (camera to digital video tape deck) fairly easy without having to go thru a desktop computer. Once you create a copy you can use the copy for playback onto a tv or Mac. Finally, an added (fairly new) option is transferring your film to DVD. Of course, for your Mac G4, you will have to have DVD Studio Pro (a bit of a high learning curve but am not sure about the most recent version). The newest DVD discs are now being made with scratch resistant surfaces and some are able to double their storage capacity (Blue Ray technology is one of the buzz words I think). Anyway, these are just a few suggestions based on my limited experience in working with FCPRO and student filmmaking. Phil Cash Cash (cayuse/nez perce) UofA > ----- Message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU --------- > Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:25:57 +0930 > From: Justin Spence > Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology > Subject: [ILAT] DV storage options > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > > Dear ILATers (ILATists? ILATicians?), > > I'm a linguist working for Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation > (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) Australia's Northern > Territory. I'm new to the list and to endangered language work in > general > and am hoping someone out there might be able to help clarify a few > issues > related to digital video storage. > > In a nutshell, we record things on DV cassette and edit them with > Final Cut > Pro 3 on a Power Mac G4, but up 'til now we've been unable to keep > digital > master copies of our finished projects due to lack of disk space. > Instead > we've generally been exporting the final edit to VHS and then > deleting the > intermediate files from the G4 (so we're left with the raw footage on > DVC > and an analog master of the final edit on VHS). > > Since we're probably losing some quality and flexibility in the > digital-to-analog conversion, we're exploring our options for keeping > digital masters. One possibility is storing them on DV cassette. > I've been > able to do this from iMovie, but is this possible from FC Pro? Also, > my > understanding of DV technology is quite shaky here: Is there quality > lost > in (a) transferring raw footage to the G4 in the first place and/or > (b) > transferring edited footage back to DV cassette (if this is even > possible > with FC Pro)? Although both (a) and (b) are digital-to-digital > transfers > via firewire, this doesn't seem quite the same as just copying files > since > things like "frames per second" are involved. (We import things to > the G4 > using the "DV PAL 48 kHz" setting in FC Pro). > > Is DV cassette even a reasonable option for long-term storage? The > other > major option on the table is to buy some large-capacity hard disks, > but then > we have the problem of how to back everything up and who on staff > will have > the skills to cope with inevitable disk snafus. > > How have others out there tackled these issues? > > Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer! > > -- > Justin Spence > Southwest Linguist > Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation > (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) > PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 > e: justin.spence at kathlangcentre.org.au > p: (08) 89 711 233 > f: (08) 89 710 561 > > > ----- End message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU ----- From justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU Thu Jan 20 02:19:11 2005 From: justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU (Justin Spence) Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 11:49:11 +0930 Subject: DV storage options In-Reply-To: <1106162719.aeaaf359b0a5c@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hi Phil, Thanks so much for your comments! I'll play around with FC Pro some more and try to muster the patience to actually read the you-know-what manual; the possibility of scratch-resistant DVDs is appealing as well. I took a look at the external RAID drive you pointed out on the videoguys website. Is it correct that there's no speed advantage in using internal vs. external firewire drives for video capture and playback? I'd been assuming that there would be (since our older firewire connection is limited to max. transfer rate of 50Mbytes/second), but after some research it seems that most hard drives' sustained transfer rate (STR) is generally less than 40Mbytes/second, that is, less than the STR of the firewire (and the total STR is equal to the STR of the slowest part of the connection). cf. http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Buyers_Guide/HardDrives.jsp http://www.glyphtech.com/site/technology_firewire.html Also, I'm trying to get a handle on where exactly STR logjams can occur in transferring footage to and from DV cassette. The camera is connected to the firewire, which is connected to the firewire port in the back of the computer, which is connected to the motherboard; on the other end, the hard drive is connected to the motherboard. Are there any other relevant connections in this data transfer chain? Does the quality of one's video/graphics card matter for capture, or only for playback? (There is output on the monitor when doing video capture, but is the incoming data stream from the firewire routed through the video card on its way to the hard drive, or is the video card getting a separate stream? Finally, although there might not be a speed advantage in using internal hard drives, this option might turn out to be cheaper. The G4 has bays for up to four hard drives (including the boot drive) and OS X has a built-in software RAID configuration tool. But I've gathered that software-based RAID is less than optimal since it saps processor cycles and can lead to problems if the boot drive fails (see http://www.uni-mainz.de/~neuffer/scsi/what_is_raid.html). Do you (or does anyone else) have experience with the Mac RAID software? Or any recommendations for a (Mac-compatible) ATA RAID controller for 2 or 3 disks? I hope these questions aren't too tedious for everyone on the list... Justin > From: phil cash cash > Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology > Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:25:19 -0700 > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: Re: [ILAT] DV storage options > > Hi Justin, > > I can provide a few comments on a DV videotape archive. The word from > the LAFCPUG (Los Angeles Final Cut Pro user Group > http://www.lafcpug.org/tutorials.html ) is that quality brand DVC tape > is good for at least 20 years. > > In FCP 3, I believe it is possible to transfer directly to DV videotape > (check the the user manual Vol. 1 page 322) but I am not sure what the > actual steps are for doing so. The international settings are the > DV-PAL codec which is 25 frames-per-sec, which is appropriate in your > case, as opposed the US standard which is the DV-NTSC codec at 29.97 > frames-per-sec. The recent versions of FCP HD also have the DVPRO HD > codec which takes advantage of the latest HD technology. But for now, > the DV-PAL and DV-NTSC codecs are the most widely used transfer > formats. The word in the EMELD school (http://emeld.org/ ), and I may > wrong on this, is that MPEG-4 compression is the desirable standard for > archving digital video whereas industry standards usually follow a > MPEG-2 compression standard (DVD quality). The Sorensen standard > rivals the MPEG-4 standard so you have several options. > > Ideally, transfering film clips digital-to-digital should result in > virtually no loss in information. However, the manner in which this is > done can take several avenues. A minimal set-up would be a single > camera and a Mac G4 with FCP (and an analog VHS recorder). The limits > of your archive would be the limits of your hard drive storage and with > standard Mac G4s this is not a lot of storage! In any film project the > maxim is - storage is everything and you can never get enough of it. > > So you have four options. The first is to continue with what you are > doing (which may not really be an option). The second is to buy > storage. This may not be so bad as storage is getting better and > cheaper. But for archiving film clips you will want a particular kind > of storage that is suitable to film projects (meaning you want to be > able to playback your film clips at suitable editing speeds). Take a > look at the recent RAID technology (http://www.videoguys.com/gtech.html > ) as this may be a nice afforable option for storage, one that I am > seriously considering. The third option will be to purchase a digital > video tape deck (like the Sony GV-D800). These little tape decks are > handy for a number of reasons, the first of which is you are able to > transfer digit-to-digital (camera to digital video tape deck) fairly > easy without having to go thru a desktop computer. Once you create a > copy you can use the copy for playback onto a tv or Mac. Finally, an > added (fairly new) option is transferring your film to DVD. Of course, > for your Mac G4, you will have to have DVD Studio Pro (a bit of a high > learning curve but am not sure about the most recent version). The > newest DVD discs are now being made with scratch resistant surfaces and > some are able to double their storage capacity (Blue Ray technology is > one of the buzz words I think). > > Anyway, these are just a few suggestions based on my limited experience > in working with FCPRO and student filmmaking. > > Phil Cash Cash (cayuse/nez perce) > UofA > > > >> ----- Message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU --------- >> Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:25:57 +0930 >> From: Justin Spence >> Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology > >> Subject: [ILAT] DV storage options >> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >> >> Dear ILATers (ILATists? ILATicians?), >> >> I'm a linguist working for Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation >> (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) Australia's Northern >> Territory. I'm new to the list and to endangered language work in >> general >> and am hoping someone out there might be able to help clarify a few >> issues >> related to digital video storage. >> >> In a nutshell, we record things on DV cassette and edit them with >> Final Cut >> Pro 3 on a Power Mac G4, but up 'til now we've been unable to keep >> digital >> master copies of our finished projects due to lack of disk space. >> Instead >> we've generally been exporting the final edit to VHS and then >> deleting the >> intermediate files from the G4 (so we're left with the raw footage on >> DVC >> and an analog master of the final edit on VHS). >> >> Since we're probably losing some quality and flexibility in the >> digital-to-analog conversion, we're exploring our options for keeping >> digital masters. One possibility is storing them on DV cassette. >> I've been >> able to do this from iMovie, but is this possible from FC Pro? Also, >> my >> understanding of DV technology is quite shaky here: Is there quality >> lost >> in (a) transferring raw footage to the G4 in the first place and/or >> (b) >> transferring edited footage back to DV cassette (if this is even >> possible >> with FC Pro)? Although both (a) and (b) are digital-to-digital >> transfers >> via firewire, this doesn't seem quite the same as just copying files >> since >> things like "frames per second" are involved. (We import things to >> the G4 >> using the "DV PAL 48 kHz" setting in FC Pro). >> >> Is DV cassette even a reasonable option for long-term storage? The >> other >> major option on the table is to buy some large-capacity hard disks, >> but then >> we have the problem of how to back everything up and who on staff >> will have >> the skills to cope with inevitable disk snafus. >> >> How have others out there tackled these issues? >> >> Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer! >> >> -- >> Justin Spence >> Southwest Linguist >> Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation >> (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) >> PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 >> e: justin.spence at kathlangcentre.org.au >> p: (08) 89 711 233 >> f: (08) 89 710 561 >> >> >> ----- End message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU ----- From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 20 17:38:24 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 10:38:24 -0700 Subject: Online technology used to preserve Choctaw language (fwd) Message-ID: Online technology used to preserve Choctaw language By Ken Studer Herald Democrat http://www.heralddemocrat.com/articles/2005/01/20/local_news/iq_1715132.txt DURANT - Choctaw Nation is combining history with the future by using the newest online technology to preserve its native language. Creating community classes for teaching the Choctaw language was a priority for Chief Gregory Pyle when he was elected in 1997. Pyle hired a language coordinator and a language specialist whose priority was to develop these community classes. The 48-week community class curriculum of literacy, vocabulary and conversation has been attractive enough to students to be able to create more than 30 classes in the 10 counties. In the year 2000, the Choctaw Nation decided to take advantage of modern technology and created an Internet course. At that time, the course served approximately 1,000 students Technology has provided the avenue for the Choctaw language to be taught in the public schools. Terry Ragan, language director of Choctaw Nation, has spent most of his adult life in education. Ragan spent 16 years as school superintendent before coming to this program. "We have been in the forefront of native language preservation and teaching on the public school and college level," Ragan said. "The strengths of the other languages like German, Spanish and French is they have been taught for a hundred years." Ragan said when the Choctaw language course first started in the schools, it was considered an elective class. Now, through legislation, it has become an accredited class. Using the tools provided by modern technology, the Choctaw Nation has harnessed the power of the Internet to create distant learning programs in 37 schools and four colleges. The program has reached the international level with students from Germany, Japan, Thailand, United Kingdom and Canada. "Mainly these students are service-related people who are of Choctaw descent and either they tape it because of the time difference, or some of them are on live with our people," Ragan said. As the course progressed, the classes grew from one beginning Choctaw class to multiple beginning and intermediate classes during the day and evening. Currently, the language program makes use of streaming audio and video on a T-1 line. A student can enroll in the course by visiting the Choctaw Nation Web site listed below. The interested party can navigate the site to reach the enrollment form and enroll online. There is absolutely no restriction on who can enroll. A student can also call the Nation's toll-free number to enroll. At that time a student is given a user name and password. Wayne Coston, technology and media specialist of Choctaw Language School, said, "Currently the students can see the teacher, but she cannot see them. They can communicate with the teacher by typing their questions and answers into the system. With the next version of the software, the students will be able to talk back to the teacher, only if they are set up with a broadband connection, such as DSL. The version after that will have video and audio going back and forth." As the program progresses, the qualifications for teaching continue to grow. Ragan said, currently the colleges don't have nearly the curriculum requirements as public schools do, nor do they have the requirements on teacher certification as public schools. The No Child Left Behind Act affects the teachers as well with state accreditation mandates. "All of our people that we have teaching have to have highly qualified stats. That means they have to have a bachelor degree as well as having gone through the certification program by the Nation. The bachelor degree is not for the community teachers but for the people we have here teaching in the public realm," Ragan said. The Choctaw language is also being taught in the 14 Headstart facilities scattered throughout the 10 counties. "The program is developing childhood curriculum from 4 years old to third grade. You don't build a ball team when the kids are juniors and seniors," Ragan said. According to Congressional testimony in 1992, several hundred indigenous languages were spoken on this continent at one time, but only about 155 still remain. The testimony emphasized that language is a core component of culture of the Choctaw people so its survival is imperative. The preservation of the Choctaw language depends on at least two important factors: The number of speakers and the extent to which adults are teaching the language to children. www.choctawschool.com From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 20 17:44:37 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 20 Jan 2005 10:44:37 -0700 Subject: Expand your vocabulary American Indian-style (fwd) Message-ID: Expand your vocabulary American Indian-style Thursday, January 20, 2005 By Gary W. Morrison The Grand Rapids Press http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-19/1106235932303740.xml HOPKINS -- Ed Pigeon is prepared to teach people that it takes mishiwaatik (kindling wood), agimaak (ash bow) and some patience for ishkode (fire-making) the old way -- and he has the funds to do it. Pigeon, 27, recently was named site coordinator for a $273,000 grant from the Administration for Native Americans that will focus on teaching 200 words of the Pottawatomi language through language classes and cultural activities. The classes are open to everyone. "That (200) is the minimum number of words a person needs to get along in Pottawatomi, but, actually, people will learn more," said Pigeon, a member of the Gun Lake Band of Pottawatomi council since 1999. "Because of variations and by adding suffixes and prefixes, a person will learn about 800 words or more." The Huron Band near Battle Creek and Pokagan Band near Dowagiac received similar grants. Don Perrot, a native Pottawatomi speaker, will teach the language classes, while Pigeon, a 1994 Hopkins High School graduate, will lead most of the cultural activities. Pigeon said he would teach black ash basket- making, pottery, tanning and finger weaving. He said his long-term goal was to construct a traditional Indian village in the area and show how to make birch bark canoes and sugar the way Americans Indians once did. "When I teach the cultural workshops, people will get a list of words relating to that activity as a way to learn the language," he said. ? 2005 Grand Rapids Press. Used with permission From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET Sat Jan 22 09:17:56 2005 From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 02:17:56 -0700 Subject: DV storage options In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Hi Justin, I am not sure myself about the STR's you mention but I do know that the ideal limits for firewires run at 400Mb/s and 800Mb/s. If you are running at 50Mb/s that seems a bit too slow. Most Macs, I think, have a 400Mb/s run standard. So something is amiss and I am not sure what to tell you (except turn off your auto screensaver and other autorun internal devices while capturing clips). You can also upgrade your PCI (peripheral component interconnect). You may want to look at: Allegro http://www.sonnettech.com/product/allegro800.html You can also browse the (utterly abstract) developers notes on Mac firewires: http://developer.apple.com/devicedrivers/firewire/index.html Later, Phil Cash Cash On Jan 19, 2005, at 7:19 PM, Justin Spence wrote: > Hi Phil, > > Thanks so much for your comments! I'll play around with FC Pro some > more > and try to muster the patience to actually read the you-know-what > manual; > the possibility of scratch-resistant DVDs is appealing as well. > > I took a look at the external RAID drive you pointed out on the > videoguys > website. Is it correct that there's no speed advantage in using > internal > vs. external firewire drives for video capture and playback? I'd been > assuming that there would be (since our older firewire connection is > limited > to max. transfer rate of 50Mbytes/second), but after some research it > seems > that most hard drives' sustained transfer rate (STR) is generally less > than > 40Mbytes/second, that is, less than the STR of the firewire (and the > total > STR is equal to the STR of the slowest part of the connection). cf. > http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Buyers_Guide/HardDrives.jsp > http://www.glyphtech.com/site/technology_firewire.html > > Also, I'm trying to get a handle on where exactly STR logjams can > occur in > transferring footage to and from DV cassette. The camera is connected > to > the firewire, which is connected to the firewire port in the back of > the > computer, which is connected to the motherboard; on the other end, the > hard > drive is connected to the motherboard. Are there any other relevant > connections in this data transfer chain? Does the quality of one's > video/graphics card matter for capture, or only for playback? (There > is > output on the monitor when doing video capture, but is the incoming > data > stream from the firewire routed through the video card on its way to > the > hard drive, or is the video card getting a separate stream? > > Finally, although there might not be a speed advantage in using > internal > hard drives, this option might turn out to be cheaper. The G4 has > bays for > up to four hard drives (including the boot drive) and OS X has a > built-in > software RAID configuration tool. But I've gathered that > software-based > RAID is less than optimal since it saps processor cycles and can lead > to > problems if the boot drive fails (see > http://www.uni-mainz.de/~neuffer/scsi/what_is_raid.html). Do you (or > does > anyone else) have experience with the Mac RAID software? Or any > recommendations for a (Mac-compatible) ATA RAID controller for 2 or 3 > disks? > > I hope these questions aren't too tedious for everyone on the list... > > Justin > >> From: phil cash cash >> Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology >> >> Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:25:19 -0700 >> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >> Subject: Re: [ILAT] DV storage options >> >> Hi Justin, >> >> I can provide a few comments on a DV videotape archive. The word from >> the LAFCPUG (Los Angeles Final Cut Pro user Group >> http://www.lafcpug.org/tutorials.html ) is that quality brand DVC tape >> is good for at least 20 years. >> >> In FCP 3, I believe it is possible to transfer directly to DV >> videotape >> (check the the user manual Vol. 1 page 322) but I am not sure what the >> actual steps are for doing so. The international settings are the >> DV-PAL codec which is 25 frames-per-sec, which is appropriate in your >> case, as opposed the US standard which is the DV-NTSC codec at 29.97 >> frames-per-sec. The recent versions of FCP HD also have the DVPRO HD >> codec which takes advantage of the latest HD technology. But for now, >> the DV-PAL and DV-NTSC codecs are the most widely used transfer >> formats. The word in the EMELD school (http://emeld.org/ ), and I may >> wrong on this, is that MPEG-4 compression is the desirable standard >> for >> archving digital video whereas industry standards usually follow a >> MPEG-2 compression standard (DVD quality). The Sorensen standard >> rivals the MPEG-4 standard so you have several options. >> >> Ideally, transfering film clips digital-to-digital should result in >> virtually no loss in information. However, the manner in which this >> is >> done can take several avenues. A minimal set-up would be a single >> camera and a Mac G4 with FCP (and an analog VHS recorder). The limits >> of your archive would be the limits of your hard drive storage and >> with >> standard Mac G4s this is not a lot of storage! In any film project >> the >> maxim is - storage is everything and you can never get enough of it. >> >> So you have four options. The first is to continue with what you are >> doing (which may not really be an option). The second is to buy >> storage. This may not be so bad as storage is getting better and >> cheaper. But for archiving film clips you will want a particular kind >> of storage that is suitable to film projects (meaning you want to be >> able to playback your film clips at suitable editing speeds). Take a >> look at the recent RAID technology >> (http://www.videoguys.com/gtech.html >> ) as this may be a nice afforable option for storage, one that I am >> seriously considering. The third option will be to purchase a digital >> video tape deck (like the Sony GV-D800). These little tape decks are >> handy for a number of reasons, the first of which is you are able to >> transfer digit-to-digital (camera to digital video tape deck) fairly >> easy without having to go thru a desktop computer. Once you create a >> copy you can use the copy for playback onto a tv or Mac. Finally, an >> added (fairly new) option is transferring your film to DVD. Of >> course, >> for your Mac G4, you will have to have DVD Studio Pro (a bit of a high >> learning curve but am not sure about the most recent version). The >> newest DVD discs are now being made with scratch resistant surfaces >> and >> some are able to double their storage capacity (Blue Ray technology is >> one of the buzz words I think). >> >> Anyway, these are just a few suggestions based on my limited >> experience >> in working with FCPRO and student filmmaking. >> >> Phil Cash Cash (cayuse/nez perce) >> UofA >> >> >> >>> ----- Message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU --------- >>> Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 08:25:57 +0930 >>> From: Justin Spence >>> Reply-To: Indigenous Languages and Technology >> >>> Subject: [ILAT] DV storage options >>> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >>> >>> Dear ILATers (ILATists? ILATicians?), >>> >>> I'm a linguist working for Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation >>> (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) Australia's Northern >>> Territory. I'm new to the list and to endangered language work in >>> general >>> and am hoping someone out there might be able to help clarify a few >>> issues >>> related to digital video storage. >>> >>> In a nutshell, we record things on DV cassette and edit them with >>> Final Cut >>> Pro 3 on a Power Mac G4, but up 'til now we've been unable to keep >>> digital >>> master copies of our finished projects due to lack of disk space. >>> Instead >>> we've generally been exporting the final edit to VHS and then >>> deleting the >>> intermediate files from the G4 (so we're left with the raw footage on >>> DVC >>> and an analog master of the final edit on VHS). >>> >>> Since we're probably losing some quality and flexibility in the >>> digital-to-analog conversion, we're exploring our options for keeping >>> digital masters. One possibility is storing them on DV cassette. >>> I've been >>> able to do this from iMovie, but is this possible from FC Pro? Also, >>> my >>> understanding of DV technology is quite shaky here: Is there quality >>> lost >>> in (a) transferring raw footage to the G4 in the first place and/or >>> (b) >>> transferring edited footage back to DV cassette (if this is even >>> possible >>> with FC Pro)? Although both (a) and (b) are digital-to-digital >>> transfers >>> via firewire, this doesn't seem quite the same as just copying files >>> since >>> things like "frames per second" are involved. (We import things to >>> the G4 >>> using the "DV PAL 48 kHz" setting in FC Pro). >>> >>> Is DV cassette even a reasonable option for long-term storage? The >>> other >>> major option on the table is to buy some large-capacity hard disks, >>> but then >>> we have the problem of how to back everything up and who on staff >>> will have >>> the skills to cope with inevitable disk snafus. >>> >>> How have others out there tackled these issues? >>> >>> Thanks in advance for any insights you can offer! >>> >>> -- >>> Justin Spence >>> Southwest Linguist >>> Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation >>> (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) >>> PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 >>> e: justin.spence at kathlangcentre.org.au >>> p: (08) 89 711 233 >>> f: (08) 89 710 561 >>> >>> >>> ----- End message from justin.spence at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU ----- > From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 23 18:44:55 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 11:44:55 -0700 Subject: Language of Barams facing extinction (fwd) Message-ID: Language of Barams facing extinction By Our Correspondent, http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/pageloader.php?file=2005/01/23/topstories/main8 KATHMANDU, Jan 22: The language of one of the most marginalised indigenous communities Baram is on the verge of disappearing as the new generations does not know the mother tongue. Joint Secretary of the Gorkha Baram Association, Purna Baram, said that the new generation Barams were unaware of their language although an initiation had been made to prepare a thorough dictionary of their language. Even the president of the Gorkha district based association, Indra Bahadur Baram, cannot speak and understand his own mother tongue, who turned 51 this year. He said that no one from his community at his age could speak the mother tongue. Only some old people have the ability to speak our language, he added. According to joint secretary Baram, the young generation spoke the Nepali language instead of Baram. He said that the dictionary was being prepared by Tribhuwan University. Nepal Indigenous People National Empowerment Academy has listed the Baram community in the category of one of the most marginalised groups. Their population stands at 7,383 as per the census of 2001, according to the Central Bureau of Statistic (CBS). The association said that the community is found to have lived in 10 different districts of the country - Gorkha, Dhading, Chitwan, Lalitpur, Makawanpur, Dolakha, Rasuwa, Tanahun, Lamjung, Syngja and Nuwakot. But the population is thick in Gorkha. So, the initiation of establishing our identity began from Gorkha, Baram said. Their main profession has been farming. He said that the problems of the community in the different districts are yet to be identified, but the main and the common problem is the risk their language faces of extinction and also the community. President Baram said that the state had discriminated against them in providing opportunities in the government. He said that he himself had to change his second name to Gurung in the citizenship to be admitted to the army. The Gurungs and Magars the most preferred communities in the army at that time, he said. Thus, many people of our community have changed their actual identity. But our representation in the civil service and the security agencies is low said Joint secretary Baram. So, we seek the preservation of our language and community and reservation for us in the civil service so that our rights as citizens of Nepal could be ensured, he said. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 23 18:59:13 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 11:59:13 -0700 Subject: Legislature passes basic law for indigenous people's rights (fwd) Message-ID: Legislature passes basic law for indigenous people's rights 2005-01-22 / Taiwan News, Staff Writer / http://www.etaiwannews.com/Taiwan/Politics/2005/01/22/1106362019.htm After more than 10 years of deliberation, the Legislature yesterday passed a basic law for indigenous people that will allow autonomy for aborigines, recognize their traditional land, and require the government to take necessary measures to protect their culture, languages, and educational opportunities. Aboriginal lawmakers thanked their colleagues for their support of the legislation, which was initiated by aboriginal opinion leaders more than 10 years ago because of concern in declining aborigines' economic and social status in the Chinese-dominated society. This legislation is seen as a reassurance of what the government has promised over the past years to do for 420,000 aborigines, who account for about 2-3 percent of Taiwan's population of 23 million. The law requires the government to provide funds every year for the autonomy of indigenous people and local governments governing the areas with indigenous populations should have a special unit for indigenous affairs set up. These local governments should also have special units to study and develop the languages of the indigenous people and should establish a system to test and certify the indigenous people's ability to speak their mother tongues, according to the law. These governments should also recruit government employees from among the indigenous people through public examinations in which the indigenous peoples' language ability must be tested. Within their areas, the indigenous people may hunt wild animals, gather wild plants and fungus, mine, dig and gather earth and rocks, and utilize water resources. The government should seek the indigenous people's consent before developing the land or exploiting natural resources in these areas and should allow them to take part in any such activities. The government should seek the indigenous people's consent before establishing national parks or national scenic areas in the areas of indigenous people and should administer these parks and scenic areas together with the indigenous people. The law also prohibits the storage of toxic materials in the area of indigenous people, and forbids the removal of indigenous people from their areas unless there are clear and immediate dangers. Walis Peilin, a legislator of the Non-partisan Solidarity Union, said the passage of the law is proof that Taiwan has become a modern country, where citizens of different ethnic backgrounds are equal with the rights of the minorities protected by the law. Walis Peilin's colleague, Kao Chin Su-mei from the NSU, praised the passage of the law as a milestone and a historical movement in Taiwan's history. She said he hopes that the Council for Economic Planning and Development would carefully study the law and think more of the aborigines while planning economic polices for Taiwan. People First Party Legislator Tsai Chng-an thanked his colleagues for their support. "What is more important is for the government to carry out the law faithfully and thoroughly," he said. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 23 19:49:29 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 12:49:29 -0700 Subject: Ho-Chunk study centers promote language, culture (fwd) Message-ID: Ho-Chunk study centers promote language, culture By KATE SCHOTT / La Crosse Tribune http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2005/01/23/news/z05ho.txt In the first-floor conference room at the Ho-Chunk Nation Three Rivers House in La Crosse, Chenoa Bruguier sits cross-legged in a chair. Her ponytail bobbing, she quickly responds when the elder in front of her holds up a card of common animals. The 6-year-old, who is Ho-Chunk and Sioux, is slowly building her Ho-Chunk vocabulary thanks to regular language classes she takes while attending the study center at the Three Rivers House. Language is incorporated into everyday life at the study center: Students often have to ask to use the rest room in Ho-Chunk, as well as phrases like "please" and "thank you." Staff members at Three Rivers say there is a big push by the entire Nation for youngsters to learn the language because they don't want it to die out. The Nation has 10 study centers in Wisconsin, where children can come for help with school work but also do cultural enrichment activities. At the Three Rivers House, the second-floor study center is set up like a classroom. Achievements by students are posted on a bulletin board and artwork hangs in the room and the hallways leading up to it. The staff welcome 10 to 15 students each afternoon. Amanda De Cora-Heintz, study center coordinator, said the center is open from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, to any child with American Indian heritage. Students are picked up from school by a center employee and have a snack when they arrive. School work must be completed first, she said, stressing the importance of a good education. About 40 percent to 60 percent of American Indian students don't receive a high school diploma, said Fabian Carrimon, the area Ho-Chunk home school coordinator. Only one in 10 of the students who head to college actually graduate. "Schools in the United States have been trying to work on this problem," he said. "No one I know of at this point has found a solution." The room is filled with information. A revolving bookcase is crammed with college information. Bookshelves are filled with everything from history books to Harry Potter. And several computers are available. The center's staff often is assisted by volunteers from the area colleges: Most come to fulfill class or service hour requirements, De Cora-Heintz said, but usually stay much longer than is asked of them. Students are encouraged to take ownership of the study center as well. Teacher Crystal Sobotta said students run for and are elected to the study center council. Representatives meet with staff monthly to discuss ideas to improve the center; Sobotta said many times their suggestions are put into action. Devon Sprain, 18, has attended the center since elementary school and said employees offer her support and guidance. "These guys are like my family," the Logan High School senior said. Her younger sister, 10-year-old Matilda, said she's thankful for the opportunity to develop friendships with other American Indian children. She especially likes taking part in the enrichment projects, she added, because they allow her to learn more about her heritage. The study center staff say those projects are intended to promote pride in their culture. From making family trees to tracing lineage to learning how to sew traditional dresses, they want students to be content with who they are. "Having pride in themselves and culture is important," De Cora-Heintz said. Some children embrace their heritage, she said, but others have tried to hide it in fear of discrimination. "No matter where you go, you're going to find people who make it difficult," she said. That's just one reason why staff members from the Three Rivers House speak in local schools. Sobotta and Carrimon head into La Crosse and Holmen schools to work one-on-one with American Indian students as well as make group presentations or help organize awareness weeks in hopes of teaching all children more about the American Indian tribes of Wisconsin. Kate Schott can be reached at (608) 791-8226 or Kate.Schott at lacrossetribune.com. All stories copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 La Crosse Tribune and other attributed sources. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 24 17:23:46 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 10:23:46 -0700 Subject: Kiowa folk songs reborn in new storybooks (fwd) Message-ID: Kiowa folk songs reborn in new storybooks First in a series is now available CHICKASHA OK Beau B. Brewer 1/24/2005 http://www.nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=5856 A Kiowa woman noted as her people's Sequoyah -- a scribe devoted to preserving and teaching a native language in written form -- has taken legendary Kiowa folk songs and is now giving them life through storybooks. Author Alecia Gonzales has published the first of five books in this unique collection of bilingual children's stories, printed by the University of Science and Arts in Chickasha. Little Red Buffalo Song is available in the USAO Bookstore and from Anadarko Daily News. Gonzales is a woman of Kiowa and Apache descent, born in Fort Cobb, Oklahoma. At birth, she was given her Kiowa name Sahmah, which means, the lady from the North. Preservation of language, culture, and morals are the key components being taught to children and adults alike, through her colorfully illustrated storybooks. Readers see the story in both Kiowa and English shown parallel to one another. For non-native speakers, a special CD-ROM is included that features the author reading the story in both languages. Full color illustrations by ShaunDae Chaddlesone on each page truly open the hearts and minds of all who read this book, Gonzales said. She in a former student of the author's and is the daughter of noted Kiowa artist Sherman Chaddlesone. These storybooks are being designed to build the bonds of love and trust between mother and child as they interact together, Gonzales explained. This story is about a mother buffalo and her concerns for her child, Goule-ee, to be aware of dangers. This story and this song are used in counseling sessions too. This story and these songs that we have are used even into early adulthood, Gonzales said. Goule-ee means little red baby buffalo. The remaining four books in the collection of Kiowa story-songs, A Mother Bird's Song, Grandma Spider's Song, Grandmother's Song, and The Prairie Dog Song are set for release later this spring. The books are being printed by the University of Science and Arts in Chickasha. Gonzales, of Anadarko, graduated from the Oklahoma College for Women (now USAO) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1964 and went on to Southwestern State College to obtain her masters in 1974. Further graduate studies led Gonzales to the University of Oklahoma as graduate fellow, Arizona State University, and Utah State University. Gonzales enjoys her roles as mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. But she devotes much of her time to preserving and teaching her language at USAO and Anadarko High School. She also offers in-service training for teachers in the use of her first book. Since Gonzales successful release of her first book, Thaum Khoiye Tdoen Gyah -- Beginning Kiowa Language in 2001, she has been honored nationally for her extensive knowledge of her Kiowa heritage. Her first book was praised as America's first textbook for preserving and sharing the Kiowa language. I love to share the ways of my people, the Kiowa, she said. Her work has made her a celebrity of sorts for her knowledge and enthusiasm about Kiowa history. In fact, visitors to the new American Indian-Smithsonian museum in Washington hear Gonzales voice in recorded segments on an audio tour. From anguksuar at YAHOO.COM Mon Jan 24 18:59:06 2005 From: anguksuar at YAHOO.COM (Richard LaFortune) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 10:59:06 -0800 Subject: Late Night with LaFortune headlines In-Reply-To: <1106587426.d430930c43048@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: here's something I sent in response to a NCLB (No Child Left Behind)piece that appeared over AP wires, courtesty of one of our Native listserves in MN. Richard ----------------------------------------------- > > Actually, the Associated Press headline is misrepresenting the whole issue, in my opinion. The headline properly written, should read: 'Bush Administration "No Child Left Behind" runs afoul of the Native American Languages Act (signed into law by his father).' -Richard > > > > [clip] Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. [Some western Alaska schools that for decades have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik language are in a quandary over meeting new federal testing requirements under the No Child [clip] > > > > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Mon Jan 24 19:09:38 2005 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (MiaKalish@LFP) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:09:38 -0700 Subject: Late Night with LaFortune headlines Message-ID: was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? mia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard LaFortune" To: Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 11:59 AM Subject: [ILAT] Late Night with LaFortune headlines > here's something I sent in response to a NCLB (No > Child Left Behind)piece that appeared over AP wires, > courtesty of one of our Native listserves in MN. > Richard > > ----------------------------------------------- > > > > > > Actually, the Associated Press headline is > misrepresenting the whole issue, in my opinion. The > headline properly written, should read: 'Bush > Administration "No Child Left Behind" runs afoul of > the Native American Languages Act (signed into law by > his father).' > > -Richard > > > > > > > > [clip] Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No > Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike > Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated > Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 > Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. > > [Some western Alaska schools that for decades > have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik > language are in a quandary over meeting new > federal testing requirements under the No Child > [clip] > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. > http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 > > From anguksuar at YAHOO.COM Mon Jan 24 19:07:58 2005 From: anguksuar at YAHOO.COM (Richard LaFortune) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 11:07:58 -0800 Subject: No Child Left Behind In-Reply-To: <00a001c50248$424360e0$03ec7b80@red6bvg9btk> Message-ID: --- "MiaKalish at LFP" wrote: > was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? > mia ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. [Some western Alaska schools that for decades have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik language are in a quandary over meeting new federal testing requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act. In the Lower Kuskokwim School District, third grade children taught almost exclusively in the Yupik language may be required to pass federal tests written in English. In Alaska, where Natives speak 20 aboriginal languages and dialects, meeting a uniform federal law could ultimately be too expensive, conflict with Native cultural traditions as well as the local control that the rural villages treasure. Not many states face the issues that we do,? said state Education Commissioner Roger Sampson. Under the federal law, students would be tested annually from grades 3-8 and again in high school. States could make accommodations for language barriers, but after three years in U.S. public schools the children would be required to take English-only tests. Aside from the Heritage Language programs in more than 30 rural public schools, Alaska's largest city of Anchorage has more than 93 languages spoken by students, Sampson said. Already cash strapped, the state can little afford to translate tests into more than 100 languages, education officials said. And even if it could, the Yupik language, though spoken by thousands of Alaska Natives from Norton Sound to Bristol Bay, does not translate as completely as Spanish or other European languages. For instance, mathematics to American children is based on units of 10, where increments of 20 are used in Yupik math and numerous English words have no Yupik counterparts. The Lower Kuskokwim School District, which oversees schools in Bethel and surrounding villages has had an intensive Yupik language program for about 30 years, said Superintendent Bill Ferguson. A similar program instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in earlier years was seen as a progressive way to assimilate Native children into English fluency. Since then, it's become a way for Yupik-speaking Natives to sustain their language and culture just as other Alaska Native languages dwindle. I feel strongly that our kids should speak Yupik fluently, said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of Bethel. I really feel this isn't just an academic issue about benchmark tests, but about cultural and social well being.] __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Mon Jan 24 19:37:05 2005 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (MiaKalish@LFP) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:37:05 -0700 Subject: No Child Left Behind Message-ID: You know, I spoke with Ken Mayer, who was one, if not the primary, author, of NCLB, and I asked him specifically whether students could be taught in their native languages and he said the choice was up to the school district. I have heard other comments from people, one of which is that students have 3 years to develop English proficiency. However, there is no requirement for "English only", and with technology, there is no reason why people can't have lessons in both the Native language AND in English. This is hard to do with paper and pencil, and published books, but it is a piece of cake with technology. Of course on the other side, I have been preaching this for years, and have even developed technology for Athabascan material development with dictionary facilities, but there haven't been any takers. All I hear is that the language should be on CD.. . . sigh Mia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard LaFortune" To: Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:07 PM Subject: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind > --- "MiaKalish at LFP" > wrote: > > > was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? > > mia > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > > Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No > Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike > Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated > Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 > Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. > > [Some western Alaska schools that for decades > have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik > language are in a quandary over meeting new > federal testing requirements under the No Child > Left Behind Act. In the Lower Kuskokwim School > District, third grade children taught almost > exclusively in the Yupik language may be required > to pass federal tests written in English. In > Alaska, where Natives speak 20 aboriginal > languages and dialects, meeting a uniform federal > law could ultimately be too expensive, conflict > with Native cultural traditions as well as the > local control that the rural villages treasure. > Not many states face the issues that we do,' said > state Education Commissioner Roger Sampson. Under > the federal law, students would be tested > annually from grades 3-8 and again in high > school. States could make accommodations for > language barriers, but after three years in U.S. > public schools the children would be required to > take English-only tests. Aside from the Heritage > Language programs in more than 30 rural public > schools, Alaska's largest city of Anchorage has > more than 93 languages spoken by students, > Sampson said. Already cash strapped, the state > can little afford to translate tests into more > than 100 languages, education officials said. > And even if it could, the Yupik language, though > spoken by thousands of Alaska Natives from Norton > Sound to Bristol Bay, does not translate as > completely as Spanish or other European > languages. For instance, mathematics to American > children is based on units of 10, where > increments of 20 are used in Yupik math and > numerous English words have no Yupik > counterparts. The Lower Kuskokwim School > District, which oversees schools in Bethel and > surrounding villages has had an intensive Yupik > language program for about 30 years, said > Superintendent Bill Ferguson. A similar program > instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in > earlier years was seen as a progressive way to > assimilate Native children into English fluency. > Since then, it's become a way for Yupik-speaking > Natives to sustain their language and culture > just as other Alaska Native languages dwindle. I > feel strongly that our kids should speak Yupik > fluently, said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of > Bethel. I really feel this isn't just an academic > issue about benchmark tests, but about cultural > and social well being.] > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > From ssupahan at HUMBOLDT.K12.CA.US Mon Jan 24 19:58:06 2005 From: ssupahan at HUMBOLDT.K12.CA.US (Sarah Supahan) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 11:58:06 -0800 Subject: No Child Left Behind In-Reply-To: <00b501c5024c$15e5a9f0$03ec7b80@red6bvg9btk> Message-ID: This is a timely discussion because right now in our school district we are dealing with yet another problem with NCLB, namely that 'all teachers have to be credentialed' in order for the district to receive funding for the classes. My understanding of the Languages Act was that no one can require languages teachers to have a credential if they are qualified to teach the language. At this point we have one such teacher who is very qualified to teach Yurok, but who is not credentialed. Any thoughts on how to address this issue? Our district is resorting to speak to legal council about it, but I doubt that these attorneys know a lot about the Act. Sarah Supahan On Jan 24, 2005, at 11:37 AM, MiaKalish at LFP wrote: > You know, I spoke with Ken Mayer, who was one, if not the primary, > author, > of NCLB, and I asked him specifically whether students could be taught > in > their native languages and he said the choice was up to the school > district. > I have heard other comments from people, one of which is that students > have > 3 years to develop English proficiency. > > However, there is no requirement for "English only", and with > technology, > there is no reason why people can't have lessons in both the Native > language > AND in English. This is hard to do with paper and pencil, and published > books, but it is a piece of cake with technology. > > Of course on the other side, I have been preaching this for years, and > have > even developed technology for Athabascan material development with > dictionary facilities, but there haven't been any takers. All I hear > is that > the language should be on CD.. . . > > sigh > Mia > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Richard LaFortune" > To: > Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:07 PM > Subject: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind > > >> --- "MiaKalish at LFP" >> wrote: >> >>> was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? >>> mia >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >> >> Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No >> Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike >> Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated >> Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 >> Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. >> >> [Some western Alaska schools that for decades >> have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik >> language are in a quandary over meeting new >> federal testing requirements under the No Child >> Left Behind Act. In the Lower Kuskokwim School >> District, third grade children taught almost >> exclusively in the Yupik language may be required >> to pass federal tests written in English. In >> Alaska, where Natives speak 20 aboriginal >> languages and dialects, meeting a uniform federal >> law could ultimately be too expensive, conflict >> with Native cultural traditions as well as the >> local control that the rural villages treasure. >> Not many states face the issues that we do,' said >> state Education Commissioner Roger Sampson. Under >> the federal law, students would be tested >> annually from grades 3-8 and again in high >> school. States could make accommodations for >> language barriers, but after three years in U.S. >> public schools the children would be required to >> take English-only tests. Aside from the Heritage >> Language programs in more than 30 rural public >> schools, Alaska's largest city of Anchorage has >> more than 93 languages spoken by students, >> Sampson said. Already cash strapped, the state >> can little afford to translate tests into more >> than 100 languages, education officials said. >> And even if it could, the Yupik language, though >> spoken by thousands of Alaska Natives from Norton >> Sound to Bristol Bay, does not translate as >> completely as Spanish or other European >> languages. For instance, mathematics to American >> children is based on units of 10, where >> increments of 20 are used in Yupik math and >> numerous English words have no Yupik >> counterparts. The Lower Kuskokwim School >> District, which oversees schools in Bethel and >> surrounding villages has had an intensive Yupik >> language program for about 30 years, said >> Superintendent Bill Ferguson. A similar program >> instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in >> earlier years was seen as a progressive way to >> assimilate Native children into English fluency. >> Since then, it's become a way for Yupik-speaking >> Natives to sustain their language and culture >> just as other Alaska Native languages dwindle. I >> feel strongly that our kids should speak Yupik >> fluently, said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of >> Bethel. I really feel this isn't just an academic >> issue about benchmark tests, but about cultural >> and social well being.] >> >> >> __________________________________________________ >> Do You Yahoo!? >> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >> http://mail.yahoo.com >> >> > From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Mon Jan 24 20:15:32 2005 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (MiaKalish@LFP) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 13:15:32 -0700 Subject: No Child Left Behind Message-ID: Here in New Mexico the language teachers do not need to be credentialed by the State as if they were imports from New Jersey. They do have to be credentialed by their Tribe. I don't know what the precise details are of how this works, but, Joseph Suina, who is at UNM, 3 or so hours up the road from us, could tell you exactly what happened for Cochiti Pueblo, because he was involved in that effort at talked about it at AILDI at U. Arizona a couple of years ago. Here is the information I copied for him from this web page (http://coe.unm.edu/ForFacStaff/fs_list.cfm?ID=211): Joseph Suina , Associate Professor jsuina at unm.edu Office: Hokona Hall, Room 246 Tel: (505) 277-7781 Messages: (505) 277-3175 I think the people at UNM will be much more familiar with this than we are here at COE at UNM. Good luck. Mia ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sarah Supahan" To: Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:58 PM Subject: Re: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind > This is a timely discussion because right now in our school district we > are dealing with yet another problem with NCLB, namely that 'all > teachers have to be credentialed' in order for the district to receive > funding for the classes. My understanding of the Languages Act was that > no one can require languages teachers to have a credential if they are > qualified to teach the language. At this point we have one such teacher > who is very qualified to teach Yurok, but who is not credentialed. > > Any thoughts on how to address this issue? Our district is resorting to > speak to legal council about it, but I doubt that these attorneys know > a lot about the Act. > > Sarah Supahan > > > On Jan 24, 2005, at 11:37 AM, MiaKalish at LFP wrote: > > > You know, I spoke with Ken Mayer, who was one, if not the primary, > > author, > > of NCLB, and I asked him specifically whether students could be taught > > in > > their native languages and he said the choice was up to the school > > district. > > I have heard other comments from people, one of which is that students > > have > > 3 years to develop English proficiency. > > > > However, there is no requirement for "English only", and with > > technology, > > there is no reason why people can't have lessons in both the Native > > language > > AND in English. This is hard to do with paper and pencil, and published > > books, but it is a piece of cake with technology. > > > > Of course on the other side, I have been preaching this for years, and > > have > > even developed technology for Athabascan material development with > > dictionary facilities, but there haven't been any takers. All I hear > > is that > > the language should be on CD.. . . > > > > sigh > > Mia > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Richard LaFortune" > > To: > > Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:07 PM > > Subject: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind > > > > > >> --- "MiaKalish at LFP" > >> wrote: > >> > >>> was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? > >>> mia > >> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > >> > >> Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No > >> Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike > >> Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated > >> Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 > >> Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. > >> > >> [Some western Alaska schools that for decades > >> have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik > >> language are in a quandary over meeting new > >> federal testing requirements under the No Child > >> Left Behind Act. In the Lower Kuskokwim School > >> District, third grade children taught almost > >> exclusively in the Yupik language may be required > >> to pass federal tests written in English. In > >> Alaska, where Natives speak 20 aboriginal > >> languages and dialects, meeting a uniform federal > >> law could ultimately be too expensive, conflict > >> with Native cultural traditions as well as the > >> local control that the rural villages treasure. > >> Not many states face the issues that we do,' said > >> state Education Commissioner Roger Sampson. Under > >> the federal law, students would be tested > >> annually from grades 3-8 and again in high > >> school. States could make accommodations for > >> language barriers, but after three years in U.S. > >> public schools the children would be required to > >> take English-only tests. Aside from the Heritage > >> Language programs in more than 30 rural public > >> schools, Alaska's largest city of Anchorage has > >> more than 93 languages spoken by students, > >> Sampson said. Already cash strapped, the state > >> can little afford to translate tests into more > >> than 100 languages, education officials said. > >> And even if it could, the Yupik language, though > >> spoken by thousands of Alaska Natives from Norton > >> Sound to Bristol Bay, does not translate as > >> completely as Spanish or other European > >> languages. For instance, mathematics to American > >> children is based on units of 10, where > >> increments of 20 are used in Yupik math and > >> numerous English words have no Yupik > >> counterparts. The Lower Kuskokwim School > >> District, which oversees schools in Bethel and > >> surrounding villages has had an intensive Yupik > >> language program for about 30 years, said > >> Superintendent Bill Ferguson. A similar program > >> instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in > >> earlier years was seen as a progressive way to > >> assimilate Native children into English fluency. > >> Since then, it's become a way for Yupik-speaking > >> Natives to sustain their language and culture > >> just as other Alaska Native languages dwindle. I > >> feel strongly that our kids should speak Yupik > >> fluently, said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of > >> Bethel. I really feel this isn't just an academic > >> issue about benchmark tests, but about cultural > >> and social well being.] > >> > >> > >> __________________________________________________ > >> Do You Yahoo!? > >> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > >> http://mail.yahoo.com > >> > >> > > > > From ssupahan at HUMBOLDT.K12.CA.US Mon Jan 24 20:19:57 2005 From: ssupahan at HUMBOLDT.K12.CA.US (Sarah Supahan) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:19:57 -0800 Subject: No Child Left Behind In-Reply-To: <00e701c50251$75214b90$03ec7b80@red6bvg9btk> Message-ID: Thanks Mia. I'll write him. Sarah On Jan 24, 2005, at 12:15 PM, MiaKalish at LFP wrote: > Here in New Mexico the language teachers do not need to be > credentialed by > the State as if they were imports from New Jersey. They do have to be > credentialed by their Tribe. I don't know what the precise details are > of > how this works, but, Joseph Suina, who is at UNM, 3 or so hours up the > road > from us, could tell you exactly what happened for Cochiti Pueblo, > because he > was involved in that effort at talked about it at AILDI at U. Arizona a > couple of years ago. > > Here is the information I copied for him from this web page > (http://coe.unm.edu/ForFacStaff/fs_list.cfm?ID=211): > Joseph Suina , Associate Professor > jsuina at unm.edu > Office: Hokona Hall, Room 246 > Tel: (505) 277-7781 > Messages: (505) 277-3175 > > > I think the people at UNM will be much more familiar with this than we > are > here at COE at UNM. > > Good luck. > Mia > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sarah Supahan" > To: > Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:58 PM > Subject: Re: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind > > >> This is a timely discussion because right now in our school district >> we >> are dealing with yet another problem with NCLB, namely that 'all >> teachers have to be credentialed' in order for the district to receive >> funding for the classes. My understanding of the Languages Act was >> that >> no one can require languages teachers to have a credential if they are >> qualified to teach the language. At this point we have one such >> teacher >> who is very qualified to teach Yurok, but who is not credentialed. >> >> Any thoughts on how to address this issue? Our district is resorting >> to >> speak to legal council about it, but I doubt that these attorneys know >> a lot about the Act. >> >> Sarah Supahan >> >> >> On Jan 24, 2005, at 11:37 AM, MiaKalish at LFP wrote: >> >>> You know, I spoke with Ken Mayer, who was one, if not the primary, >>> author, >>> of NCLB, and I asked him specifically whether students could be >>> taught >>> in >>> their native languages and he said the choice was up to the school >>> district. >>> I have heard other comments from people, one of which is that >>> students >>> have >>> 3 years to develop English proficiency. >>> >>> However, there is no requirement for "English only", and with >>> technology, >>> there is no reason why people can't have lessons in both the Native >>> language >>> AND in English. This is hard to do with paper and pencil, and >>> published >>> books, but it is a piece of cake with technology. >>> >>> Of course on the other side, I have been preaching this for years, >>> and >>> have >>> even developed technology for Athabascan material development with >>> dictionary facilities, but there haven't been any takers. All I hear >>> is that >>> the language should be on CD.. . . >>> >>> sigh >>> Mia >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Richard LaFortune" >>> To: >>> Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 12:07 PM >>> Subject: [ILAT] No Child Left Behind >>> >>> >>>> --- "MiaKalish at LFP" >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> was there supposed to be an attachment or a link? >>>>> mia >>>> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >>>> >>>> Native Language Programs Running Afoul Of No >>>> Child Left Behind. 22 January 2005 Mike >>>> Chambers, The Associated Press. The Associated >>>> Press State & Local Wire. Copyright 2004 >>>> Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. >>>> >>>> [Some western Alaska schools that for decades >>>> have taught and helped preserve the Native Yupik >>>> language are in a quandary over meeting new >>>> federal testing requirements under the No Child >>>> Left Behind Act. In the Lower Kuskokwim School >>>> District, third grade children taught almost >>>> exclusively in the Yupik language may be required >>>> to pass federal tests written in English. In >>>> Alaska, where Natives speak 20 aboriginal >>>> languages and dialects, meeting a uniform federal >>>> law could ultimately be too expensive, conflict >>>> with Native cultural traditions as well as the >>>> local control that the rural villages treasure. >>>> Not many states face the issues that we do,' said >>>> state Education Commissioner Roger Sampson. Under >>>> the federal law, students would be tested >>>> annually from grades 3-8 and again in high >>>> school. States could make accommodations for >>>> language barriers, but after three years in U.S. >>>> public schools the children would be required to >>>> take English-only tests. Aside from the Heritage >>>> Language programs in more than 30 rural public >>>> schools, Alaska's largest city of Anchorage has >>>> more than 93 languages spoken by students, >>>> Sampson said. Already cash strapped, the state >>>> can little afford to translate tests into more >>>> than 100 languages, education officials said. >>>> And even if it could, the Yupik language, though >>>> spoken by thousands of Alaska Natives from Norton >>>> Sound to Bristol Bay, does not translate as >>>> completely as Spanish or other European >>>> languages. For instance, mathematics to American >>>> children is based on units of 10, where >>>> increments of 20 are used in Yupik math and >>>> numerous English words have no Yupik >>>> counterparts. The Lower Kuskokwim School >>>> District, which oversees schools in Bethel and >>>> surrounding villages has had an intensive Yupik >>>> language program for about 30 years, said >>>> Superintendent Bill Ferguson. A similar program >>>> instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs in >>>> earlier years was seen as a progressive way to >>>> assimilate Native children into English fluency. >>>> Since then, it's become a way for Yupik-speaking >>>> Natives to sustain their language and culture >>>> just as other Alaska Native languages dwindle. I >>>> feel strongly that our kids should speak Yupik >>>> fluently, said state Rep. Mary Kapsner, of >>>> Bethel. I really feel this isn't just an academic >>>> issue about benchmark tests, but about cultural >>>> and social well being.] >>>> >>>> >>>> __________________________________________________ >>>> Do You Yahoo!? >>>> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >>>> http://mail.yahoo.com >>>> >>>> >>> >> >> > From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 24 23:52:16 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 16:52:16 -0700 Subject: Protecting Historic Properties and Cultural Traditions on Indian Lands (fwd) Message-ID: Protecting Historic Properties and Cultural Traditions on Indian Lands Fiscal Year 2005 Historic Preservation Fund Grants to Indian Tribes, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiian Organizations The National Park Service invites you to submit an application for Fiscal Year 2005 Historic Preservation Fund Grants to Indian Tribes, Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiian Organizations. Grants are awarded to assist Federally recognized tribes in preserving and protecting their significant cultural and historic resources. The long-term goal is to assist tribes in building sustainable Preservation Programs. Grant Categories 1. Locating and Identifying Cultural Resources A. Survey and Inventory of Historic or Significant Places B. Survey of Traditional Skills and Information 2. Preserving a Historic Property listed on the National Register A. Project Planning (Plans and Specifications for Preserving a Specific Structure or Site) B. Repair Work to Preserve a Specific Historic Structure or Site 3. Comprehensive Preservation Planning 4. Oral History and Documenting Cultural Traditions 5. Education and Training for Building a Historic Preservation Program Funding Levels. The maximum grant award is $40,000 for all grants except for Category 2.B; the minimum is $5,000. Electronic versions of the application and guidelines may be found at our web site: http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tribal/index.htm The 2005 grant application must be received by 5 PM Eastern Standard Time, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2005. Send completed applications to: Tribal Preservation Program Heritage Preservation Services National Park Service Overnight Delivery Address 1201 Eye Street, NW, 6th Floor Washington, D.C. 20005 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 25 20:26:36 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 13:26:36 -0700 Subject: Professor wins linguistics award (fwd) Message-ID: Professor wins linguistics award Erin Madison Montana Kaimin http://www.kaimin.org/viewarticle.php?id=3849 For University of Montana professor Anthony Mattina, 30 years working with American Indians began with a single linguistics class in graduate school. ?It was a class very much like the one I teach now,? said Mattina, who teaches Introduction to Linguistic Analysis. ?There was an emphasis on so-called unwritten languages in that class, and that caught my imagination.? Earlier this month, he received the Ken Hale Prize from the Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas for his years of work with the Okanagan language. ?He was very excited, but he was very humbled by it,? said his wife, Nancy Mattina, director of the UM Writing Center. The Ken Hale Prize is presented annually to recognize outstanding community language work and a commitment to the documentation, maintenance, promotion and revitalization of indigenous languages in North and South America. ?Dr. Mattina was chosen for his outstanding contribution to the field of linguistics,? said his former student and nominator Shannon Bischoff. The award includes a $500 prize, which Mattina donated to the American Indian groups he works with. Mattina has spent his career working with the Okanagan people. Their language is spoken from Grand Coulee, Wash., to Vernon, British Columbia. ?It?s huge. It?s a big territory,? Mattina said. About 500 to 1,000 people speak Okanagan, which is why the language gets so little attention, Mattina said. ?It?s just another language, but yet it holds a special attraction for me,? he said. Mattina documents the language by recording Okanagan stories and transcribing them. He has edited nearly 30 books on Okanagan and written dozens of articles. He also works on language preservation with various tribes. ?The languages are becoming extinct at an alarming rate,? Mattina said. ?It?s an uphill battle to reverse the trend.? Mattina programmed a number of computer games that he installs in grade schools. The games teach animal names, pronunciation and Okanagan stories. ?The kids love them,? Mattina said. Mattina hopes they will learn their language and help revitalize it. ?He?s done a lot more than I could ever hope to do,? Nancy Mattina said. ?He just fell in love with those people,? she said. ?It just became his life.? Mattina visits the Okanagan as often as possible. He has a trip planned for early February. ?You go out in the field, and you make friends, and that sort of becomes your community,? his wife said. ?They love me and I love them,? Anthony Mattina said. From jeps at SBCGLOBAL.NET Wed Jan 26 02:01:38 2005 From: jeps at SBCGLOBAL.NET (Jesse Gaskell) Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 18:01:38 -0800 Subject: FW: reinstate Message-ID: -----Original Message----- From: L-Soft list server at The LINGUIST List. (1.8d) [mailto:LISTSERV at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG] Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 5:59 PM To: Sandra Gaskell, RPA Subject: Re: reinstate > help LISTSERV(R) version 1.8d - most commonly used commands INFO Order documentation (plain text files) SUBscribe listname Subscribe to a list SIGNOFF listname Sign off from a list SIGNOFF * (NETWIDE - from all lists on all servers Query listname Query your subscription options Search listname keyword... 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URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 27 23:42:57 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 27 Jan 2005 16:42:57 -0700 Subject: Tribe fights to save language, Publishes dictionary (fwd) Message-ID: Tribe fights to save language Publishes dictionary MIAMI OK Miami University 1/27/2005 http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=5889 The vast majority of the estimated 300 languages spoken in North American before the arrival of Christopher Columbus are endangered or extinct. But the Miami language, once spoken throughout much of Ohio and Indiana, is in the process of being revitalized. Thanks to a cooperative effort by the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Miami University, the college named in honor of the tribe, the first comprehensive dictionary for the language is due to be published in late February. Titled Myaamia neehi peewaalia kaloosioni mahsinaakani (or A Miami-Peoria Dictionary), the 200-page book contains about 3,500 entries plus a brief description of the language and an English cross-reference list. The accomplishment reflects a university/tribe partnership that is unusual in higher education, says Daryl Baldwin, director of the Myaamia Project for Language Revitalization and a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. He, along with David Costa, a linguist who has done extensive language work on the Miami-Peoria language, are co-editors. When Miami University was founded in 1809, the Miami Tribe was well known throughout the Midwest, but in 1846 the tribe was forcibly removed from Ohio and Indiana and relocated first to Kansas and then in the 1870s to what is now Oklahoma. Being uprooted twice was devastating to a tribe struggling to maintain its way of life in the face of government efforts to suppress the use of native languages and force assimilation, says Baldwin. By the early 1960s, the last tribal member to speak the language conversationally had died but it was not until the late 1980s that there was attention to what that loss meant. In 1995, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma-partially in response to the 1990 passage of a native language law that reversed past federal policy-launched an organized effort to revive its language. Language is culture, explains Baldwin. "It's important because it embodies our values and belief system and generations of accumulated human knowledge. And all of these things are important to our identity as Miami people," says Baldwin. For example, Miamis say "nipwaahkaalo" when departing, which is often translated to "take care," but it also means to have wisdom or be conscious. The word is related to the verb "nipwaameewa," which means he teaches him. So this farewell term embodies a basic concept of Miami culture-that seeking knowledge is important. "There's a way of understanding the world that is embodied in this language. To me that's the real value of this effort," he says. There's much more work to be done to make Miami a living language, says Baldwin. Tribal elders, who can only recall fragmented phrases or bits of songs and prayers, are documenting their memories. In Miami Tribe households, children are beginning to use some of the ancient kinship terms-"iinka" for mother and "noohsa" for father-that have not been heard for decades. It took generations for the tribe to almost lose its language and it will take years to bring the language back, predicts Baldwin. But the process has begun and the outlook for the Miami language is hopeful. There are, explains Baldwin, lots of native studies program, but few if any universities have the intimate ties with a specific tribe that Miami University has with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. The relationship, which began in the 1970s, has steadily strengthened until now it includes several research and service projects in addition to language revitalization efforts. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 28 19:05:05 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 12:05:05 -0700 Subject: The Blackfeet language will be taught to all tribal staff (fwd) Message-ID: The Blackfeet language will be taught to all tribal staff By John McGill, Glacier Reporter Editor http://www.goldentrianglenews.com/articles/2005/01/27/glacier_reporter/news/news1.txt [photo inset - Ed North Peigan is set to begin offering classes in the Blackfeet language. Part of a new tribal program, North Peigan is located in the Tribal Conference Room and in Councilman Pat Schildt's office. Photo by John McGill] "One Councilman started the ball rolling," said Edward North Peigan, lead teacher of the Blackfeet language at Blackfeet Tribal Headquarters. "He wanted the Blackfeet language taught to all the staff, and he wanted to learn the language also." The BTBC resolved Dec. 2 to create a Blackfeet language teaching position in the tribal government, said North Peigan, who has taught the language at East Glacier Park Elementary, Browning High School and at Blackfeet Community College. Together with his wife, Wilma, he has logged many hours of Blackfeet language instruction time. "I'm a native speaker," he said. "English is my second language. I'm continuing to struggle with English." But according to North Peigan, his experience in learning the dominant language of the United States gives him hope that people can learn Blackfeet. "If I can learn English, then anyone can learn anything they choose," he said. North Peigan said he is using an alphabet given to him by Matthew Many Hides of Siksika, Alberta, Canada. Being a spoken rather than a written language, adapting an alphabet that accurately reflects the pronunciation and diction of the language has been problematic, but North Peigan is convinced the alphabet he is using is the best. Furthermore, he believes that the Blackfeet world view is contained in its language and is a direct entry point to the oral history of the Tribe. North Peigan is located in the Tribal Conference Room when it's available, or in Pat Schildt's office at other times. People may register for lessons between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and arrange a time, and while the program is aimed at tribal employees, "it is free to everyone because it's sponsored by the Blackfeet Language and Culture Department." Students should expect to attend classes at least once per week, said North Peigan. Handout information is available at his office. For more information, call Ed North Peigan at 226-9101, or write him at Box 248, East Glacier Park, MT 59434. From Rrlapier at AOL.COM Mon Jan 31 03:04:57 2005 From: Rrlapier at AOL.COM (Rrlapier at AOL.COM) Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 22:04:57 EST Subject: Fwd: Call for Manuscripts Message-ID: Rosalyn LaPier Piegan Institute www.pieganinstitute.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: "Ethnobotany Research and Applications e-Journal" Subject: Call for Manuscripts Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 13:22:06 -0800 Size: 12845 URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 31 16:59:21 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 09:59:21 -0700 Subject: Tongue ties (fwd) Message-ID: Tongue ties By Beth Curda/Enterprise staff writer http://www.davisenterprise.com/articles/2005/01/31/features/335fea0.txt At 65, Patrick Orozco is still learning who he is. A lifelong resident of Watsonville, he was a weighmaster and vegetable inspector for a frozen food company until retiring five years ago. He is married and has grown children. Still, he feels he has much to learn. He has known since his childhood that he is Native American, but until a couple of decades ago, he knew little more. When he was growing up, he visited his grandmother, Rose Rios, every other day. He brought her herbs he had found, and she told him what they were and how his ancestors had used them. She sang songs and told him stories in English, mixing in an Indian word here and there. She told him he was a Mission Indian, but she couldn't tell him anything more specific than that. What happened to his ancestors' language? Their dances? Their songs? In the mid-1970s, a battle over a tribal burial site in Watsonville sparked a research project Orozco and others around him have been involved in since -- research into their own family histories. At one point, he was working practically around the clock, dividing time between grading broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, squash and other vegetables, and researching his ancestry and that of others who requested help. He has had little success finding information from before the time Europeans arrived in the area. Information dwindled over the years, once Native Americans began intermarrying with the Spanish, he says. Little information -- some songs, some stories -- has survived. But he learned over the years that he is Juaneno from San Juan Capistrano, Chumash from San Buenaventura and Costanoan Ohlone. His ancestors were poor and did not have the education the Spanish had. They cut wood, farmed, fished or gathered berries for sale. More recently, he has had help. As Orozco continues to learn his own family history and assist others, researchers at UC Davis are cataloging thousands of pages of notes that were taken 50 to 100 years ago by the late John Peabody Harrington. More than a linguist Harrington meticulously recorded native cultures during the first half of the 20th century with the help of consultants within tribes in California and the western United States, other U.S. regions and portions of Meso-America and South America. Most of his work was in California and the Southwest. What languages did they speak? What did certain words mean? What did they eat? What materials did they use for homes, baskets? Harrington recorded far beyond the information of a typical linguist, said Lisa Woodward, a UCD graduate student cataloging his work. He was secretive about his work, she says. He abbreviated the names of his contacts so others conducting similar research could not duplicate it. He hid from the Bureau of American Ethnology, his employer, some of the work he was conducting, as it was beyond what he had been assigned, Woodward said. Generations of work Woodward is one of just a few people cataloging the notes, on hundreds of reels of microfilm that UCD's Native American Language Center is borrowing from UC Riverside and rewriting with the help of a National Science Foundation grant. Woodward and the other graduate students print out the microfilm frames, then retype Harrington's notes. The notes are faded in spots, scribbled, often abbreviated. The researchers catalog them in a database by line, paragraph, reel and volume. Alongside the more legible, accessible, searchable typed copy, the students create databases of tribal terms and Harrington's definitions and context for them. An excerpt from his notes on the language Klamath, for example, reads: They eat the root of the cattail and of the tule they eat the white lowest part of the stalk -- never the roots, the roots are black & are used for coloring (Klamath) baskets with. They eat both of these raw. p'p'a/.s, cattail. But p'p'sam, anything which is derived from p'p'as. For Serrano, another language Harrington studied, he visited the communities in 1916 and took 1,600 pages of notes on the language. It took three graduate students three months to enter the language into the project database. Only a few speakers of Serrano remain, when they used to spread through parts of the areas now known as San Bernardino and Riverside counties and eastward across the desert to the Salton Sea. They are on two reservations, Woodward said, San Manuel in San Bernardino County and Highland and Morongo reservation between Banning and Palm Springs. The remaining speakers are incorporating Harrington's notes into a language revitalization program, Woodward said. Harrington collected material on 135 languages. His original notes -- an estimated 1 million pages -- are in the Smithsonian Institution's National Anthropological Archives and copied onto 477 reels at UC Riverside. After Harrington died in 1961, people sent his work from all over to the Smithsonian. The University of California became interested and purchased the copy stored at the Riverside campus. The UCD group is interested in making his work available to scholars and Native Americans alike. "It's pretty inaccessible, especially to Indian people," said Martha Macri, director of both the Native American Language Center and of this project. The Language Center is within the university's department of Native American studies. "What we're trying to do," Macri said, "is make it possible (for) the people from whom this material was collected to have access to it." Many of the languages he studied are hardly spoken today -- some not at all. For some, the century-old notes are the only written record of their history. Varying depending on how much time he spent with a group and with whom he worked, some languages take up just part of one reel, while others fill 10 or more. Chumash is recorded onto 96 reels. Some of Harrington's notes on the language have never been read. "It becomes very precious (to preserve) these heritages," Macri said. Woodward claims no Native American ancestry, but became interested in the subject as an undergraduate student then as a professional archaeologist. She returned to campus to work more with Harrington's notes. "I think if this was just an academic project and it was just going for the benefit of scholars, I probably wouldn't be as enthused by it," Woodward, 32, said. "... Just being able to see the end result, taking these notes back to the (Native American) communities. ... People get so excited. And like we said before, some of Harrington's work is the only work for some of these languages. His notes are real resources for specific groups." The project will outlast Macri's lifetime, the 59-year-old says, so she is glad to have Woodward to carry it into the future. Bridging a gap Karen Santana, 24, grew up on a small reservation in Point Arena, but, until a couple of years ago, knew little about her heritage. The reservation was "kind of a low-class neighborhood," she says -- rural, with minimal medical services and widespread diabetes and high cholesterol, vandalism and a tendency to serve as a hideout for fugitives. "It's not the kind of neighborhood you want to walk around at dark," the UCD undergraduate student says. "Most people have dogs or guns, things they think they need to survive up there." Much of her family is there, and she visits often. Growing up, she didn't learn much about her tribal ancestors. She was told to do well in school and get a job. "I didn't hear a lot of my heritage before because ... I don't think people realize that that is an area where you can go into and actually make a living. So anything to do with culture wasn't really emphasized in my upbringing." She went to college with the intention of becoming a doctor, but eventually decided to change direction. She took a language class and became interested in learning more. Her tribe only has a few language "speakers" left. She met with one of them, and he gave her everything he had researched. "He basically sat me down and told me one day ... 'I've been waiting for somebody to come along, some youngster who wants to learn the language. I just want to see them, and I just want to see it go on.' " Studying her culture, Central Pomo, could be a way to give back to her family, she realized, and give her the new educational direction she had been seeking. She has been working on the Harrington project for a couple of years, learning about his century-old research and about herself. It is helping her understand the history of her tribe; she is learning things that she thinks some of her elders don't even know. "It gives me, one, a better sense of pride in my own culture," she said. "I'm attached to that culture, so I feel more of a responsibility to know it and understand it so I can teach it to other people." It's a good thing she is investing so much into learning the history. The elder she worked with last summer has died. "For me, that's like, I don't know, I know that there's a whole culture that was thriving before all of that happened. ... "I feel like people tend to forget that there's a rich history here, especially in California (at one time heavily populated with tribes). It's a really rich and complex history, so any part of it from before contact (between Indians and white people), I think it's something important to be known and recognized." Uncovering history During the 1975 battle over the burial ground in which Orozco and others occupied to prevent a warehouse development on the site, Orozco began thinking seriously about researching his heritage. "During that time, it was kind of like, will we ever know who we are, besides just Indians, you know? ... 'I am an Indian, but who am I?' That ran through my mind. It started to build up in me, you know, even though I was already in my 30s. I said, it's time to find out who we are." He didn't have to look far to find some of the information about his past. His great-grandmother and great-uncle are mentioned in the notes, as is a friend of his family who worked with Harrington. "It's exciting," Orozco said. "It inspires us even more to continue. Finding out not only about ourselves, but others, you know?" Through the Pajaro Valley Ohlone Indian Council, he helps track down family information for Native Americans. He said he takes pride in his work when he sees the responses of those he has helped. "We're helping other people trace their lineage. That makes us feel good about that, you know? That we helped this individual obtain his Indian lineage." He has been speaking in schools. "I'm teaching the kids language, I'm teaching (them) songs and dances. We put it all together. ... This way, they will know it -- we are still here. We are still here." -- Reach Beth Curda at bcurda at davisenterprise.net or 747-8045 Sunday, January 30, 2005 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 31 17:21:28 2005 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2005 10:21:28 -0700 Subject: Slips mark language development (fwd link) Message-ID: Slips mark language development UB researcher finds kids? slips of the tongue reveal what they know about language http://www.buffalo.edu/reporter/vol36/vol36n18/articles/Jaeger.html Thursday, January 20, 2005