From awebster at SIU.EDU  Mon Oct  1 16:58:45 2007
From: awebster at SIU.EDU (awebster@siu.edu)
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 12:58:45 -0400
Subject: World Literature Today
Message-ID: <MON.1.OCT.2007.125845.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

This issue concerns endangered languages and literature.

http://www.ou.edu/worldlit/onlinemagazine/2007September/home.htm

Anthony K. Webster, Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology
Southern Illinois University
Mail Code 4502
Carbondale, IL 62901-4502
618-453-5027


From hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM  Mon Oct  1 19:55:33 2007
From: hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM (hastiin yellowhair)
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 12:55:33 -0700
Subject: World Literature Today
In-Reply-To: <1191257925-29905.00033.00139-smmsdV2.1.6@saluki-mailhub.siu.edu>
Message-ID: <MON.1.OCT.2007.125533.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I like the World Literature Today and its great.  I teach Navajo Language here in Rough Rock Middle School (Arizona on the rez) and this is materials I use for classroom teaching.  Great... hagoonee'... Leroy Morgan

"awebster at siu.edu" <awebster at SIU.EDU> wrote:  This issue concerns endangered languages and literature.

http://www.ou.edu/worldlit/onlinemagazine/2007September/home.htm

Anthony K. Webster, Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology
Southern Illinois University
Mail Code 4502
Carbondale, IL 62901-4502
618-453-5027



Dinek'ehji Yalti' doo Ni tsekees
       
---------------------------------
Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more. 
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From gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct  1 22:43:46 2007
From: gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Garry Forger)
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 15:43:46 -0700
Subject: Last living speaker works to keep NorCal tribe's language alive
In-Reply-To: <39a679e20709200748s3b89d629m7ee34a32d0e15bc9@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <MON.1.OCT.2007.154346.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

As a child in the 1950s, Loretta Kelsey grew up hearing the sounds of 
Elem Pomo, an 8,000-year-old dialect spoken by early peoples of Northern 
California along the shores of Clear Lake in Lake County.

Since then, as an older generation passed away, the language they spoke 
went with them. According to scholars, 59-year-old Kelsey is the last 
fluent speaker of Elem Pomo alive today.

full story at http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7046816


-- 
Garry

___________________________________________
Garry J. Forger, MLS, MWS
(Santa Cruz Watershed)
Development and Grants Management Officer
for Learning Technologies
http://ltc.arizona.edu
and
Technology Manager for the Center for Educational
Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy
(CERCLL) http://cercll.arizona.edu
The University of Arizona
gforger at email.arizona.edu
520-626-3918
Fax 520-626-8220


From iackerman at ROSETTASTONE.COM  Wed Oct  3 17:13:42 2007
From: iackerman at ROSETTASTONE.COM (Ackerman, Ilse)
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 13:13:42 -0400
Subject: Chitimacha announcement
In-Reply-To: A<47017822.10305@email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <WED.3.OCT.2007.131342.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

 

Hi All,

 

We have happy news to share, below.  It's exciting also because it's the
first of endangered language projects subsidized by Rosetta Stone.

 

~ ilse

 

Ilse Ackerman
Editor-in-chief
Rosetta Stone



Chitimacha Tribe to Develop Rosetta Stone Software

 

    ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosetta Stone Inc., creator
of the world's No. 1 language-learning program, has formed a partnership
with the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana to develop a unique edition of
the award-winning software in the tribe's language, Sitimaxa.

 

    The tribe will own distribution and sales rights to the tribal
language version created through the Rosetta Stone Endangered Language
Program, which has developed culturally relevant language-learning
software with the Mohawk of Kahnawake, NANA Regional Corporation of
Alaska, and other

indigenous communities.

 

    Through its new corporate grant program, the global
language-learning software company will underwrite a substantial portion
of development costs for the Sitimaxa software. Rosetta Stone has
pledged to underwrite at least one project per year with endangered
language speaking communities interested in developing editions of the
cutting-edge immersion learning software.

 

    "Our hope is that Sitimaxa Rosetta Stone(R) software will be a tool
that will make a difference in the vitality of the language of the
Chitimacha Tribe," said Marion Bittinger, manager of the Endangered
Language Program. "We look forward to working with the tribe to help
realize their vision for a living and growing language."

 

    On Louisiana's coast, the Chitimacha tribe endured for century after
century -. surviving war, settlement and assimilation. This same
determination to survive has allowed the Chitimacha to revitalize their
language, which they almost lost.

 

    "Language is really the heart of who you are. It's not just about
learning the words; it's about learning your past. It's that
connection," said Kimberly S. Walden, M.Ed., cultural director of the
1,000 member

tribe.

 

    The native tongue of the Chitimacha people almost disappeared when
its last fluent speaker died in 1934 and its last semi-fluent speaker
died in 1940. One generation, then another, grew up knowing no more than
a few words of the rich language of their ancestors.

 

    Then in 1986, the Library of Congress mailed the tribe copies of wax
cylinder recordings made in the 1930s by Swedish linguist Morris
Swadesh. Tribal members listened to over 200 hours of their language .-
sounds no one had heard in decades, a cultural treasure buried in
archives for half a lifetime. The Chitimacha began rebuilding these
fragments back into a fluently spoken language. They recovered field
notes made by Swadesh and his wife to help decode what was recorded.

 

    "The recordings were very hard to understand, especially if you'd
never heard the language spoken before," Walden said. "You have to
realize that, as long as I was growing up, all we had in Sitimaxa was a
few words on a museum brochure that no one could pronounce."

 

    In 1995, the Chitimacha tribe established a cultural department.
Employees asked archeological contractors in Louisiana if they knew of
anyone familiar with the Chitimacha's language .- a long-shot request
that, improbably, paid off. Contractors suggested the tribe contact Dr.
Julian Granberry, a linguist and anthropologist living in Florida who
had worked with Swadesh as a high school sophomore.

 

    Granberry, now 80, had studied their language for decades, but had
never visited the reservation. The tribe invited Granberry to share his
findings. "When Dr. Granberry spoke Sitimaxa to a group of Chitimacha
elders assembled at a meeting, some of the elders began to cry," said
Walden. "Words started coming back. They remembered."

 

    With Granberry's help, the Chitimacha tackled the Sitimaxa
challenge, using the returned resources to develop dictionaries,
curriculum, primers and recordings. The tribe now offers Sitimaxa
classes for students as young as six weeks old at its child development
center. Students in kindergarten

through the eighth grade learn the language at the Chitimacha Tribal
School, and adults in night classes.

 

    Rachel Vilcan was one of the first students in the adult class. Now
she's an aide in the K-8 Sitimaxa program. "The language sounds natural;
it sounds like it fits me, like it fits the area," Vilcan said. "It was
scary, at first, to be learning it as an adult, but the desire to learn
was stronger. It's our identity."

 

    Like other tribes working to bring tribal language back into daily
use, the Chitimacha's goal is to develop conversational fluency. "We
want to bring the language back to the point where we can use it
conversationally when we gather as a tribe," said Walden.

 

    Through its immersion-based software that can be customized to
reflect unique linguistic and cultural features, Rosetta Stone will help
the tribe solve this problem. The tribe will work with Rosetta Stone to
translate and record lessons in Sitimaxa. The paired audio recordings of
tribal speakers and images from the community will teach this endangered
language in culturally relevant context using the company's
award-winning Dynamic Immersion(TM) methodology.

 

    "I think the chances are very great that they will succeed,"
Granberry said. "There has been for the last decade a strong interest on
the part of a large number of the tribal members."

 

    Ilse Ackerman, editor-in-chief at Rosetta Stone, said this language
teaching tool multiplies existing efforts. "If you have a small number
of fluent speakers, student time with these teachers is valuable and
limited. The software can give students access to their teaching around
the clock, allowing communities to save valuable face-to-face
instruction time for conversational practice," said Ackerman.

 

    The Chitimacha Tribe will use the immersion-based software to
enhance ongoing education programs for children and adults. Tribal
members as far away as Guam and Germany will be able to learn Sitimaxa
using CDs or through online access when the project finishes.

 

    Communities interested in learning more about the Rosetta Stone
Endangered Language Program should visit the program's Web site, at:
http://www.RosettaStone.com/global/endangered, or call 1-800-788-0822,
ext.5331.

 

    About the Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program

 

    The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program works with communities
to develop unique immersion-learning software. The Endangered Language
Program worked with the Kanien'kehaka Onkwawen:na Raotitiohkwa to
develop Mohawk software for the community of Kahnawake in 2006, and the
NANA Corporation of Alaska to develop Inupiaq language learning software
in 2007. The program and the Torngasok Cultural Centre in Labrador will
produce a version in Inuttitut.

 

    About Rosetta Stone Inc.

 

    Rosetta Stone Inc. is a leading provider of language-learning
software. Acclaimed for the speed, power and effectiveness of its
Dynamic Immersion(TM) method, Rosetta Stone is a revolutionary
language-learning software program. While teaching 30 languages to
millions of people in more

than 150 countries throughout the world, Rosetta Stone software is the
key to Language Learning Success(TM). Inc. Magazine has named Rosetta
Stone Inc. one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the United
States, and for the fourth consecutive year Deloitte has named the
company one of the

fastest-growing technology companies in Virginia. Rosetta Stone was
founded in 1992 on two core beliefs: that the natural way people learn
languages as children remains the most successful method for learning
new languages; and that interactive CD-ROM and online technology can
recreate the immersion

method powerfully for learners of any age. The company is based in
Arlington, Va. For more information, visit http://www.RosettaStone.com.

 

    Rosetta Stone, Dynamic Immersion, and Language Learning Success are
trademarks of Rosetta Stone Ltd.

 

     For More Information:

     Peggy Lohmann                               Grete Krohn

     Rosetta Stone                                  Carmichael Lynch
Spong

     (703) 387-5835                              (612) 375-8535

     plohmann at RosettaStone.com         grete.krohn at clynch.com

 

Denise Dixon

Carmichael Lynch Spong

(612) 375-8523

denise.dixon at clynch.com

 

 

SOURCE Rosetta Stone Inc.

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From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Thu Oct  4 21:26:10 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 14:26:10 -0700
Subject: DOCUMENTING WASHOE
Message-ID: <THU.4.OCT.2007.142610.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Tribal elders are helping a linguist compile an online dictionary of  
Washo, a language close to extinction. More than just words are at  
stake.
By Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 21, 2007
WOODFORDS, CALIF. -- In a classroom amid the dusty hills southeast of  
Lake Tahoe, an unlikely duo sit across from each other and conjugate  
the verb "to sleep." They are working in Washo, a language with, at  
best, an uncertain future.

Elshim, to sleep. Lelshimi, I am sleeping. Elshimi, he is sleeping.  
Shelshimi, they are sleeping.

On one side of a yellow plastic table sits Ramona Dick, a 74-year-old  
elder of the Washo tribe, a great-grandmother and retired cook whose  
formal education ended at the eighth grade but who has a deep  
knowledge of the Native American language she learned as a child.

Facing her is Alan Yu, 30, a Hong Kong-born linguist who immigrated  
to California as a teenager, earned a doctorate at UC Berkeley and  
now is an assistant professor at the University of Chicago.

Despite differences in age, culture and education, the two have  
bonded in a way that they hope will bring lasting results.

What brings them together is their mutual interest in Washo, a tongue  
that tribe members estimate is spoken fluently by no more than 20 or  
30 people. The big picture is even grimmer: Half of California's 100  
Native American languages no longer have fluent speakers, and many of  
the rest have just five or six hanging on, experts say.

Attempts to document, if not revive, many of those languages have  
been going on for years. The goal is to preserve more than just  
conversation and literature; a vital part of cultural identity --  
what it means, for example, to be a Washo -- slips away when a  
language becomes extinct.

Now, Yu and Dick are part of newer efforts applying contemporary  
technology worldwide.

Last year, Yu received a $160,000 federal grant to compile an online  
dictionary of 5,000 Washo words and phrases, complete with digitally  
recorded pronunciations by Dick and other Washo elders. Scheduled to  
be finished in 2009, the dictionary is designed partly as a tool to  
help younger Washos learn the language -- even if just a few words,  
such as da'aw (Lake Tahoe), gewe (coyote)and gu'u (maternal  
grandmother).

"It's going to be lost, I think, if nobody tries to teach them," Dick  
said of Washo, which had no written form until 20th century scholars  
began transcribing it phonetically. "If the young people could learn,  
maybe they can tell their children down the line a bit that it's  
important to our tribe. Because we are not a very big tribe."



Washo (some spell it Washoe) leaders estimate that there are about  
1,500 tribal members, mainly in the eastern Sierra on both sides of  
the California-Nevada border. Dick lives in Woodfords, in an isolated  
Washo community known as Hung-a-lel-ti (Southern Washoes) on rolling  
ranchland with stunning mountain vistas. Its 350 or so residents can  
walk to the lime-green education center, where Yu and Dick meet, but  
must drive 10 miles north into Nevada for most shopping.

During his summer and vacation-time visits to the Washo towns, Yu  
said, he tries to avoid the paternalistic attitudes that strained  
some past relationships between nonnative researchers and Native  
Americans. Yu, who spoke only Cantonese until he started elementary  
school, stressed that his goal is to document Washo, not to save it.

"I think the consensus these days is for a language to be  
revitalized," he said. "It's really a community effort. It's  
something that an outsider can't come in and force it onto people."

The Washos have a better chance at revitalization than many other  
tribes, scholars say. About 60 adults and teens attend several Washo  
language classes, and teachers introduce Washo words and phrases to  
young children in pre-kindergarten and after-school programs.  
Besides, Yu said, it is a "gift" to meet fluent -- and vibrant --  
volunteers for the dictionary project like Dick, her cousin Steven  
James and his cousin Eleanore Smokey.

Nevertheless, everyone agrees it will be an uphill effort against  
assimilation and English-language television. Another formidable  
obstacle: the educations of many middle-aged and elderly tribe  
members, who were sent away from Washo-speaking homes to government  
boarding schools that discouraged the use of Washo.

Dick learned the language from a grandmother and great-grandmother,  
neither of whom had a full grasp of English. A widow, Dick says that  
none of her own five children, 18 grandchildren and seven great- 
grandchildren really speak Washo, although some are trying to learn  
and most understand when she speaks at home or at a class she is  
leading.

Lynda Shoshone, the tribe's language and cultural preservation  
coordinator, said she could "kick myself in the rear for not paying  
more attention" as a child when her grandmother spoke Washo. Shoshone  
said she knows Washo words but has trouble putting sentences  
together. However, her 22-year-old son, she said, attended a now- 
defunct immersion school and is quite fluent. So, she said, the  
language has a shot at survival.

James, 74, is pessimistic. "There's too much competition from the  
present-day world," said the retired electrical construction worker  
from Dresslerville, Nev. "Everyday living, your job, just trying to  
survive in this world is difficult."

Still, he and Dick are willing to spend long days, sometimes from 10  
a.m. to 6 p.m., answering Yu's detailed lists of questions. The  
elders' responses about nouns, adjectives, verbs and sentences are  
captured on a digital recording device, and Yu's graduate students  
splice them and upload them online.

On a recent day, Dick visited the classroom leaning on the cane she  
now requires and sat in front of the microphone. A full-faced,  
vivacious woman with a graying ponytail and gold hoop earrings, she  
paused only when she was unable to pull a word from the memory of her  
late grandmother's kitchen or when her voice got "froggy" from  
overuse. After all, "Dr. Yu," as she calls him despite his pleas for  
informality, "comes from far away, and when he does, it's always nice  
to sit down and talk with him."

Wearing jeans, a pullover shirt, sneakers and squarish glasses, Yu  
queried her in a low-key and respectful manner, like a grandson  
fishing for a family story. But he also was persistent and, for  
accuracy, asked the same thing in various ways. Taking lots of  
handwritten notes, he wanted equivalents of English words and  
inquired about Washo words or sentences he had picked up from other  
sources.

"Do you know how to describe someone who has a big tummy?" Yu asked.  
"Have you ever heard people talk about Ngalbuli?"

"It means he's got, like, a pot belly," Dick responded, chuckling.

They tackled other verbs after "sleep." How would you say, "I'm  
laughing?" Yu asked. Lasawi.

How about a lot of people laughing? Sasawi. Can you say that one more  
time? Sasawi. To swim? Yeem. I'm swimming? Diyeemi. He's swimming?  
Yeemi.

Sometimes Dick gently corrected Yu's backward word order or mangled  
pronunciations. Sometimes Yu pushed her into shades of meaning, such  
as the difference between shooting something and trying to shoot it.

Then came nouns: paternal grandmother (ama), maternal grandfather  
(elel), maternal grandchildren (gu'yi).

What about shrimp? She shook her head, drawing a blank. The word for  
fish is atabi, but apparently there is no word for shrimp. "There was  
no shrimp around here," she later explained, "until white men brought  
them into markets."

Yu has posted a preliminary Washo pronunciation guide online at  
http://washo.uchicago.edu and has compiled about two-thirds of the  
words he needs before he makes the dictionary and its voicing  
technology available to the public late next year. That progress is  
"very impressive," said Douglas Whalen, a program officer at the  
National Science Foundation's program known as Documenting Endangered  
Languages. The program, which also involves the National Endowment  
for the Humanities, is funding Yu's dictionary and similar work in  
about 60 other languages worldwide.

"Language is part of our human heritage," Whalen said. "It's part of  
what makes us human. Not having any record of what's gone on in a  
language is regrettable."



The rate of world language extinction is alarming, a study sponsored  
by the National Geographic Society warned this week. Of the world's  
7,000 languages, two are disappearing every month, and half may be  
gone by century's end, including scores of Native American tongues in  
the Southwestern U.S., researchers said.

To an English speaker, Washo sounds difficult, with frequent glottal  
stops that change meanings and a throaty "ng" sound (ngawngang is  
child). Verbs change prefixes as they shift among "I, he, we, they,"  
and verbs also have several forms for the recent or distant past. Its  
oddities include some double-negative expressions, such as "I don't  
not know."

Washo is very unlike the other Native American languages -- Miwok,  
Maidu and Northern Paiute -- that surround it, according to William  
H. Jacobsen Jr., a professor emeritus at the University of Nevada,  
Reno, who conducted groundbreaking linguistic research on Washo  
starting in the 1950s and published a basic grammar guide in 1996.

The tribe's linguistic isolation fed into a sense of cultural  
distinctiveness in the Indian world, even as white settlers took over  
traditional Washo fishing and hunting territory for silver mining,  
ranching, lake resorts and casinos in the 19th and 20th centuries,  
Jacobsen said.

Jacobsen said he too is compiling a Washo dictionary, albeit a print  
one. But he is gloomy about Washo's future, although he said he hopes  
his work, language classes and Yu's dictionary will help young people  
learn a few words and phrases.

"Even though they don't know the language or the grammar, there is  
some value in this," he said. "It gives them some identity and they  
can say, 'I'm a Washo.' "

Internet dictionaries are the latest tools for language survival but  
are not the sole answer, said former UC Berkeley linguistics  
professor Leanne Hinton. Tribes showing some success have put special  
effort into classes for children and for adults, such as the  
Pechangas, who are working to revive Luiseño in communities near  
Temecula, and the Yuroks in northwestern California, said Hinton, an  
expert in tribal languages.

Those and other tribes have people "who don't want to go down without  
a fight, so to speak," said Hinton, who has helped organize the  
biennial "Breath of Life -- Silent No More" conferences at UC  
Berkeley that seek to revive endangered Native American languages in  
California.

Yu, one of Hinton's former students, became fascinated with Washo  
when he was assigned to help out at one of the conferences. Hinton  
described Yu as a good match for the Washo elders: "He is extremely  
competent as well as being good with people. He is a very patient  
person."

Besides Cantonese and English, Yu can speak Mandarin and has a  
rudimentary knowledge of Turkish and Russian. He has a grasp of some  
Washo vocabulary and grammar but is not fluent.

"I am picking it up slowly. In general, I'm not a very good language  
learner. That may seem odd for a linguist to say, but linguists are  
not necessarily polyglots," said Yu, whose new book on linguistics  
was recently published by Oxford University Press.

Last month, the Chicago professor went public with his own Washo  
abilities. The tribe held a luncheon for anyone involved in learning  
the language. Yu prepared a brief speech in Washo but was clearly  
nervous.

So he first ran the speech past Dick: I'm happy to be here today.  
Wading ebe dihamu' angawi wa' le'iga' a'alu. . .

As I do not speak Washo very well. Washiw diwagay'angaweesinga. . .

Eat well and drink well. Gemlu'angaw geme'angaw.

Dick gently brushed up Yu's pronunciations here and there and sought  
to calm his concerns about the lunch crowd's reaction: "They can't  
expect to hear you talking like a lawyer."

That afternoon, about 20 people attended the baked chicken and salad  
luncheon in the education center. Melba Rakow, who teaches Washo  
classes in Nevada, offered a blessing and urged the tribe, she later  
translated, "not to throw our language down."

Yu initially hung back a bit before screwing up his courage. Then,  
clutching his notes, he seemed to carry off the speech flawlessly,  
finishing up with "Di'nga ledinga" ("That's all I'll say.") The  
audience applauded, and Dick declared: "I think he did real well."

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From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Thu Oct  4 22:09:52 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 15:09:52 -0700
Subject: Elem Pomo Language
Message-ID: <THU.4.OCT.2007.150952.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Only living Elem Pomo speaker teaches so she won't be the last
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/30/MNAISEMAH.D\
TL

Loretta Kelsey closed her eyes, letting memories ripple through her.
Visions of coyotes, childhood acorn hunts and fishermen filled her head.
A minute dragged by. She opened her eyes, stared at the calm waters of
Clear Lake, and began to speak.

"Ah wee-e-bee, we-e bit," she said quietly. "Fac-ma, fa-a-kepkin.
Aquichin wa mit." The words of the old ways rolled on for several
minutes, and as they came, Kelsey fixed her gaze on the ground.

"Sholbit," she finally said, looking up and smiling. "The end."

Yes and no.

It was the end of her story, in Kelsey's native Elem Pomo language,
about her aunt chewing tule reeds 60 years ago and using the chaff to
catch fish in an apron. But by the mere act of telling that story, she
was giving a desperately needed new beginning to her people's language.

Kelsey, 59, is the last person on Earth who is fluent in Elem Pomo, an
8,000-year-old dialect spoken by a people who once flourished along the
shores of Clear Lake (Lake County). Handed down orally and never
written, the language has nearly vanished - and Kelsey, a quiet, almost
demure woman with steely gaze, is doing everything she can to make sure
the ancient words do not die with her.

Every time an Elem Pomo phrase passes her lips and someone else hears
it, she says, she is helping keep it alive. It's even better if one of
the young people in her tribe speaks that phrase back to her - and over
the past three years, she has been holding workshops to make sure they
are able to do that.

"It would be so terribly sad to let this language die out because ...
well, look around you," Kelsey said, waving her hands to take in the oak
tree-studded spread of her reservation, the Elem Pomo Colony on the
southern shore of Clear Lake. "Our language is really right here. It's
in our ceremonies, our lives, our people, our ways.

"You keep the language alive, you help keep all of this alive."

It wasn't so long ago that dozens of people spoke Elem Pomo. When Kelsey
was a child in the 1950s and '60s, her parents and many other elders in
the 250-member tribe were fluent, and her mother spoke no English.

But as the older folks died off and the younger ones forayed into the
broader society around them to make a living, many native ways were
lost. It was a disintegration that was millennia in coming.

The Elem Pomo tribe originated in about 6000 B.C., and as it perfected
the arts of bluegill fishing, making bread from acorns and weaving
watertight baskets with bullrush and willow strands, it came to occupy
80,000 acres around the lake. However, the advent of white settlers in
the 1800s brought the usual displacement crises, the most notorious
being the 1850 Bloody Island Massacre at Clear Lake - in which 200 Elem
Pomo and other Indians were killed by the U.S. Army. The massacre was in
retaliation for the slaying of white ranchers Andrew Kelsey and Charles
Stone, who were killed by Pomo braves retaliating for the pair's
enslavement and rape of local Indians.

Today, the casino-less tribe exists on a 50-acre reservation of simple
houses, next to a closed sulfur mine so badly polluted with mercury that
it is on the nation's Superfund toxic cleanup list.

Over the past 30 years in particular, the Elem Pomo's traditions, such
as subsistence fishing and basket weaving, dwindled as people joined
area churches and found jobs in mercury mines, logging operations and
town stores. The same decline has affected tribes all over California.
Of the seven loosely related Pomo tribes around Clear Lake - each with
its own language - only one, the Elem Pomo, has a full traditional round
house.

Speaking the native tongue only got in the way of trying to fit in, the
thinking went.

"It's a difficult language, and my dad never taught it to us because he
didn't want the white kids to make fun of us," said Elem Pomo Tribal
Chairman Ray Brown. "It's a real shame, now that we all look back on it,
because you don't really learn it unless you grow up with it."

It's not too late to fix that, Kelsey said. "All we need is a
willingness to want it to live, and I think we have that."

Her interest in reviving the language ignited three years ago when her
nephew, Robert Geary, who helps run the tribe's ceremonial events,
attended a statewide meeting of Indian tribes interested in preserving
their culture. After Geary came back he polled the tribe for who spoke
the language, and only one name came up: Kelsey.

Remembering that UC Berkeley linguistic students had recorded tribal
members speaking Elem Pomo between the 1940s and '60s, the two called
the university for help on how to revive their dialect. They wound up
with one of the nation's pre-eminent Pomo language researchers,
Professor Emeritus Leanne Hinton.

Together, Hinton and Kelsey dug into the campus archives and found
recordings in Elem Pomo on old reel-to-reel tapes - and they included
Kelsey's father telling stories, and Ray Brown's father singing.

"California's tribes have been so fractured over the years that it's
very hard to tell how many languages are still alive," said Hinton, who
co-founded the statewide Advocates for Indigenous California Language
Survival. "What Loretta is doing is special. And for the last speaker of
a language, she's amazingly young."

Hinton said that in the mid-1770s, California's Indians - Miwoks, Pomos,
Ohlones being the main ones in Northern California - spoke 115
languages. Now, only about 50 dialects remain statewide, and many of
those have a just handful of speakers each.

Kelsey is the only lone speaker that Hinton knows of.

"A language is not just a monument to knowledge, it's a monument to
identity," Hinton said. "But bringing it back takes generations. Loretta
and her people have a lot of work ahead of them."

Listening to the old UC recordings with Hinton was the first time Kelsey
had heard the language fluently spoken since she was a young woman. She
hadn't really spoken much of it since then, either, but it always
remained strong in her for some reason.

"Hearing my father's voice brought back so many memories," she said,
sighing. "Memories of him and me camping, of us sliding down the hills
on cardboard in the summer, memories of my elders fishing.

"It helped me remember even more of the language to hear these."

Part of the charm of the Elem Pomo dialect for Kelsey, and for Hinton,
is its gentle nature. Much emphasis, in passing it down through the
generations, was on the telling of stories, such as the coyote myths,
which have the wily critter causing floods and the like. There are no
swear words in Elem Pomo, and nothing for "hello" or "goodbye."

"We just say 'How are you doing?' or 'I'll see you again,' " Kelsey
said. "As a people, we really just want to know how you are doing, I
guess. And I don't think anybody was mean enough to say bad words."

So far, Kelsey has conducted four weekendlong language camps for her
tribe. Each had a theme - animals and birds for one, foods and utensils
for the other three - and the 30 or so participants played bingo in Elem
Pomo using the themed words to make things more fun.

She's also writing a dictionary and a phrase handbook, with the help of
Hinton and a couple of other linguists from the UC system.

Such endeavors are a whole new direction for Kelsey, who raised two
children, has six grandchildren and worked as a nurses' assistant before
retiring on disability in 2004 after a back injury.

"I just never thought of things like this, but now I really wish I had
spoken the language to my kids as they grew up. It was kind of crazy,
but that's just how life was," Kelsey said. "It saddens me. I have a
tremendous responsibility now."

She sat with friends around an unlit fire pit at the reservation as she
spoke, grandchildren and dogs happily playing nearby. Occasionally an
Elem Pomo word would pop up in the chatter, and she'd smile.

"It's pretty hard work picking up the language, and it's hard to get
everyone together to learn," said Joe Peters, Kelsey's 19-year-old
grandson. "I can actually use words with my grandma now, like I'll say
"where" or "I love you" in Elem Pomo. But I can't really say a whole
phrase just yet."

Tribal Chairman Brown said that if the teaching proves too difficult, he
may ask all seven Pomo tribes to try to combine their languages into
one, so at least one dialect will be carried on through the ages. That
will be tough, he admitted, since only two words are common to all the
tribes - hiyu, meaning dog, and masin, meaning white man.

The Elem Pomo, like many tribes around California, is also reassessing
its tribal enrollment lists, and many members - including Kelsey - are
being considered for disenrollment based on historical family records.
That could prompt people to move away from the reservation, further
fracturing the ability to get together for language classes.

Kelsey watched Joe and his cousins kick a ball back and forth in the
bare dirt yard - the same yard she once kicked balls in 50 years ago as
her elders called to her in Elem Pomo. "At least when I speak it now, I
can live those old days again," she said, her eyes getting a faraway
look. "Maybe someday my grandchildren and their children will get to
experience that too."

But Kelsey said that no matter what happens, she is now committed to
passing her tongue along for the rest of her life.

"Sometimes I really wish for the old days, when things were simpler,"
Kelsey said. "Back then, our culture was clearer, things made more
sense."
Online resources: For Advocates for Indigenous California Language
Survival go to:
links.sfgate.com/ZYE <http://links.sfgate.com/ZYE>
For information on the Elem Pomo tribe, go to:
links.sfgate.com/ZYF <http://links.sfgate.com/ZYF>

To hear Loretta Kelsey tell a story in Elem Pomo with translation in
English, and to hear her translation of several Pomo words, go to
sfgate.com
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Sat Oct  6 09:33:43 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 02:33:43 -0700
Subject: College Corner: Professor David Harrison (fwd)
Message-ID: <SAT.6.OCT.2007.023343.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The Daily Gazette

College Corner: Professor David Harrison

By Neena Cherayil on 10/01/07 at 11:33 pm

Swarthmore associate linguistics professor David Harrison has become
somewhat of a celebrity in recent weeks, receiving press from NPR, the
Colbert Report, the New York Times, and many well-known foreign
publications for his ongoing efforts to call attention to the burgeoning
dilemma of language extinction. Professor Harrison’’s work through National
Geographic’’s Endangered Voices Project and his own co-founded non-profit
organization, The Living Tongues Institute, has sparked much discussion on
the importance of language to modern culture and society. His new book,
“When Languages Die”, builds on years of fieldwork spent revitalizing and
documenting dying and little-known languages (many with less than 30 fluent
speakers remaining) in Central Siberia, Western Mongolia, Northeast India,
and Bolivia.

[photo inset - Antonio Condori (left), with his son Illaryon Ramos Condori
(center), both hereditary Kallawaya healers, talking with David Harrison
(right) in Chary village, northern Bolivia, June 2007. Photo by Greg
Anderson, copyright 2007]

DG: Is linguistics merely the study of language? For those who don’t know,
could you give a brief description of what the field encompasses?

Harrison: Language is perhaps the most complex cognitive system we possess,
and Linguistics is the field of science devoted to its study. We are many
decades if not centuries away from understanding how language works. That’s
plenty.

DG: What prompted your interest in linguistics? As a linguist, specifically,
what is your area of study or interest?

Harrison: I got into Linguistics through International Studies, my
undergraduate major, and through living for several years in post-Soviet
Union countries. I specialize in Turkic languages of Siberia, and in the
study of language endangerment.

DG: In your book “When Languages Die”, you say more than half of the
world’’s languages are expected to become extinct by the end of the
century, how was this estimate reached and what exactly is happening?

Harrison: It is a best guess consensus estimate among scholars who work in
this area. It may turn out to be wrong, but small languages are being
abandoned by speakers in favor of globally dominant languages everyday.

DG: Why do you believe preserving endangered language is important?

Harrison: I don’t use the word “preserve”, that sounds like jam in a jar or
a specimen in a museum. Languages only thrive if they have speaker
communities. Each language contains unique structures that tell us about
human cognition, entire mythologies and belief systems, and technologies
for survival (including fine-grained knowledge about species and ecosystems
that often exceeds what science knows).

DG: Alright I have to ask: what was it like being a guest on the Colbert
Report?

Harrison: Fun but stressful. How do you sum up 12 years of research in a 4
minute comedy interview? I tried to get a few basic points across. Stephen
was doing his thing, lampooning, so I tried to include some amusing facts
as well. Afterwards his two writers came up to me and said how much they
enjoyed my book and this topic. Guest author John Grisham also told me he
was very interested in my book and in Louisiana Creole French.

DG: What has the general reaction to your project been?

Harrison: Positive. People often ask us to do more, stay longer, and help
them revitalize their languages. We’re trying to expand to be able to do
that in a responsible way.

DG: Do you have any other future projects in mind?

Harrison: Lots. I want to write a book on global language hotspots, and on
our expeditions to visit them.

DG: Now, a tough one. What is your favorite word?

Harrison: I don’t have a favorite but I am fond of karabazhingnnattarivistan
(A Tuvan word that literally means “from our prisoners”, I like it because
it is rather long and shows the complex concatenative [multiple units of
meaning strung together] morphological structures of Tuvan. I often use it
as an example in classes. It breaks down into 6 morphemes [smallest unit of
meaning in a word] like this:

[black-house-AGENTIVE-PLURAL-1.PLURAL.POSSESSIVE-ADLATIVE]

Poopungkoontam from the Sora language (India) is another favorite, meaning
“I will stab you in the gut with a knife.” I’m also fond of
dziewiecsetszesnascie, “916&#8243; in Polish becuase it’s a real tongue
twister and one of the very first words I had to learn as an exchange
student in Poland (I arrived not speaking a single word of the language).
In our dormitory, keys had to be left at the front desk and asked for each
time you entered the building. The front desk ladies had endless amusement
hearing me try to utter my room number.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Sat Oct  6 09:37:22 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 02:37:22 -0700
Subject: Yu compiles dictionary of dying language (fwd)
Message-ID: <SAT.6.OCT.2007.023722.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Yu compiles dictionary of dying language

By Rachel-Cromidas
Friday, October 5th, 2007

Alan Yu, an assistant professor of linguistics at the University, is
currently recording and cataloguing the nearly extinct Native American
language “Washo” in an online dictionary to be completed in 2009.

At present, only about 20 tribespeople speak the language, which springs
from a region bordering California and Nevada, according to Yu.

Yu, who has been working on this project with graduate and undergraduate
students at the University since 2004 after receiving a grant from the
National Endowment for the Humanities, is pessimistic about the survival of
Washo. He characterizes Washo as a “moribund language”—one that elders are
no longer actively teaching to children.

“The fact is that [Washo] is an endangered language,” Yu said. “The people
who are speaking it right now are probably going to be the last group of
speakers in all likelihood, unless the [native speakers] start speaking to
their kids in Washo daily.”

Nonetheless, Yu says his primary goal is to create a full record of the
language that can be used for both humanistic and scientific purposes.
Washo has no written tradition, so Yu says the online dictionary will
emphasize its audio component.

Yu spends his summers and vacations in California interviewing tribe members
fluent in the language. To create this “oral dictionary,” he is compiling
audio recordings of words and syllables. Yu has completed 3,000 audio
entries to date, but says he hopes to reach 5,000 by 2009.

“The purpose of having an oral medium transmitted and preserved, Yu said,
“is so that, should a Washo in the future want to learn the language, they
can hear an elder speaking the language in the flesh, so to speak.”

Yu equates studying a language like Washo to discovering a new species of
animal, because “you never know what you’re going to learn or what you’re
missing out on until you fully describe it and understand it.”

Linguists have found no relation between Washo and the languages of
neighboring tribes, Yu said, so these mysteries make the language
particularly interesting to study.

“There are so many languages in the world on the verge of extinction, and
it’s our job as linguists to study them before they go away forever.”

His online dictionary can be accessed at washo.uchicago.edu.

Permanent URL:
http://maroon.uchicago.edu/online_edition/news/2007/10/05/yu-compiles-dictionary-of-dying-language/


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 02:45:34 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 19:45:34 -0700
Subject: High-tech revives ancient tongue (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.194534.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

High-tech revives ancient tongue

First Nations youth are employing computer technology to master the language
of their elders

Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
Published: Friday, October 05, 2007

A language traditionally spoken by First Nations in Saanich is being pulled
back from the brink of extinction by new technology.

The spoken words of elders in the Tsawout, Tsartlip and Tseycum bands are
being digitally transcribed, and the words -- sometimes known by only a
handful of people -- added to a digital dictionary.

Students can then use interactive tools and games on computers to learn the
language. Yesterday, as Labour Minister Olga Ilich handed over $250,000 to
the FirstVoices program, students from the Saanich bands demonstrated how
it works.

[photo inset - Ben Olsen, foreground, and Eugene Baker learn the traditional
language of their ancestors from a digital dictionary on computers at the
First Peoples' Council boardroom on the Tsartlip reserve yesterday. Debra
Brash, Times Colonist]

"I can't speak it that good yet, but this is fun. I just like it," said
13-year-old Ben Olsen as he keyboarded his way through a list of words in
the language, known as Sencoten.

The provincial funding will be added to a matching grant from the federal
New Relationship Trust.

"This revitalizes a piece of who we are deep inside. It's a piece that many
of us have buried for a very long time," said Tyrone McNeil, chairman of
the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council.

FirstVoices is being used for 26 languages across North America and in 18
communities in B.C. The province has 32 languages and more than 70
dialects.

About a dozen elders speak the Sencoten language fluently, said research
assistant Belinda Claxton as she accompanied elders Ivan Morris, 77, and
Ray Sam, 78, to a celebration buffet table of buffalo meat, herring roe and
smoked salmon after the funding announcement.

"We are trying to teach the young children the language and traditional
disciplines."

A children's book has just been completed in Sencoten and English, telling
the traditional stories and warning about what Squashthun -- the Sencoten
equivalent of the bogeyman -- will do if they break the rules, Claxton
said.

Claxton understands the language and speaks a little, but Sam and Morris
grew up speaking it.

"We must give our young people the courage to carry on with our language ...
it's a language that is beautiful," Morris said.

The sounds of Sencoten are the sounds of nature, said John Elliott, who
teaches the language. "It's the voice of the land, the voice of the wind."

Young people are keen to learn their language because they can use modern
technology and see it has a use in today's society, Elliott said.


© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2007


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 02:51:32 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 19:51:32 -0700
Subject: Inuit need national language centre: Simon (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.195132.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Nunatsiaq News
October 5, 2007

Inuit need national language centre: Simon

“You need to preserve the old language and come up with new terminology to
keep up.”

JANE GEORGE
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/71005_575.html

Inuit need a nation-wide language and culture resource centre to preserve
and promote Inuktitut throughout Canada, says Mary Simon, the president of
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

"It would be important for us as Inuit to have this kind of centre where you
can work on the language, as in the Faroes," Simon said, following a meeting
of the National Inuit Language Committtee in Ottawa.

In the Faroe Islands, the Faroese Language Committee is an advisory
institute, founded in 1985.

[photo inset - The National Inuit Language Committee, with members from
Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut and the Inuvialuit region, met in Ottawa to
discuss how to strengthen Inuktitut. (PHOTO COURTESY OF ITK)]

Its mandate is to preserve, promote and develop the Faroese language. It
provides individuals, businesses and government institutions with advice
and information about the Faroese language, and helps come up with new
words and expressions. It also answers questions about personal names,
place names and other names.

Simon suggested a similar Canadian Inuktitut centre might be able to develop
a unified written language, without changing the various regional dialects.
This, she said, could open the door for the regions to share more
educational material.

Inuktitut, along with Cree and Ojibway, is one of three aboriginal languages
in Canada that experts say has a chance of surviving, but Simon said it
needs more resources to continue developing.

"You need to preserve the old language and come up with new terminology to
keep up with what's happening in the Inuit world," she said.

With the support of ITK, the National Inuit Language Committee, with members
from Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut and the Inuvialuit region, met last week
in Ottawa to discuss what Inuktitut needs - more language teachers, more
language learning materials, more books and more collaboration between the
regions.

Simon admits it will be challenging to help urban Inuit or Inuit in
Nunatsiavut and the Inuvialuit region learn or retain Inuktitut.

But Simon suggested a language and culture centre could support these
efforts over the long term, providing the school system with common
Inuktitut learning materials.

"It's not an easy thing to do, but a lot of things happen that aren't easy
to do. If the will is there, you can make it happen," she said.

Simon plans to promote the idea of the Inuktitut language and culture
resource centre during her cross-Canada speaking tour, which starts later
this month.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 02:56:30 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 19:56:30 -0700
Subject: Tireless worker for Bundjalung (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.195630.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

[photo inset - INSPIRING: Uncle Eric Walkers passion for his country will
be remembered at his funeral in Tabulam next Friday. JACKLYN WAGNER]

Tireless worker for Bundjalung

Northern Star, Queensland, AUS
06.10.2007
http://www.northernstar.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3751028&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

UNCLE Eric Walker was the%essence of an elder. He was wise,
highly-respected, passionate about his country and an advocate for
Aboriginal land rights. The 95-year-old died on September 28 and, according
to those who knew him best, his awe-inspiring persona will be missed by all.
He was one of the last speakers of the Bundjalung language and worked
tirelessly to promote the language and culture of the Bundjalung people.
Director of the College of Indigenous Australian People at SCU, Professor
Judy Atkinson, said Uncle Eric Walker would often pop into her class
unannounced to share his wisdom with her students. Uncle Eric believed
that whatever people were learning, they should use it to the absolute
advantage of their own community, she said. Prof Atkinson said Uncle Eric
encouraged people to find their roots and always speak the truth. He
received an honorary fellowship from Southern Cross University in 1996 in
recognition of his outstanding commitment to the Aboriginal community. In
1998 he and his wife Una were the NAIDOC Elders of the Year.

Uncle Eric commanded respect and Prof Atkinson said that he was held in as
high esteem as the university chancellor at SCU. He also had a sharp wit
and his speeches always captured the audiences attention. Former media
advisor with ATSIC, Phillipa McDermott, worked with Uncle Eric for years
and said he was a great storyteller and a really positive role model. He
was awe-inspiring, but really gentle and funny too. He was like a gentle
giant, she said. Uncle Eric had a deep spiritual connection to the land.
During a speech at the Wollumbin Festival, Uncle Eric said Wollumbin (Mount
Warning) was like a cathedral or a church.

The NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs director-general, Jody Broun, said
Aboriginal people across Northern NSW would mourn the loss of such a
highly-esteemed elder. His funeral will be next Friday at Tabulam.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 03:06:36 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 20:06:36 -0700
Subject: Catching Up with Rising Voices Outreach Projects (fwd link)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.200636.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Catching Up with Rising Voices Outreach Projects

Sunday, October 7th, 2007 @ 16:17 UTC
by David Sasaki

Since we last visited the Rising Voices outreach award winners, much
progress has been made, including the introduction of the world's first
weblog in the Andean indigenous language of Aymara.

To read the full article, just to the link below:
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/10/07/catching-up-with-rising-voices-outreach-projects/


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 03:10:55 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 20:10:55 -0700
Subject: Disappearing Languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.201055.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Disappearing Languages

Native tongues facing extinction on a global scale; British Columbian
languages among those at greatest risk

By Joan Delaney
Epoch Times Victoria Staff
Oct 05, 2007
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-10-5/60393.html

[photo inset - Mary John Senior's death in 2004 meant there was one less
person left speaking the endangered Carrier language in Prince George. In
her long and accomplished life, John wrote Stony Creek Woman, co-founded
the Yinka Dene Language Institute, and received the Order of Canada and the
Queen's Jubilee Medal. (Bill Poser)]

Around the world, hundreds of indigenous languages, some as old as 10
thousand years, are dying off at an alarming rate.

In many regions, languages are heading for extinction at the rate of one
every 14 days. Some are hanging on by a thread, being spoken by only one or
a few people.

A National Geographic project called Enduring Voices has identified five
global "hotspots" where a large number of languages are in danger of
disappearing: the Pacific Northwest, Oklahoma southwest, northern
Australia, central and eastern Siberia, and central South America.

The Enduring Voices researchers found that more than 500 of the world's
languages may be spoken by fewer than 10 people. The current rapid decline,
they say, is without precedent in history.

The threat level in the Pacific Northwest, which includes British Columbia
and parts of Washington State, Oregon and Alaska, is rated in the study as
being severe. Only northern Australia and a region of South America are
facing a more rapid language loss.

Linguists lament that as a language disappears, it takes with it a vast
storehouse of irreplaceable knowledge about the natural world, eco-systems,
and cultural traditions that have been accrued over thousands of years.

"A host of linguistic structures are also lost," says linguist Gregory
Anderson. "It's a collective loss to humanity that's going on here."

Director of the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages in Oregon,
Anderson says the Haida language of B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Islands and
Alaska, with only about 50 elderly speakers left, is "absolutely in a
desperate situation."

Anderson says the Haida language, which consists of two dialects, is
"fascinating" because it appears to be unrelated to any other language in
the world. This makes it unique. "When it goes, that's one whole lineage
that goes out with it," he says.

British Columbia is home to over 60 percent of Canada's indigenous
languages. However, of the 36 languages remaining in the province, 13 are
spoken by fewer than 50 people each, none of whom are under the age of 15,
according to Bill Poser, an adjunct professor at the University of British
Columbia.

"Once children stop routinely learning the language it's gone. Even
languages that have thousands of speakers left, if they're all beyond
childbearing age then the language is on its death bed," says Poser, a
linguist who studies the Carrier language in Prince George, which is also
endangered.

While all the native languages in B.C. are in serious decline and three have
already become extinct, several other native languages continue to be passed
down elsewhere in Canada, such as Cree, Inuktitut, Ojibway, Slave and
Dogrib.

Although the reasons indigenous languages and are vanishing are many and
varied, it is generally agreed that the greatest blow was dealt by
colonialism. Many regions where languages are most threatened are located
in countries where colonial-era governments punished natives for speaking
their own tongue.

Because the dialects formed the territorial boundaries of the different
nations and established who owned what land, destroying those dialects was
an integral part of the "colonial takeover," says Kevin Annett, author of
Hidden From History: The Canadian Holocaust.

In the last 500 years, it is estimated that half of the world's languages
have become extinct. Researchers say that local languages are now
disappearing faster than at any time in history; of the remaining 7,000
languages in the world, at least half are expected to disappear by the end
of the century.

However, efforts are being made in many communities around the world to
record and preserve their language before the last speakers die. To support
such efforts, the Living Tongues Institute provides help at the grassroots
level to communities of various sizes.

In British Columbia, First Voices, which provides a selection of web-based
tools and services designed to support aboriginal people engaged in
language archiving, language teaching and culture revitalization, currently
has 26 communities archiving their languages.

One of the tricky and time-consuming parts is writing down a language that
has only ever existed in oral form, as is the case for many native
languages.

"It was recognized in the relatively recent past that in order to be able to
keep a record of these languages they would need to be written down, so
various forms of writing systems were devised," says Peter Brand,
coordinator of First Voices.

"We cater to all of those and they're all quite unique—every single language
that's currently documented at First Voices uses a different writing system
of one kind or another."

The Queen Charlottes Haida run the Skidegate Haida Immersion Program, where
the elders teach the language and share legends and oral history with the
younger generations.

In Alaska, a range of Haida classes is being offered in several Haida
communities, and the University of Alaska Southeast offers Haida classes.
The University of British Columbia is currently offering courses in
Musqueam, Plains Cree and Dakelh.

During his 10 years at Kuper Island Residential School, Duncan resident
Delmar Johnny was strapped and had his mouth washed out with soap if he
spoke his Coast Salish language of Hul'q'umi'num.

Now, however, along with his children, 61 year-old Johnny is re-learning the
language, which he says "really creates meaning" that can't be explained in
English.

"I stayed away from anything to do with my language until my later life," he
says. "Then I started to realize that I needed my language. I'm an Indian, I
need to be that."

One of Johnny's nephews who speaks Hul'q'umi'num fluently was taught
one-on-one by an elder. He now has the honour of speaking at longhouse
functions.

However, while efforts to learn, document and archive languages ensure their
survival as "written vehicles of culture," they have no hope of bringing
back a language that's on the brink of extinction into common use, says
Poser.

Hebrew and Welsh were endangered in the past, but they survived because they
had large populations and received state support. State support also allowed
a revival of Hawaiian and the Maori dialects of New Zealand. However,
neither had been reduced to the point where they were no longer spoken by
the children.

To boost a language that has been reduced to a few elderly speakers, Poser
says a full immersion program above the pre-school level is necessary, and
the only place that's currently happening in British Columbia is at the
Chief Atahm School in the Shuswap community in Adams Lake.

The program has been "an outstanding success" in that five classes have so
far graduated students speaking fluent Shuswap, and if they continue to use
the language outside of school they'll retain it, says Poser.

Even so, it takes much more than that to ensure the survival of a language.

"The problem is that these kids are a minority in their community. The
question is then will they stay there and marry each other and bring up the
kids in the language. Unfortunately, the odds are not very good that that
will happen."

Copyright 2000 - 2007 The Epoch USA Inc.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 03:16:34 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 20:16:34 -0700
Subject: Program uses new technology to help preserve old languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.201634.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Published - Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Program uses new technology to help preserve old languages

By K&#65533;ri Knutson | Winona Daily News.
http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2007/10/03/news/05words03.txt

[STORY PHOTO - Wayne Wells, right, and his cousin Leah Owen, translate a
children's book into their native Dakota language Tuesday during a workshop
at Winona State University designed to help Native Americans preserve their
language using technology. Wells and Owen plan to create learning materials
in Dakota when they return to the Prairie Island Indian Community in Welch,
Minn. (Photo by Melissa Carlo/Winona Daily News)]

Winona State University hosted a workshop Tuesday designed to teach American
Indians to use technology to preserve their languages.

The weeklong program, run by the Indigenous Language Institute, shows how to
use multimedia technology tools and language material templates, such as
storybooks, calendars and newsletters. On Tuesday, the class learned how to
translate a children’s book from English into other languages, including
Dakota and Oneida.

About half of the world’s 6,000 or so languages are in danger of being lost,
according to the National Science Foundation. Most languages die as people
are pressured to assimilate to a more dominant culture and children grow up
not speaking their parents’ native tongue.

“Our mission is to put the skills and tools of technology into the hands of
communities working on preserving languages,” ILI executive director
In&#65533;e Yang Slaughter said.

Participants can then use the technology to create educational materials in
native languages. Keyboards can be adapted to different languages, and each
participant gets a flash drive that adapts to their home computer
accordingly.

The ILI is based in Santa Fe, N.M., and has a partnership with IBM that
makes these workshops possible. Two are conducted each year in different
regions.

Kathleen Moriarty works with bilingual and heritage language programs for
the Minnesota Humanities Center in St. Paul. She brought a
Dakota-to-English dictionary to help her during the workshop. Moriarty
hopes to take what she learns and apply it to other languages as well.

“The more I know, the more I can share,” Moriarty said.

Wayne Wells, 33, is a Dakota language consultant for the Prairie Island
Indian Community in Welch, Minn. He is hoping to create learning materials
in the Dakota language for his students. He works with students ages 7 to
14 and says that they know the Dakota language better than he did when he
was their age.

“Technology can be used as a learning tool,” Wells said. “That’s what kids
are used to.”

One of the goals of the workshop is to have participants produce storybooks
in native languages that can be shared in their communities.

“Tribes are saying the storytelling tradition is dwindling,” Slaughter said.
“This is one way to make sure stories don’t disappear.”

Contact K&#65533;ri Knutson at kknutson at winonadaily news.com or (507)
453-3523.


From daryn at ARWARBUKARL.COM.AU  Tue Oct  9 03:13:00 2007
From: daryn at ARWARBUKARL.COM.AU (Daryn McKenny)
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 13:13:00 +1000
Subject: Languages to Live Longer
Message-ID: <TUE.9.OCT.2007.131300.1000.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Aboriginal culture is turning to technology, writes Lia Timson.

In a true marriage of old and new, the internet is set to perpetuate, if
not, revive dozens of Aboriginal languages facing extinction. The
Miromaa software project - miromaa means "saved" in Arwarbukarl language
- was developed by two Aboriginal men in Newcastle despite assurances
from linguists that lay community members were ill-equipped to save
languages.

Daryn McKenny, general manager of the not-for-profit Arwarbukarl
Cultural Resource Association (www.arwarbukarl.com.au
<http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au> ) led the development of the program. It
will be used in a yet-to-be-launched website that aims to take the
linguistic salvaging effort worldwide.

It is estimated that from the 250 known Australian Aboriginal languages,
only 15 to 20 are fluently spoken today. The top five indigenous
languages are spoken at home by between 2500 and 5800 people only,
according to the 2006 census.

"What culture is left is disappearing every day with each elder who
passes away," McKenny says. "We need not just linguists but an army of
people and technology to slow down the loss."

Arwarbukarl, originally spoken by the people of what is now Newcastle,
Lake Macquarie and the lower Hunter Valley, is among those languages in
danger of disappearing.

"We were doing song and dance to educate the community and our own kids,
we wanted to teach them the culture, but without the language there was
something missing. Here we are teaching and talking about our language
but in English. It's not the same," McKenny says.

The project was almost killed four years ago when the now-defunct ATSIC
conducted a review that recommended funding be cut because "two fellas
without a linguist could not revive a language", he says.

"It was a big kick up the butt but it meant we had to change our ways
and work smarter."

With a background in computing, he started a search for language
software around the world but settled for developing one from scratch
when he realised existing programs were aimed at professionals studying
threatened languages, not those practising them.

Miromaa allows community users of different language groups to post
text, images, sound and video of words and phrases in a sort of communal
multimedia dictionary effort and in the process create a resource others
can use. It has a separate section for linguists.

It has been licensed to cultural centres in Victoria, Western Australia
and north Queensland.

But it is the Our Languages website that will allow the wider community
to learn indigenous languages when it launches later this year. It will
cater for multiple dialects, so that an online search for the word
"emu", for example, will elicit several regional results, including
audio of the correct pronunciations. The site (www.ourlanguages.com.au)
is still under development and inaccessible but will be open to all when
finished.

"Everyone in Australia talks Aboriginal and they don't even know it -
it's in the street names, the places, everywhere," McKenny says.

Our Languages will be launched with significant pro-bono help from
Microsoft under its Unlimited Potential program and technology-enabling
company, Dimension Data. It received partial funding from the Federal
Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
(DCITA) but additional funds will be needed to add more languages.

The first dedicated national Aboriginal TV channel was launched last
month. National Indigenous Television (nitv.org.au) carries 24-hour
programming and can be seen by Optus Aurora satellite subscribers and
Imparja's Channel 31 viewers in remote Australia. The $50 million
venture, backed by the federal department, will be available nationally
via Foxtel and Austar from October.

The channel is calling for program submissions from the community,
including language-preservation ideas.

Download the actual article from here:
http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=160 

 

 

Regards

 

Daryn McKenny

 

Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association Inc.

 

Read our Indigenous Language BLOG at http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/blog/
<http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/blog/> 

 

P | 02 4961 0515    F | 02 4940 8455    E | daryn at arwarbukarl.com.au
<mailto:daryn at arwarbukarl.com.au>     W | www.arwarbukarl.com.au

 

P  Please consider the environment before printing this email

 

The Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association Inc. respects the privacy
of individuals and strives to comply with all areas of the Privacy Act.
The contents of this email are intended for the purpose of the person or
persons named in either the "To" or "CC" boxes of the email. Any person
not named in these boxes in receipt of this email should immediately
delete this email and advise the sender accordingly.

 

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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 10 17:22:14 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:22:14 -0700
Subject: Bible translated into Naskapi (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.10.OCT.2007.102214.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

10-October-2007 - Bible translated into Naskapi - Canada
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm?years=2007&months=10&article=1041&pos=

The Bible’s New Testament is now available in the Naskapi language, the
fruit of 25 years of translation work by Silas Nabinicaboo, a lay reader of
the aboriginal church in Kawawachikamach, diocese of Quebec, and Bill
Jancewicz, an American translator associated with the Wycliffe Bible
Translation Society.

Every household in the community, located near the mining town of
Schefferville, Que., received a copy of the Naskapi New Testament at a
public dedication ceremony held Sept. 16; elders received large print
editions.

‘It’s a wonderful achievement,” said Archbishop Bruce Stavert, who was among
those who attended the ceremony, along with representatives of the Canadian
Bible Society. The Naskapi Nation Development Corporation helped fund the
project.

Archbishop Stavert said the project involved “an elaborate process where
they (translators) consulted with elders” to ensure the accuracy of the
translation.

In the works is a translation for the Old Testament. ‘For the last 15 years
or so, they (translators) have produced translation of the Sunday readings
on the three-year Sunday lectionary that we use, and produce them in
Syllabics and English,’ he said. ‘They’ve done that with Old Testament
readings, so they have a considerable portion of that done.’ The Naskapi
language is similar to northern East-Cree and is almost always written in
syllabics.

‘Even though English is taught in school, and some Naskapi men learned basic
English from trading post managers, English remains a distant second
language’ for the Naskapi people, said the Canadian Bible Society,
explaining the importance of the translation work.

‘Since early contact with the Hudson Bay Company and the (Church of England)
clergy that accompanied them, the Naskapi have embraced the Christian faith.
But the only Scriptures available to them for over a century were translated
into dialects of Cree from near James Bay,’ the Naskapi Nation Development
Corporation said on its Web site.

Article from: Anglican Journal


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 10 17:25:07 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:25:07 -0700
Subject: How a generation lost its talk (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.10.OCT.2007.102507.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Last updated at 7:56 AM on 08/10/07

How a generation lost its talk

This is the second in a five-part series exploring the Mi'kmaq nation
specifically and matters affecting aboriginal people in general and will
appear in The Daily News every Monday of Mi'kmaq History Month this
October. This week: residential schools

CANDY PALMATER
The Daily News
http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=69392&sc=89

[photo inset - Mi'kmaq girls take part in a sewing lesson at Shubenacadie
Residential School in 1929.]

"I lost my talk. The talk you took away when I was a little girl at
Shubenacadie school."

Those are the opening lines of a well-known poem by Mi'kmaq poet Rita Joe.
With those few simple words, Joe gave voice to so many people across Canada
who lost their "talk," - and so much more - at Indian residential schools.

Rita Joe passed away on March 20, 2007. Unfortunately, she wasn't here to
see the Canadian government 1/2nally acknowledge her experiences at the
residential school.

After years and years of mediating, healing, consulting and negotiation, the
Canadian government has 1/2nally signed and implemented a settlement
agreement with the survivors of the residential-school system.

This begins closure on a chapter of Canadian history that began so many
years ago. In the early 1800s, the government began grappling with what
they referred to as "the Indian problem."

History has shown us that the government took a three-pronged approach to
this so-called problem: christianization, isolation and assimilation.

Missionaries were among some of the 1/2rst immigrants to arrive in this
territory. They came to convert what they saw as a heathen people to the
teachings of Christ.

The isolation approach by government was represented by the reservation
system.

The British, in order to colonize, had to encourage more British subjects to
immigrate here. They did so by promising the newcomers free land once they
arrived; land that did not belong to them to begin with.

The government, however, still faced the problem of aboriginal people
continuing to have children. All experts of the day agreed that the best
possible solution was to assimilate aboriginal people into the lower
echelons of white society.

This assimilative approach began in 1857 when the Civilization Act was
passed. This legislation would make "savages" a part of society. If an
aboriginal person met a number of requirements, including the ability to
speak English or French and the attainment of any level of education, then
that aboriginal person could apply to the government to be "civilized."

Overtly racist

After a probationary period, the government could declare the person was no
long aboriginal. Therefore, all aboriginal rights would also be taken away,
including the right to live in your community. Readers must remember that
Canadian society was overtly racist in this era, so "civilized" aboriginal
people began lying about their identity in hopes of passing for white. This
legislation, then, also represented a divide-and-conquer strategy for
government. Those divisions still exist.

By 1920, the requirements of the Civilization Act were broadened and the
"civilization" process became mandatory for anyone who met those
requirements. This created a negative outcome to attaining an education or
becoming self-suf1/2cient.

Throughout the world, and at all points of history, oppression is carried
out in the same fashion. One of the key factors in conquering a people is
the destruction of that people's culture. Legislation outlawing cultural
practices will curb culture, but to destroy it completely takes total
assimilation.

Education, whether formal or informal, is how people pass their cultural DNA
down to the next generation. Therefore, when it came to cultural genocide in
Canada, the government realized very quickly that taking over the education
of aboriginal children would speed up the assimilation process. This is a
practice that has been done by conquerors all over the world.

The government, however, found that the in3/4uence of the family on a child
was greater than that of the day school. The government then came up with
the notion of industrialized residential schooling for all aboriginal
children.

Some of Canada's major churches were given the contracts to run these
residential schools and in 1920, attendance became compulsory for all
aboriginals between the ages of seven and 15.

The purpose of these schools was the cultural genocide of a people, thinly
veiled as an education.

In the early 1980s, residential-school students began talking about sexual
and other forms of abuse taking place at the schools. In 1996, the last
federally run residential school, the Gordon Residential School in
Saskatchewan, 1/2nally closed its doors.

The policy behind the schools was a crime against aboriginal people. Many
survivors of this system came back to their communities traumatized and
institutionalized.

Alcohol and drug abuse was the chosen form of self-medication for so many
who simply couldn't bear to speak openly about their experiences.

Unspoken atrocities

Here in Nova Scotia, many Mi'kmaq experienced this abuse at the residential
school in Shubenacadie, which operated from 1930 to 1967.

The atrocities that were done there were not spoken about openly for years.

Isabelle Knockwood attended the school from 1936 to 1947. A mother of six,
she started an anthropology degree at Saint Mary's University when she was
58.

She graduated in 1992, and in that same year, her experiences of that school
were shared with the public when her book, Out of the Depths was published.

Every Canadian who feels anger at the recent residential-school settlement
should take the time to read this book.

Isabelle shared her own experiences, but also talked to some of her former
classmates about their experiences. Stories of young girls being forced to
hold their panties out in front of them for inspection haunted me as I read
it.

If the nuns found any stains on the girls panties, they would be punished.
Page after page of memories of abuse and hard labour make it evident that
"academic education" was not the purpose of the school.

Boys and girls were forced to operate industrial-sized machines, resulting
in serious accidents.

So many stories told by the survivors centre around humiliation, beating and
sexual abuse.

The long-lasting cultural tragedy of these schools is internalized racism or
self-hatred.

This is a common theme we hear from survivors across the country: through
humiliation and abuse, aboriginal children were taught that their very
identity was a sin.

They were taught to be ashamed of their language, their culture and their
bodies.

Regaining their voice

When survivors began to talk openly about their experiences, the community
also started to understand the layer of generational grief that has existed
in the aboriginal community since the early 1930s.

The impact continued for children of survivors who have also been affected
by the experience of residential schools.

Years ago, the Assembly of First Nations began a residential-school
division, and many legal actions were launched all over the country.

Negotiations then began.

In May of 2006, the government of Canada announced that a settlement
agreement had been reached.

In the time since, the Canadian courts have approved the settlement
agreement. On Sept. 19 of this year, that agreement came into affect.

This agreement will distribute $1.9 billion to survivors, and it will also
set up a truth and reconciliation commission.

It will continue to support the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

For survivors all over the country, this will mean that for the 1/2rst time
that their experiences will be validated and acknowledged, hopefully
allowing them to move on to the healing process.

Systematic abuse

Residential schools were federally regulated segregation and federally
sanctioned racism.

Residential schools were a systematic, tax-funded, sexual and physical abuse
of one race of Canadian people.

All Canadians should take pride in this process of making amends, and be
glad that the healing can 1/2nally begin.

And no Canadian has ever put the need for healing into words better than
Rita Joe when she penned her humble poem, I Lost My Talk:

I lost my talk

The talk you took away

When I was a little girl

At Shubenacadie school

You snatched it away:I speak like you

I think like you

I create like you

The scrambled ballad, about my word.

Two ways I talk

Both ways I say,

Your way is more powerful.

So gently I offer my hand and ask,

Let me 1/2nd my talk

So I can teach you about me.

Candy Palmater wants to dedicate this column to the many residential-school
survivors who continue to teach us all how to love, laugh and forgive.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 10 17:30:34 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:30:34 -0700
Subject: The Phraselator II (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.10.OCT.2007.103034.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The Phraselator II

By Rob Capriccioso Tuesday, October 9, 2007
http://www.american.com/archive/2007/october-10-07/the-phraselator-ii

A high-tech military device is helping to preserve the tribal languages of
American Indians.

When Terry Brockie first learned of the Phraselator, a speech interpretation
device developed by the military as a way to easily translate Arabic words
into English, he immediately wanted to get one. He saw great possibilities
for using the machine to record the elders of his tribe saying words and
phrases in their native tongue, and thus preserve his tribe’s language for
future generations. In 2005, Brockie visited a popular tribal elder,
109-year-old Theresa Lamebull, whose collected knowledge amounted to a
living linguistic history of a large chunk of the Gros Ventre tribe’s
culture.

The Gros Ventre people, as Brockie is quick to point out, have lived in the
north-central region of Montana for hundreds of years. But today there are
only a handful of speakers proficient in their ancient language. Brockie, a
high school and tribal college teacher, knew there would be a lot of
recording to do.

He was soon able to connect with a company selling the Palm Pilot-sized
gadgets and brought one over to Lamebull’s house. She was immediately
curious.

“What is it?” she asked Brockie, to whom she had been teaching the Gros
Ventre language for several years.

Brockie explained that with a few button clicks and a couple of touch-screen
presses on the Phraselator’s small digital monitor, he could record her
words, and those words could then be translated back into English (or any
other language, for that matter).

Lamebull marveled at the complexity of the new technology, but she quickly
understood the purpose of what she called an “aa si aaw,” the Gros Ventre
phrase for computer.

After Lamebull’s first recording session, Brockie played back her speech.
She initially laughed heartily, with tears running down her cheeks at the
sound of her voice. And then she asked to continue. Lamebull ultimately
recorded hundreds of unique Gros Ventre words and phrases into the
Phraselator before she passed away in August.

“A wealth of knowledge left us when she died,” Brockie says. “I learned so
much from her—not only about the language, but also about taking
responsibility for carrying on our culture to our children.”

Throughout Indian Country, hundreds of younger tribal citizens like Brockie
are diligently working with their elders to preserve and teach the unique
and complex linguistic traditions of their tribes. There are currently more
than 70 tribes using the Phraselator as a language preservation tool.

Indian linguists say the gadget has gained popularity at a critical time,
since most tribes have very few living members who know their native
tongue. It is increasingly rare to find young Indians who communicate with
their elders in the tribal language.

The story behind the Phraselator’s adaptation for tribal use begins with Don
Thornton, a Cherokee business owner who first read about the military’s use
of the gadget in Middle East war zones after 9/11. The weatherproof
handheld device was initially field-tested in Afghanistan in 2001, and has
been used by U.S. forces during the ongoing Iraq war to decipher Arabic
languages.

Thornton didn’t care much about the translation of Arabic, but he did
believe the device could be easily used to combat the problem of decreasing
Indian language knowledge. Since the technology behind the device was
proprietary to a U.S. government contractor, he soon began campaigning for
the right to use the technology in the fight to save indigenous dialects.

Thornton found an ally in Voxtec, a Maryland-based hi-tech company, and his
own company, Thornton Media Inc., was ultimately granted permission to sell
the device to tribes and individual Indians. Voxtec, in turn, agreed to
supply the company with new shipments of Phraselators, and has since
assisted in the development of Indian-focused language revitalization
software.

The Phraselator itself looks like a cross between a BlackBerry and a
walkie-talkie. It can record and translate both audio and video files, and
it stores language via a flash memory card. A one-gigabyte card will hold
up to 85,000 phrases or words, which can then be transferred to other
computers.

“There’s a huge trend in Indian Country to revive the languages,” Thornton
says. “I think the feature of the Phraselator that really attracts tribes
is that they can do it all themselves—and they retain all copyright of
their materials. They don’t have to depend on outsiders.”

Lucinda Robbins, Thornton’s grandmother and a master speaker of the Cherokee
language, was among the first to program the device. She had previously
worked with a non-Indian professor from an American university who promised
to create a paper-based Cherokee-to-Indian dictionary.

“That man used to come to my house for three years asking how to say words
in Cherokee,” Robbins recalls. “Pretty soon it would be lists of phrases. I
fixed his lists for three years, and all I wanted was a copy of the finished
work, but never received one.”

In light of that negative experience, Robbins is especially proud that her
grandson’s business is now able to offer the Phraselator to all tribes, and
that the words recorded can be saved and shared through digital computer
technology.

Thornton’s company offers on-site training to anyone who purchases more than
two of the devices, which cost about $3,300 per unit (plus additional
software costs of about $500).

That price tag has proven to be a barrier for some tribes, especially ones
that don’t have strong grant-writing teams or extra funding from tribal
enterprises. Approximately half of the 70 tribes Thornton Media works with
have purchased Phraselators via grants from the U.S. government.

For those able to afford the technology, the biggest surprise seems to have
been how quickly many elders embraced it. “Traditionally, you’d think that
native-speaking elders would be technology-averse,” Thornton says. “I guess
that’s sort of a stereotype I had in my head.”

Wayne Wells, a Dakota language teacher and a member of the Prairie Island
Indian Community in Minnesota, has seen firsthand the appreciation many
elders have for the new method of language preservation.

When his tribe received a Phraselator, Wells paid a visit to the home of
Curt Campbell, one of the tribe’s few fluent elders. After asking how the
device is different from a tape recorder, Campbell was ready to begin.

"Where do you go to school?” Wells asked.

“Okay,” Campbell responded. And then he clearly uttered the phrase “mis hed
wabdawa” into a headset microphone.

Campbell is well-versed in the oral traditions of the tribe and has shared
much of his knowledge with Wells. “I’ve learned a lot about our land, where
our people lived,” Wells says. “And how our language was formed by the
land.”

In a similar vein, Brockie reports that his recording sessions with Lamebull
and other elders taught him about being a better person. “I learned a lot of
old stories and the way we used to do things a long time ago,” he says. “And
now I can tell those stories to my children.”

Since beginning to sell the device, Thornton says he has encountered some
biased beliefs regarding how Indians should be learning language. For
example, critics have asked whether the Phraselator is antithetical to the
tribes’ traditional, community-focused method of learning.

Thornton admits that the best way to learn a language is from a native
speaker in the home—from one speaker to another. However, because so few
American Indians have been able to retain their languages, that route is
often impractical.

Elders who are highly proficient in their language note that they often
spend their time teaching basic words and phrases to Indian students. A
tool like the Phraselator could allow these elders to educate students more
efficiently.

Not all fluent elders make good language teachers, moreover. “Sometimes
elders can’t get around well anymore,” Wells explains. “Being able to bring
their translations on the Phraselator to a classroom is sometimes much
easier.”

Thornton stresses that Indians can be pro-technology without worrying that
they’ve sold out their culture.

“Some people want to see Indians sitting around in a lodge learning a
language from grandpa, with grandma tanning hides outside,” he says. “But
the fact is, technology is here, and I think more and more Indians are
eager to use it to help retain culture.”

Rob Capriccioso is the editor of Big Head DC, a Washington news and gossip
blog


From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Wed Oct 10 21:45:32 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:45:32 -0700
Subject: Roseta Stone
Message-ID: <WED.10.OCT.2007.144532.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Chitimacha Tribe to Develop Rosetta Stone Software

ARLINGTON, Va. (Oct. 3, 2007) — Rosetta Stone Inc., creator of the  
world’s No. 1 language-learning program, has formed a partnership  
with the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana to develop a unique edition of  
the award-winning software in the tribe’s language, Sitimaxa.

The tribe will own distribution and sales rights to the tribal  
language version created through the Rosetta Stone Endangered  
Language Program, which has developed culturally-relevant language- 
learning software with the Mohawk of Kahnawake, NANA Regional  
Corporation of Alaska, and other indigenous communities.

Through its new corporate grant program, the global language-learning  
software company will underwrite a substantial portion of development  
costs for the Sitimaxa software. Rosetta Stone has pledged to  
underwrite at least one project per year with endangered language  
speaking communities interested in developing editions of the cutting- 
edge immersion learning software.

"Our hope is that Sitimaxa Rosetta Stone® software will be a tool  
that will make a difference in the vitality of the language of the  
Chitimacha Tribe," said Marion Bittinger, manager of the Endangered  
Language Program. "We look forward to working with the tribe to help  
realize their vision for a living and growing language."

On Louisiana’s coast, the Chitimacha tribe endured for century after  
century ? surviving war, settlement, assimilation. This same  
determination to survive has allowed the Chitimacha to revitalize  
their language, which they almost lost.

"Language is really the heart of who you are. It’s not just about  
learning the words; it’s about learning your past. It’s that  
connection," said Kimberly S. Walden, M.Ed., cultural director of the  
1,000 member tribe.

The native tongue of the Chitimacha people almost disappeared when  
its last fluent speaker died in 1934 and its last semi-fluent speaker  
died in 1940. One generation, then another, grew up knowing no more  
than a few words of the rich language of their ancestors.

Then in 1986, the Library of Congress mailed the tribe copies of wax  
cylinder recordings made in the 1930s by Swedish linguist Morris  
Swadesh. Tribal members listened to over 200 hours of their language  
- sounds no one had heard in decades, a cultural treasure buried in  
archives for half a lifetime. The Chitimacha began rebuilding these  
fragments back into a fluently spoken language. They recovered field  
notes made by Swadesh and his wife to help decode what was recorded.

"The recordings were very hard to understand, especially if you’d  
never heard the language spoken before," Walden said. "You have to  
realize that, as long as I was growing up, all we had in Sitimaxa was  
a few words on a museum brochure that no one could pronounce."

In 1995, the Chitimacha tribe established a cultural department.  
Employees asked archeological contractors in Louisiana if they knew  
of anyone familiar with the Chitimacha’s language -- a long-shot  
request that, improbably, paid off. Contractors suggested the tribe  
contact Dr. Julian Granberry, a linguist and anthropologist living in  
Florida who had worked with Swadesh as a high school sophomore.

Granberry, now 80, had studied their language for decades, but had  
never visited the reservation. The tribe invited Granberry to share  
his findings. "When Dr. Granberry spoke Sitimaxa to a group of  
Chitimacha elders assembled at a meeting, some of the elders began to  
cry," said Walden. "Words started coming back. They remembered."

With Granberry’s help, the Chitimacha tackled the Sitimaxa challenge,  
using the returned resources to develop dictionaries, curriculum,  
primers and recordings. The tribe now offers Sitimaxa classes for  
students as young as six weeks old at its child development center.  
Students in kindergarten through the eighth grade learn the language  
at the Chitimacha Tribal School, and adults in night classes.

Rachel Vilcan was one of the first students in the adult class. Now  
she’s an aide in the K-8 Sitimaxa program. "The language sounds  
natural; it sounds like it fits me, like it fits the area," Vilcan  
said. "It was scary, at first, to be learning it as an adult, but the  
desire to learn was stronger. It’s our identity."

Like other tribes working to bring tribal language back into daily  
use, the Chitimacha’s goal is to develop conversational fluency. "We  
want to bring the language back to the point where we can use it  
conversationally when we gather as a tribe," said Walden.

Through its immersion-based software that can be customized to  
reflect unique linguistic and cultural features, Rosetta Stone will  
help the tribe solve this problem. The tribe will work with Rosetta  
Stone to translate and record lessons in Sitimaxa. The paired audio  
recordings of tribal speakers and images from the community will  
teach this endangered language in culturally relevant context using  
the company’s award-winning Dynamic ImmersionTM methodology.

"I think the chances are very great that they will succeed,"  
Granberry said. "There has been for the last decade a strong interest  
on the part of a large number of the tribal members."

Ilse Ackerman, editor-in-chief at Rosetta Stone, said this language  
teaching tool multiplies existing efforts. "If you have a small  
number of fluent speakers, student time with these teachers is  
valuable and limited. The software can give students access to their  
teaching around the clock, allowing communities to save valuable face- 
to-face instruction time for conversational practice," said Ackerman.

The Chitimacha Tribe will use the immersion-based software to enhance  
ongoing education programs for children and adults. Tribal members as  
far away as Guam and Germany will be able to learn Sitimaxa using CDs  
or through online access when the project finishes.

About the Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program

The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program works with communities  
to develop unique immersion-learning software. The Endangered  
Language Program worked with the Kanien'kehaka Onkwawén:na  
Raotitiohkwa to develop Mohawk software for the community of  
Kahnawake in 2006, and the NANA Corporation of Alaska to develop  
Iñupiaq language learning software in 2007. The program and the  
Torngasok Cultural Centre in Labrador will produce a version in  
Inuttitut.

About Rosetta Stone Inc.

Rosetta Stone Inc. is a leading provider of language-learning  
software. Acclaimed for the speed, power and effectiveness of its  
Dynamic ImmersionTM method, Rosetta Stone is a revolutionary language- 
learning software program. While teaching 30 languages to millions of  
people in more than 150 countries throughout the world, Rosetta Stone  
software is the key to Language Learning Success™. Inc. Magazine has  
named Rosetta Stone Inc. one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in  
the United States, and for the fourth consecutive year Deloitte has  
named the company one of the fastest-growing technology companies in  
Virginia. Rosetta Stone was founded in 1992 on two core beliefs: that  
the natural way people learn languages as children remains the most  
successful method for learning new languages; and that interactive CD- 
ROM and online technology can recreate the immersion method  
powerfully for learners of any age. The company is based in  
Arlington, Va. For more information, visit www.RosettaStone.com.
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From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Thu Oct 11 19:53:28 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:53:28 -0700
Subject: Resending Roseta Stone Article
Message-ID: <THU.11.OCT.2007.125328.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Chitimacha Tribe to Develop Rosetta Stone Software

ARLINGTON, Va. (Oct. 3, 2007) — Rosetta Stone Inc., creator of the   
world’s No. 1 language-learning program, has formed a partnership  
with  the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana to develop a unique edition  
of the  award-winning software in the tribe’s language, Sitimaxa.

The tribe will own distribution and sales rights to the tribal  
language  version created through the Rosetta Stone Endangered  
Language Program,  which has developed culturally-relevant language- 
learning software with  the Mohawk of Kahnawake, NANA Regional  
Corporation of Alaska, and other  indigenous communities.

Through its new corporate grant program, the global language- 
learning  software company will underwrite a substantial portion of  
development  costs for the Sitimaxa software. Rosetta Stone has  
pledged to underwrite  at least one project per year with endangered  
language speaking  communities interested in developing editions of  
the cutting-edge  immersion learning software.

"Our hope is that Sitimaxa Rosetta Stone® software will be a tool  
that  will make a difference in the vitality of the language of the  
Chitimacha  Tribe," said Marion Bittinger, manager of the Endangered  
Language  Program. "We look forward to working with the tribe to help  
realize  their vision for a living and growing language."

On Louisiana’s coast, the Chitimacha tribe endured for century after   
century ? surviving war, settlement, assimilation. This same   
determination to survive has allowed the Chitimacha to revitalize  
their  language, which they almost lost.

"Language is really the heart of who you are. It’s not just about   
learning the words; it’s about learning your past. It’s that   
connection," said Kimberly S. Walden, M.Ed., cultural director of  
the  1,000 member tribe.

The native tongue of the Chitimacha people almost disappeared when  
its  last fluent speaker died in 1934 and its last semi-fluent  
speaker died  in 1940. One generation, then another, grew up knowing  
no more than a  few words of the rich language of their ancestors.

Then in 1986, the Library of Congress mailed the tribe copies of wax   
cylinder recordings made in the 1930s by Swedish linguist Morris   
Swadesh. Tribal members listened to over 200 hours of their language  
-  sounds no one had heard in decades, a cultural treasure buried in   
archives for half a lifetime. The Chitimacha began rebuilding these   
fragments back into a fluently spoken language. They recovered field   
notes made by Swadesh and his wife to help decode what was recorded.

"The recordings were very hard to understand, especially if you’d  
never  heard the language spoken before," Walden said. "You have to  
realize  that, as long as I was growing up, all we had in Sitimaxa  
was a few  words on a museum brochure that no one could pronounce."

In 1995, the Chitimacha tribe established a cultural department.   
Employees asked archeological contractors in Louisiana if they knew  
of  anyone familiar with the Chitimacha’s language -- a long-shot  
request  that, improbably, paid off. Contractors suggested the tribe  
contact Dr.  Julian Granberry, a linguist and anthropologist living  
in Florida who  had worked with Swadesh as a high school sophomore.

Granberry, now 80, had studied their language for decades, but had  
never  visited the reservation. The tribe invited Granberry to share  
his  findings. "When Dr. Granberry spoke Sitimaxa to a group of  
Chitimacha  elders assembled at a meeting, some of the elders began  
to cry," said  Walden. "Words started coming back. They remembered."

With Granberry’s help, the Chitimacha tackled the Sitimaxa  
challenge,  using the returned resources to develop dictionaries,  
curriculum,  primers and recordings. The tribe now offers Sitimaxa  
classes for  students as young as six weeks old at its child  
development center.  Students in kindergarten through the eighth  
grade learn the language at  the Chitimacha Tribal School, and adults  
in night classes.

Rachel Vilcan was one of the first students in the adult class. Now   
she’s an aide in the K-8 Sitimaxa program. "The language sounds  
natural;  it sounds like it fits me, like it fits the area," Vilcan  
said. "It was  scary, at first, to be learning it as an adult, but  
the desire to learn  was stronger. It’s our identity."

Like other tribes working to bring tribal language back into daily  
use,  the Chitimacha’s goal is to develop conversational fluency. "We  
want to  bring the language back to the point where we can use it   
conversationally when we gather as a tribe," said Walden.

Through its immersion-based software that can be customized to  
reflect  unique linguistic and cultural features, Rosetta Stone will  
help the  tribe solve this problem. The tribe will work with Rosetta  
Stone to  translate and record lessons in Sitimaxa. The paired audio  
recordings of  tribal speakers and images from the community will  
teach this endangered  language in culturally relevant context using  
the company’s  award-winning Dynamic ImmersionTM methodology.

"I think the chances are very great that they will succeed,"  
Granberry  said. "There has been for the last decade a strong  
interest on the part  of a large number of the tribal members."

Ilse Ackerman, editor-in-chief at Rosetta Stone, said this language   
teaching tool multiplies existing efforts. "If you have a small  
number  of fluent speakers, student time with these teachers is  
valuable and  limited. The software can give students access to their  
teaching around  the clock, allowing communities to save valuable  
face-to-face  instruction time for conversational practice," said  
Ackerman.

The Chitimacha Tribe will use the immersion-based software to  
enhance  ongoing education programs for children and adults. Tribal  
members as  far away as Guam and Germany will be able to learn  
Sitimaxa using CDs or  through online access when the project finishes.

About the Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program

The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program works with communities  
to  develop unique immersion-learning software. The Endangered  
Language  Program worked with the Kanien'kehaka Onkwawén:na  
Raotitiohkwa to  develop Mohawk software for the community of  
Kahnawake in 2006, and the  NANA Corporation of Alaska to develop  
Iñupiaq language learning software  in 2007. The program and the  
Torngasok Cultural Centre in Labrador will  produce a version in  
Inuttitut.

About Rosetta Stone Inc.

Rosetta Stone Inc. is a leading provider of language-learning  
software.  Acclaimed for the speed, power and effectiveness of its  
Dynamic  ImmersionTM method, Rosetta Stone is a revolutionary  
language-learning  software program. While teaching 30 languages to  
millions of people in  more than 150 countries throughout the world,  
Rosetta Stone software is  the key to Language Learning Success™.  
Inc. Magazine has named Rosetta  Stone Inc. one of the 500 fastest- 
growing companies in the United  States, and for the fourth  
consecutive year Deloitte has named the  company one of the fastest- 
growing technology companies in Virginia.  Rosetta Stone was founded  
in 1992 on two core beliefs: that the natural  way people learn  
languages as children remains the most successful  method for  
learning new languages; and that interactive CD-ROM and  online  
technology can recreate the immersion method powerfully for  learners  
of any age. The company is based in Arlington, Va. For more   
information, visit www.RosettaStone.com.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 12 21:17:22 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:17:22 -0700
Subject: CDU to award Honorary Doctorates to NT women (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.12.OCT.2007.141722.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

CDU to award Honorary Doctorates to NT women

12 October 2007
http://www.cdu.edu.au/newsroom/story.php?nID=2350

Charles Darwin University will present two honorary doctorates, both to
women, at this week’s graduation ceremony in Darwin.

A Yolngu woman, Raymattja Marika, will receive a Doctor of Education,
Honoris Causa, during the CDU graduation ceremony at the Darwin
Entertainment Centre on Friday evening, 12 October.

Dr Valerie Asche, a tireless worker for the NT and for the University
through her many contributions to the Menzies School of Health Research,
will receive the award of Doctor of the University, Honoris Causa.

Raymattja Marika, a woman of high esteem in both the Yolngu Aboriginal
community of north-east Arnhem Land and in the wider Australian community,
is being recognised for her contribution to education, especially to the
education of Aboriginal people in the NT, and her services to
reconciliation and inter-cultural understanding.

She is the eldest daughter of Dadaynga (Roy) Marika, a pioneer of the land
rights movement who believed in the value of education for Aborigines, both
in their own cultures and in the non-Aboriginal world.

Ms Marika learned to read and write in English, but also became literate in
her own Rirratjingu language. While at the mission school, she recorded and
wrote local stories for bilingual education programs which began in 1974. In
1976 she was employed at the school to continue this work, marking the start
of her formal career as an educator.

She recognised early on the need for young Yolngu to be able to express and
translate Yolngu language, lore and views to the wider community. Ms Marika
has spent the past three decades working for Aboriginal people to be
included in the mainstream education system, where the curriculum includes
aspects of Aboriginal life and culture, and where Aboriginal first
languages are respected.

Ms Marika holds a Certificate of Literary Attainment from the School of
Aboriginal Languages at Batchelor, an Advanced Diploma in Teaching from the
Batchelor Institute of Primary Education, and a Graduate Diploma in Adult
Education and Training from Melbourne University.

In 1984 she spearheaded the establishment of the Yirrkala School Action
Group which resulted in the Yirrkala School Council gaining control over
decision making and in achieving a program and mode of delivery of
educational services that is valued by Aboriginal communities.

She has held senior positions, including Director of the Australian
Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Director of
Reconciliation Australia, and Treasurer of the Yothu Yindi Foundation. She
plays a central role in the annual Garma Festival. Ms Marika also provided
the original translations and cultural information for CDU’s Yolgnu Studies
program and has been an advisor to the program for 12 years.

Ms Marika was part of a team that won a Prime Minister’s Award for
Excellence in Tertiary Teaching in 2005. She also received a Territory Day
Award in 2006.

The second woman to be honoured at this week’s graduation ceremony is Dr
Valerie Asche, who will receive the award of Doctor of the University,
Honoris Causa, in recognition for her outstanding service to the field of
microbiological science, and to the University through her many
contributions, including the Menzies School of Health Research.

Dr Asche holds a Doctor of Philosophy, is a Member of the Order of
Australia, and is a Dame of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

She has authored more than 40 papers in scholarly publications. In 1991 she
received the Distinguished Service Award of the Australian Society for
Microbiology.

With her husband, Austin, Dr Asche moved to the Northern Territory in 1986,
where she worked as senior research officer within the Microbiology Unit at
the Menzies School of Health Research, and sessional microbiologist at Royal
Darwin Hospital.

Under her leadership, the Microbiology Unit published numerous articles,
including the first paper published in the southern hemisphere to report on
the isolation of Chlamydia pneumoniae. When she retired from this work she
was awarded the Menzies School of Health Research Medallion for outstanding
service to the school. Dr Asche was appointed to the Governing Board of the
Menzies School in 1994 and remained a member until 2005.

In 1993, the couple moved into Government House for Mr Asche’s three-year
term as Administrator of the Northern Territory. During this period Dr
Asche became patron of at least 35 community organisations. She was a
foundation member of the Museum and Art Galleries Foundation and the
Government House Foundation.

Dr Asche remains the Patron of six NT organisations and is actively involved
with many others. In 2002 she chaired the Task Force on Illicit Drugs in the
Northern Territory, commissioned by the Northern Territory Legislative
Assembly.

Her awards include the 1998 Chief Minister’s Women’s Achievement Award for
Outstanding Contribution to the Northern Territory, the NT’s Senior
Australian Citizen of the Year in 2000, and in 2001 she was appointed a
Member of the Order of Australia for service to science, particularly in
the field of microbiology, and to the NT community.

“Charles Darwin University is delighted to be welcoming both Raymattja
Marika and Val Asche as distinguished alumni of the university,”
Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Garnett said.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 12 21:41:25 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:41:25 -0700
Subject: Expedition into the unknown uncovers remote Brazilian tribe
 threatened by hydroelectric dam (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.12.OCT.2007.144125.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

12 October 2007 14:43

Expedition into the unknown uncovers remote Brazilian tribe threatened by
hydroelectric dam

By Daniel Howden
Published: 11 October 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article3047638.ece

Two British explorers have completed a gruelling six-month expedition down
2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles) of the Xingu river through the Cerrado
savannahlands and rainforest in the heart of Brazil.

Sue and Patrick Cunningham were the sole members of the expedition,
travelling in a small open boat accompanied only by local boatmen. The
couple have received the Neville Shulman Award from the Royal Geographical
Society for their venture. And their journey is being showcased in a London
exhibition which opened this week.

The river passes through the largest Indian reserve in Brazil, and the
couple visited 48 Indian villages. "The Indians of the Xingu are incredible
people," said Sue Cunningham, "They have a profound knowledge of the forest;
they use a huge number of plants and trees to provide for their everyday
needs. And they are important for us, because the forest is a vital weapon
in the fight against climate change."

The Cunninghams kept a blog of their journey...

Departure, 6 April 2007

We finally departed Canarana on 3 April. Heading downriver, we arrived at
the vigilance post where a Kalapalo family group watch over the entrance to
the park. The local chief talks about his concern over the proposed
Paranatinga II dam, of which we will hear more everywhere we go.

Heart of Brazil, 23 May

Our boat, Coração do Brasil, is a 7m aluminium vessel. It is reinforced to
withstand the rocks in the rapids and waterfalls. We have been accompanied
by local boatmen from the start.

The first was Aparecido, a genial non-Indian from Canarana. He has worked
for Funai, the government Indian agency, and has a wealth of knowledge of
the people, plants and animals of the Cerrado.

The Indian way is to eat when food is available. The concept of three meals
a day is alien, and a meal may occur at any time of day, though it usually
happens in the afternoon or evening.

Dams, 28 May

Most of the Xingu catchment area is now protected. But the headwaters, to
the south, west and east, all lie outside of the protected areas. Much is
converted to agriculture, and subject to deforestation. As the forest is
cleared, the amount of sediment, agrotoxins and other pollution entering
the river grows, affecting fish stocks and polluting drinking water. There
are proposals to construct a series of six hydroelectric dams on all of the
main tributaries of the Xingu. One, known as Paranatinga II, is already
under construction. All of the people of the Xingu are seriously concerned.
Arivirá Matipu explains: "This hydroelectric scheme will destroy our
supermarket. Our main source of food is the river, we don't eat game and we
don't keep animals to eat. Our food is fish, and the river provides it. If
the dam is completed, the river will die. And if the river dies, we will
have no food, there will be no more Indians and the forest will die."

Uncontacted tribes, 31 May

A few days ago, a previously unknown group of Kayapo emerged from the forest
to contact their relatives in the village of Kremoro. The first contact was
made by two men who approached the house of Bepro, son of one of the
benajures [village chiefs]. He went to find out what was causing noises at
the back of the house, to find two strange Indians, who beckoned for him to
follow them into the forest. Bepro and his brother, Beprytire, decided to go
to look for them. They soon found them and established that the strange
Indians were Kayapo, though they spoke an archaic version of the language.
The newcomers told them their people were worried because they knew the
forest was being destroyed nearer and nearer to their village and, although
they had built it under the canopy of the forest, they were afraid they
would be found and killed.

Metuktire, 7 June

Metuktire is the closest village to the site of an aeroplane accident last
year involving a Gol Boeing and an executive jet which cost the lives of
over a hundred people. The wreckage of the Boeing came to earth in a remote
region of forest, and the people of Metuktire were the first on the scene.

"We quickly realised there were no survivors," said Cacique Waiwai, one of
the first to reach the wreckage. "All we could do was make a clearing so
that the army could land their helicopters. Once they were there, they sent
us away."

Rapids, 15 June

We negotiated the two most difficult sets of rapids, the Von Martius and the
Pedras. The previously placid river has given way to a series of rocky
stretches, each of which is especially perilous at this time of year.

The night before, our camp was visited by a pair of tapirs, which arrived on
the island from the bank of the river, stayed briefly, then swam away again.

Frontier town, 4 July

São Félix do Xingu is a thriving town, deriving income from the ranches
which have been torn out of the forest. But it has another side. There
remain several large landowners who still use gunmen to frighten away, and
occasionally kill, any of their workers who have stepped out of line.

Final destination, 27 July

As we sped towards Porto de Moz, our final destination, we thought about the
strength of the indigenous cultures we had seen, and reflected on the
progress many ethnic groups have made towards self-determination. We
thought of the threats to the river and its people which are so powerful
today, from the soya farms and hydroelectric schemes on the headwaters to
the huge Belo Monte dam proposed so close to the mouth of the river.

An exhibition of photos from the journey will be on show at Gallery 32,
Green Street, London W1, until 18 October

http://ipcst.wordpress.com


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 12 21:45:42 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:45:42 -0700
Subject: Church urged to help preserve Native American language and
 culture (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.12.OCT.2007.144542.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Church urged to help preserve Native American language and culture

By staff writers
12 Oct 2007
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/5908

Native American languages have been under "extreme and direct attack" for
generations and many are in danger of extinction, the director of a project
working to save the Euchee language has told United Methodists in the USA.

Richard Grounds, project director of the Euchee (Yu-chee) Language Project
in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, works with the five remaining fluent Euchee speakers
left in the United States. His daughter, Renee, a board member of the
United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, has dedicated her life to
helping him keep the language alive - reports UMC's Kathy Gilbert.

Speaking in Euchee, Renee introduced her father to members of the commission
at Ware Chapel United Methodist Church before his presentation on the
project.

Commission members were taking a day during their 3-7 October 2007 board
meeting in Oklahoma City to visit Kiowa Native American United Methodist
churches and to hear from Native American United Methodists.

Caroline Botone and Henry Joseph Willis greeted the group in their native
languages of Kiowa and Choctaw.

"This is really a pretty special event," Grounds said. "We are hearing from
our elders at this meeting in their own languages. This is what their
mother spoke to them, and that's why they speak it to you."

Grounds said the World War II generation still speaks their native
languages, and most of that generation is slowly dying, taking the
languages with them.

"In this state where 25 indigenous languages are still spoken, only four of
those are being learned by children; all the rest are only spoken by
elders," he said. "The words you heard from my daughter, Renee, speaking
the language of my grandmother are extremely unusual."

The commission funded Grounds' Euchee project from 2000-2004 through the
Minority Group Self-Determination Fund. The fund was established by The
United Methodist Church to empower racial and ethnic minority people within
and outside the church.

The tradition of passing down native languages was "crushed through a very
ugly, sorted, intentional process" that took young people out of the tribes
and put them in boarding schools where they were forced to speak English.

"I would guess billions of dollars were spent destroying our languages,
breaking down our ceremonial ways, assaulting our traditions," he said.

Churches have been complicit in the dispossession of Native Americans, he
said. He told the group that Methodism founder John Wesley came to Georgia
in 1835 and met the Creeks, Muskogee, Chickasaws and Euchee. Wesley wrote
"really ugly things about these native nations," Grounds said.

"But he really saved his most cruel remarks for the Euchees, saying that the
Euchees killed their own children - things that were not really true and
things he didn't really have a basis for making the claims," Grounds said.

"Colonialism is taking other people's resources to service your own
interest. It's taking the richness of others in order to build your own
wealth. It was a fairly ugly process. In the context of the United States,
it was done under the name of U.S. expansion, a lot of patriotic fanfare,
often with a Christian veneer over it."

The use of Native American mascots and names points to the same thinking
today that says "if it's Indian, it's ours. It's no longer just the
resources. It's no longer just the land. It's literally the name. It's
literally the identity," he said.

"We want our young people to be proud of their languages."

Globally, Grounds said, the next 20 years likely will see the loss of half
of the world's languages and, in the United States, about 70 percent of
indigenous languages are projected to die out.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 12 22:00:24 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:00:24 -0700
Subject: CDU to award Honorary Doctorates to NT women (fwd)
In-Reply-To: <20071012141722.if48sscks4gssssg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <FRI.12.OCT.2007.150024.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Greetings,

I just want to express my great happiness and respect for Raymattja Marika
(Yolngu) for her honorary award!  I had the privilege of meeting her at the
Indigenous Languages Conference in Adelaiade, Australia this past month.

I highly recommend reading her prestigious 1998 Wentworth lecture (below).
Raymattja Marika, Wentworth Lecture 1998

AIATSIS Library, S06.1/AIAS/10 1999 no1, p.3-9
“The 1998 Wentworth Lecture” paper presented at the Wentworth Lecture.

To cite this file use :
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/lbry/dig_prgm/wentworth/a318678_a.pdf

Good day!

Phil Cash Cash
UofA ILAT

Quoting phil cash cash :

> CDU to award Honorary Doctorates to NT women
>
> 12 October 2007
> http://www.cdu.edu.au/newsroom/story.php?nID=2350
>
> Charles Darwin University will present two honorary doctorates, both to
> women, at this week’s graduation ceremony in Darwin.
>
> A Yolngu woman, Raymattja Marika, will receive a Doctor of Education,
> Honoris Causa, during the CDU graduation ceremony at the Darwin
> Entertainment Centre on Friday evening, 12 October.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Sun Oct 14 02:57:27 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:57:27 -0700
Subject: 'So we won't be lost' (fwd)
Message-ID: <SAT.13.OCT.2007.195727.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Saturday, October 13, 2007

'So we won't be lost'
Device helps preserve American Indian languages

By Samantha Bates
of the East Oregonian
Saturday, October 13, 2007
http://www.eastoregonian.com/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=67830

[photo inset - Modesta Minthorn, right, helps Fred Hill Sr. record phrases
from the Umatilla language Wednesday at the Cay-uma-wa Education Building
in Mission. Staff photo by Nicole Barker]

Preserving American Indian languages is important to members of the
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. They believe
language ties them to their culture, history and identity.

"It's God's gift," said Walla Walla speaker Cecelia Bearchum. "That's the
language that was given to us."

Umatilla speaker and teacher Fred Hill Sr. agreed, saying preserving the
languages is important.

"So we won't be lost," he said. "It points us to the religions. It directly
ties us to this land and connects us to our past."

This week, the CTUIR language department is training to use a new technology
to help preserve the languages. The Phraselator LC is a device that records
American Indian phrases and translates them into English.

Working with Thornton Media Inc., tribal members and linguists are
cataloging translations in Walla Walla, Cayuse and Umatilla.

Don Thornton, founder of Thornton Media Inc., said the Phraselators can
store about 80,000 phrases that can be accessed on a touch screen or can be
spoken into the device in English or American Indian languages.

The tribes purchased three Phraselators to use in the language department,
which teaches at Nixyaawii Community School and the tribal HeadStart
program. It also has two second-language apprentices for each language. The
Phraselators, which are about the size of a half-loaf of bread, may be used
in the classroom or in everyday situations.

"It's a crucial tool to carry out these purposes," CTUIR Education Director
Zenaida Lyles said. "Few tribal members are first-language speakers. This
captures the character of the languages."

"We're hoping it will help us with access to languages," CTUIR Linguist
Modesta Minthorn said. "We want to make sure everyone has access."

Minthorn also hopes this will open the door to allow the linguistics
department to use technology in teaching American Indian languages. Rather
than seeing technology as an obstacle, it should be viewed as an
opportunity to reach out to young people, she said.

"I was really a little afraid to even open the box," Minthorn said when the
Phraselators first arrived. "I was glad to get the training. I'm more at
ease now. But I'm very optimistic for it's uses as well."

As she gets more practice, she said the device becomes easier to use.
Minthorn hopes this will increase the chances people will use it.

"The easier something is to use, the more likely you are to use it," she
said.

Lyles also pointed out the portability of the device, allowing it to be used
almost anywhere.

"You could put it in your purse," she said.

On Wednesday morning, Minthorn was recording Umatilla phrases with Hill.
Along with being a first-language speaker, he teaches Umatilla at
Nixyaawii.

He said he learned Umatilla and Yakima from his grandmother, who raised him
and didn't speak English. As a result, he's one of about five individuals
who speaks Umatilla as a first language and are a part of CTUIR's
linguistics program.

On Wednesday morning, he spoke phrases into a headset with a microphone. As
he did so, Minthorn recorded Hill's voice on a laptop computer. The
recordings were later transferred to a Phraselator via an SD memory card.

Hill said he had to be careful when recording phrases, as intonation is an
important aspect of the Umatilla language.

"We're wanting to make sure everything is properly pronounced," he said.
"Some has been overrode by the English language so much, sometimes words
get slurred the wrong way."

For instance, when someone asks a question in English, the voice lifts up at
the end of a sentence. But in Umatilla, the voice lifts up in the middle of
the sentence and drops down again at the end.

Having proper intonation will help with learning, Hill said.

"One thing it'll be good because of the repetition," Hill said. "Students
will be able to mimic exactly the way we're speaking it. That's what we're
really after - consistency.

"Our language is not meant to be a harsh language," Hill continued. "This is
a good way to preserve that - the pureness of it."

Bearchum is one of first-language Walla Walla speaker with the linguistics
department.

"Walla Walla is most endangered," Bearchum said. "There are fewer
first-language speakers, so I get to talk real fast."

Growing up, she said Walla Walla was spoken as the first language in her
home. But when she reached school age, she was sent to boarding schools
where she was forbidden to speak her native tongue. But Bearchum didn't let
that discourage her. She still spoke Walla Walla when she came home for
summer breaks.

"If we had been allowed to speak all the time, we wouldn't have to do this,"
she said, referring to recording her voice on the Phraselator.

Hill, Bearchum and other first-language speakers will continue recording
phrases on the devices throughout the week. Theoretically, Thornton said,
they could continue recording for the next ten years and not run out of
memory.

But in the end, those in the linguistics department hope the Phraselators
will record more than just words.

"It's important to preserve our language because our language is a unique
perspective of us," Minthorn said. "It's our history, our relationship, our
religion. ... If we don't preserve it, we lose it. It's extremely important
to preserve our language."


From dzo at BISHARAT.NET  Mon Oct 15 02:28:54 2007
From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn)
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:28:54 -0400
Subject: "Global Conversations: A Festival of Marginalized Languages"
 2007/10/24-26
Message-ID: <SUN.14.OCT.2007.222854.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The International Center for Writing and Translation (ICWT) at the
University of California - Irvine is holding an event called "Global
Conversations: A Festival of Marginalized Languages" on Oct. 24-26, 2007.
(This is late to pass on word, but I hadn't been tracking this one - sorry)

See http://www.humanities.uci.edu/icwt/globalconversations/

The conference "will celebrate conversation among and between languages. The
conference will feature scholars, writers, performers, practitioners and
activists who are involved in and passionate about the languages with which
they work and live.  We will be focusing on examples of the revival,
restoration and visibility of languages and cultures in Asia, Africa, Europe
and the Americas. We see this conference as an opportunity to reflect on how
we can encourage conversation among and between languages in scholarship,
activism, literature, teaching, and performance. We are coming together in
order to be in conversation with one another and to be encouraged to go
forward in these areas."

"ICWT invites individuals to attend."

ICWT is headed by Prof. Ngugi wa Thiuon'o
See http://www.humanities.uci.edu/icwt/


From kms47 at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 15 02:34:18 2007
From: kms47 at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Kenna_Smith?=)
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:34:18 -0700
Subject: Question About Software
Message-ID: <SUN.14.OCT.2007.193418.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Greetings all,

To quote Dr. Carnie, "I'm new to the list, so please forgive me if this is
either inappropriate or has been discussed before."

I am a Linguistics undergraduate and am trying to get a sense of what
programs can be used for language documentation - specifically language
lesson creation.  I have heard about quite a few through this listserv, and
have found some on my own, but I have the feeling there are many programs
available that I have not heard of.  As such, I was hoping that maybe some
of you would be willing to share the names of programs you are aware of or
have worked with for the development of language lessons and / or
documentary materials (dictionaries, grammars etc).

I have listed the programs I know about (including their cost and method of
obtaining the software) below for the sake of efficiency, and as an attempt
to contribute to the listserv since I am asking for information.

Thank you very much for your help,
Kenna

PROGRAMS FOR LANGUAGE LESSON CREATION:

CourseLab
http://courselab.com/db/cle/root_id/examples/doc.html
	-- Free (expansion packs cost money)
	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)

Multimedia LessonBuilder
http://engage.wisc.edu/accomplishments/mmlb/index.html
	-- Purchase for $30 (https://wisccharge.wisc.edu/LandS/)
	-- Send Money (hard copy of program will be sent by mail)

MaxAuthor
http://cali.arizona.edu/docs/wmaxa/
	-- Free
	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)

ACORNS
http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns/
	-- Free
	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)


PROGRAMS WHICH MIGHT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH LANGUAGE LESSONS:

Microsoft Software Miromaa
http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=151 (best viewed in IE browser)
	-- Purchase for $??
	-- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)

Akira Language Project
http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/atp/atp.shtml (ATP)
http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/idd/idd.shtml (IDD) -- "The program,
now in its final stages of development, is designed to support standard
textual linguistic material as well as sound data, graphical images, and
video clips."
	-- Free
	-- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)

Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
http://vue.uit.tufts.edu/
	-- Free
	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)

Kirr Kirr
http://www-nlp.stanford.edu/kirrkirr/
	-- Free
	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)


From ryamada at UOREGON.EDU  Mon Oct 15 15:50:46 2007
From: ryamada at UOREGON.EDU (Racquel)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:50:46 -0700
Subject: Question About Software
In-Reply-To: <LISTSERV%200710141934181392.0485@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Message-ID: <MON.15.OCT.2007.085046.0700.RYAMADA@UOREGON.EDU>

A couple that I use:
Dictionary Development: LexiquePro from SIL--free download, works with Toolbox lexicon, and can support sound & picture files
Lesson Materials: Boardmaker from Mayer Johnson--costly (~USD200), but is easy to use and can make a variety of nifty-looking flash-card type materials (also games, calendars, etc.)
Lesson Materials: PuzzleMaker from Discovery Channel--~USD50--the teachers I work with love this program for making word-searches, etc. for classroom use
Lesson Materials: ESL HQ: http://www.eslhq.com/--free, after registering, you can make & print flashcards online (disadvantage is that you need internet access)

-Racquel


On Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:34:18 -0700, Kenna Smith <kms47 at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:
> Greetings all,
> 
> To quote Dr. Carnie, "I'm new to the list, so please forgive me if this is
> either inappropriate or has been discussed before."
> 
> I am a Linguistics undergraduate and am trying to get a sense of what
> programs can be used for language documentation - specifically language
> lesson creation.  I have heard about quite a few through this listserv, and
> have found some on my own, but I have the feeling there are many programs
> available that I have not heard of.  As such, I was hoping that maybe some
> of you would be willing to share the names of programs you are aware of or
> have worked with for the development of language lessons and / or
> documentary materials (dictionaries, grammars etc).
> 
> I have listed the programs I know about (including their cost and method of
> obtaining the software) below for the sake of efficiency, and as an attempt
> to contribute to the listserv since I am asking for information.
> 
> Thank you very much for your help,
> Kenna
> 
> PROGRAMS FOR LANGUAGE LESSON CREATION:
> 
> CourseLab
> http://courselab.com/db/cle/root_id/examples/doc.html
> 	-- Free (expansion packs cost money)
> 	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
> 
> Multimedia LessonBuilder
> http://engage.wisc.edu/accomplishments/mmlb/index.html
> 	-- Purchase for $30 (https://wisccharge.wisc.edu/LandS/)
> 	-- Send Money (hard copy of program will be sent by mail)
> 
> MaxAuthor
> http://cali.arizona.edu/docs/wmaxa/
> 	-- Free
> 	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
> 
> ACORNS
> http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns/
> 	-- Free
> 	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
> 
> 
> PROGRAMS WHICH MIGHT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH LANGUAGE LESSONS:
> 
> Microsoft Software Miromaa
> http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=151 (best viewed in IE browser)
> 	-- Purchase for $??
> 	-- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
> 
> Akira Language Project
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/atp/atp.shtml (ATP)
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/idd/idd.shtml (IDD) -- "The program,
> now in its final stages of development, is designed to support standard
> textual linguistic material as well as sound data, graphical images, and
> video clips."
> 	-- Free
> 	-- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
> 
> Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
> http://vue.uit.tufts.edu/
> 	-- Free
> 	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
> 
> Kirr Kirr
> http://www-nlp.stanford.edu/kirrkirr/
> 	-- Free
> 	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
> 


--
Graduate Assistant
Department of Linguistics and
Northwest Indian Language Institute
University of Oregon
1629 Moss St.
Eugene, OR 97403
phone: 541-346-0730
fax: 541-346-6086
nwili at uoregon.edu
http://babel.uoregon.edu/nili/ 


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 15 20:59:50 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:59:50 -0700
Subject: Preserving Heritage (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.15.OCT.2007.135950.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Preserving Heritage

Story Published: Oct 14, 2007 at 8:29 PM MDT
By Penny Preston
[multimedia inset - Watch the video]
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/10540372.html

CODY, WYOMING - An historic meeting of natives from New Zealand and the
North America took place in Cody this week. They came together at the
Buffalo Bill Historical Center to help each other preserve their languages
and culture.

A Moari musician played a flute made of whale bone in the Coe Auditorium in
Cody. The haunting music of the Moari is a big part of their culture, as is
their language. Their challenge now, to revive the culture and language
among their youth.

Tapahia Heke is a Moari Tutor. He explained why language is so important.
"It's basically identity. It's who you are and what you do. And we found
that most people in New Zealand, like most Maori, that are educated in both
Moari and Europeon ways have ended up becoming quite successful career wise.
Blackfeet tribe member and Plains Indian Museum Advisor Curly Bear Wagner,
said, "We're all different in our ways, but held together by a common bond,
and that's our culture, our traditions, or our way of life, meaning our
religion."

Although oceans apart, the indigenous peoples of North America, and New
Zealand found they share common pasts. Their grandparents, and parents,
were not allowed to speak the native language. Heke said, "We've reached
the same sort of boundaries because we're basically under the boundaries of
the English queen, we had to abide by their rules because we became
residents of the English crown. It was hard to try to put the things we do
the way we do it, into a context that would suit them, because basically it
was their rule or no rule originally."

Both Heke, and Wagner say the best way to understand their culture is to
listen, and learn. Wagner told KULR 8 he's working to get Indian histories
in Montana schools. "The Indian people want to know and not only the Indian
people, but the non-Indian students want to know more history about the
first nations." The Maori were brought to Wyoming from New Zealand for the
31st annual Plains Indian Museum Seminar.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 15 21:02:24 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:02:24 -0700
Subject: How technology can save dying indigenous languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.15.OCT.2007.140224.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

How technology can save dying indigenous languages

Last Update: Monday, October 15, 2007. 4:28pm AEST
By Winsome Denyer
http://www.abc.net.au/northqld/stories/s2060162.htm?backyard

A small cultural association in Newcastle might just be the first to develop
a computer program aimed directly at Indigenous communities to save and
teach traditional languages.

Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association (ACRA) has developed a program
called Miromaa, which means "saved" in the Awabakal language.

General Manager Daryn McKenny and Program Manager Dianna Newman travelled up
to Cardwell over the weekend, to man a stall at the Girringun Cultural
Festival.

"We've found ways of being able to use technology to empower our people to
revive, maintain, preserve and disseminate our traditional languages,"
Daryn says.

"Normally that's in the domain of academics like linguists. To be here at
this festival where we have an awful lot of our people hanging around,
traditional owners, community people, people from language centres all
here, it's a great opportunity to expose what we do from little old
Newcastle, to other areas of the country."

ACRA's motto is, if you are using Miromaa to record your language via
textual information, audio recordings, still photographs or video clips,
you have gone an long way to saving your language. "That's why we named it
Miromaa," Daryn says. "We don't know of any program even internationally
which is aimed directly at community people to use technology for language
work."

We were told we'd be better off to employ a linguist to do the work. We
thought, we don't want that, because we want to be employed to do the work

The idea began when ACRA started to revive and disseminate its own local
language. "We couldn't find any programs [to do it]," Daryn says. "We were
told we'd be better off to employ a linguist to do the work. We thought, we
don't want that, because we want to be employed to do the work. We recognise
there's a time and place for linguists to do their stuff, but we want to be
hands on doing the work on a daily basis. And there weren't tools available
anywhere."

Daryn came up with the concept and work started from there. Over about three
years they are now at the point where Miromaa is being used around
Queensland, in New South Wales, and Victoria. "There are over 10
communities in Victoria which are using the program, and we're working with
the Victorian State Language Centre to get it out to the whole 38 language
areas. It's already being used out in Kalgoorlie by the language centre
there."

Daryn says as community development programs disappear, it's becomes harder
and harder for indigenous people to actually find work, particularly within
the community.

"To be able to look at the core of who we are, our identity, which is made
up of our connection with our culture and our language, we need to look
what we can do to strengthen that and to be involved with it," Daryn says.
"Let's look at using the world's newest culture, technology, to empower us
to maintain the world's oldest living culture and oldest living languages."

Our languages are an oral language, so lets use those senses, our eyes and
ears, to learn that

This comes at an opportune time, when it was highlighted in the media
recently that Australia is most at risk of losing its languages. "We have
the most endangered and extinct languages in the world," Daryn says. "We
need to have an army of our people right now recording our languages, our
people are unfortunately passing away younger and younger every year. That
knowledge is the heart of our identity."

The program can be used not only to store the language, but to teach it as
well - through audio, visual and text.

"The program comes blank. It doesn't have a language in it. You get the
program and then it is yours for you to put that language in, because the
language is owned by that community."

"Our languages are an oral language, so lets use those senses, our eyes and
ears, to learn that," Daryn says.

At the moment, the program doesn't translate. But there are always
possibilities down the track.

"We've just received federal funding to develop I think Australia's first
ever national aboriginal language website called Our Languages. It'll be a
place where we hope all Australians can go to and get to understand and
have awareness of languages."


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 15 21:06:48 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:06:48 -0700
Subject: National Science Foundation,
 National Endowment for the Humanities Award New Grants to
 Document Endangered Languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.15.OCT.2007.140648.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Press Release 07-142

National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities Award New
Grants to Document Endangered Languages

Focus on Arctic languages reflects International Polar Year research agenda

Eighteen institutional grants and nine fellowships were awarded to document
endangered languages.

October 12, 2007
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=109583&org=NSF&from=news

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Science
Foundation (NSF) today announced the award of 18 institutional grants and
nine fellowships in their Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL)
partnership. A workshop on language recording techniques also will be
supported. This is the third round of their multiyear campaign to preserve
records of languages threatened with extinction. Experts estimate that more
than half of the approximately 7,000 currently used human languages will
stop being spoken in this century. These new DEL awards, totaling more than
$4 million, will support direct documentation work on more than 30 such
languages and improvements in computer use that will help all language
work.

Further recognition came to awardee Sven Haakanson last month in the form of
a MacArthur Fellowship. Combining language work, funded by NSF, with revival
of cultural traditions, "Haakanson is preserving and reviving ancient
traditions and heritage, celebrating the rich past of Alutiiq communities,
and providing the larger world with a valuable window into a little-known
culture," according to the MacArthur Web site. The interaction of
communities and their environment via language is a common theme in DEL
grants. It is particularly relevant in the Arctic region during the current
International Polar Year (IPY).

Work by indigenous groups continues to play a prominent role in
documentation. Native groups have an automatic interest in preserving their
languages, often after decades of neglect and active suppression. Projects
funded at the Salish Kootenai College in Montana, the Choctaw Nation in
Oklahoma, the Navajo Language Academy in Arizona, the Koasati Tribe in
Louisiana (together with McNeese State University), the Alutiiq Museum in
Alaska (discussed above) and the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin demonstrate an
active and successful surge in preservation of Native American languages by
the speakers and their descendants.

As part of the U. S. IPY research agenda, NSF is supporting the
documentation and preservation of endangered Arctic languages. Most Arctic
indigenous languages are highly endangered. One project headed by Sharon
Hargus of the University of Washington will focus on obtaining personal
narratives of climate change in three Native communities in Alaska and
Canada. Not only will the narratives provide important linguistic material,
they will provide a Native perspective on changes to an environment that,
while harsh, is extremely sensitive to change. Other Arctic languages to be
recorded are Alutiiq, Klallam, Deg Xinag and Tlingit. A grant supplement
will extend the work in Siberia under the direction of Alexander
Nakhimovsky of Colgate University.

Several DEL grants extend work in the realm of computer support, allowing a
more efficient processing of language data and greater access for a wide
range of users. Andrew Garrett, at the University of California, Berkeley,
will begin the enormous task of making the extensive holdings in the
Berkeley Indigenous Language Archive available electronically. Jason
Baldridge, at the University of Texas, Austin, will work on an automatic
annotation technique that, if successful, will save countless hours on the
part of transcribers of endangered language material. And Susan Penfield,
at the University of Arizona, will explore the ways in which a community as
a whole can work collaboratively on language projects. An innovative
workshop strategy, led by Carol Genetti at the University of Washington,
will train a cadre of linguists and Native community members in the
techniques of digital archiving. The workshop will allow for an increased
use of hands-on experience with the opportunity for the attendees to take
away a suite of open-source products to continue their language work at
their home institutions.

Work in the Pacific will involve Cemaun Arapesh, Rotokas, and Bahinemo
(Papua New Guinea), Kimaragang (Malaysia), and Bardi (Australia). Africa
will be represented by Bikya, Bishuo, and Busuu (Cameroon), Krim and Bom
(Sierra Leone), and Nyangbo (Ghana). Further afield are studies of Albanian
and Razihi (Yemen). Central America is represented by work on Mayan: Chorti,
Yocotán and Tumbalá Chol in one project and Tojolabal in another.

A complete listing of this year's awards follows. Note that ISO-639 language
codes, the new international standard for referring to any of the world's
languages, are typically included in the title in parentheses after the
language name.

-NSF-

The 2007 Documenting Endangered Language awards. Note that ISO-639 language
codes, the new international standard for referring to any of the world's
languages, are typically included in the title in parentheses after the
language name.

Institutional Grants

    * Jason Baldridge (University of Texas at Austin) Reducing Annotation
Effort in the Documentation of Languages using Machine Learning and Active
Learning, $79,106 (NSF)
    * Claire Bowern (Rice University) The Language of Bardi (bcj) Precontact
Narratives, $75,893 (NSF)
    * Joshua Brown (Salish Kootenai College) Speaking To the Future: Salish
(fla) Language Preservation, $100,000 (NSF)
    * G. Tucker Childs (Portland State University) Documenting Krim (krm)
and Bom (bmf), two endangered languages of Sierra Leone, $99,991 (NSF)
    * Carol Cornelius (Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin) Documenting and Archiving
the Oneida (one) Language of Wisconsin, $100,000 (NSF)
    * Richard Dauenhauer (University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau)
Documenting and archiving Deg Xinag (ing), Tlingit (tli), and other
Northern languages, $352,231 (NSF)
    * James Essegbey University of Florida Documentation of Nyangbo (nyb),
$79,908 (NSF)
    * Theordore Fernald (Navajo Language Academy) Navajo (nav) Language
Academy Workshop and Research, $77,092 (NSF)
    * Louanna Furbee (University of Missouri Columbia) Tojolabal (toj)
(Maya) Language Documentation Project, $240,844 (NSF)
    * Andrew Garrett (University of California, Berkeley) Berkeley
Indigenous Language Resources: Access, Archiving, and Documentation,
$340,000 (NEH)
    * Carol Genetti (University of Washinton) Workshop on field linguistics
and language documentation. $103,690 (NSF)
    * Jeffrey Good (University of Buffalo) Documentation of moribund
languages of Furu Awa, Cameroon (Bikya (byb), Bishuo (bwh), Busuu (bju)),
$14,498 (NEH).
    * Sven Haakanson (Alutiiq Museum) Alutiiq (ems)Living Words Project,
$445,929 (NSF)
    * Sharon Hargus (University of Washington) Athabaskan Personal Histories
of Climate Change in Alaska and Canada, $250,000 (NSF)
    * Linda Langley (McNeese State University) Kowasa:ton il:halas -- Let Us
Hear Koasati (cku): A Filmic Documentation Project of Koasati, $448,646
(NSF)
    * Martha Macri (University of California-Davis) J. P. Harrington
Database Project: Transcription, Coding, and Indices, $240,000 (NSF)
    * Timothy Montler (University of North Texas) Klallam (clm) Dictionary
and Electronic Text Archive, $317,502 (NEH)
    * Terry Ragan (Choctaw Nation) Choctaw (cho) Language Preservation
Project, $80,000 (NSF)

Fellowships

    * Lise Dobrin A Reference Grammar of Cemaun Arapesh (aon, ape, aoj)
    * Thurlow W. Dye Documenting the Bahinemo language and culture for
future study
    * John Fought Archiving a Linguistic Corpus of Chorti (caa), Yocotán
(chf) and Tumbalá Chol (ctu) Mayan: Audio Recordings, Field Notes and
Photographs, and Related Materials
    * Jeffrey Good (University of Buffalo) Documentation of moribund
languages of Furu Awa, Cameroon (Bikya (byb), Bishuo (bwh), Busuu (bju))
    * Paul Kroeger (GIAL) Kimaragang (kqr) grammar outline and digital
recordings
    * Kelly L. Maynard Describing an Endangered Dialect of Albanian (aln)
Spoken in Samsun, Turkey
    * Susan Penfield (University of Arizona) Community-Based Language
Documentation: Mohave (mov) and Beyond
    * Elevina Perkins Navajo (nav) Language Investigations
    * Stuart Robinson Documenting the Dialects of Rotokas (roo)
    * Bonnie Stalls Razihi Grammar, Lexicon, Texts, and Recordings

Media Contacts
Peter West, NSF (703) 292-7761 pwest at nsf.gov
Bobbie Mixon, NSF (703) 292-8485 bmixon at nsf.gov

Program Contacts
Douglas Whalen, NSF (703) 292-7321 dwhalen at nsf.gov

Related Websites
U.S. Government Web Portal for the International Polar Year:
http://www.ipy.gov


From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Mon Oct 15 22:24:00 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:24:00 -0700
Subject: Preserving Heritage (fwd)
In-Reply-To: A<20071015135950.n4gccs8004gso0wk@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <MON.15.OCT.2007.152400.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

"Maori" is the actual spelling, as used by the people.

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 2:00 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [ILAT] Preserving Heritage (fwd)

Preserving Heritage

Story Published: Oct 14, 2007 at 8:29 PM MDT
By Penny Preston
[multimedia inset - Watch the video]
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/10540372.html

CODY, WYOMING - An historic meeting of natives from New Zealand and the
North America took place in Cody this week. They came together at the
Buffalo Bill Historical Center to help each other preserve their
languages
and culture.

A Moari musician played a flute made of whale bone in the Coe Auditorium
in
Cody. The haunting music of the Moari is a big part of their culture, as
is
their language. Their challenge now, to revive the culture and language
among their youth.

Tapahia Heke is a Moari Tutor. He explained why language is so
important.
"It's basically identity. It's who you are and what you do. And we found
that most people in New Zealand, like most Maori, that are educated in
both
Moari and Europeon ways have ended up becoming quite successful career
wise.
Blackfeet tribe member and Plains Indian Museum Advisor Curly Bear
Wagner,
said, "We're all different in our ways, but held together by a common
bond,
and that's our culture, our traditions, or our way of life, meaning our
religion."

Although oceans apart, the indigenous peoples of North America, and New
Zealand found they share common pasts. Their grandparents, and parents,
were not allowed to speak the native language. Heke said, "We've reached
the same sort of boundaries because we're basically under the boundaries
of
the English queen, we had to abide by their rules because we became
residents of the English crown. It was hard to try to put the things we
do
the way we do it, into a context that would suit them, because basically
it
was their rule or no rule originally."

Both Heke, and Wagner say the best way to understand their culture is to
listen, and learn. Wagner told KULR 8 he's working to get Indian
histories
in Montana schools. "The Indian people want to know and not only the
Indian
people, but the non-Indian students want to know more history about the
first nations." The Maori were brought to Wyoming from New Zealand for
the
31st annual Plains Indian Museum Seminar.


From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM  Tue Oct 16 16:00:42 2007
From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield)
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:00:42 -0700
Subject: Fwd: HRELP announcement
In-Reply-To: <E1IhjCU-0002L3-RL@citrine.w-dns.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.16.OCT.2007.090042.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Please note that our own Phil Cash Cash is a keynote speaker for this event!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: no_reply at hrelp.org <no_reply at hrelp.org>
Date: Oct 16, 2007 2:58 AM
Subject: HRELP announcement
To: susan.penfield at gmail.com

75 years of Linguistics at SOAS
5 years of the Endangered Languages Project


Conference on Language Documentation and Linguistic Theory
7-8 December 2007
SOAS, London


The conference features plenary lectures from two leading academics, Philip
Cash Cash and Richard Hudson.


About the conference
In 2007 the Department of Linguistics at School of Oriental and African
Studies celebrates its 75th anniversary. Founded in 1932 as the first
department of general linguistics in Britain, the research carried out by
linguistics within the department has made a significant and lasting impact
on the fields of language documentation and description and linguistic
theory.


This conference marks both the 75 year tradition of linguistics within the
School and the 5th anniversary of the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages
Project, comprising the Endangered Languages Academic Programme(ELAP), the
Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR), and the Endangered Languages
Documentation Programme (ELDP).


The conference aims to bring together researchers working on linguistic
theory and language documentation and description, with a particular focus
on innovative work on underdescribed or endangered languages, especially
those of Asia and Africa. Our goal is to provide a forum to discuss the ways
that linguists and others, including community members, can respond to the
current challenges to linguistic diversity and build on experiences of the
past.


Themes
•       implications of language documentation and description for
linguistic theory
•       implications of linguistic theory for language documentation and
description
•       experiences of language documentation and description and linguistic
theory at SOAS
•       new techniques and opportunities for documenting and describing
languages
•       community-oriented outcomes of endangered languages research


Full details for the conference, including the programme, registration
forms, venue information and accommodation suggestions are available now
from: http://www.hrelp.org/events/conference2007/index.html









-----------

To remove yourself from the HRELP seminar/events mailing list, click the
link below:
http://www.hrelp.org/myhrelp/remove_mail.php?id=1726&check=a41c97366051d8685649f44d8c71e034&email=susan.penfield at gmail.com



-- 
____________________________________________________________
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research)
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."

                                                          Wade Davis...(on a
Starbucks cup...)
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 16 18:05:30 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 11:05:30 -0700
Subject: Institute for American Indian Education Offers Free Test Prep for
 N.M. Native American Teachers (fwd)
Message-ID: <TUE.16.OCT.2007.110530.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Institute for American Indian Education Offers Free Test Prep for N.M.
Native American Teachers
http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/002311.html

Standardized tests often present particular challenges for those outside the
cultural context in which the test is written. The University of New Mexico
Institute for American Indian Education offers free workshops to help New
Mexico’s Native American teachers and pre-service teachers overcome that
challenge on the New Mexico Teacher Assessment Test.

IAIE, in the UNM College of Education, will offer the next workshop on
Saturday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the Henderson Fine Arts building,
room 9010, at San Juan College in Farmington, N.M.

The New Mexico Teacher Assessment is a mandatory test to fulfill part of the
state’s teacher licensure requirements.

Anne Calhoun, UNM associate professor in the Department of Language,
Literacy and Sociocultural Studies, said the test’s cultural assumptions
can pose a problem for Native American teachers. “Indigenous epistemologies
look for ways to explain multiple and contradictory events, while Western
epistemology looks for one correct or one better explanation for events,”
she said.

Language can also be a barrier. “The teachers primarily have difficulty with
the syntax of academic English [on the test] because it neither conforms to
their Indigenous languages nor everyday classroom English,” Calhoun said.

Calhoun co-teaches the IAIE Teacher Test Taking workshops with Professor
Emerita Anita Bradley Pfeifer. During the workshop, teachers take practice
tests and learn relaxation techniques and study and memory skills to help
cope with test anxiety.

“We also have them deconstruct the most problematic questions after giving
them the correct answers and then have them write the question as it would
make sense to them,” Calhoun said. “This deconstruction/reconstruction
process helps them understand how test items are made and how to think
about the language in them.”

The New Mexico Public Education Department Indian Education Division awarded
a grant of $124,953 to fund the Native American Teacher Test Taking
workshops and other outreach services to recruit Native students into
teaching and revitalize Native languages in an effort to comply with the
Indian Education Act of 2003.

In addition to free registration, $30 stipends are available to cover travel
expenses. For more information and the registration form, visit Institute
for American Indian Education, call (505) 277-7781 or e-mail ptate at unm.edu.

Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal at unm.edu


From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Wed Oct 17 00:17:48 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:17:48 -0700
Subject: Nearly lost Language
Message-ID: <TUE.16.OCT.2007.171748.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Learning an almost lost language
The few Mono Indians remaining who speak their tongue are passing it  
down to children to preserve culture.
By Charles McCarthy / The Fresno Bee
10/14/07 22:24:12
Source: Barbara Burrough
NORTH FORK -- Just uphill from an authentic cedar tepee -- or "nobi"  
in Mono -- four children sat down for a lesson in a language on the  
cusp of being lost.

Volunteer teacher Barbara Burrough, one of the few people left who  
still speaks Mono, held up a cue card with the word "kah-why-you."
"Horse," the youngsters said.
Next was "moo-nah."
"Mule," they said.

Burrough's mother, 81-year-old Gertrude Davis, smiled as she watched  
the recent lesson unfold.

"I speak it, and I have no one to talk to, because no one knows how  
to speak the language or understand it," she said.

In classrooms, Mono cultural sites and private homes in the North  
Fork area, Burrough and a few others are working hard to change that,  
one child at a time.

Before contact with Spanish and English-speaking cultures in the  
1800s, an estimated 5,000 spoke Mono in a territory that stretched  
from the San Joaquin River south to the Kern River. Today, Burrough  
estimates that no more than 17 Mono around North Fork can converse in  
the native tongue -- and not all of them are fluent.

It's unclear how many others outside the North Fork area might still  
know the language.

North Fork Mono Rancheria Tribal Council Treasurer Maryann McGovran's  
son Cody, 13, has been one of Burrough's pupils for about two years.  
She said she isn't fluent in Mono, but she knows a few words.

Preserving the language is important, she said at tribal  
headquarters, because the language reflects the culture.

"It's the heart of our tribe," she said. "It shows who we are and  
what our people are about."

Mono is among 50 Native American languages in California that are  
considered endangered, said Leanne Hinton, professor emeritus in the  
linguistics department at the University of California at Berkeley.  
Another 50 already have disappeared since the early 1800s, she said.

"When you lose a language, it's a symptom of losing a whole culture,"  
said Hinton, who has written three books devoted to endangered  
languages.
But saving a language is no easy task -- especially when so few  
people still speak it.

A nearby tribe -- the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians  
near Coarsegold -- also is trying to save its language. The  
Chukchansi are preserving tribal words and songs with state-of-the- 
art electronic translators inspired by military technology.

Tribal elders demonstrated the device last month. The "Phraselator"  
stores Chukchansi words electronically. When a person speaks into the  
device in English, it responds with the Chukchansi translation.  But  
at $3,000 apiece, the devices aren't in the Mono Rancheria budget --  
at least not yet.
Burrough's sister, North Fork Rancheria tribal vice chairwoman Elaine  
Bethel-Fink, said the Phraselator sounds like something the Mono  
should look into.

"We'd have to find the source of the dollars to do that," Bethel-Fink  
said. The Chukchansi paid for the devices with a federal grant.
Mono tribal officials say the decline of the language -- and  
traditional culture -- began as early as the 1810s with the arrival  
of outside cultures and languages.

A series of broken treaties, land grabs and the integration of much  
North Fork Mono tribal land into the Sierra National Forest left the  
native residents little choice other than to join mining, lumber and  
agricultural economies.

In school, children were discouraged from speaking Mono. As late as  
the 1970s, Native American children in Bureau of Indian Affairs  
boarding schools were punished for speaking their native languages,  
said Andre Cramblit, Northern California Indian Development Council  
operations director and chairman of the Karuk tribal language  
restoration committee.
Burrough said that her family escaped boarding school because her  
grandmother told her children to hide whenever a car came up their  
driveway.

"That's why we were able to hang on to our language," Burrough said.
The North Fork Rancheria Tribal Council does not have the funds for a  
formal program to preserve the Mono language, said council Chairwoman  
Jacquie Davis-Van Huss. The 1,652-member tribe relies on volunteers  
like Burrough and the support of educators who incorporate Mono  
lessons into programs in public schools.

Burrough teaches children as part of its Indian Education Program in  
North Fork Elementary School. Such programs also provide for  
classroom tutoring in subjects other than language and culture for  
Native American kids, Principal Stuart Pincus said.

The California Department of Education lists the North Fork  
Elementary School program as one of eight such programs statewide  
that it sponsors for schools where at least 10% of the students are  
Native American. The courses, intended for children in grades  
kindergarten through fourth, are designed to increase reading,  
language and math skills, along with self-esteem.

Another such effort is being coordinated in Fresno County's Sierra  
Unified School District by Gretchen Cox, the district's community  
liaison for its Indian Education Program. Cox estimated that there  
are about 250 youngsters eligible for Indian education in the district.

Cox blends Mono language instruction into a program that includes  
tutoring at Auberry and Sierra elementary schools, Foothill Middle  
School and Sierra High School, as well as cultural field trips, a  
drum group and a high school Indian Club. There also are homework  
centers at the Cold Spring and Big Sandy rancherias.

Cox said that most of the youngsters she is teaching about Mono  
language and culture already are two generations removed from it. Cox  
has invited parents to a series of Mono classes starting in November.

"It's important to know where you came from ... to have that sense of  
self," said Cox, 29, who learned Mono language and culture from her  
grandmother and others in North Fork but said she still is learning.  
She claims Chukchansi as well as Mono ancestors.

For Burrough, the effort is a labor of love.
"With learning the language, you learn the culture," the 57-year-old  
Burrough said. "And with the culture, you learn respect. With  
respect, you learn to love the land and each other."

Burrough often holds outdoor classes on the rural property of  
Kendrick Sherman, a tribal elder who died in late September. The  
Sherman family has dedicated the property to the future of the Mono  
nation, Burrough said.
Nine-year-old Antonio Beihn, a North Fork Elementary School student,  
said he signed up for the off-campus program because he is half-Mono  
and it's his culture.

"If it was lost, we wouldn't have what we have right now," he said.


From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET  Wed Oct 17 00:29:55 2007
From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber)
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 20:29:55 -0400
Subject: Nearly lost Language
Message-ID: <TUE.16.OCT.2007.202955.0400.PHONOSEMANTICS@EARTHLINK.NET>

Ironic, then, that the two Mono words at the beginning of the article are borrowings from European languages!

Jess Tauber
phonosemantics at earthlink.net


From Dmark916 at AOL.COM  Wed Oct 17 01:50:22 2007
From: Dmark916 at AOL.COM (Dmark916 at AOL.COM)
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:50:22 EDT
Subject: Nearly lost Language
Message-ID: <TUE.16.OCT.2007.215022.EDT.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Nobi is a Mono word. The people borrowed words for the animals that were  not 
indigenous to their land. Ah, well!
 
Dorothy Martinez
Education Consultant



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 17 17:36:47 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:36:47 -0700
Subject: Poet works to preserve native tongue (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.17.OCT.2007.103647.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Poet works to preserve native tongue

Published Wednesday, October 17, 2007.
Meghan McNamara / Staff Writer / mm164705 at ohiou.edu
http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/Articles/Culture/2007/10/17/21760/

As part of American Indian Heritage month, Ronald Snake Edmo, a linguistic
anthropologist who is a member of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe, will speak
about his poetry and the importance of language to a culture’s life.

The Shoshone language runs the risk of being lost as increasingly fewer
members of succeeding generations learn to speak it. Edmo, who grew up in a
time when children were beaten for speaking Shoshone in school, writes
poetry in Shoshone and English.

The Post’s Meghan McNamara spoke with Edmo about the challenges of
documenting an unwritten language.

The Post: You talk about the risk a culture faces when it begins to lose its
language through the succession of generations. Could you explain the
significance of this risk for an oral culture?

Edmo: Language and culture are intertwined, and there are certain things in
our culture that there’s no equivalent in non-Indian culture. … There’s no
equivalent in American culture. But when you lose the language, you also
lose that part of the culture.

Post:  Because Shoshone is an unwritten language and an oral culture
traditionally, do the other members of your tribe support your goal to
write it?

Edmo: That’s a yes/no answer. … We’re also known as an egalitarian society.
… No one person has a voice over anybody else. So, everything has to be
done by consensus, and if one person objects, then it can’t be done. Well,
we have people that support this program and we have people that oppose it.
…  Mostly it’s because they aren’t involved in it. … The only way to get
anything done is to go ahead and do it.

Post: How does the influence or force of popular American culture affect
life on the reservation, and is this part of the threat to the Shoshone
language?

Edmo: That’s part of it. A lot of our young people ascribe to that gangster
culture, they don’t know who they are. … We don’t know what the answer is.
… We’re losing our best and our brightest through deaths caused by alcohol
and drugs. … These were kids that would be the future of our people. …
What’s our future going to be? That’s a big concern that we all have on the
reservations.

Post: How do you go about documenting an oral language?

Edmo: There are several steps. The first step would be to record … and
getting the elders. … They’re still fluent in it. So we need to record
their stories. … If we don’t understand a word, even an old word that’s no
longer used, we need to ask them to explain that to us and enroll them in
trying to preserve that for the future. … The second step is to develop an
orthography (a system of developing symbols to represent sounds) if we want
to teach you how to read and write it, then to develop lesson plans, both to
teach people to speak it, and also if you can read and write the language.
And then, that is just the very beginning of the process of revival.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 17 17:38:26 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:38:26 -0700
Subject: New system helps students learn the Lakota language (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.17.OCT.2007.103826.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

New system helps students learn the Lakota language

© Indian Country Today October 17, 2007. All Rights Reserved
Posted: October 17, 2007
by: David Melmer / Indian Country Today
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415930

LOWER BRULE, S.D. - For some people, unless they have heard a word before,
its proper pronunciation can be quite difficult.

Such can be the case with languages that never had a written version but are
now translated into printed form. For anyone who has studied a second
language, the difficulty is learning when and how to use the correct tense,
gender, verb conjugation and pronunciation.

The Lakota language - and any other American Indian language - is no
different. Pronunciation, the proper use of modifiers and knowledge of
sentence structure is important when it comes to saving a language that was
never written. The intent is to preserve the language as close to its
original form as possible.

Earl Bullhead, a Lakota educator on the Lower Brule Reservation in South
Dakota, has developed a phonetics chart that is easy to follow and offers
proper pronunciation. He also has a step-by-step approach that offers
students a chance to learn not just a core word, but when other letters or
words are added to make it plural or gender-qualified, or when it takes on
a slightly different meaning.

Bullhead has developed a system that includes 10 lessons that show the use
of conjugations so that the student will be able to visualize the word. The
system includes special modifiers that change the meaning of the word from,
for example, first person to second or third person.

He sets up the courses in 15-week increments of 10 lessons each. He has
also, with help from technical experts, developed a computer program that
allows students to overlay diacritical markings onto letters to change the
sound of the letter. The student can also add words and letters to other
words to change person, tense or gender.

Bullhead explained his program to teachers during the recent South Dakota
Indian Education Summit in Rapid City.

South Dakota, which has mandated that the Lakota language and culture be
taught in the state's public schools beginning with the current school
year, is close to accepting Bullhead's system. The language in the public
schools most generally will be taught by non-Lakota speakers who will be
trained with this system. They will also receive help from Lakota speakers
who will, on a part-time basis, be present in classrooms.

In the Great Plains, it is estimated that 30 percent of all members of the
various tribes speak their language. On the Navajo reservation the
percentage is higher, but in other parts of the country the indigenous
languages are almost extinct.

The Plains tribes are not in jeopardy of losing their languages because
there are many people who are focused on teaching the language to not just
elementary, middle and high school students, but to adults as well.

''I started the [computer] program to put emphasis on certain syllables as a
way of teaching the kids the words and how to write them,'' Bullhead said.

''This will make the best of two languages. We now have Lakota III students
reading Ella Deloria texts,'' he said.

Bullhead said that he rewards students with stories and songs when they
correctly use the Lakota language and learn anything new about the
language. Usually his stories involve humor and a message.

The students are also encouraged to research some of the original words that
have changed over time.

The system Bullhead developed teaches the words by visual image, which is
how the language developed.

''They have to think before they can speak,'' he said.

''The language is part of the success for students. With the language comes
a cultural way of teaching. It shows respect for the student and for the
teachers, and that's a key to learning.''

Bullhead was awarded the Teacher of the Year award by Crazy Horse Memorial,
and received the award at the annual Native American Day celebration Oct. 8
at the memorial.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 17 17:42:45 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:42:45 -0700
Subject: Enduring Voices project survey shows languages at risk of
 extinction (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.17.OCT.2007.104245.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Enduring Voices project survey shows languages at risk of extinction

© Indian Country Today October 17, 2007. All Rights Reserved
Posted: October 17, 2007
by: David Melmer / Indian Country Today
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415926

RAPID CITY, S.D. - American Indian educators in the northern Great Plains
have advocated for language education. The result is that more than 30
percent of the Lakota people can speak their language.

Only the Navajo have a higher percentage of speakers.

According to a survey by the National Geographic Enduring Voices project,
many indigenous languages are headed for extinction very soon. Some
languages have only one elder speaker; and when a language disappears, so
does a culture.

The Enduring Voices study, conducted worldwide, identified regions across
the globe that were at risk of losing languages. In the United States, two
at-risk regions are in Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest.

Every two weeks, a language dies somewhere in the world; and by the end of
the century, more than half of the roughly 7,000 languages spoken in the
world will disappear, according to the study.

The reason for the language loss, the study noted, is that dominant
languages or the languages of powerful groups of people has taken hold
while the smaller groups' languages have been pushed aside.

''This occurs through official language policies or through the allure that
the high prestige of speaking an imperial language can bring,'' the study
stated.

In Indian country, boarding schools of the past prohibited American Indians
from speaking their language. Some of those people, now grandparents, did
not encourage their children to speak the language. However, in many cases,
the language remained underground and only resurfaced a generation ago.

Schools in Montana and South Dakota have now dedicated curriculum
instruction to the American Indian culture and languages. Just last year,
Montana provided funding for cultural and language curriculum in public
schools. South Dakota is searching for ways to incorporate indigenous
language and culture into its public school curriculum.

In California, according to the survey, 50 languages remain, none of which
is taught in the schools.

''Languages not learned by children are not just endangered, they are
doomed,'' Lyle Campbell, a linguist professor at the University of Utah,
told National Geographic.

Campbell said that to look at hotspots where language is diminishing may be
misleading.

''Essentially all Native languages are under threat.''

Gary Holton of the University of Alaska said that the definition of a
language and who counts as a speaker may be changing. Dialects have altered
languages to a degree when the dialect or slang becomes the language. He
added that some people who are partial speakers may someday be considered
fluent speakers.

In the Great Plains, educators and elders knew the clock was ticking on the
languages; and for at least a decade or more, every gathering of American
Indian educators has included workshops dedicated to the teaching of the
language and culture. Many of the schools in South Dakota include elders in
the student's language and cultural education, utilizing them as language
mentors.

Montana has implemented a diverse public school curriculum called Education
for All, and elders are present in many of the public schools as well as
reservation schools.

Some hotspots that were identified as at risk of losing a language are in
Bolivia, northern Australia, eastern Siberia and two locations in South
America.

Bolivia, according to Enduring Voices, had a more diversified language base
than all of Europe, but Spanish is crowding the other languages out.

It is estimated that 80 percent of natural species, which include plant and
animal life, have not been discovered by science but are known by the
people who live in the regions through oral history, according to David
Harrison, a linguistics professor at Pennsylvania's Swarthmore College.
That knowledge is also at risk.

Many of the languages in North America were written down by religious clergy
who moved among the tribes. Today, books are written about the language by
fluent speakers in order to continue the original intent of the
pronunciation and meaning. One of the most acclaimed writers of the Lakota
language is Albert White Hat, Sicangu Lakota and director of the Lakota
language program at Sinte Gleska University.

He said to learn the dominant language doesn't mean that a person's original
language has to be sacrificed.

''Master the Western culture, master the English language; I don't have to
be like them if I learn their ways. Don't water academics down. Deal with
it. Knowledge doesn't force you into something,'' White Hat said.


From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Wed Oct 17 18:06:18 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:06:18 -0700
Subject: SAVE THE DATE
Message-ID: <WED.17.OCT.2007.110618.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>



Begin forwarded message:

From: "Diane TellsHisName" <dtellshisname at barona-nsn.gov>
Date: October 17, 2007 8:31:28 AM PDT
Subject: SAVE THE DATE





Please review and share the attached flyer.  (Please forgive any  
duplications or if this does not pertain you you).

Thank you, Diane



Mission Statement of the Yuman Language Summit

Our oral traditions teach us the Yuman Nations were one people at one
time through the commonality of our songs and language. Together we will
restore and reclaim the language using culture, traditions, history,
spirituality, songs, and stories. It is our inherent right and
responsibility to encourage and motivate each other and others to speak
the language and to promote understanding of culture and traditions. We
will use our resources to develop programs and projects to empower Yuman
language speakers.







Diane Tells His Name

Barona Cultural Center and Museum


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From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Thu Oct 18 17:31:54 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 10:31:54 -0700
Subject: FREE Language Flash Cards
Message-ID: <THU.18.OCT.2007.103154.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Subject: Fwd: Alphabet Flashcards--FREE from NBC Universal for Native
Communities
		
		FYI.  I've received permission from my Corp Comm department
to open up the alphabet flashcard project to the whole company.  So,  
if you
hear of any Indian school or Reservation that offers native language
lessons, and would like to have flashcards designed to use in  
conjunction
with the lessons, please let me know.  It wouldn't cost them  
anything.  We
would just need the list of words with the corresponding translations.
		

		Thanks.
		

		Patty Jones
		Sourcing Specialist/Contract Administrator
		NBC Universal, Inc. Corporate Sourcing
		30 Rockefeller Plaza
		New York, NY  10112
		tel: (212) 664-3551
		fax: (212) 664-7510
		Email:  patricia.jones at nbcuni.com


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 19 17:48:15 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:48:15 -0700
Subject: Course revives Ngarrindjeri language (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.19.OCT.2007.104815.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

19 October 2007
Australia

Course revives Ngarrindjeri language
http://murraybridge.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/course-revives-ngarrindjeri-language/1072342.html

[photo inset - Graduates: Students Louisa Schapel, Mary-Anne Gale, course
coordinator Charmaine Elvey and students Addy Smith and Lynne Graham are
proud to have graduated from the program.]

A UNIQUE course that revives the native Ngarrindjeri language and teaches it
to students at TAFE SA's Murray Bridge campus has just been completed for
the first time, with 16 students graduating.

The program, titled 'Introduction to Vocational Education Certificate (with
a Ngarrindjeri language focus)', involves studying the language, along with
its grammar and pronunciation.

TAFE SA regional education manager Tom Haig said the idea of the course was
to "revitalise" the language.

"The Ngarrindjeri language has been lost to the indigenous community
itself," he said.

“It’s a fantastic program.”

Students studied intensively under the guidance of University of Adelaide
lecturers Dr Mary-Anne Gail and Doctor Peter Mickan and course coordinator
Charmaine Elvey to earn their certificates over a 12-week period.

Dr Haig said he was delighted with the success of the course and how well
TAFE SA and the University of Adelaide had worked together. “This is a
first class example of institutional cooperation with staff working
together who are focussed on providing students with a valuable and
enriching learning, cultural experience,” he said.

Aboriginal elders Eileen McHughes and Julia Yandell mentored students
through the program, which was well-received by its participants.

“The course has enabled me to teach the Aboriginal students at school in the
Ngarrindjeri language instead of the language the curriculum offers,”
student Linitji Graham said.

The course was funded after the University of Adelaide successfully obtained
a Commonwealth Government grant to resource the language component of the
program, adding an exciting dimension for the overall study program.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 19 17:44:16 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:44:16 -0700
Subject: Another endangered species: This one leads to the extinction of
 ideas (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.19.OCT.2007.104416.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Another endangered species: This one leads to the extinction of ideas

By AARON HOWARD
http://www.jhvonline.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=96&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=3372&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1291&hn=jhvonline&he=.com

Languages are dying in our world at a faster rate than mammals, plants or
the polar ice caps, according to K. David Harrison, Swarthmore College
assistant professor of linguistics. On our planet, 6,912 distinct human
languages have been classified. By 2101, half these languages will be
extinct. At present, 10 percent of these languages have 99 or fewer active
speakers. Harrison is a specialist in endangered languages. In his new
book, “When Languages Die” (Oxford University Press), Harrison said that
languages have been shaped by people to serve as repositories for culture.
When languages die, it means the extinction of ideas, ways of knowing and
parts of the human experience.

David Harrison flanted by “Old Man” Patrick Nunadjul and Mona Nunadjul,
among the last speakers of the Magati Ke language, Western Australia.
The process of language death usually begins with political or social
discrimination against its speakers or the language, Harrison said. This
can take the form of official state policies to suppress speech (as in the
former Soviet Union) or benign neglect (as in the United States with its
Native American language speakers). The critical point is reached when
young speakers choose to speak the more dominant tongue, instead of their
native language. A language no longer learned by its young is a moribund
language.

Once a language becomes moribund, it rapidly declines, as its use becomes
more restricted to the home and to its elders. The elderly speakers become
invisible and, in time, begin to forget.

“The decision to give up a language is typically made by children under
duress,” Harrison argued. “It’s not a freely made decision. I’ve spoken to
many elders, and they universally express a sense of loss and regret. The
elders say, ‘I was made ashamed or punished for speaking my language.’ So,
it was almost never a free decision. And, it certainly doesn’t fit with our
idea of human rights, of all groups having their own languages and cultures.
Of course, there are some benefits to not having so many languages to
translate but [not when] the process getting there is one of coercion.”

David Harrison interviewing Opino Gamango, a speaker of Sora, in Orissa,
India.
Harrison said the most threatened cultures and languages are those of
indigenous peoples. These are places on the globe where populations are
small and sparsely populated. Alaska’s 86,000 indigenous population, for
example, speaks 21 different languages – the largest number of languages
spoken anywhere on Earth. English rapidly is extinguishing these languages.

When a language dies, Harrison argued, knowledge about the natural world,
myth and beliefs systems and a certain human cognitive capacity contained
in language systems are lost. “Besides these other things, what is lost is
a people’s place in the universe. I’ve heard this sentiment expressed by
Native American groups: If we lose our language, we lose our sense of who
we are and our connection to the land. What we [English-speakers] seem to
be missing is that close connection to environment that indigenous people
feel. We don’t even think of our language like that. Since land is a big
part of people’s identity, it feeds into the problem of aboriginal people
who have been pushed off their land and lost their language and their
knowledge, especially in North America.”

Increasing urbanization also is a key factor in language death. Cities don’t
provide a supportive environment for small languages. “Kids go to school
where the curriculum is going to be in the majority language. You don’t
have a lot of bilingual teaching going on,” Harrison said.

Jews, as a people scattered throughout the world, developed a number of
unique languages, many of which are now largely extinct. At the time of the
destruction of the Second Temple, most of the Jews in Israel spoke Aramaic.
The original Hebrew language already had become mainly associated with
religious life In the Middle Ages, Judeo-Arabic became the major literary
language. The rise of Yiddish in Europe and Ladino in the Mediterranean
occurred in the 14th and 15th centuries. Smaller Jewish groups in Europe
spoke Judeo-Italian, Yevanic (a Greek-Jewish dialect) and Karaim.

The Karaim language is a Turkic language with Hebrew influences, in a
similar manner to Yiddish or Ladino. It is spoken by Crimean Karaites (also
known as Karaim), ethnic Turkic adherents of Karaite Judaism in the Crimea,
Lithuania, Poland and western Ukraine. It has very few remaining active
speakers. Harrison met one of the last speakers of the Lithuanian dialect
of Karaim, Mykolas Firkovicius, during his fieldwork in Trakai and Vilna in
1994 and 1996.

“When I sat down with Mykolas, he counted off on both of his hands maybe a
dozen remaining speakers,” Harrison said. “He was one of the most fluent.
He spoke the language, knew all of the ritual language and could perform
all of the ceremonies. So, he was highly skilled at the language.

“The Karaim are a Crimean Turkic people who adopted a form of Judaism quite
early, maybe the 14th century. They were invited to Lithuania in the 14th
century and have been there consistently. They lost their language in the
usual way: existing in a multilingual environment where Russian, Polish and
Lithuanian were all spoken. I’ve been in a Karaim household where the kids
speak Lithuanian, the television is broadcasting in Russian and the elderly
speak Polish [which was the former dominant language before World War II].
Only the very oldest generation speaks Karaim.

“They are making an attempt at language revitalization. But you can’t judge
the success of this project. in the short term.”

Can moribund or extinct languages be revived? Hebrew is the classic example
of successful language revitalization. The success of Irish Gaelic is less
certain. Both these languages are official languages of political states,
and they have millions of people who potentially speak those languages. A
better example of true revitalization, Harrison said, is the Hawaiian
language, which is making a dramatic comeback.

“Hawaiians have become a model for other groups,” Harrison said. “They’ve
created language nests for four to six hours each day in which preschool
children are put in care of elders who speak the language. So, that model
seems to work. But most of the communities cannot mount that kind of effort
and resources. Once the number of speakers gets below a threshold number –
we don’t know the number – revival seems unlikely.

“And, we have languages like Navajo, which is spoken by 150,000 people, but
is in serious danger. Youngsters are not speaking it. The transmission
rate, the percentage of children in the community who are speaking and
keeping it as a first language, is very low. As long as you can motivate
children to speak the language, you’re creating a new generation of
speakers.”

And that’s why Harrison is not worried about Yiddish becoming an extinct
language. Children are learning the Yiddish language, especially in the
ultra-Orthodox community in the United States and Israel. “Yiddish may not
have the large numbers of speakers it had prior to World War II,” Harrison
said, “but, in terms of language transmission, Yiddish is robust.”

* * *

For information on efforts to document the world’s dying languages, visit
www.livingtongues.org.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 19 18:35:15 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:35:15 -0700
Subject: Question About Software
In-Reply-To: <LISTSERV%200710141934181392.0485@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Message-ID: <FRI.19.OCT.2007.113515.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Good question Kenna. 
I am under the impression that few of the language documentation 
software (e.g.
linguistic data creation) that linguists use are designed to allow language
teaching or language learning.  I think many might agree that documentation
goals and language revititalizatin goals are compatible and desirable, but in
practice they are quite separate activities and the linguists software 
tends to
reflect this reality. 
I and others would be thrilled certainly if we could unite documentation and
revitalization as one collaborative activity.  And my impressions from the
recent Indigenous Languages Conference and the Australian Linguistics Society
Conference in Adelaide, Australia this past September shows that this is
happening with promising results! 
At the moment, Miromaa (being developed and tested in collaboration with
Aboriginal speakers in Australia) and MaxAuthor (developed with Native 
American
speakers/communities and international languages) seem the most capable 
of what
you ask for.  Lexique Pro (dictionary software) may also be used for lesson
creation, however, the data results are pretty flat in terms of its one-way
format.  I am not familiar with the other software on your list.  Otherwise,
you may end up migrating masses of data into alternative formats, interfaces,
etc.
Ultimately, with any of these software, you may be limited to designing 
lessons
on grammar, structure, and vocabulary rather than developing immersion-based
lessons.  But this is not bad at all! 
l8ter,
Phil Cash Cash
UofA

Quoting Kenna Smith :

> Greetings all,
>
> To quote Dr. Carnie, "I'm new to the list, so please forgive me if this is
> either inappropriate or has been discussed before."
>
> I am a Linguistics undergraduate and am trying to get a sense of what
> programs can be used for language documentation - specifically language
> lesson creation.  I have heard about quite a few through this listserv, and
> have found some on my own, but I have the feeling there are many programs
> available that I have not heard of.  As such, I was hoping that maybe some
> of you would be willing to share the names of programs you are aware of or
> have worked with for the development of language lessons and / or
> documentary materials (dictionaries, grammars etc).
>
> I have listed the programs I know about (including their cost and method of
> obtaining the software) below for the sake of efficiency, and as an attempt
> to contribute to the listserv since I am asking for information.
>
> Thank you very much for your help,
> Kenna
>
> PROGRAMS FOR LANGUAGE LESSON CREATION:
>
> CourseLab
> http://courselab.com/db/cle/root_id/examples/doc.html
>  -- Free (expansion packs cost money)
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> Multimedia LessonBuilder
> http://engage.wisc.edu/accomplishments/mmlb/index.html
>  -- Purchase for $30 (https://wisccharge.wisc.edu/LandS/)
>  -- Send Money (hard copy of program will be sent by mail)
>
> MaxAuthor
> http://cali.arizona.edu/docs/wmaxa/
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> ACORNS
> http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns/
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
>
> PROGRAMS WHICH MIGHT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH LANGUAGE LESSONS:
>
> Microsoft Software Miromaa
> http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=151 (best viewed in IE browser)
>  -- Purchase for $??
>  -- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
>
> Akira Language Project
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/atp/atp.shtml (ATP)
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/idd/idd.shtml (IDD) -- "The program,
> now in its final stages of development, is designed to support standard
> textual linguistic material as well as sound data, graphical images, and
> video clips."
>  -- Free
>  -- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
>
> Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
> http://vue.uit.tufts.edu/
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> Kirr Kirr
> http://www-nlp.stanford.edu/kirrkirr/
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)


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From HarveyD at SOU.EDU  Fri Oct 19 18:49:15 2007
From: HarveyD at SOU.EDU (Dan Harvey)
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:49:15 -0700
Subject: Question About Software
In-Reply-To: <20071019113515.elrogcwo0scsw4g8@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <FRI.19.OCT.2007.114915.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I think one problem is that there is lots of grant money for documentation but little for language lesson software. As such there are not many Computer Scientists working in this area. Note that the ACORNS project (http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns) is dedicated to software that specifically is designed to create language lessons. Hopefully, we'll be able to integrate this with documentation efforts. Once we can import linguistic information as dictionaries and grammars, there is virtually no limit as to what can be done. 


>>> phil cash cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> 10/19/2007 11:35 AM >>>
Good question Kenna. 
I am under the impression that few of the language documentation
software (e.g.
linguistic data creation) that linguists use are designed to allow language
teaching or language learning.  I think many might agree that documentation
goals and language revititalizatin goals are compatible and desirable, but in
practice they are quite separate activities and the linguists software
tends to
reflect this reality. 
I and others would be thrilled certainly if we could unite documentation and
revitalization as one collaborative activity.  And my impressions from the
recent Indigenous Languages Conference and the Australian Linguistics Society
Conference in Adelaide, Australia this past September shows that this is
happening with promising results! 
At the moment, Miromaa (being developed and tested in collaboration with
Aboriginal speakers in Australia) and MaxAuthor (developed with Native
American
speakers/communities and international languages) seem the most capable
of what
you ask for.  Lexique Pro (dictionary software) may also be used for lesson
creation, however, the data results are pretty flat in terms of its one-way
format.  I am not familiar with the other software on your list.  Otherwise,
you may end up migrating masses of data into alternative formats, interfaces,
etc.
Ultimately, with any of these software, you may be limited to designing
lessons
on grammar, structure, and vocabulary rather than developing immersion-based
lessons.  But this is not bad at all! 
l8ter,
Phil Cash Cash
UofA

Quoting Kenna Smith :

> Greetings all,
>
> To quote Dr. Carnie, "I'm new to the list, so please forgive me if this is
> either inappropriate or has been discussed before."
>
> I am a Linguistics undergraduate and am trying to get a sense of what
> programs can be used for language documentation - specifically language
> lesson creation.  I have heard about quite a few through this listserv, and
> have found some on my own, but I have the feeling there are many programs
> available that I have not heard of.  As such, I was hoping that maybe some
> of you would be willing to share the names of programs you are aware of or
> have worked with for the development of language lessons and / or
> documentary materials (dictionaries, grammars etc).
>
> I have listed the programs I know about (including their cost and method of
> obtaining the software) below for the sake of efficiency, and as an attempt
> to contribute to the listserv since I am asking for information.
>
> Thank you very much for your help,
> Kenna
>
> PROGRAMS FOR LANGUAGE LESSON CREATION:
>
> CourseLab
> http://courselab.com/db/cle/root_id/examples/doc.html 
>  -- Free (expansion packs cost money)
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> Multimedia LessonBuilder
> http://engage.wisc.edu/accomplishments/mmlb/index.html 
>  -- Purchase for $30 (https://wisccharge.wisc.edu/LandS/)
>  -- Send Money (hard copy of program will be sent by mail)
>
> MaxAuthor
> http://cali.arizona.edu/docs/wmaxa/ 
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> ACORNS
> http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns/ 
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
>
> PROGRAMS WHICH MIGHT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH LANGUAGE LESSONS:
>
> Microsoft Software Miromaa
> http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=151 (best viewed in IE browser)
>  -- Purchase for $??
>  -- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
>
> Akira Language Project
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/atp/atp.shtml (ATP)
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/idd/idd.shtml (IDD) -- "The program,
> now in its final stages of development, is designed to support standard
> textual linguistic material as well as sound data, graphical images, and
> video clips."
>  -- Free
>  -- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
>
> Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
> http://vue.uit.tufts.edu/ 
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> Kirr Kirr
> http://www-nlp.stanford.edu/kirrkirr/ 
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 22 19:19:49 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:19:49 -0700
Subject: Recaps of Native convention to be broadcast in indigenous
 languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.22.OCT.2007.121949.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Recaps of Native convention to be broadcast in indigenous languages

Associated Press - October 22, 2007 11:24 AM ET
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7246720

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - The Anchorage-based radio station KNBA is planning
to give recaps of the Alaska Federation of Natives convention in 3 of
Alaska's indigenous languages.

The five-minute segments will be given in Inupiaq, Yupik and Koyukon
Athabascan by longtime speakers of the language.

KNBA has been broadcasting the convention for the past 11 years.

Last year marked the first time updates were given in a language other than
English.

The station decided to add Koyukon Athabascan this year since the convention
is being held in Fairbanks, an Athabascan territory.

Live broadcasting of the convention will run from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 22 19:22:11 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:22:11 -0700
Subject: Lost Mi’kmaq texts to be launched in Cape Breton (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.22.OCT.2007.122211.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Last updated at 11:55 PM on 21/10/07

Lost Mi’kmaq texts to be launched in Cape Breton

The Cape Breton Post
http://www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm?sid=73254&sc=147

SYDNEY — The Stone Canoe, two lost Mi’kmaq texts translated by Elizabeth
Paul, edited by Peter Sanger and illustrated by Alan Syliboy, will be
launched in Cape Breton.
The book is published by Gaspereau Press.
The first launch takes place Wednesday in Eskasoni, 7 p.m. at the Eugene
Eagle Denny Board Room, Fisheries Complex, 4115 Shore Road and will feature
a reading and discussion with Elizabeth Paul, Peter Sanger and Alan Syliboy.
The second event is scheduled for 4-6 p.m., Thursday , in Cape Breton
University’s  Gallery II, hosted by the Mi’kmaq College Institute.
The Stone Canoe is a story about two stories and their travels through the
written record. The written part begins in the mid-nineteenth century, when
Silas T. Rand, a Baptist clergyman from Cornwallis, N.S., took as his task
the translation of the Bible into Mi’kmaq – the language of the indigenous
communities in the region. In the process of developing his vocabulary,
Rand transcribed narratives from Mi’kmaq storytellers, and following his
death 87 of these stories were published in a book called Legends of the
Micmacs. As his understanding of the language grew, Rand began to translate
the stories as he heard them, and to record them in English. Until recently,
it appeared that none of the early transcriptions in the original Mi’kmaq
had survived. Then, in 2003, poet and essayist Peter Sanger uncovered two
manuscripts among the Rand holdings in the library at Acadia University in
Wolfville, Nova Scotia. One of these contains the story of Little Thunder
and his journey to find a wife, as told to Rand by Susan Barss in 1847.
The other is the story of a woman who survives alone on an island after
being abandoned by her husband. It was told by a storyteller known to us
now only as Old Man Stevens and dates from 1884. Both are among the
earliest examples of indigenous Canadian literature recorded in their
original language; the 1847 transcript being perhaps the earliest. Their
publication in The Stone Canoe makes a significant contribution to 
understanding of Mi’kmaq storytelling and indigenous Canadian literature.
At the heart of The Stone Canoe are the two stories themselves, including
Rand’s published versions, along with new translations and transliterations
by Elizabeth Paul, a Mi’kmaq speaker and teacher of the Eskasoni First
Nation. Paul provides new English translations and Mi’kmaq transliterations
of Rand’s transcripts, as well as notes detailing issues of language and
culture. The Stone Canoe also features artwork by Alan Syliboy, a Millbrook
First Nation artist. Syliboy’s original ink drawings illustrate scenes from
the two narratives, employing some of the traditional patterns in Mi’kmaq
art and working visually alongside the translations and  engagement with
the patterns contained in the stories.?


From jodi.burshia at GMAIL.COM  Tue Oct 23 13:56:41 2007
From: jodi.burshia at GMAIL.COM (Jodi Burshia)
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 06:56:41 -0700
Subject: Keres Pre-School Request for Funding
In-Reply-To: <f60057b90710212040o75292868o2368f0255626ae55@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.23.OCT.2007.065641.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

please post. thank you.
-----

Dear Friends, Family, Acquaintances,

Please do not skip this message or delete it. We need
your help. As many of you know, we are trying to open a
school that will serve 3-6 year old children from the
communities of Santo Domingo Pueblo and Cochiti Pueblo.
(Please see the following link
http://www.gameforcharity.com/iklc/iklc_home.aspx

The mission of the Iiwasi Katrutsini Learning Center is to
create a linguistically and culturally rich learning
environment that supports the fundamental principles and
values of native life that are essential in the
socialization of Cochiti and Kewa Pueblo children. The
Center will provide a quality preschool program for
children, ages 3-6 years of age, through teaching methods
that encompass both Native language immersion and holistic
approaches to learning and are supported through the
Montessori Method. The Learning Center is committed to
providing a learning environment in which children hear
their tribal heritage language spoken throughout all
Center activities, learn through culturally appropriate
ways which reflect traditional cultural practices, as well
as being prepared for future schooling.

We have been working on the school for the last year and a
half and our biggest challenge is finding money. Grants
have been applied for, but the process is slow. Our
ultimate goal is to endow the school and we cannot endow
the school with grant money. Although we are still in the
process of applying for grant money, we also feel that is
necessary to fund raise. It will cost almost $300,000 to
open the school which include start up expenses and first
year operating expenses. We will not be taking state or
federal funding because that will put the school back
under NCLB (No Child Left Behind).

We have a wonderful opportunity to raise money with a
company called Games for Charity. (We have received the
blessings from both tribal governments of Cochiti Pueblo
and Santo Domingo Pueblo to go through with this
fundraiser.) Basically, the money will be raised online.
We are asking people to donate $25 or more to an on line
tournament that will directly benefit IKLC. At the end of
the tournament, IKLC will be the receiving charity.
Please go to the following link to learn more, and if you
are able to help out, please submit your email address and
more information will be forthcoming. The link is
http://www.gameforcharity.com/iklc/iklc_home.aspx
We also ask that you forward this email or the link to as
many people as you know or who you think might interested
in helping out.
Thank you so much for your help and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Trisha L. Moquino & Olivia Coriz, Co-Founders, Iiwas
Katrutsini Learning Center


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 23 18:22:30 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:22:30 -0700
Subject: Support our languages, Kitikmeot Inuit demand (fwd)
Message-ID: <TUE.23.OCT.2007.112230.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Support our languages, Kitikmeot Inuit demand

Last Updated: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 | 9:48 AM CT
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2007/10/23/kia-lang.html

Inuit in the Kitikmeot region in western Nunavut say they want the
territory's proposed education act to recognize their languages.

Meeting in Cambridge Bay last week, members of the Kitikmeot Inuit
Association passed a resolution calling for the act to include the dialects
of Inuinnaqtun and Nattilikmiun as languages to be taught in all Nunavut
schools.

Indigenous residents of the region of about 4,800 people speak Inuinnaqtun
and Nattilikmiun. While both are dialects of Inuktitut, members say they
are both different from Inuktitut itself.

"I'm hoping that the government of Nunavut or even the federal government
recognize these [languages] to make sure they are properly taught,"
association president Donald Havioyak told CBC News on Monday.

"Hopefully they'll make changes, but if they don't, we will continue to push
it in the future."

Havioyak said having the Kitikmeot-area dialects taught in schools would
help people in the Kitikmeot region move to other Nunavut communities.

Lawmakers in Nunavut are expected to introduce the proposed education act in
the new session of the legislative assembly, which begins Tuesday in Iqaluit
and runs until Nov. 9.

During that session, MLAs will also discuss two proposed language bills
aimed at preserving the Inuit languages and boosting their presence in the
territory.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 23 18:31:42 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:31:42 -0700
Subject: Garrison filmmakers focus on dying languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <TUE.23.OCT.2007.113142.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Garrison filmmakers focus on dying languages

By BARBARA LIVINGSTON NACKMAN
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original Publication: October 21, 2007)
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071021/NEWS02/710210352/1018

Three young filmmakers, including one from Cold Spring and another from
Yorktown, have just completed a documentary on the world's "dying"
languages. Nearly 3,500 of the world's 7,000 spoken tongues are rapidly
disappearing.

Intrigued by learning that some world languages are threatened with never
being heard again, the three accompanied two academic linguists around the
world as they investigated languages on the verge of extinction.

They traveled to rugged terrain in Siberia, India and Bolivia to find
answers and consider what forces - racism, local violence, economic
upheaval - were root causes. They also went to the Southwestern United
States, where at least 200 languages spoken by American Indians living on
reservations are endangered.

"We really felt like the Indiana Joneses of linguistic study and moviemaking
combined," said Jeremy Newberger, 33, of Yorktown, Ironbound Films' chief
executive officer.

He, along with colleagues Daniel A. Miller, 35, of Cold Spring and Seth
Kramer, 36, of Red Hook, N.Y., worked on "The Linguists" for nearly four
years, as it became a passion as well as a professional pursuit.

"Language is so connected to culture in ways I had never thought about,"
said Miller, noting that it offers a bond between generations and often a
secret way to talk.

"The Linguists" will be released this month, and they hope it will be
featured at major film gatherings, including the Sundance, Tribeca and New
York festivals.

"It was a difficult task to make a movie about language that is exciting and
that people would want to see," Kramer said. "We try to find issues we think
are important, and to raise consciousness. This really fit the bill and,
also, the issue is completely and utterly fascinating."

Most of the dying languages are only spoken, with no written versions.

For the project, the three had to wear the same clothes for two-week
stretches, camp in tents if they were lucky, and work while sick. But they
said they were overwhelmed with what they learned about the differences
between - and similarities among - people.

Making "The Linguists," they said, opened their eyes and provided rich,
colorful material.

Johnny Hill Jr., 53, of Parker, Ariz., tells them that his native Chemehuevi
tribal tongue will exist as long as he does, but not much more. He dreams in
it, and English is his second language.

Raised by his grandmother, who died at 102 when he was 21, Hill completed
his sophomore year of high school before beginning work as a farmer. He is
now a heavy-equipment operator for the federal government.

He doesn't have any children and said there isn't anyone who wants to learn
the language, and he is not sure he is capable of teaching it.

His wife is from a Nevada tribe and speaks a different Indian language.

"I know I have something special," said Hill, who lives near the Colorado
River with the Mohave tribe. "I could just about cry knowing that, soon,
the language of my people won't be heard anymore. But a man like me, there
isn't much I can do."

Cut to the National Science Foundation, which commissioned the film. It
features the work of linguists K. David Harrison, assistant professor of
linguistics at Swarthmore College and research director at Living Tongues
Institute for Endangered Languages; and Gregory Anderson, a specialist in
Siberian languages and founding director of Living Tongues in Salem, Ore.

Harrison said he hoped the film "will help to raise public awareness of the
problem, inspire people to study linguistics and perhaps to take up the
kind of work we do."

"It also will provide a place for small and marginalized cultures, some
seldom before seen or heard outside of their local villages, to reach a
worldwide audience, expressing their ideas, attitudes and thoughts about
cultural survival," he said.

"Small languages that have never been written, represent a link to our
ancient, spoken past, containing stories, wisdom and technologies that
helped humans survive and thrive over millennia."

More information

Ironbound Films works out of a Garrison-based studio along the Hudson River
(where, incidentally, "Hello, Dolly!" was filmed).
It also produces business videos, podcasts and Internet-based programs. In
2006, it produced "America Rebuilds II: Return to Ground Zero," a post-9/11
film released to critical acclaim.

Check out these sites for more information:
www.thelinguists.com
www.ironboundfilms.com
www.livingtongues.org


GARRISON


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 24 17:24:19 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:24:19 -0700
Subject: Hopi teacher wins Spirit of the Heard Award (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.24.OCT.2007.102419.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hopi teacher wins Spirit of the Heard Award

Tuesday October 23, 2007
By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/october/102307jch_sprtofthehrd.html

PHOENIX — Emory Sekaquaptewa doesn’t take things for granted, his
philosophy, you could say, is “Don’t worry, be Hopi.”

So Sekaquaptewa didn’t get a big head when he won the fourth Spirit of the
Heard Award from the Heard Museum.

“I was surprised but grateful for the recognition,”

Sekaquaptewa said. “I’m not really doing these things for recognition; I
enjoy doing them and feel it has to be done.”

The central work of his life has been to try to save the language for future
Hopi generations.

The Spirit of the Heard Award recognizes a person’s actions and work
experience to further the Heard mission:

“To educate the public about the heritage and the living cultures and art of
Native peoples, with an emphasis on the peoples of the Southwest.”

The recipient of this national award must be a living member of an American
Indian tribe or community.

The museum’s Board of Trustee’s American Indian Advisory Committee created
the Spirit of the Heard Award to honor an individual who has demonstrated a
level of personal excellence in his or her life either individually as a
community leader. The award ceremony was part of this year’s Native
American Recognition Days in the Phoenix area. This year marks the 25th
Annual, and the theme is “Celebrating 25 Years of Native American
Communities and Cultures.”

Committee members chose Sekaquaptewa, a research anthropologist at the
University of Arizona, for this honor because of his tireless work to help
preserve all aspects of Hopi life, including the Hopi language for future
generations.

One of his major works was the Hopi dictionary, which has more than 30,000
entries in it. It was published in 1998 after a decade of work. The latest
revision of the Hopi Dictionary was completed in February 2004.

Sekaquaptewa was born on Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation. He has worked
at the U of A since 1972, in teaching, research and service. In addition,
he was awarded a law degree from the university in 1970.

Sekaquaptewa is also an appellate judge for the Hopi Tribe.

During his tenure at the U of A, Sekaquaptewa has published dozens of
scholarly articles and books.

“Emory Sekaquaptewa’s dedication to preserving all aspects of Hopi culture
and language, his accomplishment in the Indian law field and his work as an
educator at the U of A serve as an inspiration to all of us at the Heard,”
said Frank Goodyear Jr., the museum’s director. “We are truly honored to
present the Spirit of the Heard Award to such a stellar figure in Native
American today.”

Sekaquaptewa has no plans to rest on his laurels, though.

His current project involves laying foundations for Hopi literacy programs
at Hopi High School and other school on the Hopi Nation. He is also
involved with the Hopi Murals Projects, funded by the Getty Foundation at
the Museum of Northern Arizona .

He still teaches the “Hopi Language in Culture” course at the U of A, where
he also co-teaches anthropology.

And, as one might expect, Sekaquaptewa is an active member of the Hopi
community in all of its activities, both modern and traditional.

“It’s like I never left. I’ve been involved in every aspect of Hopi life,”
Sekaquaptewa said.

He points to his 1966 Chevy Impala as an example.

“I think it had nearly 300,000 (miles) when I last looked,” he said.

Like his car, Sekaquaptewa just keeps on rolling along.

The Heard has educated visitors from around the world about the art and
cultures of Native people of the Southwest since 1929. It has nearly 40,000
artifacts in its permanent collection, an education center and an
award-winning shop and bookstore and restaurant.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 24 17:38:55 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:38:55 -0700
Subject: Desert elders lash out at intervention (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.24.OCT.2007.103855.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Desert elders lash out at intervention

[photo inset - Johnny Williams (above) is among concerned Warlpiri elders at
yesterday's meeting of the desert people in the Northern Territory township
of Yuendumu. Photo: Bryan O'Brien]

Lindsay Murdoch, Yuendumu
October 25, 2007
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/desert-elders-lash-out-at-intervention/2007/10/24/1192941153102.html

THE Warlpiri desert people are angry.

"This intervention has hit us like a ton of bricks," says elder Harry
Jakamarra Nelson. "There's been no consultation with us … We don't know
what is expected of us and we really believe that our future is under
threat."

Mr Nelson yesterday chaired an emotional meeting of Warlpiri elders who
issued a statement attacking the Federal Government's intervention in 73
remote Northern Territory communities.

"Our communities have been overwhelmed by the large number of changes and
have been placed under enormous pressure and stress," the statement said.

"We ask political leaders from all parties to show Aboriginal people respect
and to talk to us about how we can make a new start to the intervention
after the election."

The Warlpiri, who describe themselves as a nation with 4000 people scattered
across the territory, are the first Aboriginal language group to make a
united stand against the intervention, which includes seizing control of
communities for five years.

Dick Kimber, an historian who has been involved with the Warlpiri for 37
years, is not surprised. "The Warlpiri have had a strong sense of
confidence in themselves, their language and their culture," he says. "They
have had complete authority over their land."

At yesterday's meeting in Yuendumu, 293 kilometres north-west of Alice
Springs, elder after elder spoke about their opposition to the Government
taking over their townships, which include Yuendumu, Lajamanu and Willowra.

They said that Yuendumu — a community of 800 — has had up to 20 white people
in the town since the intervention began in late June, but they don't see
how their lives will improve.

The elders spoke of their anger at the decision to quarantine half people's
welfare payments, which must be spent on food and other essentials in a
designated shop. They also spoke of their opposition to the abolition of
the permit system.

Yuendumu elders said they were furious when they learnt the Government was
taking over culturally sensitive areas — including a men's ceremonial area
and the cemetery.

One of the elders, Ned Hargraves, said Centrelink's quarantining of the
money in the half-dozen communities where it had been introduced had only
caused problems.

Mr Nelson, president of the Yuendumu Community Council, said a
government-appointed business manager, who lives in the community, had not
made clear what he wanted from the elders. "Is he a watchdog here to inform
Canberra what we are up to? I don't know," Mr Nelson said. "He has not
spoken to us as a community."

The manager fuelled anger when, shortly after arriving, he recommended that
police round up school truants and put them to work collecting rubbish.

Mr Nelson said Warlpiri elders had never before come together to take a
united stand against a government decision.

Their statement said the Warlpiri strongly supported action to tackle child
abuse. But, it said: "We are worried with the lack of respect the Federal
Government has shown us as the first Australians. We are not satisfied with
the communication and information from the Federal Government to our
communities."

Mr Nelson said Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough had never visited the
community, one of central Australia's largest.

Federal Labor MP Warren Snowdon told the meeting that if elected, a Labor
government would wind back key elements of the intervention, including
abolition of the permit system and the Community Development Employment
Program.

"Your concerns are not new to me," Mr Snowdon said. "I have heard them in 20
other communities I have visited."


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 24 18:11:32 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:11:32 -0700
Subject: Native conference opens in Fairbanks (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.24.OCT.2007.111132.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Native conference opens in Fairbanks

by Steve Mac Donald
Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7256596

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Alaska Federation of Natives Conference kicked off
Tuesday in Fairbanks with the annual Elders and Youth Conference.

Georgianna Lincoln, the keynote speaker to the Youth and Elders Conference,
says Alaksa's Native people should be proud of their culture.

"My Athabascan lessons are coming along great.  Native language is a part of
my culture."

Lincoln opened the conference, titled "Living Cultures of the North:
Respecting Alaska Native People."

Youth ruled the day at the conference. Kia Hochee, a fifth-grader from
Minto, explained what she wants to do to keep her culture alive.

"We don't want the native language to die-off like the dinosaurs," Hochee
said. "I can help by learning it and passing it on to my children, and my
children's children."

The annual AFN conference runs through Saturday.

Contact Steve Mac Donald at stevem at ktuu.com


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 24 19:57:31 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:57:31 -0700
Subject: ILAT update
Message-ID: <WED.24.OCT.2007.125731.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

tá'c haláXpa
(good day!)

To all of the recent subscribers: Welcome to ILAT!  October marks the 5 year
anniversary of ILAT.

As many of you already know, one of the goals of ILAT is to create and
sustain open dialogue on issues relating to language endangerment,
revitalization, and technology.  More recently, another goal has grown to
include the posting of news items from around the world regarding
endangered indigenous languages.  Thus far no news publisher has stopped me
from posting news.  ;-)  In any event, all the news that is posted here is
considered "fair use" in terms of copyright.

Thanks to the people at The Linguist List, ILAT now has a mirror archive
there in addition to its home listserv at UofA.

So please continue with your engaging discussions and if you are becoming
acquainted/comfortable please feel free to introduce yourself and join in!

qe'ciyéw'yew' (thanks),

Phil Cash Cash (Cayuse/Nez Perce)
PhD Candidate, Joint Program in Anthropology and Linguistics
University of Arizona, Tucson (USA)
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~cashcash/

ILAT mg
~~~

List Description:
    Indigenous Languages and Technology discussion
    list is an open forum for community language
    specialists, linguists, scholars, and students to
    discuss issues relating to the uses of technology
    in language revitalization efforts.

Subscribers by Country:
*  Country                  Subscribers
*  -------                  -----------
*  Armenia                            1
*  Australia                         10
*  Canada                             7
*  Germany                            1
*  Great Britain                      4
*  Italy                              1
*  Mexico                             1
*  New Zealand                        4
*  Spain                              1
*  USA                              222

Total subscribers: 260


From hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM  Wed Oct 24 22:24:48 2007
From: hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM (hastiin yellowhair)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:24:48 -0700
Subject: NAVAJO STUDIES CONFERENCE
Message-ID: <WED.24.OCT.2007.152448.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Ya'at'eeh t'aa aniltso,
    The 17th Navajo Studies Conference will be held at Tsaile, AZ at Dine College on Nov. 1-3, 2007.  T'aa aniltso akoo doogaal.  Hagoonee' leroy morgan   Here is conference agenda and if you cannot get into conference agenda, just go to Dine College website and check it out.
  https://dinecollege.edu/ics/Community/NavajoStudiesConference 


Dinek'ehji Yalti' doo Ni tsekees
 __________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 
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From bischoff at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 08:39:52 2007
From: bischoff at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (s.t. bischoff)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 01:39:52 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.013952.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic work
that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that Boas
left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes in various
places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of materials,
or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone aware of any
archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?

Thanks,
Shannon
PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the Americas with
excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
interested in these things.

__________________________


"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins
to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

--Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia


From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Thu Oct 25 08:46:49 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 04:46:49 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.044649.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Although a few items are believe to exist that have not been located,
the bulk of Harrington's notes are available on microfilm. They were
catalogued by Smithsonian Archivist Elaine L. Mills. The fieldnotes
are available on microfilm, at US$80 per reel, from Norman Ross Publications.
The Papers of John Peabody Harrington in the Smithsonian Institution 1907-1957,
edited by Mills, originally published in 1981 by the defunct Kraus
International Publications, now available from Norman Ross, can be used
to determine the reels containing material on a particular language.
The ten volumes are:
    * Alaska/Northwest Coast
    * Northern and Central California
    * Southern California / Basin
    * Southwest
    * Plains
    * Northeast / Southeast
    * Mexico / Central America / South America
    * Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
    * Correspondence and Financial Records
    * Photographs

Contact:

Norman Ross Publications
330 West 58th Street, New York, NY 10019 USA
tel: 212-765-8200
tel: 800-648-8850
fax: 212-765-2393
http://www.nross.com/
info at nross.com

Another major source of old material is the American Philosophical
library in Philadelphia: http://www.amphilsoc.org/

For the Pacific Northwest, the Melville Jacobs archives at the
University of Washington are an important source.

Bill


From aidan at USYD.EDU.AU  Thu Oct 25 09:53:37 2007
From: aidan at USYD.EDU.AU (Aidan Wilson)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:53:37 +1000
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.195337.1000.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

"Is anyone aware of any archives that have field notes or recordings 
that are not be utilized?"

PARADISEC http://paradisec.org.au , for one, has plenty of recordings 
and field notes of languages from the pacific region (though not from 
the Americas nor Australia) in the archive that are quite freely 
available on application. The database is available for search on OLAC 
http://www.language-archives.org/tools/search/?archive=paradisec.org.au  
(of which Paradisec is a member), or you can search the database 
directly from here: http://paradisec.org.au/catalog

Just thought I'd let you know.

-Aidan Wilson
(Paradisec employee)

s.t. bischoff wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic work
> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that Boas
> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes in various
> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of materials,
> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone aware of any
> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?
>
> Thanks,
> Shannon
> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the Americas with
> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
> interested in these things.
>
> __________________________
>
>
> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins
> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
>
> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia
>   


From Melvin.Peltier at SAULTCOLLEGE.CA  Thu Oct 25 12:55:50 2007
From: Melvin.Peltier at SAULTCOLLEGE.CA (Melvin Peltier)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:55:50 -0400
Subject: FW: Sault College Pow Wow
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.085550.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

For Your Information on Upcoming Pow-Wow at Sault College. Sault Ste.
Marie, Canada

-----Original Message-----
From: Carol Simoncini
Subject: Sault College Pow Wow

 
http://www.saultcollege.ca/Services/Recruitment/pdf/CampusMap.pdf

http://www.saultcollege.ca/Services/Recruitment/Hotels.asp


Good afternoon,

Attached is the flyer for the Sault College 14th Annual Traditional Pow
Wow, November 17 & 18, 2007.  I have also supplied the links to a Campus
Map, List of Hotels and a map of "Where to find Sault College".  I hope
this info is helpful.
Please forward this info to all your contacts. My appologies if you are
receiving this info in duplicate.  For those who haven't been to our Pow
Wow before, it is held in the Gym which is in the A wing at the front of
the building (off Northern Avenue).   

For more information contact me at:

Carol Simoncini
Native Student Services Officer
Sault College of Applied Arts & Technology Native Education & Training
443 Northern Avenue
Sault Ste. Marie, ON    P6A 5L3

Ph:  (705) 759-2554 Ext. 2757
Fax: (705) 759-0175
Email:  carol.simoncini at saultcollege.ca

Hope to see everyone on Saturday, November 17 and Sunday, November 18,
2007 at the Sault College 14 ANNUAL TRADITIONAL POW WOW!!!  HONOURING
OUR CHILDREN

Miigwech
Carol



  

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From jpbeck at UCHICAGO.EDU  Thu Oct 25 14:25:22 2007
From: jpbeck at UCHICAGO.EDU (Joshua Beck)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:25:22 -0500
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.092522.0500.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Under the direction of Norman McQuown at the University of Chicago, many 
prominent linguists working on Mesoamerican indigenous languages 
(Berlin, Blair, Fox, Hopkins, Kaufman, Mayers, Sarles, Swadesh, and 
Whorf, as well as scores of other scholars—nearly 200 in all) 
contributed a wealth of field-work based resources (vocabulary lists, 
dictionaries, grammars, corpora of texts and elicited sentences, 
concordances, and guides to holdings of other research collections - 
roughly 175,000 pages of material in all) to the "Microfilm Collection 
of Manuscripts on Cultural Anthropology". Most of the Collection is 
related to field work on the indigenous languages of Mesoamerica 
conducted between 1930-1990 - although the out-dated system of 
classifying languages used in much of this material makes it difficult 
to assess precisely how many languages are documented in the collection, 
a conservative estimate would be around 100. You can find details and a 
Guide to the collection online at http://moca.lib.uchicago.edu/. An NEH 
Preservation and Access grant to our Language Archives in 2005 has 
supported digitization of roughly 500 hours of audio recordings, also 
made during the same time period - much of the audio material directly 
relates to the textual holdings of the Microfilm Collection. We're 
currently seeking support from the NSF/NEH Documenting Endangered 
Languages program to digitize the Microfilm Collection, link it to the 
digitized audio, and present it online.




s.t. bischoff wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic work
> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that Boas
> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes in various
> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of materials,
> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone aware of any
> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?
>
> Thanks,
> Shannon
> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the Americas with
> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
> interested in these things.
>
> __________________________
>
>
> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins
> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
>
> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia
>   

-- 
Josh Beck
Associate Director for Programs & Development
Center for Latin American Studies
University of Chicago
5848 South University Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637

tel. (773) 702-8420
fax (773) 702-1755
http://clas.uchicago.edu


From HeitshuS at U.LIBRARY.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 16:22:11 2007
From: HeitshuS at U.LIBRARY.ARIZONA.EDU (Heitshu, Sara)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:22:11 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: A<20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.092211.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The J. P. Harrington papers have been microfilmed.  We have a set here
at the University of Arizona Library.  There are guides which are worth
their weight in gold.

Sara

Sara C. Heitshu
Librarian, Social Sciences Team
American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Linguistics
Main Library, A211
POB 210055
Tucson Arizona 85721-0055
520-307-2781
Fax 520-626-7444
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of s.t. bischoff
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 1:40 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [ILAT] legacy materials

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding
out
about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic
work
that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that
Boas
left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous
languages.
Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes in
various
places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of
materials,
or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone aware
of any
archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?

Thanks,
Shannon
PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the
Americas with
excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
interested in these things.

__________________________


"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly,
one begins
to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

--Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia


From jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU  Thu Oct 25 16:38:50 2007
From: jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU (Joan Gross)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:38:50 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.093850.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi everyone,
In response to Shannon's question, I wanted to let you all know that we just
published a book, Teaching Oregon Native Languages (Oregon State University
Press) and in the appendix we list the primary repositories of Oregon Native
Language archival materials, both written and audio. We also include after
the bibliography a list of tribal and other websites where language material
can be accessed. I'm attaching an order form.

Joan Gross
(co-authors: Erin Haynes, Deanna Kingston, David Lewis, and Juan Trujillo)


On 10/25/07 1:39 AM, "s.t. bischoff" <bischoff at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic work
> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that Boas
> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes in various
> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of materials,
> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone aware of
> any
> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?
> 
> Thanks,
> Shannon
> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the Americas with
> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
> interested in these things.
> 
> __________________________
> 
> 
> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one
> begins
> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
> 
> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia

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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 17:39:05 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:39:05 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.103905.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Good question Shannon!  Linguists seem to be fairly parochial on how 
to access
legacy resources.  Maybe someday (in the near future) we can have a
comprehensive resource whereby legacy materials on endangered language
materials are indexed and searchable so that endangered language communities
can gain access to critical information and resources.  At the moment, we are
all are on our own. 
Phil
UofA

Quoting "s.t. bischoff" :

> Hi all,
>
> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic work
> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that Boas
> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes 
> in various
> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of materials,
> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone 
> aware of any
> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?
>
> Thanks,
> Shannon
> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the 
> Americas with
> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
> interested in these things.
>
> __________________________
>
>
> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, 
> one begins
> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
>
> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia

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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 18:17:59 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:17:59 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025103905.k6ugogc0c00wko80@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.111759.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are 
focused almost
exclusively on the creation of legacy materials and less so on current
archived  materials despite their relatively equal status.  Just take a look
at the E-MELD webpage to see what I mean.  Whereas endangered language
communities have an interest in both aspects: legacy creation and archival
access. 
At least for the North American folks, it seems that the creation of
comprehensive searchable resource is a grant waiting to happen (hint, hint)!
Phil
UofA
Quoting phil cash cash :

> Good question Shannon!  Linguists seem to be fairly parochial on how
> to access
> legacy resources.  Maybe someday (in the near future) we can have a
> comprehensive resource whereby legacy materials on endangered language
> materials are indexed and searchable so that endangered language communities
> can gain access to critical information and resources.  At the moment, we are
> all are on our own. Phil
> UofA
>
> Quoting "s.t. bischoff" :
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
>> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
>> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the 
>> linguistic work
>> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard 
>> that Boas
>> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
>> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes 
>> in various
>> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of 
>> materials,
>> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone 
>> aware of any
>> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Shannon
>> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the 
>> Americas with
>> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
>> interested in these things.
>>
>> __________________________
>>
>>
>> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. 
>> Insensibly, one begins
>> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
>>
>> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia

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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Thu Oct 25 18:21:15 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:21:15 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: A<20071025111759.15rswkck88os8os0@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.112115.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Yes, we did that with SWORP, but I am awaiting a model that tribes can
use in a digital database. We are developing a model here at Grand Ronde
for Digital archives on the web, but we are working on how this will
work in the field, at the archives in question. 

 

David G. Lewis

Manager, Cultural Resources Department

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634

David.Lewis at grandronde.org <mailto:David.Lewis at grandronde.org> 

________________________________

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 11:18 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] legacy materials

 

I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are focused
almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials and less so on
current archived  materials despite their relatively equal status.  Just
take a look at the E-MELD webpage to see what I mean.  Whereas
endangered language communities have an interest in both aspects: legacy
creation and archival access.  

At least for the North American folks, it seems that the creation of
comprehensive searchable resource is a grant waiting to happen (hint,
hint)!

Phil
UofA

Quoting phil cash cash <cashcash at email.arizona.edu>:

> Good question Shannon! Linguists seem to be fairly parochial on how
> to access
> legacy resources. Maybe someday (in the near future) we can have a
> comprehensive resource whereby legacy materials on endangered language
> materials are indexed and searchable so that endangered language
communities
> can gain access to critical information and resources. At the moment,
we are
> all are on our own. 
> Phil
> UofA
>
> Quoting "s.t. bischoff" :
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for
finding out
>> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc.
I'm
>> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the 
>> linguistic work
>> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard 
>> that Boas
>> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous
languages.
>> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes 
>> in various
>> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of 
>> materials,
>> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone 
>> aware of any
>> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be
utilized?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Shannon
>> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the 
>> Americas with
>> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for
those
>> interested in these things.
>>
>> __________________________
>>
>>
>> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. 
>> Insensibly, one begins
>> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
>>
>> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia

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From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Thu Oct 25 18:53:48 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:53:48 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025111759.15rswkck88os8os0@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.145348.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Phil Cash Cash writes:

>I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
>focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
>and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
>equal status.

Two comments:

First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with dying
languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the real
world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy materials
is time not spent gathering new material.

Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions about
where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite interested
in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
spend very much of my time on it because it is something that someone
else can do in the future.

Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
including the following:

(a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
    material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be accurate,
    but material recorded by non-professionals, such as missionaries,
    fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
    materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
    were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the linguist
    heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack of
    a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
    exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
    was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of interpretation
    since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
    middle of a page of notes.)

(b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
    one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
    was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
    if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
    are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
    do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
    defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
    are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
    spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
    for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
    One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
    of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
    For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
    forms since everything is told in the third person.

(c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and morphology
    but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
    discourse. 

On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.

In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
analyzing legacy material.

Bill


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 18:53:43 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:53:43 -0700
Subject: Stolen generation member dies just months after reunion (fwd)
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.115343.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Stolen generation member dies just months after reunion

Australia
25th October 2007, 18:15 WST
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=44701

A 107-year-old member of the stolen generation has died only months after
she was finally reunited with members of her original Kimberley people in
Western Australia’s far north.

Belinda Dann was only six or seven years old when she was taken from her
mother and family in Nykina Aboriginal country on a cattle station near
Derby early last century.

She and several of her sisters were taken by horse and cart to Beagle Bay
Mission, north of Broome, run by the Catholic St John of God sisters.

Ms Dann married as a teenager and later moved to Port Hedland, where she
died on October 9.

Her son Bernard Dann said his mother’s family knew the authorities were
looking for light-skinned children and would disguise her with charcoal.

“Her mother painted her in charcoal. But they got caught ... they went to a
billabong and it all came off,” Mr Dann said.

When she arrived at the mission, Ms Dann and her sisters would ask: “Where’s
mummy”.

“They were told: ‘Don’t worry, mummy’s coming’, but mummy never came, mummy
never knew where they were,” he said.

He said he and his mother were very poor living in Port Hedland and often
experienced bigotry.

Throughout the years, Ms Dann had remembered her Aboriginal name, but she
did not know who she was and where she came from.

Then four months ago one of her grandsons mentioned her original name in a
conversation with an Aboriginal girl who had heard of Ms Dann and was
connected to the Nykina people.

“They had searched for her for 100 years,” Mr Dann said.

When a meeting was arranged, an incredible thing happened.

“I’d never heard my mother speak in her language in all her years ... they
started speaking language all around her and she starts speaking in
language again!”

Belinda Dann will be buried in Port Hedland on Saturday.

AAP


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 19:01:54 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:01:54 -0700
Subject: American Indian scholar Grounds to speak at UNC-Pembroke Nov. 15
 (fwd)
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.120154.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

American Indian scholar Grounds to speak at UNC-Pembroke Nov. 15

Staff report
http://www.robesonian.com/articles/2007/10/24/news/news/story06.txt

PEMBROKE - “Native Voices: Colonial and Contemporary Issues in Native
Language Revitalization,” a presentation by Richard A. Grounds, Ph.D., will
be held Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. in the Thomas Assembly Room of the Native
American Resource Center on the campus of The University of North Carolina
at Pembroke.

The talk is free and open to the public.

Grounds is of Yuchi and Seminole heritage. He is project director for the
Euchee (Yuchi) Language Project based in Sapulpa, Okla., working with the
five remaining fluent Yuchi speakers.

After completing his doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary in the
history of religions, he taught at St. Olaf College in Minnesota and at the
University of Tulsa. He taught courses on cultural diversity and religious
tolerance.

Grounds was also on the faculty of the Pew Foundation program in religion
and American history administered through Yale University. He is
co-chairman of Native Traditions in the Americas Group at the American
Academy of Religion.

Working for the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, Grounds
was a director for the General Commission on Christian Unity and
Inter-religious Concerns of the United Methodist Church.

Grounds was co-convener of the hemispheric indigenous conference, “Our
Living Languages, Our Living Cultures,” held in Oklahoma City in 2002. He
serves on the statewide board of the Intertribal Wordpath Society in
Oklahoma and is currently co-chairman of the Program Council on the board
of Cultural Survival, which has launched a national campaign to protect the
most critically endangered native languages in the United States.

He presented on “Indian Stereotypes and American Identities” at the Atlanta
History Center; on museums and cultural prostitution at the American
Society for Ethnohistory Annual Meeting; and on conflicts between
anthropological research and cultural continuity for traditional
communities at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting.

The Native American Resource Center (NARC) is located in Old Main. Light
refreshments will be served and copies of Grounds' anthology “Native
Voices: American Indian Identity and Resistance” will be available for
purchase.

The program is sponsored by the American Indian Studies Department and NARC.
For more information about the lecture, contact Jane Haladay by calling
(919) 521-6485 or by e-mail at haladay at uncp.edu.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 19:05:24 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:05:24 -0700
Subject: Tongue tied (fwd link)
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.120524.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Tongue tied

By Mukul Devichand
Analysis, Radio 4

Wales has been enjoying a revival of its native tongue, driven chiefly by
those in rural areas. Now a new awareness is growing in the industrialised
south, but some - including native Welsh speakers themselves - fear it
could foster division and resentment.

To access article, follow the link below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7060486.stm


From leopold at SI.EDU  Thu Oct 25 20:20:54 2007
From: leopold at SI.EDU (Robert Leopold)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:20:54 -0400
Subject: Legacy Materials
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.162054.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The National Anthropological Archives has thousands of texts, narratives,
dictionaries, grammars, word lists, sound recordings and moving images that
document the indigenous languages of the world, with an emphasis on the
languages of North America. The NAA's collection began as the archives of
the Smithsonian's Bureau of American Ethnology in 1879, but many items are
considerably older. Among the most significant collections are those of John
Peabody Harrington, comprising more than 500,000 pages of linguistic and
ethnographic fieldnotes as well as 1,300 sound recordings of Native American
myths, legends, stories and songs. Our archives collects and preserves
anthropological and linguistic materials in all media and works closely with
native communities involved in language preservation and revitalization
projects. Our most recent collaborations, as well as our online catalog and
collection guides, are available here: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/naa/
 
Another source of information on legacy materials is our Guide to
Anthropological Fieldnotes and Manuscripts in Archival Repositories:
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/naa/other_archives.htm
 
Robert Leopold
Director, National Anthropological Archives
Smithsonian Institution
leopold at si.edu
301.238.1311


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 23:20:52 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:20:52 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025185348.D76FEB2498@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.162052.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thanks for your response Bill.  I will post a few more comments and additions
to your discussion shortly. 
Phil
Quoting William J Poser :

> Phil Cash Cash writes:
>
>> I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
>> focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
>> and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
>> equal status.
>
> Two comments:
>
> First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with dying
> languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
> alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
> there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
> In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the real
> world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy materials
> is time not spent gathering new material.
>
> Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions about
> where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite interested
> in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
> spend very much of my time on it because it is something that someone
> else can do in the future.
>
> Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
> have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
> on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
> state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
> good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
> legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
> including the following:
>
> (a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
>     material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be accurate,
>     but material recorded by non-professionals, such as missionaries,
>     fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
>     materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
>     were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the linguist
>     heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack of
>     a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
>     exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
>     was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of interpretation
>     since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
>     middle of a page of notes.)
>
> (b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
>     one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
>     was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
>     if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
>     are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
>     do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
>     defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
>     are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
>     spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
>     for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
>     One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
>     of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
>     For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
>     forms since everything is told in the third person.
>
> (c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and morphology
>     but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
>     discourse.
>
> On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
> that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
> limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
> of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
> a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
> circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
> may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
> exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
> morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.
>
> In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
> as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
> limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
> analyzing legacy material.
>
> Bill

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From jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM  Fri Oct 26 02:05:45 2007
From: jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM (Jordan Lachler)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:05:45 -0800
Subject: AudioDoc
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.180545.0800.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

AudioDoc -- a portable teaching device with innovative interactive features
to help students learn a foreign language.

The article is light on the details, but it could well be interesting.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/innovation/613828,CST-FIN-i-Berg22.article

-- 
Jordan
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 06:38:55 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:38:55 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025185348.D76FEB2498@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.233855.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

My apologies for the delay.  And, I just want to add that I appreciate your
response.

What you have just outlined in relation to the creation of legacy materials
is perhaps an ethical though practical solution to the broader problem of
documenting a dying language.  Certainly, it is a linguist’s practical
solution given that there is an emphasis on “gathering data” and besides
there may not be a more practical way.

After having gained some varied experience in linguistic fieldwork, I can
readily agree with everything you propose.  However, there is one unique
element that can be additionally considered in the long term and that is
the aspirations of the endangered language community.  It is certainly true
that endangered language communities and linguists share the same concerns
over preserving a dying language.  What needs to be recognized, however, is
that the aspirations of the endangered language community are sometimes
expressed differently than those of professional linguists.

Linguists (perhaps mostly field linguists) must make an effort to re-examine
their privileged status by taking into account the aspirations of endangered
language communities and the concerns they have towards their heritage
language.  For example, it is not uncommon for endangered language
communities to express distrust of linguists over the control of language
materials.  Lack of access creates inequity.  While this situation may be a
thing of the past, this sentiment was expressed to me quite frequently
during my own fieldwork.  A common question posed to me was “how do we get
our elder’s words back?”  The solution seems easy enough.  If they want
everything back then we, as linguists, should be able to assist them in
this goal.  If they do not want their language recorded then we should be
prepared to offer alternatives.  If they want language materials destroyed
or restricted due to certain taboos then we should be prepared to do so.
Just to identify a few.  Too, it might be a good idea if we do not insist
that the practice of linguistic field research, including the linguistic
standards they pose, somehow predominates over other interests.  For
example, in the eyes of a linguist, one community intellectuals life-work
can be dismissed outright as “sub-standard” in much the same way as other
historical works.  As I have learned in my graduate seminars, linguists
crush other linguists over research.  But going into an endangered language
community its just not the same.  Power differentials (or simple uncaring)
between a linguist and endangered language speakers is not a good thing.

My own experience confirms that documenting a dying language can’t be done
in isolation.  This is certainly not a new idea nor should I be regarded as
being any more thoughtful when I say this.  It’s just that every speech
community, every speaker, semi-speaker, dialect, and language is truly
unique and so goes one’s work there.  But certainly linguists just can’t be
“parachuting in” (as I heard in Australia recently in regard to the media
surge of late) to collect data.  Careful collaborative field work between
linguists and community speakers/intellectuals can powerfully resonate with
community aspirations and endangered language communities stand to benefit
far more than any linguist or discipline can imagine.

Just a few more thoughts here,
Phil Cash Cash


Quoting William J Poser :

> Phil Cash Cash writes:
>
>> I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
>> focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
>> and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
>> equal status.
>
> Two comments:
>
> First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with dying
> languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
> alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
> there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
> In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the real
> world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy materials
> is time not spent gathering new material.
>
> Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions about
> where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite interested
> in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
> spend very much of my time on it because it is something that someone
> else can do in the future.
>
> Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
> have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
> on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
> state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
> good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
> legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
> including the following:
>
> (a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
>     material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be accurate,
>     but material recorded by non-professionals, such as missionaries,
>     fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
>     materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
>     were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the linguist
>     heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack of
>     a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
>     exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
>     was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of interpretation
>     since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
>     middle of a page of notes.)
>
> (b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
>     one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
>     was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
>     if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
>     are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
>     do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
>     defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
>     are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
>     spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
>     for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
>     One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
>     of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
>     For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
>     forms since everything is told in the third person.
>
> (c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and morphology
>     but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
>     discourse.
>
> On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
> that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
> limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
> of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
> a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
> circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
> may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
> exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
> morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.
>
> In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
> as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
> limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
> analyzing legacy material.
>
> Bill


From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM  Fri Oct 26 10:57:07 2007
From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:27:07 +0930
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025233855.6s2x6q3v484kkkos@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.202707.0930.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

for Australian languages, the AIATSIS catalogue (mura.aiatsis.gov.au) is a
good place to look for archival and materials published in obscure places.
They include references to major collection items that they don't hold, too,
like the Elkin collection at the University of Sydney and the Bates papers
at the NLA. AIATSIS also has access officers who help out of area community
members (and visitors to the library) with searches and locating materials.

Claire
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From bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM  Fri Oct 26 13:27:37 2007
From: bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM (s.t. bischoff)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:27:37 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <7f53d06c0710260357u5e6ed1ebq3638fc31117667e6@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.092737.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi all,

Thanks for all the great material and fodder for thought. It seems that a
lot of very good and thoughtful work has been done in this area: The
National Anthropological Archives, http://www.nmnh.si.edu/naa/, the work
Joshua Beck mentioned at Chicago http://moca.lib.uchicago.edu/, the work
Aiden Wilson noted at PARADISEC http://paradisec.org.au, the Language
Archive Newsletter http://www.mpi.nl/LAN/,  OLAC
http://www.language-archives.org/tools/search/?archive=paradisec.org.au, the
work noted by Joan Gross on languages of Oregon. It seems that the issue is
one that folks have not only been thinking about, but have been working on.


I think Aiden's question is important:

"Is anyone aware of any archives that have field notes or recordings
that are not be utilized?"

>From personal experience I know the answer is yes. My enquiry was motivated,
in part, by just such a question. It was also motivated by the question:
"How could such materials be made available online/electronically. (How
would they look? What ethical and legal questions would need to be
addressed. How much material is there? What materials are out there, and
what condition are they in? Etc.)

I also think Phil's comment:

"I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are focused
almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials and less so on
current archived materials despite their relatively equal status."

is important, while William's follow up is equally valid. As individuals
with skills that can be meaningful to others, we are often faced with
difficult choices at times.  I agree that languages need to be recorded, but
we also must remember that for many communities, the only resources
available, are legacy materials, most of which I suspect are not recordings.
True, the data may not be the best, but it is all that some communities
have. As Blair Rude has shown, these materials, along with other knowledge
of language families, can be used to reconstruct a language, a language that
can be used and can be meaningful to communities.  I think Natasha Warner's
work serves as an excellent example of when legacy materials can be used in
 meaningful and important ways. Natasha's team has spent hundreds of hours
rendering Harrington's field notes (many very difficult to read), into
electronic format. Not only scanned, but typed into the various versions of
SILs shoebox for analysis. These materials are being used to further the
linguistic goals of the community. I think this work and the work that
William is doing are both necessary, and both very, very important.

I welcome any further thoughts. Thanks again, Shannon


On 10/26/07, Claire Bowern <anggarrgoon at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> for Australian languages, the AIATSIS catalogue (mura.aiatsis.gov.au) is a
> good place to look for archival and materials published in obscure places.
> They include references to major collection items that they don't hold, too,
> like the Elkin collection at the University of Sydney and the Bates papers
> at the NLA. AIATSIS also has access officers who help out of area community
> members (and visitors to the library) with searches and locating materials.
>
> Claire
>
>
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From HarveyD at SOU.EDU  Fri Oct 26 14:56:32 2007
From: HarveyD at SOU.EDU (Dan Harvey)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:56:32 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025233855.6s2x6q3v484kkkos@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.075632.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

As one who is not a linguist, my focus is on language revitalization,
not on documentation. I think both are important. I understand why a
linguist would want to collect data as fast as possible before languages
go extinct. But I disagree that analysis be done later, after the
languages have died. 

This is a field that spans disciplines. Documentation and analysis can
be done in parallel if linguistic materials were easily available to
researchers in other disciplines. I'm a computer scientist and am
especially interested in creating better software tools that puts data
into forms that language teachers find helpful. The more I see what
linguists produce, the easier my job can be. 

Thanks for listening, dan

>>> phil cash cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> 10/25/2007 11:38 PM
>>>
My apologies for the delay.  And, I just want to add that I appreciate
your
response.

What you have just outlined in relation to the creation of legacy
materials
is perhaps an ethical though practical solution to the broader problem
of
documenting a dying language.  Certainly, it is a linguist’s practical
solution given that there is an emphasis on “gathering data” and
besides
there may not be a more practical way.

After having gained some varied experience in linguistic fieldwork, I
can
readily agree with everything you propose.  However, there is one
unique
element that can be additionally considered in the long term and that
is
the aspirations of the endangered language community.  It is certainly
true
that endangered language communities and linguists share the same
concerns
over preserving a dying language.  What needs to be recognized,
however, is
that the aspirations of the endangered language community are
sometimes
expressed differently than those of professional linguists.

Linguists (perhaps mostly field linguists) must make an effort to
re-examine
their privileged status by taking into account the aspirations of
endangered
language communities and the concerns they have towards their heritage
language.  For example, it is not uncommon for endangered language
communities to express distrust of linguists over the control of
language
materials.  Lack of access creates inequity.  While this situation may
be a
thing of the past, this sentiment was expressed to me quite frequently
during my own fieldwork.  A common question posed to me was “how do we
get
our elder’s words back?”  The solution seems easy enough.  If they
want
everything back then we, as linguists, should be able to assist them
in
this goal.  If they do not want their language recorded then we should
be
prepared to offer alternatives.  If they want language materials
destroyed
or restricted due to certain taboos then we should be prepared to do
so.
Just to identify a few.  Too, it might be a good idea if we do not
insist
that the practice of linguistic field research, including the
linguistic
standards they pose, somehow predominates over other interests.  For
example, in the eyes of a linguist, one community intellectuals
life-work
can be dismissed outright as “sub-standard” in much the same way as
other
historical works.  As I have learned in my graduate seminars,
linguists
crush other linguists over research.  But going into an endangered
language
community its just not the same.  Power differentials (or simple
uncaring)
between a linguist and endangered language speakers is not a good
thing.

My own experience confirms that documenting a dying language can’t be
done
in isolation.  This is certainly not a new idea nor should I be
regarded as
being any more thoughtful when I say this.  It’s just that every
speech
community, every speaker, semi-speaker, dialect, and language is truly
unique and so goes one’s work there.  But certainly linguists just
can’t be
“parachuting in” (as I heard in Australia recently in regard to the
media
surge of late) to collect data.  Careful collaborative field work
between
linguists and community speakers/intellectuals can powerfully resonate
with
community aspirations and endangered language communities stand to
benefit
far more than any linguist or discipline can imagine.

Just a few more thoughts here,
Phil Cash Cash


Quoting William J Poser :

> Phil Cash Cash writes:
>
>> I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
>> focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
>> and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
>> equal status.
>
> Two comments:
>
> First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with
dying
> languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
> alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
> there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
> In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the
real
> world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy
materials
> is time not spent gathering new material.
>
> Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions
about
> where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite
interested
> in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
> spend very much of my time on it because it is something that
someone
> else can do in the future.
>
> Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
> have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
> on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
> state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
> good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
> legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
> including the following:
>
> (a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
>     material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be
accurate,
>     but material recorded by non-professionals, such as
missionaries,
>     fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
>     materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
>     were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the
linguist
>     heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack
of
>     a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
>     exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
>     was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of
interpretation
>     since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
>     middle of a page of notes.)
>
> (b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
>     one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
>     was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
>     if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
>     are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
>     do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
>     defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
>     are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
>     spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
>     for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
>     One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
>     of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
>     For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
>     forms since everything is told in the third person.
>
> (c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and
morphology
>     but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
>     discourse.
>
> On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
> that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
> limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
> of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
> a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
> circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
> may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
> exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
> morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.
>
> In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
> as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
> limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
> analyzing legacy material.
>
> Bill


From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM  Fri Oct 26 15:14:43 2007
From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:14:43 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <47219DB0.0641.00A2.0@sou.edu>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.081443.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thanks for this, Dan,

I was recently asked if analysis was part of the documentation process -- I
said yes. In truth, though, it comes late in the process -- the urgency of
collecting and archiving data comes first -- given time, some analysis
happens (this is my experience at least).  Ideally, that would not be the
case.

Thanks for calling attention to the divide between documentation and
revitalization -- something which many of us don't like much. Really, these
are complimentary activities -- and should not exist in isolation from one
another.

Susan


On 10/26/07, Dan Harvey <HarveyD at sou.edu> wrote:
>
> As one who is not a linguist, my focus is on language revitalization,
> not on documentation. I think both are important. I understand why a
> linguist would want to collect data as fast as possible before languages
> go extinct. But I disagree that analysis be done later, after the
> languages have died.
>
> This is a field that spans disciplines. Documentation and analysis can
> be done in parallel if linguistic materials were easily available to
> researchers in other disciplines. I'm a computer scientist and am
> especially interested in creating better software tools that puts data
> into forms that language teachers find helpful. The more I see what
> linguists produce, the easier my job can be.
>
> Thanks for listening, dan
>
> >>> phil cash cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> 10/25/2007 11:38 PM
> >>>
> My apologies for the delay.  And, I just want to add that I appreciate
> your
> response.
>
> What you have just outlined in relation to the creation of legacy
> materials
> is perhaps an ethical though practical solution to the broader problem
> of
> documenting a dying language.  Certainly, it is a linguist's practical
> solution given that there is an emphasis on "gathering data" and
> besides
> there may not be a more practical way.
>
> After having gained some varied experience in linguistic fieldwork, I
> can
> readily agree with everything you propose.  However, there is one
> unique
> element that can be additionally considered in the long term and that
> is
> the aspirations of the endangered language community.  It is certainly
> true
> that endangered language communities and linguists share the same
> concerns
> over preserving a dying language.  What needs to be recognized,
> however, is
> that the aspirations of the endangered language community are
> sometimes
> expressed differently than those of professional linguists.
>
> Linguists (perhaps mostly field linguists) must make an effort to
> re-examine
> their privileged status by taking into account the aspirations of
> endangered
> language communities and the concerns they have towards their heritage
> language.  For example, it is not uncommon for endangered language
> communities to express distrust of linguists over the control of
> language
> materials.  Lack of access creates inequity.  While this situation may
> be a
> thing of the past, this sentiment was expressed to me quite frequently
> during my own fieldwork.  A common question posed to me was "how do we
> get
> our elder's words back?"  The solution seems easy enough.  If they
> want
> everything back then we, as linguists, should be able to assist them
> in
> this goal.  If they do not want their language recorded then we should
> be
> prepared to offer alternatives.  If they want language materials
> destroyed
> or restricted due to certain taboos then we should be prepared to do
> so.
> Just to identify a few.  Too, it might be a good idea if we do not
> insist
> that the practice of linguistic field research, including the
> linguistic
> standards they pose, somehow predominates over other interests.  For
> example, in the eyes of a linguist, one community intellectuals
> life-work
> can be dismissed outright as "sub-standard" in much the same way as
> other
> historical works.  As I have learned in my graduate seminars,
> linguists
> crush other linguists over research.  But going into an endangered
> language
> community its just not the same.  Power differentials (or simple
> uncaring)
> between a linguist and endangered language speakers is not a good
> thing.
>
> My own experience confirms that documenting a dying language can't be
> done
> in isolation.  This is certainly not a new idea nor should I be
> regarded as
> being any more thoughtful when I say this.  It's just that every
> speech
> community, every speaker, semi-speaker, dialect, and language is truly
> unique and so goes one's work there.  But certainly linguists just
> can't be
> "parachuting in" (as I heard in Australia recently in regard to the
> media
> surge of late) to collect data.  Careful collaborative field work
> between
> linguists and community speakers/intellectuals can powerfully resonate
> with
> community aspirations and endangered language communities stand to
> benefit
> far more than any linguist or discipline can imagine.
>
> Just a few more thoughts here,
> Phil Cash Cash
>
>
> Quoting William J Poser :
>
> > Phil Cash Cash writes:
> >
> >> I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
> >> focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
> >> and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
> >> equal status.
> >
> > Two comments:
> >
> > First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with
> dying
> > languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
> > alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
> > there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
> > In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the
> real
> > world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy
> materials
> > is time not spent gathering new material.
> >
> > Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions
> about
> > where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite
> interested
> > in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
> > spend very much of my time on it because it is something that
> someone
> > else can do in the future.
> >
> > Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
> > have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
> > on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
> > state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
> > good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
> > legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
> > including the following:
> >
> > (a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
> >     material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be
> accurate,
> >     but material recorded by non-professionals, such as
> missionaries,
> >     fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
> >     materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
> >     were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the
> linguist
> >     heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack
> of
> >     a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
> >     exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
> >     was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of
> interpretation
> >     since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
> >     middle of a page of notes.)
> >
> > (b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
> >     one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
> >     was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
> >     if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
> >     are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
> >     do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
> >     defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
> >     are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
> >     spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
> >     for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
> >     One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
> >     of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
> >     For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
> >     forms since everything is told in the third person.
> >
> > (c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and
> morphology
> >     but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
> >     discourse.
> >
> > On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
> > that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
> > limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
> > of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
> > a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
> > circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
> > may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
> > exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
> > morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.
> >
> > In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
> > as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
> > limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
> > analyzing legacy material.
> >
> > Bill
>



-- 
____________________________________________________________
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research)
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."

                                                          Wade Davis...(on a
Starbucks cup...)
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From bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM  Fri Oct 26 16:47:22 2007
From: bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM (s.t. bischoff)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:47:22 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <39a679e20710260814x495a0525kddff778690ffbb4e@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.124722.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Rather serendipitously a colleague from the Basque Country sent me these two
articles today. Many of you maybe familiar with the projects. Both were
published in the last few months and discuss methods in digital archiving.

On 10/26/07, Susan Penfield <susan.penfield at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for this, Dan,
>
> I was recently asked if analysis was part of the documentation process --
> I said yes. In truth, though, it comes late in the process -- the urgency of
> collecting and archiving data comes first -- given time, some analysis
> happens (this is my experience at least).  Ideally, that would not be the
> case.
>
> Thanks for calling attention to the divide between documentation and
> revitalization -- something which many of us don't like much. Really, these
> are complimentary activities -- and should not exist in isolation from one
> another.
>
> Susan
>
>
> On 10/26/07, Dan Harvey <HarveyD at sou.edu> wrote:
> >
> > As one who is not a linguist, my focus is on language revitalization,
> > not on documentation. I think both are important. I understand why a
> > linguist would want to collect data as fast as possible before languages
> > go extinct. But I disagree that analysis be done later, after the
> > languages have died.
> >
> > This is a field that spans disciplines. Documentation and analysis can
> > be done in parallel if linguistic materials were easily available to
> > researchers in other disciplines. I'm a computer scientist and am
> > especially interested in creating better software tools that puts data
> > into forms that language teachers find helpful. The more I see what
> > linguists produce, the easier my job can be.
> >
> > Thanks for listening, dan
> >
> > >>> phil cash cash < cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> 10/25/2007 11:38 PM
> > >>>
> > My apologies for the delay.  And, I just want to add that I appreciate
> > your
> > response.
> >
> > What you have just outlined in relation to the creation of legacy
> > materials
> > is perhaps an ethical though practical solution to the broader problem
> > of
> > documenting a dying language.  Certainly, it is a linguist's practical
> > solution given that there is an emphasis on "gathering data" and
> > besides
> > there may not be a more practical way.
> >
> > After having gained some varied experience in linguistic fieldwork, I
> > can
> > readily agree with everything you propose.  However, there is one
> > unique
> > element that can be additionally considered in the long term and that
> > is
> > the aspirations of the endangered language community.  It is certainly
> > true
> > that endangered language communities and linguists share the same
> > concerns
> > over preserving a dying language.  What needs to be recognized,
> > however, is
> > that the aspirations of the endangered language community are
> > sometimes
> > expressed differently than those of professional linguists.
> >
> > Linguists (perhaps mostly field linguists) must make an effort to
> > re-examine
> > their privileged status by taking into account the aspirations of
> > endangered
> > language communities and the concerns they have towards their heritage
> > language.  For example, it is not uncommon for endangered language
> > communities to express distrust of linguists over the control of
> > language
> > materials.  Lack of access creates inequity.  While this situation may
> > be a
> > thing of the past, this sentiment was expressed to me quite frequently
> > during my own fieldwork.  A common question posed to me was "how do we
> > get
> > our elder's words back?"  The solution seems easy enough.  If they
> > want
> > everything back then we, as linguists, should be able to assist them
> > in
> > this goal.  If they do not want their language recorded then we should
> > be
> > prepared to offer alternatives.  If they want language materials
> > destroyed
> > or restricted due to certain taboos then we should be prepared to do
> > so.
> > Just to identify a few.  Too, it might be a good idea if we do not
> > insist
> > that the practice of linguistic field research, including the
> > linguistic
> > standards they pose, somehow predominates over other interests.  For
> > example, in the eyes of a linguist, one community intellectuals
> > life-work
> > can be dismissed outright as "sub-standard" in much the same way as
> > other
> > historical works.  As I have learned in my graduate seminars,
> > linguists
> > crush other linguists over research.  But going into an endangered
> > language
> > community its just not the same.  Power differentials (or simple
> > uncaring)
> > between a linguist and endangered language speakers is not a good
> > thing.
> >
> > My own experience confirms that documenting a dying language can't be
> > done
> > in isolation.  This is certainly not a new idea nor should I be
> > regarded as
> > being any more thoughtful when I say this.  It's just that every
> > speech
> > community, every speaker, semi-speaker, dialect, and language is truly
> > unique and so goes one's work there.  But certainly linguists just
> > can't be
> > "parachuting in" (as I heard in Australia recently in regard to the
> > media
> > surge of late) to collect data.  Careful collaborative field work
> > between
> > linguists and community speakers/intellectuals can powerfully resonate
> > with
> > community aspirations and endangered language communities stand to
> > benefit
> > far more than any linguist or discipline can imagine.
> >
> > Just a few more thoughts here,
> > Phil Cash Cash
> >
> >
> > Quoting William J Poser :
> >
> > > Phil Cash Cash writes:
> > >
> > >> I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
> > >> focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
> > >> and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
> > >> equal status.
> > >
> > > Two comments:
> > >
> > > First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with
> > dying
> > > languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
> > > alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
> > > there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
> > > In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the
> > real
> > > world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy
> > materials
> > > is time not spent gathering new material.
> > >
> > > Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions
> > about
> > > where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite
> > interested
> > > in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
> > > spend very much of my time on it because it is something that
> > someone
> > > else can do in the future.
> > >
> > > Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
> > > have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
> > > on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
> > > state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
> > > good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
> > > legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
> > > including the following:
> > >
> > > (a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
> > >     material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be
> > accurate,
> > >     but material recorded by non-professionals, such as
> > missionaries,
> > >     fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
> > >     materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
> > >     were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the
> > linguist
> > >     heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack
> > of
> > >     a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
> > >     exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
> > >     was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of
> > interpretation
> > >     since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
> > >     middle of a page of notes.)
> > >
> > > (b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
> > >     one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
> > >     was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
> > >     if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
> > >     are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
> > >     do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
> > >     defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
> > >     are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
> > >     spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
> > >     for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
> > >     One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
> > >     of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
> > >     For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
> > >     forms since everything is told in the third person.
> > >
> > > (c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and
> > morphology
> > >     but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
> > >     discourse.
> > >
> > > On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
> > > that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
> > > limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
> > > of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
> > > a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
> > > circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
> > > may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
> > > exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
> > > morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.
> > >
> > > In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
> > > as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
> > > limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
> > > analyzing legacy material.
> > >
> > > Bill
> >
>
>
>
> --
> ____________________________________________________________
> Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.
>
> Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
> and Literacy (CERCLL)
> Department of English (Primary)
> American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
> Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
> Department of Language,Reading and Culture
> Department of Linguistics
> The Southwest Center (Research)
> Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836
>
>
> "Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of
> thought, an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."
>
>                                                           Wade Davis...(on
> a Starbucks cup...)
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 17:29:13 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:29:13 -0700
Subject: 3D Scanner May Save Vanishing Languages from Extinction (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.102913.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2007

3D Scanner May Save Vanishing Languages from Extinction
http://www.imls.gov/news/2007/092007.shtm

[photo inset - Vitaliy Fadeyev (rear) and Carl Haber beside some of the
instrumentation at Berkeley Lab used in the optical scanning of cylinders
and disc records.]

Washington, DC—Fragile field recordings of American Indian speech and song
gathered in the early 1900s may be saved for future generations through
breakthrough technology supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and
Library Services (IMLS). The Institute is funding the research and
development of a 3D optical scanner through a $507,233 interagency
agreement with the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory (LBNL) announced Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and IMLS Director
Anne-Imelda Radice, Ph.D. Sept. 20.

“This agreement underscores the federal commitment to making critical and
irreplaceable collections held by the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of
Anthropology – and thousands of museums, libraries, and archives around the
country – available to the widest possible audience while and respecting the
sensitive nature of the recordings,” said Lee who represents Berkeley in the
9th Congressional District of California.

“The 2,700 wax cylinder recordings held by the Hearst museum are jewels in a
treasure trove of early recordings that we hope will be rescued,” Radice
said. “Saving the delicate recordings, which literally may keep alive some
of these Native American languages, fits squarely within the goals of
IMLS’s conservation initiative -- Connecting to Collections: A Call to
Action.” Nationwide, there are approximately 20,000 Native American
fieldwork recordings on fragile wax cylinders, the earliest method of
recording and reproducing sound.

Other rare recordings that would benefit from the technology include:

• Field recordings of linguistic, cultural, and anthropological materials,
such as early 20th century Mexican-American folk recordings from Southern
California and Hawaiian folk music recordings.

• Field recordings of American and European folk music, including those
recorded and collected by John Lomax.

• Speeches of historical figures such as Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt,
William Jennings Bryan, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and P.T. Barnum.

The new 3D system builds on a 2D system also developed by the Berkeley Lab
called IRENE (Image, Reconstruct, Erase Noise, Etc.), which gathers digital
sound from grooved discs (flat recordings such as traditional 78 rpm shellac
disc records) by illuminating the record surface with a narrow beam of
light. The flat bottoms of the groove -- and the spaces between tracks --
appear white, while the sloped sides of the groove, scratches, and dirt
appear black. The computer turns this information into a digital sound file
and corrects areas where scratches, breaks or wear have made the groove
wider or narrower than normal. IRENE then “plays” the file with a virtual
needle without damaging or destroying the original media. The technology
was adapted from methods used to build radiation detectors for high-energy
physics experiments.

IMLS is funding the next stage of the project: development of the 3D imaging
sound player that can read foil, wax, plastic cylinders (which preceded the
development of flat records), plastic dictation belts, and discs. The 3D
technology is required to read cylinders since the sound is held in
vertical movements of the groove. The 3D device is based upon a type of
confocal microscope. White light directed at the surface of a cylinder or
disc passes through a special lens, creating a spectrum. Each color of the
spectrum comes into focus at a different depth so the color of the
reflected light reveals the height of the scanned point. A computer
assembles these points into profiles for each groove and translates the
data into a sound file. The 3D scan would extract information based on
20-30 points – compared to IRENE’s 2-4 points – also offering the
possibility of higher quality sound files. Tinfoil and wax cylinders were
developed in the late 1870s and 1880s, and cylinders remained in use until
1929, when commercial production for these music recordings ceased.
However, cylinder technology continued to be used for dictation recordings
for office use into the early 1950s.

"IRENE and its 3D offspring have the potential to recover great recorded
sound collections in libraries, museums, and archives across the United
States," said Carl Haber, a senior scientist in LBNL’s Physics Division who
developed the technology with fellow Physics Division scientist Vitaliy
Fadeyev. “The project could revolutionize the preservation of early
recordings because it will use digital imaging to recover sound from
three-dimensional recordings without contact with the media.”

IMLS is funding development of two 3D prototype machines: one will be
evaluated at Berkeley, the other at the Library of Congress. Both systems
could be available to the national community of museums and libraries. By
the project’s end, the path to reproduce the technology should be clear and
the raw hardware costs should decrease significantly over time. The
prototype’s open design will enable improvements to the hardware and
software as more experience is acquired.

In addition to potentially providing preservation-quality transfers of all
mechanical formats, the project would provide a comprehensive assessment of
the media’s condition. The Heritage Health Index, a survey on the state of
the nation’s collections supported by IMLS, reported that American
collections contain 46.4 million items of recorded sound, and 9.6 million
(21 percent) are in grooved formats that could be affected by development
of the prototype. A comprehensive assessment is needed because of the 9.6
million grooved carriers, 59 percent were in an unknown condition. With the
new system, even cracked or scratched cylinders could be reproduced.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 17:38:50 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:38:50 -0700
Subject: Create Nunavut education channel, IBC urges (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.103850.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Nunavut
October 26, 2007

Create Nunavut education channel, IBC urges
“I do not want to speak English now. I’m an Inuk.”

JIM BELL
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/71026_633.html

With Johnny the Travelling Lemming watching your back, there's no good
reason to ever call it quits.

Johnny, the well-known puppet character from the Inuit Broadcasting Corp.'s
Takuginai children's show, popped his furry head up in Iqaluit this week to
help IBC officials make a pitch for the creation of an educational TV
channel for Nunavut.

Okalik Eegeesiak, IBC's chair, and Debbie Brisebois, IBC's executive
director, told MLAs on the the legislative assembly's Ajauqtiit committee
that such a channel could be modeled after provincial services such as TV
Ontario or Télé-Québec.

[photo inset - For more 20 years, children have learned Inuktitut from
watching the Inuit Broadcasting Corp.’s puppet-based program, Takuginai.
IBC has been forced to cut back on the number of episodes it produces each
season, because of declining revenues and an APTN policy requiring English
translation.(FILE PHOTO)]

The IBC officials had been invited to give Ajauqtiit an oral submission on
the Nunavut government's proposed new language laws.

They pointed out that it's getting harder now for IBC to continue its
25-year-long role as a promoter of the Inuit language - because of
declining funds and new policies adopted by the Aboriginal Peoples
Television Network.

In recent years, APTN has produced slick, youth-oriented aboriginal
television shows that have increased viewership and brought in new revenue
from advertisers. Two of those programs won Gemini awards this week in
youth-children categories.

But those new offerings are in the one language that most young aboriginal
people in Canada share - English. At the same time, IBC has seen its Inuit
language production drop by more than half.

"While at one time, IBC has the capacity to produce close to seven hours per
week ... we are now producing only three hours per week," IBC said in a
written submission dated Aug. 17.

That's because APTN now requires that Inuit-language shows such as Takuginai
be run with English-language text translations running across the bottom of
the screen, creating a new expense for the cash-strapped IBC.

"There wil be less new Takuginai shows because we have had to use our
limited resources for Johnny to learn and speak in English," Eegeesiak told
MLAs.

To make this point, Johnny refused to speak English at the committee
hearing.

"I do not want to speak English now. I'm an Inuk," Johnny said.

The IBC officials say they get about the same amount of money from the
federal government now that they were getting in 1990, when Ottawa reduced
grants to aboriginal broadcasting societies. Taking 17 years of inflation
into account, that adds up to a cut, IBC says.

The Nunavut government has given IBC between $250,000 and $350,000 a year
since 1999, but the broadcaster must apply for it on a year-to-year basis,
depending on specific projects.

In contrast, IBC received fixed and guaranteed annual funding from the
Government of the Northwest Territories before 1999, IBC said in one of its
written submission.

Eegeesiak and Brisebois told MLAs that a Nunavut education channel could
serve several purposes: a better vehicle for IBC programming, and a vehicle
that the Department of Education could use to offer education programs,
including Inuit language instruction.

To that end, they're urging that the Government of Nunavut bring a group of
partners together to produce a feasibility study on the creation of their
proposed TV Nunavut service.

They also want IBC to be given one of the five member positions on the
proposed new Inuit Language Authority that would be created by the Inuit
language protection bill.


From rtroike at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 17:42:36 2007
From: rtroike at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Rudy Troike)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:42:36 -0700
Subject: Legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <ILAT%200710260947587466.05D4@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.104236.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

To add my two cents to what Susan Penfield said, sometimes one may be in a
"salvage" mode, to collect as much language as possible before it is gone
forever, as has happened in the past (Samuel Gatschet's experience with
Karankawa is an example -- much of what we have would not exist if he had
waited six months to interview a person who remembered hearing the language
as a child). But apart from recognizing -- as Bill Poser noted -- the often
radical differences among genres (unfortunately ignored by most linguists in
the past), and recording samples of various general types, if there is time
there should be concurrent analysis, since some aspects may turn out to be
uninterpretable later on without a living speaker to check them with. Bill's
example of traditional texts' containing archaic words is one example, since
the meaning may still be known to the person telling the stories, but might
not be known to younger speakers or might not be determinable from mere later
analysis. Or a rare grammatical form might occur only once in certain types
of texts for pragmatic reasons, and because of its uniqueness might not be
interpretable on later inspection or might not be known to younger speakers,
if there are any. Constraints on the possible extension of grammatical forms
(such as the influence of an animacy hierarchy) might be undiscoverable
without concurrent analysis and exploration with competent speakers.

    Rudy Troike


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 17:43:14 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:43:14 -0700
Subject: Volunteers try to save lost languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.104314.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Volunteers try to save lost languages

By CHARLES MCCARTHY
Fresno Bee
Friday, October 26, 2007
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/27893

Just uphill from an authentic cedar tepee four children sat down for a
lesson in a language on the cusp of being lost.

Volunteer teacher Barbara Burrough, one of the few people left who still
speaks Mono, held up a cue card with the word "kah-why-you."

"Horse," the youngsters said.

Next was "moo-nah."

"Mule," they said.

Burrough's mother, 81-year-old Gertrude Davis, smiled as she watched the
recent lesson unfold.

"I speak it, and I have no one to talk to, because no one knows how to speak
the language or understand it," she said.

In classrooms, Mono cultural sites and private homes in the North Fork area,
Burrough and a few others are working hard to change that, one child at a
time.

Before contact with Spanish and English-speaking cultures in the 1800s, an
estimated 5,000 spoke Mono in a territory that stretched from the San
Joaquin River south to the Kern River. Today, Burrough estimates that no
more than 17 people around North Fork can converse in the native tongue and
not all of them are fluent.

North Fork Mono Rancheria Tribal Council Treasurer Maryann McGovran's son
Cody, 13, has been one of Burrough's pupils for about two years. She said
she isn't fluent in Mono, but she knows a few words.

Preserving the language is important, she said at tribal headquarters,
because the language reflects the culture.

"It's the heart of our tribe," she said. "It shows who we are and what our
people are about."

Mono is among 50 Native American languages in California that are considered
endangered, said Leanne Hinton, professor emeritus in the linguistics
department at the University of California at Berkeley. Another 50 already
have disappeared since the early 1800s, she said.

"When you lose a language, it's a symptom of losing a whole culture," said
Hinton, who has written three books devoted to endangered languages.

But saving a language is no easy task especially when so few people still
speak it.

A nearby tribe -- the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians near
Coarsegold -- also is trying to save its language. The Chukchansi are
preserving tribal words and songs with state-of-the-art electronic
translators inspired by military technology.

Tribal elders demonstrated the device last month. The "Phraselator" stores
Chukchansi words electronically. When a person speaks into the device in
English, it responds with the Chukchansi translation.

But at $3,000 apiece, the devices aren't in the Mono Rancheria budget.

Mono tribal officials say the decline of the language began as early as the
1810s with the arrival of outside cultures and languages.

A series of broken treaties, land grabs and the integration of much North
Fork Mono tribal land into the Sierra National Forest left the native
residents little choice other than to join mining, lumber and agricultural
economies.

In school, children were discouraged from speaking Mono. As late as the
1970s, Native American children in Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding
schools were punished for speaking their native languages, said Andre
Cramblit, Northern California Indian Development Council operations
director and chairman of the Karuk tribal language restoration committee.

Burrough said that her family escaped boarding school because her
grandmother told her children to hide whenever a car came up their
driveway.

"That's why we were able to hang on to our language," Burrough said.

The North Fork Rancheria Tribal Council does not have the funds for a formal
program to preserve the Mono language, said council Chairwoman Jacquie
Davis-Van Huss. The 1,652-member tribe relies on volunteers like Burrough
and the support of educators who incorporate Mono lessons into programs in
public schools.

Burrough teaches children as part of its Indian Education Program in North
Fork Elementary School. Such programs also provide for classroom tutoring
in subjects other than language and culture for Native American kids,
Principal Stuart Pincus said.

The California Department of Education lists the North Fork Elementary
School program as one of eight such programs statewide that it sponsors for
schools where at least 10 percent of the students are Native American. The
courses, intended for children in grades kindergarten through fourth, are
designed to increase reading, language and math skills, along with
self-esteem.

Charles McCarthy can be reached at cmccarthy(at)fresnobee.com. For more
stories visit scrippsnews.com


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 18:42:42 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:42:42 -0700
Subject: A ring tone in your language...
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.114242.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I haven't tried it yet, but it seems fairly easy enough to make a
language-based ring tone.  So try it out and get back to us.  ;-)

Phil
UofA

~~~~
Make your own ring tone

Excerpt from: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/207588

1. Turn your future ring tone into an MP3 file.

• Download the free Mac- and PC-friendly audio editor Audacity
(audacity.sourceforge.net), and download and unzip LAME
(lame.sourceforge.net). LAME helps Audacity make MP3 files.

• In Audacity, click Edit/Preferences/File Formats, then click "Find
Library." Find the LAME file you just downloaded, and click it. Now,
Audacity can make MP3s.

• Use Audacity to record a 15-second snippet.

• Delete all unwanted recorded music, then export as an MP3 file.

2. The E-mail Method for transferring the MP3 file from your computer to
your phone.

• E-mail the MP3 file to your phone as an attachment. Your phone's e-mail
address is your 10-digit phone number @carriername.com (e.g.,
messaging.sprintpcs.com or vzwpix.com).

• On your phone, download the attachment to your phone, then use the ring
tone program in your phone to make your attachment your new ring tone.

3. The Bluetooth Method for transferring the MP3 file from your computer to
your phone.

• You'll need Bluetooth radio technology on both your computer and your
phone. Follow the instructions that came with your phone to pair it with
your computer using Bluetooth (This involves pressing a couple of keys then
holding the phone near your computer).

• Once the two are paired, use Bluetooth to beam your MP3 file from your
computer to your phone. Then use your ring tone function on your phone to
make the new music clip your ring tone.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 23:46:32 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:46:32 -0700
Subject: Conference examines impact of environmental issues on human
 rights (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.164632.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Conference examines impact of environmental issues on human rights

by Sherry Fisher - October 29, 2007
http://www.advance.uconn.edu/2007/071029/07102909.htm

In many locations around the world, native names are being ignored, thus
denying people’s cultural pasts and histories, says Jim Enote, a Zuni
tribal member, farmer, artist, and activist for the environment.

Enote was the keynote speaker Oct. 23 in the Student Union Theatre during
the Eighth Annual UNESCO Chair and Institute of Comparative Human Rights
Conference. The event’s topic was human rights and the environment.

“Indigenous people around the world have always had names of places, but in
many cases those names have all been eliminated and replaced with other
languages, other terms, and words that are foreign to us,” Enote said.

“In many cases, these are a direct denial of our past and history.”

For example, Bear Spring in New Mexico is now called Fort Wingate, Enote
said.

“What is embedded in my language is thousands and thousands of years of
environmental monitoring,” he added. “It’s all part of these languages that
are becoming extinct around the world.”

The Zuni are indigenous Americans living in New Mexico.

Indigenous peoples have a lot to contribute to the dialogue about the
environment and human rights, he said.

“Somewhere in the lives of society and cultures, we all want a piece of the
pie,” he said.

“We all want that security. We have always sought something better.
Somewhere, from the time of our innocent birth to the time we grow up, we
develop a sense of compassion, a sense of sharing. But what happens when
our environmental resources are stretched?” he asked. “What about the
ethics of helping each other, the ethics of sharing our resources? Which
voices are being heard and which aren’t?”

He said that human beings have “an urge to get something you don’t have – to
seek something better. But in that process comes about conquering and
displacement. Many native communities around the world have been conquered
and displaced.”

[photo inset - Environmental activist Jim Enote gives the keynote
presentation during a conference on human rights and the environment in the
Student Union Oct. 23. Photo supplied by ITL Photo]

Enote urged the audience to “respect each other’s languages, respect where
you come from. Everyone has something to contribute and no one should be
left behind.”

Another speaker, Pam Dashiell, a community activist in New Orleans, said the
U.S. government failed to deal with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. She
is from the Holy Cross neighborhood in the Lower Ninth Ward, where Katrina’s
storm surge broke the levee at the Industrial Canal flooding dozens of
homes.

“There are people who want to return, and there hasn’t been a concerted
effort to bring them back or ever find them,” she said.

Other issues, she said, are “the crumbling infrastructure, loss of housing,
and toxic sediments.”

Dashiell said, “With the help from universities, corporations, charities,
and individuals, we were able to plan and implement a Center for
Sustainable Engagement and Development. We are determined to come back. The
‘green’ rebuilding is going inch by inch.”

She said it is a human right “to be protected from the storms and the
stresses. She also said that without the help of ordinary people, recovery
in the Ninth Ward wouldn’t have come even as far as it has.

“We need to have fresh eyes on what exists. We need accountants, lawyers,
doctors, engineers, and architects, and are appreciative of the help that
has already been given,” she said. “The eye-opener is that there is no
government will to fix it; only the will of the people.”

The conference was co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for
Multicultural and International Affairs, the Office of the Vice Provost for
Enrollment Management, and the Department of Residential Life.


From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Sat Oct 27 01:19:22 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:19:22 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <1c1f75a20710260627s65005e5fla0658f9f01e37133@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.211922.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

With regard to the need for analysis of legacy materials where there
are no longer any speakers, I am not aware of a shortage of linguists
interested in this sort of work. If there are communities that want
linguists to help with this, I think they can get them. If there is a problem
here, it is probably one of communication rather than lack of linguists
willing to do this. There are quite a few linguists who are attracted
by the need to document endangered languages and by language
revitalization projects but who lack the skills or taste for fieldwork
or cannot do so for reasons of health or work or family circumstances.
Work on archival material is an attractive alternative for many such
linguists.

Bill


From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Sat Oct 27 01:28:27 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:28:27 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <39a679e20710260814x495a0525kddff778690ffbb4e@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.212827.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Dan Harvey wrote:
>I disagree that analysis be done later...

I agree that analysis cannot be separated from data collection.
When I said that analysis of legacy materials can be done later,
I was referring only to circumstances in which live data is
available, the point being not only that we will end up with
more data in toto but that an interaction between data gathering
and analysis is only possible when working with living speakers.
When I said that the analysis can be done later, I meant only
that since the legacy data is already "dead", someone in the future
can do as good a job of studying it as I can, whereas I can do
better working with living speakers than someone in the future will
be able to for the simple reason that there probably won't be any
in the future.

The idea that one can simply gather an unanalyzed corpus
and store it away, which some people are promoting, is
I think quite fallacious.  It encourages people to bypass
the interactive data gathering and analysis that is likely
to produce the greatest insight, and all too often it seems to
be associated with projects that expend an awful lot of time and
money to obtain a very small amount of data.

Bill


From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET  Sat Oct 27 04:57:04 2007
From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:57:04 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.005704.0400.PHONOSEMANTICS@EARTHLINK.NET>

Bill Poser wrote:

>The idea that one can simply gather an unanalyzed corpus
and store it away, which some people are promoting, is
I think quite fallacious.  It encourages people to bypass
the interactive data gathering and analysis that is likely
to produce the greatest insight, and all too often it seems to
be associated with projects that expend an awful lot of time and
money to obtain a very small amount of data.<

Yet this was one of the reasons a grant proposal to work with the last Yahgan speakers was rejected- the reviewer *knew* that the linguistic community had all relevant information about the language, and that further work with live speakers was useless. Even though the purpose of the fieldwork was to gather data about conversational pragmatics- sorely lacking in all of the extant archival materials.

And now, with only one speaker left, and linguists being forbidden access by her granddaughter who loathes academics, it may be too late. I'd sure like to give this anonymous reviewer a piece of my mind- and a few carefully folded fingers.

Jess Tauber
phonosemantics at earthlink.net


From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Sat Oct 27 05:11:33 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 01:11:33 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <23403037.1193461024638.JavaMail.root@elwamui-royal.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.011133.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Jess Tauber wrote:
>Yet this was one of the reasons a grant proposal to work with
>the last Yahgan speakers was rejected- the reviewer *knew* that
>the linguistic community had all relevant information about the
>language, and that further work with live speakers was useless.

Well, that reviewer sure wasn't me. I'm amazed that this reviewer's
ridiculous opinion carried weight with the panel. The only circumstance
in which I can see this being reasonable is if the last speaker is
known to be such a poor source that little useful could be obtained,
which I assume is not the case.

Bill


From hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM  Sat Oct 27 13:49:04 2007
From: hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM (hastiin yellowhair)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 06:49:04 -0700
Subject: Navajo Studies Conference
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.064904.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Ya'at'eeh all,
  Just for your information:  Navajo Studies Conference on November 1-3, 2007 at Tsaile, AZ - Dine College.  Go to:  http://www.dinecollege.edu/ics/NavajoStudiesConference  
  Check it out.  Hagoonee' .... leroy morgan


Dinek'ehji Yalti' doo Ni tsekees
 __________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 
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From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET  Sat Oct 27 19:05:49 2007
From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:05:49 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539E7F2@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.120549.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I just came across another native linguist!

Dale Old Horn (Crow)
1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology


Phil
UofA


From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Sat Oct 27 19:09:59 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 15:09:59 -0400
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <2275FA67-0931-4127-89F2-D7EC3520FCF6@dakotacom.net>
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.150959.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Sat Oct 27 19:27:28 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:27:28 -0700
Subject: Program Seeks Rare American Indian and Indigenous Books (fwd)
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.122728.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Program Seeks Rare American Indian and Indigenous Books

The effort is an attempt to improve intercultural understanding through the
use of children's books.

By La Monica Everett-Haynes, University Communications
October 23, 2007
http://uanews.org/node/16511

Language and culture are often thought of as the seminal core of any given
group.

But what happens when one’s own language is endangered?

A new effort at The University of Arizona’s College of Education is focused
on indigenous populations and trying to help keep indigenous languages from
disappearing – and to do this, children and adolescent literature will be
used.

With a $15,000 donation from the Tohono O’odham Nation, the college’s
International Collection of Children’s and Adolescent Literature is
initiating a project to bring some of the world’s most rare American Indian
and indigenous peoples books to Tucson.

“We want to have books that reflect on indigenous populations around the
world,” said Kathy G. Short, a professor in the college's language, reading
and culture department.

The books will build on the existing collection, which is a teaching and
research library that contains 30,000 books housed in the College of
Education’s basement. The full library is one of the largest collections of
international children's literature in the world.

Many of the children's books reflecting on the lives of indigenous people
are produced by large, national publishing companies and are most often
written in English by people who do not self-identify as American Indian.

Also, Short said, many of the books are about history or historical events.

She said the challenge with finding books that accurately portay indigenous
people, either written in English or native languages, is that such books
are generally very difficult to find because they most often are printed by
much smaller publishing companies and tribal presses.

Short, who oversees the collection at the UA, is not deterred – she already
has access to databases that have gathered information about books written
in varying languages.

“So, now, we have to search them out and figure out how to get the books
here,” she said.

“What we’re hoping is that we end up with an exemplary collection, and I
think it will be used by different scholars,” she said. “I see that
collection as being so important to different interests in the University
and across the state, and also teachers coming from all over North
America."

Such work is one among a number of different efforts across campus
attempting to both preserve and document native and indigenous languages
and culture.

Others include:

    * ArizonaNativeNet.com, which is a Web site run out of the James E.
Rogers College of Law that offers distance learning and telecommunications
for tribal nations.
    * The Knowledge River program out of the School of Information Resources
and Library Science, teaching about librarianship issues in the context of
the American Indian perspective, as well as that of Hispanic populations.
    * The American Indian Language Development Institute is a residential
summer program held at the UA. Run out of Short’s department, the institute
educates participants on ways to incorporate cultural and linguistic
teachings into schools and provides assistance to tribal nations attempting
to preserve their respective languages.
    * The UA offers degree programs in Native American linguistics and
American Indian studies.
    * The University of Arizona Libraries keeps a permanent collection of
material written in the central Mexico language of Nahuatl, which is
periodically on display. Also, certain library staff teach and share
material specific to indigenous groups.

And there is even more.

Short’s new initiative is important not only for children, but likely will
be important to all organizations and scholars researching American Indian
culture or trying to preserve their languages, she said.

“Given those strong programs, our location in Arizona, and the focus on
language revitalization, it helps our focus on having a very strong
indigenous collection,” Short said. “Having a collection like that will be
important to their work. That is really important.”

Office of University Communications
888 N. Euclid Ave. Room 413, Tucson,Arizona 85721


From nwarner at U.ARIZONA.EDU  Sun Oct 28 17:43:03 2007
From: nwarner at U.ARIZONA.EDU (Natasha L Warner)
Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 10:43:03 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025185348.D76FEB2498@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <SUN.28.OCT.2007.104303.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi,

I've been out of town and am just now picking up on this interesting
discussion about analysis of existing (archival) data vs. new data
collection.

I agree with the things Bill said _if_ the language still has fluent
speakers, which is the situation he was addressing.  (I especially
agree about all the problems with archival data itself that he listed,
since I work with it!)  However, if we look at the bigger picture of
archival data vs./and new data collection across languages, there is
another issue.  I work on revitalization of a dormant California language,
Mutsun, through archival data.  There hasn't been a fluent speaker since
1930, but the community has been working on revitalization since 1996, and
is making good but slow progress.

For Mutusn, we desparately needed funding in order to enter thousands of
pages of Harrington microfilm data into a database and analyze it, in
order to make a good dictionary and teaching materials.  We've been told
by various funding agencies that they won't fund revitalization, they'll
only fund new data collection from living speakers.  I see a couple of
reasons for this:  1) the idea that you have to get the data from living
speakers while they're alive, so that's a higher priority, whereas
existing archival data won't change, and 2) the emphasis of the field of
linguistics on getting data to answer theoretical questions, more than to
help the community increase use of their language. (Analysis of archival
data might be funded for theoretical purposes, but not to run community
language-learning workshops or to write a textbook.)

I understand the motivation on point 1 (higher priority if speakers are
elderly), but work on archival data can't just be done later, either.
The reason is that the community, right now, has motivation, people who
have gained skills to work on language, and just plain momentum.  It's
cruel to tell them "Sorry, you're low priority because your language is
already dead [we say "dormant"]), please come back in 20-30 years, because
then maybe everybody else's language will be in as bad a shape as yours,
and we can afford to give you the money then."  I completely understand
that resouces for both documentation and revitalization are very, very
limited, and one has to make choices.  However, from the position of
applying for grants to get the data out of Harrington into usable form,
being told that the language is dead and therefore unfundable has been
extremely frustrating.

As for the second point above, about collecting data for linguistic theory
vs. collecting or analyzing data for the community's benefit, I really do
believe that one gets both benefits (data for theory and for community
use) out of analyzing a large set of archival materials, if there isn't
any source of new data available for the language.  But many granting
agencies just have "documentation"  as the scope of their funding mission.
I also understand that granting agencies define what they're interested in
funding, and of course they have every right to do so.  Again, it's just
frustrating.

By the way, we did eventually get funding to analyze the Harrington data:
from the NEH's Preservation and Access program, which tries to make
materials of cultural or historical importance more accessible.  Putting
handwritten microfilmed unanalyzed field data into a database makes it
accessible.  The grant program isn't specific to language at all.

So my overall point is that in addition to considering priorities within
one language, we should also look at how resources and energy get
allocated across languages.  The archival analysis vs. new data decision
is different if we look across languages, unless we're willing to tell all
the dormant language communities to just forget about it and stop trying.

Oh, one more thing:  Bill, you mention there being no shortage of
linguists willing to work on archival data analysis.  I agree that there
are probably more out there who would be interested in taking projects on,
but given that revitalization work frequently is not valued by one's
department and not counted as linguistic work toward tenure, and that many
tribes can't afford to just hire themselves a full-time linguist, I'm not
so sure there are so many who really would like to take on the full scope
of a revitalization project.  If one follows it through, from digging up
the old sources through creating a database, producing a dictionary,
writing a textbook and other materials, collaborating with the community
(if one isn't community oneself) on all parts of the work, getting
funding, and figuring out with the community how to get fluency and spread
fluency through the community, it's a lifetime project.  I don't know many
linguists who are so interested in taking on a language to do this, while
trying to maintain the part of their careers they get hired by a
department for as well.  I do think there are lots more who would like to
help out with parts of the work, though.

Thanks,

Natasha

*******************************************************************************
Natasha Warner
Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics
University of Arizona
PO Box 210028
Tucson, AZ 85721-0028
U.S.A.

Until August 2008:
Visiting Researcher
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
PO Box 310
6500 AH Nijmegen
the Netherlands


From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM  Sun Oct 28 19:56:08 2007
From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield)
Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:56:08 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.4.58.0710270131340.15857@basil.u.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <SUN.28.OCT.2007.125608.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

All,
Natasha makes some great points here -- among them is the fact that there is
a real
disconnect between communities who want and need linguists and linguists who
want
to work at the community level, but are often frustrated by the powers that
be at the institution they
work for.

More education is needed at the community level about what / who
can best serve their needs --understanding the difference between
theoretical linguists, descriptive
linguists, field linguists (who wear many hats) and applied linguists.
Further, how to find a linguist
who is familar with the language, or related languages -- and how to get a
good reference for a good linguist.

And, there needs to be more general support for revitalization activities
among funding agencies and institutions
alike. We all understand, I think, that documentation activities are more
well defined and exacting -- more easy
to report on and quantify. However, communities are crying out for more
support of revitalization -- both those with
'dormant' languages, those with still active languages. They need support
for teachers, materials development,
money to hire the appropriate linguist, etc...and this type of funding is
hard to come by in the amounts usually
needed. Wish I had a solution; all I can do is offer this observation: Seems
like, with more documentation projects
under way these days, that agencies should logically follow with funds to
help spin this work into materials for
revitalization....perhaps wishful thinking on my part...


Susan


On 10/28/07, Natasha L Warner <nwarner at u.arizona.edu> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I've been out of town and am just now picking up on this interesting
> discussion about analysis of existing (archival) data vs. new data
> collection.
>
> I agree with the things Bill said _if_ the language still has fluent
> speakers, which is the situation he was addressing.  (I especially
> agree about all the problems with archival data itself that he listed,
> since I work with it!)  However, if we look at the bigger picture of
> archival data vs./and new data collection across languages, there is
> another issue.  I work on revitalization of a dormant California language,
> Mutsun, through archival data.  There hasn't been a fluent speaker since
> 1930, but the community has been working on revitalization since 1996, and
> is making good but slow progress.
>
> For Mutusn, we desparately needed funding in order to enter thousands of
> pages of Harrington microfilm data into a database and analyze it, in
> order to make a good dictionary and teaching materials.  We've been told
> by various funding agencies that they won't fund revitalization, they'll
> only fund new data collection from living speakers.  I see a couple of
> reasons for this:  1) the idea that you have to get the data from living
> speakers while they're alive, so that's a higher priority, whereas
> existing archival data won't change, and 2) the emphasis of the field of
> linguistics on getting data to answer theoretical questions, more than to
> help the community increase use of their language. (Analysis of archival
> data might be funded for theoretical purposes, but not to run community
> language-learning workshops or to write a textbook.)
>
> I understand the motivation on point 1 (higher priority if speakers are
> elderly), but work on archival data can't just be done later, either.
> The reason is that the community, right now, has motivation, people who
> have gained skills to work on language, and just plain momentum.  It's
> cruel to tell them "Sorry, you're low priority because your language is
> already dead [we say "dormant"]), please come back in 20-30 years, because
> then maybe everybody else's language will be in as bad a shape as yours,
> and we can afford to give you the money then."  I completely understand
> that resouces for both documentation and revitalization are very, very
> limited, and one has to make choices.  However, from the position of
> applying for grants to get the data out of Harrington into usable form,
> being told that the language is dead and therefore unfundable has been
> extremely frustrating.
>
> As for the second point above, about collecting data for linguistic theory
> vs. collecting or analyzing data for the community's benefit, I really do
> believe that one gets both benefits (data for theory and for community
> use) out of analyzing a large set of archival materials, if there isn't
> any source of new data available for the language.  But many granting
> agencies just have "documentation"  as the scope of their funding mission.
> I also understand that granting agencies define what they're interested in
> funding, and of course they have every right to do so.  Again, it's just
> frustrating.
>
> By the way, we did eventually get funding to analyze the Harrington data:
> from the NEH's Preservation and Access program, which tries to make
> materials of cultural or historical importance more accessible.  Putting
> handwritten microfilmed unanalyzed field data into a database makes it
> accessible.  The grant program isn't specific to language at all.
>
> So my overall point is that in addition to considering priorities within
> one language, we should also look at how resources and energy get
> allocated across languages.  The archival analysis vs. new data decision
> is different if we look across languages, unless we're willing to tell all
> the dormant language communities to just forget about it and stop trying.
>
> Oh, one more thing:  Bill, you mention there being no shortage of
> linguists willing to work on archival data analysis.  I agree that there
> are probably more out there who would be interested in taking projects on,
> but given that revitalization work frequently is not valued by one's
> department and not counted as linguistic work toward tenure, and that many
> tribes can't afford to just hire themselves a full-time linguist, I'm not
> so sure there are so many who really would like to take on the full scope
> of a revitalization project.  If one follows it through, from digging up
> the old sources through creating a database, producing a dictionary,
> writing a textbook and other materials, collaborating with the community
> (if one isn't community oneself) on all parts of the work, getting
> funding, and figuring out with the community how to get fluency and spread
> fluency through the community, it's a lifetime project.  I don't know many
> linguists who are so interested in taking on a language to do this, while
> trying to maintain the part of their careers they get hired by a
> department for as well.  I do think there are lots more who would like to
> help out with parts of the work, though.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Natasha
>
>
> *******************************************************************************
> Natasha Warner
> Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics
> University of Arizona
> PO Box 210028
> Tucson, AZ 85721-0028
> U.S.A.
>
> Until August 2008:
> Visiting Researcher
> Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
> PO Box 310
> 6500 AH Nijmegen
> the Netherlands
>



-- 
____________________________________________________________
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research)
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."

                                                          Wade Davis...(on a
Starbucks cup...)
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From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US  Mon Oct 29 17:57:05 2007
From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:57:05 -0600
Subject: Hopi teacher wins Spirit of the Heard Award (fwd)
In-Reply-To: <20071024102419.ntw8css80ccsgo8g@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.115705.0600.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

This is Too Cool. I was in Emory's Hopi course when I was at AILDI a few
years ago. I did a presentation on DNA in Hopi. It's on my website at
http://learningforpeople.us/  Under Languages, select Hopi & then "Blue Corn
& Diabetes" The effort brought out lots of issues, especially about
contemporary ideas, cultural understandings and language extensions. 
Emory liked the presentation, but I noticed he didn't run off an ask us to
build stuff like it for the students in school. Sigh. 

Mia 

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of phil cash cash
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 11:24 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [ILAT] Hopi teacher wins Spirit of the Heard Award (fwd)

Hopi teacher wins Spirit of the Heard Award

Tuesday October 23, 2007
By John Christian Hopkins
Diné Bureau
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/october/102307jch_sprtofthehrd.html

PHOENIX — Emory Sekaquaptewa doesn’t take things for granted, his
philosophy, you could say, is “Don’t worry, be Hopi.”

So Sekaquaptewa didn’t get a big head when he won the fourth Spirit of the
Heard Award from the Heard Museum.

“I was surprised but grateful for the recognition,”

Sekaquaptewa said. “I’m not really doing these things for recognition; I
enjoy doing them and feel it has to be done.”

The central work of his life has been to try to save the language for future
Hopi generations.

The Spirit of the Heard Award recognizes a person’s actions and work
experience to further the Heard mission:

“To educate the public about the heritage and the living cultures and art of
Native peoples, with an emphasis on the peoples of the Southwest.”

The recipient of this national award must be a living member of an American
Indian tribe or community.

The museum’s Board of Trustee’s American Indian Advisory Committee created
the Spirit of the Heard Award to honor an individual who has demonstrated a
level of personal excellence in his or her life either individually as a
community leader. The award ceremony was part of this year’s Native
American Recognition Days in the Phoenix area. This year marks the 25th
Annual, and the theme is “Celebrating 25 Years of Native American
Communities and Cultures.”

Committee members chose Sekaquaptewa, a research anthropologist at the
University of Arizona, for this honor because of his tireless work to help
preserve all aspects of Hopi life, including the Hopi language for future
generations.

One of his major works was the Hopi dictionary, which has more than 30,000
entries in it. It was published in 1998 after a decade of work. The latest
revision of the Hopi Dictionary was completed in February 2004.

Sekaquaptewa was born on Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation. He has worked
at the U of A since 1972, in teaching, research and service. In addition,
he was awarded a law degree from the university in 1970.

Sekaquaptewa is also an appellate judge for the Hopi Tribe.

During his tenure at the U of A, Sekaquaptewa has published dozens of
scholarly articles and books.

“Emory Sekaquaptewa’s dedication to preserving all aspects of Hopi culture
and language, his accomplishment in the Indian law field and his work as an
educator at the U of A serve as an inspiration to all of us at the Heard,”
said Frank Goodyear Jr., the museum’s director. “We are truly honored to
present the Spirit of the Heard Award to such a stellar figure in Native
American today.”

Sekaquaptewa has no plans to rest on his laurels, though.

His current project involves laying foundations for Hopi literacy programs
at Hopi High School and other school on the Hopi Nation. He is also
involved with the Hopi Murals Projects, funded by the Getty Foundation at
the Museum of Northern Arizona .

He still teaches the “Hopi Language in Culture” course at the U of A, where
he also co-teaches anthropology.

And, as one might expect, Sekaquaptewa is an active member of the Hopi
community in all of its activities, both modern and traditional.

“It’s like I never left. I’ve been involved in every aspect of Hopi life,”
Sekaquaptewa said.

He points to his 1966 Chevy Impala as an example.

“I think it had nearly 300,000 (miles) when I last looked,” he said.

Like his car, Sekaquaptewa just keeps on rolling along.

The Heard has educated visitors from around the world about the art and
cultures of Native people of the Southwest since 1929. It has nearly 40,000
artifacts in its permanent collection, an education center and an
award-winning shop and bookstore and restaurant.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 29 17:58:41 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:58:41 -0700
Subject: World languages are disappearing: experts (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.105841.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

World languages are disappearing: experts

Mon Oct 29, 2007 1:30pm IST
By Jalil Hamid
http://in.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idINKLR20239520071029?sp=true

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters Life!) - Every two weeks on average, one of the 6,500
languages of the world vanishes with the death of its last elderly
speakers, taking with it a wealth of cultural knowledge, experts say.

At a recent meeting in the Malaysian capital, linguistic experts said the
United States, Canada and Australia were the worse off, with a wealth of
Asian languages also under threat.

"There is a vast treasure house of human knowledge," said Nicholas Ostler,
President of Foundation for Endangered Languages, a UK-based group.

"So when a language is lost, it's just not the words but typically it's a
kind of knowledge that came with that language."

According to a report in U.S. magazine Cultural Survival, 89 percent of the
154 tribal languages left in the United States were in imminent danger of
extinction, with more than half having only a handful of elderly speakers.

In the state of Oklahoma for example, at least 14 languages -- including
Hitchiti, Kaw, Kitsai and Peoria of the native Americans -- are no longer
spoken.

The situation is no better in many parts of Asia, despite the region's
cultural diversity. Experts said many governments were unwilling to address
the issue for the sake of national unity.

"Traditionally, large number of languages have been seen as contributing to
divisiveness to countries that are harder to govern, may be more unruly or
may be poorer," said Ostler.

"Diversity is seen as a load on the government to deal with it," he told
Reuters.

DISAPPEARING DIALECTS

In the Indian Ocean island of Andaman, the largest language there is down to
just 20 speakers. And in tiny Brunei, linguists say some minority languages
could face extinction within a generation or two, leaving behind only two
or three languages.

"All the minority languages and dialects of Brunei are endangered," said
Adrian Clyne, an English lecturer at a Brunei university. "In most cases,
they are undocumented."

In Pakistan, linguists say Siraiki, a language spoken by 40 million people
in the southwestern districts of the Punjab province, is under threat as
people turn to English and Urdu in a bid to better their social and
economic standing.

"They feel this Siraiki language has nothing to offer," said Pakistani
linguist Saiqa Imtiaz Asif. "Siraiki-speaking students face constant
dismissals, inequalities and put-downs."

"Siraikis have to learn English and Urdu to survive, to get good jobs.
Probably they will come back to their heritage but it might be too late by
then," she told Reuters.

China, which has some 235 living languages and dialects, is not immune to
language loss in the wake of the rise of Mandarin, said Picus Sizhi Ding, a
lecturer at Macau Polytechnic Institute.

As the predominant language, Mandarin has been vigorously promoted under the
current language education policy, inevitably marginalizing other languages
and dialects, he said.

There are few signs of hope, experts said. In south Australia, for example,
the Kaurna people in the Adelaide plains have been working with linguists
and musicians to reclaim Kaurna language that was considered to be extinct.

"If the new generation can be interested in a language, perhaps it doesn't
need to die after all," said Ostler of the Foundation for Endangered
Languages."

© Reuters2007All rights reserved


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 29 18:01:56 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:01:56 -0700
Subject: Learning The Lakota Language (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.110156.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Learning The Lakota Language

Video
10/28/2007
http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,62499
Sioux Falls, SD

Less than 70% of Native American students who attend South Dakota public
schools, graduate from high school. But the Sioux Falls School District is
working to turn those numbers around by introducing the Native American
culture and language into the classroom.

High school students in the Sioux Falls School District can take world
languages like Spanish or German, but a new dialect is also making it's way
into the classroom.

Native American students at Washington High school are enrolled in the
districts new Lakota Language class. Here they're learning much more than
vowels and consonants.

"What it really provides for them is appreciation of who they are and where
they come from," Lakota Language Teacher Jim Thunder Hawk.

Thunder Hawk says the students are showing a great sense of respect for the
language that's the backbone of where they come from.

"I'm excited that they did this, Sophomore Korrie Thomas said.

Thomas says she signed up for the class to learn more about her people and
herself.

"Most native kids that I know hardly know any Lakota unless they're in the
class, and I'm pretty sure if they get signed up for next semester, they'll
start learning and they'll start wanting to come back to learn some more,"
Thomas said.

With low graduation rates among native american students, the district hopes
this class will get them excited about furthering their education. Thunder
Hawk says it's a lesson not only native american students can learn from,
but all students.

"It's important for the cultures of South Dakota to get to know their
neighbors who've been here before statehood is the Lakota people," Thunder
Hawk said.

The class is open to every student in the district. It is part of a 5 year
pilot program and will be offered again next year.




Kelli Grant
© 2007 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 29 18:29:21 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:29:21 -0700
Subject: Rez Radio (fwd link)
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.112921.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Rez Radio

Arts: Loris Taylor talks about Native Americans' fight for freedom on the
media frontier.

Interviewed By Gary Moskowitz
October 25, 2007
http://www.motherjones.com/arts/qa/2007/10/rez-radio.html


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 29 18:59:42 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:59:42 -0700
Subject: Discursive Practices: The Formation of a Transnational Indigenous
 Poetics (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.115942.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>



  Discursive Practices: The Formation of a Transnational Indigenous Poetics
12-14 May 2008 / University of California, Davis  

  The conference will feature the participation of representative Native
American/indigenous writers from North, Central, and South America. Sponsored
by the Department of Native American Studies, with co-sponsorship from the
Chicana/Latina Research Center, the Hemispheric Institute on the Americas, the
Davis Humanities Institute, and the Spanish Department, with systemwide support
from the UC Humanities Research Institute at Irvine.
        Papers are invited that consider the importance of indigenous
literatures in the Americas in relationship to cultural (re)vindication
movements within the last 40 years. The following list suggests some possible
areas for development, but proposals in any area relating to the conference
theme of indigenous literatures will be welcome: 

  * orality and literacy
  * land and literature
  * indigenous languages and literature
  * myths, traditional stories, and history
  * intertextuality and indigenous literary production
  * parallelism and indigenous poetics
  * North/South literary histories
  * memory and imagination
  * gendering voice

  Send a 150-200 word abstract to: Gloria Chacón: gechacon at gmail.com[1] and
Inés Hernández-Ávila: ighernandez at ucdavis.edu[2]. Include author name,
affiliation, contact information and paper title. Deadline for submissions:
DECEMBER 1, 2007. Essays will be selected for a possible anthology. 

  Conference Organizers: Inés Hernández-Avila, UC Davis; Gloria Chacón, UC
Davis; Stefano Varese, UC Davis; Victoria Bomberry, UC Riverside.

Links:
------
[1] mailto:gechacon at gmail.com
[2] mailto:ighernandez at ucdavis.edu
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 29 19:01:30 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:01:30 -0700
Subject: The Fourth Annual Storytellers Of the Americas Conference (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.120130.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>



  THE FOURTH ANNUAL STORYTELLERS OF THE AMERICAS CONFERENCE
Honoring The Life and Work of John C. Mohawk
28-30 March 2008 / State University of New York at Buffalo 

  The Fourth Annual Storytellers of the Americas Conference will honor the life
and work of John C. Mohawk through storytelling and through academic papers
relating to the many and varied fields in which Dr. Mohawk worked throughout
his life.
        John Mohawk told stories. Whether in a classroom, a board
meeting, or a deposition, John Mohawk told a story to help his listeners see
the shape of the issue at hand. John Mohawk laughed at his own stories, often
at unexpected moments. His infectious laughter helped break down resistance to
the difficulty of the fact patterns he built up for his audiences. 

  * As a journalist for several decades, he told stories of contemporary
indigenous struggles that shaped public understanding of Indian country.
  * As a professor and lecturer, he easily moved through the broad flow of
world history as well as the details of modernity, helping students connect
their realities to the larger stories.
  * As a teacher, he led students to active discussions about and further
digging through history and culture not for the self-indulgent collection of
knowledge but for practical application in their own projects.
  * As a cultural spokesperson, he connected the dots between indigenous
technologies and knowledges; food, farming, and nutrition; contemporary and
historical politics; and development and resistance projects around the world.
  * As a traditional storyteller, he participated in the ceremonies of his own
people, telling the ancient stories that continue to shape worldviews.
  * As a friend, he was more likely to tell a story about a recent meal than
anything else.

  Are you a storyteller? As this is a Storytellers Conference, we invite you to
tell stories. Stories will be told in a special session, wrapping up the
conference, on Sunday, March 30, 2008. 

  Are you a scholar? We also seek proposals for academic papers related to John
Mohawk, his life, and work. Panels include but are not limited to: 

  * Iroquois White Corn Project, including issues of slow food, contemporary
cuisine, farming, and native nutrition.
  * Indigenous Stories within their own culture, including creation stories,
ceremonies, and histories.
  * Environmental concerns, including historical climate change, contemporary
global warming, the effects on indigenous peoples, and survival advice offered
by indigenous prophecies.
  * Indigenous History, including government, law, resistance, land rights, and
development.
  * Modernity and the West, including the European projects of white supremacy,
colonization, and domination by the sword, by the pen, and by any means
available.

 The deadline for submission is 1 NOVEMBER 1 2007. Presenters will be notified
by January 20, 2008. Send a one-page proposal of no more than 250 words for a
15-20 minute presentation to: Storytellers of Americas Conference Organizing
Committee c/o Nikki Dragone (n_dragone at yahoo.com[1]), Amber Adams
(ambermeadowadams at verizon.net[2]), and Ula Piasta (ulapiasta at yahoo.com[3]).

Links:
------
[1] mailto:n_dragone at yahoo.com
[2] mailto:ambermeadowadams at verizon.net
[3] mailto:ulapiasta at yahoo.com
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From jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU  Mon Oct 29 22:41:53 2007
From: jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU (Joan Gross)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:41:53 -0700
Subject: Rez Radio (fwd link)
In-Reply-To: <20071029112921.8qs6ugo800swgoc0@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.154153.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Juan,
Here's a nice article if you ever decide to resurrect your media initiative.

Joan


On 10/29/07 11:29 AM, "phil cash cash" <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:

> Rez Radio
> 
> Arts: Loris Taylor talks about Native Americans' fight for freedom on the
> media frontier.
> 
> Interviewed By Gary Moskowitz
> October 25, 2007
> http://www.motherjones.com/arts/qa/2007/10/rez-radio.html


From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM  Tue Oct 30 02:42:41 2007
From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:12:41 +0930
Subject: Yolngu video
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.121241.0930.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi everyone,
My adopted family here at Milingimbi recently put a fusion Greek/Yolngu (NE
Arnhem Land, Australia) video on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MucVWo-Pw I haven't seen it because YouTube
is blocked by the Milingimbi School (where I have email access) but I'm told
it's quite something!
Enjoy!
Claire
(ps we're making videos here to put up on Youtube too of more traditional
Yolngu dancing.)
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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 15:30:13 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:30:13 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<20071027190959.8B092B24B7@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.083013.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
list. 

Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc. 
Thank you,

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill


From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 15:42:22 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:42:22 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: A<20071027012827.5EADFB249D@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.084222.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

This is, on my experience, not the way things work. I have worked with
and organized the Southwest Oregon Research Project Collection at the
University of Oregon. Over the course of three field research gathering
trips, we have gathered close to 200,000 pages of information. Most of
this information has been freely given to 17 tribes in and around
Oregon. The collection now creates the backbone for research on native
languages throughout Oregon and now that the linguistic departments are
beginning to produce native linguists, they can go back to this
collection and access their language from over 100 years before. This is
occurring in various ways. The main problem is lack of archive-ally
train staff at tribes. The tribes are just in the past 10-5 year begun
forming their tribal archives. 

The main issues are economics. In a perfect world we could seamlessly
collect data from archives and immediately analyze it. But most of us do
not live in that world. It takes lots of money, time, and planning to
collection archival materials, then lots more money, time, and planning
to analyze it and use it in tribal communities. I can not see how you
can place absolutes on how data is collected. Yes collection from living
speaking may be more important, but so is beginning the archival
collection because it will take about 5-10 years for that archive to be
functional in the perfect world. And today, with data collection going
digital, there are other problems of longevity of records, more time for
scanning, etc.  which should not take precedence over the actual
physical collection of and organization of paper collection which still
have a longer shelf life than digital collections. 


David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 6:28 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] legacy materials

Dan Harvey wrote:
>I disagree that analysis be done later...

I agree that analysis cannot be separated from data collection.
When I said that analysis of legacy materials can be done later,
I was referring only to circumstances in which live data is
available, the point being not only that we will end up with
more data in toto but that an interaction between data gathering
and analysis is only possible when working with living speakers.
When I said that the analysis can be done later, I meant only
that since the legacy data is already "dead", someone in the future
can do as good a job of studying it as I can, whereas I can do
better working with living speakers than someone in the future will
be able to for the simple reason that there probably won't be any
in the future.

The idea that one can simply gather an unanalyzed corpus
and store it away, which some people are promoting, is
I think quite fallacious.  It encourages people to bypass
the interactive data gathering and analysis that is likely
to produce the greatest insight, and all too often it seems to
be associated with projects that expend an awful lot of time and
money to obtain a very small amount of data.

Bill


From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM  Tue Oct 30 15:47:20 2007
From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:47:20 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539EF19@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.084720.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thanks for this, David..

Phil and I have had this discussion often and the term "community
intellectuals' sometimes surfaces --

While I realize your list will focus on currently practicing folks, I would
like to acknowledge someone who passed away a few years ago but whose
knowledge and contribution still are valuable to the Mohave language
community: Leona Little.
Leona was an elder I worked with for some time and was the first - perhaps
only- person to develop full literacy in Mohave and began, of her own
intiative, to do full translations and transcriptions of traditional
stories. There are others currently working in this direction and following
her example (including two of her daughters who are just recently getting
really interested in working with their heritage language).

Please add Amelia Flores  (Mohave, enrolled at Colorado River Indian Tribes
where she is the tribal librarian and archivist)to your list. Amelia is
finishing her MA in Native American languages at the U of Arizona and is
developing a community-friendly grammar of Mohave as part of her work. As
well, she is teaching classes in Mohave and developing a carefully staged
curriculum for the language. Seems like she might bridge the criteria for
both lists!

Best,
Susan


On 10/30/07, David Lewis <David.Lewis at grandronde.org> wrote:
>
> I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
> list.
>
> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
> Thank you,
>
> David G. Lewis
> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
>
> Office 503.879.1634
> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>
> >I just came across another native linguist!
> >
> >Dale Old Horn (Crow)
> >1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
> >M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>
> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
> people already on the list) please let me know.
>
> Bill
>



-- 
____________________________________________________________
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research)
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."

                                                          Wade Davis...(on a
Starbucks cup...)
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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 15:54:44 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:54:44 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<39a679e20710300847y7b1443f7xa06881eda4cfaaac@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.085444.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thanks, They are added. 

 

David G. Lewis

Manager, Cultural Resources Department

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634

David.Lewis at grandronde.org <mailto:David.Lewis at grandronde.org> 

________________________________

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Susan Penfield
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:47 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

 

Thanks for this, David..

 

Phil and I have had this discussion often and the term "community
intellectuals' sometimes surfaces --

 

While I realize your list will focus on currently practicing folks, I
would like to acknowledge someone who passed away a few years ago but
whose knowledge and contribution still are valuable to the Mohave
language community: Leona Little. 

Leona was an elder I worked with for some time and was the first -
perhaps only- person to develop full literacy in Mohave and began, of
her own intiative, to do full translations and transcriptions of
traditional stories. There are others currently working in this
direction and following her example (including two of her daughters who
are just recently getting really interested in working with their
heritage language). 

 

Please add Amelia Flores  (Mohave, enrolled at Colorado River Indian
Tribes where she is the tribal librarian and archivist)to your list.
Amelia is finishing her MA in Native American languages at the U of
Arizona and is developing a community-friendly grammar of Mohave as part
of her work. As well, she is teaching classes in Mohave and developing a
carefully staged curriculum for the language. Seems like she might
bridge the criteria for both lists! 

 

Best,

Susan

 

On 10/30/07, David Lewis <David.Lewis at grandronde.org> wrote: 

I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In 
native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it 
possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
list.

Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within 
their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work

on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
Thank you,

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill




-- 
____________________________________________________________
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture,
Language and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)   
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research) 
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of
thought, an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities." 
           
                                                          Wade
Davis...(on a Starbucks cup...) 

-------------- next part --------------
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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 16:10:21 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:10:21 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539EF19@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.091021.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Also, please think about native linguists of the past that made
significant contributions. I will be adding such people as John Hudson
Jr. and William Hartless from Grand Ronde. But I know that many tribes
have had culture bearers that have served to link the generations
through language. 

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of David Lewis
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:30 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
list. 

Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc. 
Thank you,

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill


From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 16:17:57 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:17:57 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<20071027190959.8B092B24B7@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.091757.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Please add Gordon Bettles, Klamath Tribes, University of Oregon, Masters
in independent program linguistics, international studies, anthropology,
working on Klamath language

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill


From bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM  Tue Oct 30 16:24:28 2007
From: bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM (s.t. bischoff)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:24:28 -0400
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539EF22@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.122428.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Lawrence G Nicodemus of the Coeur d'Alene tribe was an important figure in
Salishan linguistics. He created the current community orthography, wrote a
Coeur d'Alene / English dictionary and English / Coeur d'Alene dictionary.
He also worked with most, if not all, the linguists of the 20th Century that
worked on Coeur d'Alene. His mother Dorothy Nicodemus, along with Tom
Miyal,  was one of the primary informants for Gladys Reichard. Lawrence
passed away a few years ago. I believe Lawrence was the subject of Raymond
Brinkman's U of Chicago PhD dissertation.

On 10/30/07, David Lewis <David.Lewis at grandronde.org> wrote:
>
> Also, please think about native linguists of the past that made
> significant contributions. I will be adding such people as John Hudson
> Jr. and William Hartless from Grand Ronde. But I know that many tribes
> have had culture bearers that have served to link the generations
> through language.
>
> David G. Lewis
> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
> Office 503.879.1634
> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of David Lewis
> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:30 AM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>
> I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
> list.
>
> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
> Thank you,
>
> David G. Lewis
> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
>
> Office 503.879.1634
> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>
> >I just came across another native linguist!
> >
> >Dale Old Horn (Crow)
> >1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
> >M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>
> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
> people already on the list) please let me know.
>
> Bill
>
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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 16:35:28 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:35:28 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<1c1f75a20710300924q2412336cm8b747e70503b69c1@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.093528.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Got it thanks.

 

David G. Lewis

Manager, Cultural Resources Department

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634

David.Lewis at grandronde.org <mailto:David.Lewis at grandronde.org> 

________________________________

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of s.t. bischoff
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 9:24 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

 

Lawrence G Nicodemus of the Coeur d'Alene tribe was an important figure
in Salishan linguistics. He created the current community orthography,
wrote a Coeur d'Alene / English dictionary and English / Coeur d'Alene
dictionary. He also worked with most, if not all, the linguists of the
20th Century that worked on Coeur d'Alene. His mother Dorothy Nicodemus,
along with Tom Miyal,  was one of the primary informants for Gladys
Reichard. Lawrence passed away a few years ago. I believe Lawrence was
the subject of Raymond Brinkman's U of Chicago PhD dissertation. 

On 10/30/07, David Lewis <David.Lewis at grandronde.org> wrote:

Also, please think about native linguists of the past that made
significant contributions. I will be adding such people as John Hudson
Jr. and William Hartless from Grand Ronde. But I know that many tribes
have had culture bearers that have served to link the generations 
through language.

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org 

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of David Lewis
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:30 AM 
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In 
native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it 
possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
list.

Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within 
their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work

on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
Thank you,

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill

 

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From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET  Tue Oct 30 17:48:50 2007
From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:48:50 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <39a679e20710300847y7b1443f7xa06881eda4cfaaac@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.104850.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

David and Susan, everybody,

Just a quick note.  The Languages volume of the HBNA (Handbook of  
North American Indians, Vol 17, Languages) acknowledges the  
contributions of the native communities to modern linguistic  
research.  These individuals are identified as "native speaker  
researchers" (pp 56).  As Susan mentioned, we have used the term  
"community intellectual" at various times in acknowledging these  
people in our AILDI (American Indian Language Development Inst)  
courses.  In my UofA M.A thesis of 2000, I have used the term  
"speaker scholar" and speaker scholar research to describe the work  
of one such individual.  So everybody should feel free to take a look  
at the listing from the HBNA-Languages vol. pages 57-58.  There you  
(all) will find a diverse listing of community scholars/researchers  
who made important contributions to modern native language research  
and revitalization.  I am certain there are more but at the moment  
many go unrecognized.  Thanks David.

Phil



On Oct 30, 2007, at 8:47 AM, Susan Penfield wrote:

> Thanks for this, David..
>
> Phil and I have had this discussion often and the term "community  
> intellectuals' sometimes surfaces --
>
> While I realize your list will focus on currently practicing folks,  
> I would like to acknowledge someone who passed away a few years ago  
> but whose knowledge and contribution still are valuable to the  
> Mohave language community: Leona Little.
> Leona was an elder I worked with for some time and was the first -  
> perhaps only- person to develop full literacy in Mohave and began,  
> of her own intiative, to do full translations and transcriptions of  
> traditional stories. There are others currently working in this  
> direction and following her example (including two of her daughters  
> who are just recently getting really interested in working with  
> their heritage language).
>
> Please add Amelia Flores  (Mohave, enrolled at Colorado River  
> Indian Tribes where she is the tribal librarian and archivist)to  
> your list. Amelia is finishing her MA in Native American languages  
> at the U of Arizona and is developing a community-friendly grammar  
> of Mohave as part of her work. As well, she is teaching classes in  
> Mohave and developing a carefully staged curriculum for the  
> language. Seems like she might bridge the criteria for both lists!
>
> Best,
> Susan
>
>
> On 10/30/07, David Lewis <David.Lewis at grandronde.org> wrote: I feel  
> that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the  
> true
> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
> list.
>
> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a  
> leader.
> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the  
> work
> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
> Thank you,
>
> David G. Lewis
> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
>
> Office 503.879.1634
> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>
> >I just came across another native linguist!
> >
> >Dale Old Horn (Crow)
> >1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
> >M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>
> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
> people already on the list) please let me know.
>
> Bill
>
>
>
> -- 
> ____________________________________________________________
> Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.
>
> Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture,  
> Language and Literacy (CERCLL)
> Department of English (Primary)
> American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
> Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
> Department of Language,Reading and Culture
> Department of Linguistics
> The Southwest Center (Research)
> Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836
>
>
> "Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of  
> thought, an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."
>
>                                                           Wade  
> Davis...(on a Starbucks cup...)


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 30 18:18:38 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:18:38 -0700
Subject: Global computer links 'are putting Gaelic culture at risk' (fwd)
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.111838.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Global computer links 'are putting Gaelic culture at risk'

Tuesday, 30th October 2007
JOHN ROSS (jross at scotsman.com)
http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=1727512007

THE advance of computer technology linking the most remote communities in
Scotland to the rest of the world could be eroding Gaelic culture, it was
claimed yesterday.

The likes of broadband is helping remove what has been called the "tyranny
of geography" and allowed some jobs previously done in cities to be
relocated to rural parts - including a Westminster Council call centre now
operating from Dingwall.

However, Scottish ministers have been warned that expanding the global
village could be harming communities due to its effect on cultural
identity.

Matthew MacIver, the chairman of Bord na Gaidhlig, the Gaelic development
agency, told the Highlands and Islands Convention meeting in Fort William
there was a risk of young people being seduced by the "blandness of the
global culture", and that the growing use of universal language could have
a negative effect on peoples' use of Gaelic.

He said: "I accept that broadband and the whole advance in technology is
important. But I'm worried that we could create an environment where we
isolate individuals, and that is a threat to community life. In the Gaelic
world, it is seriously important that we bring communities together to talk
their own language and take a pride in it.

"There is a danger of creating another environment where we have a
globalised culture. It's very important that, as the world grows smaller
and we create a global village, we do not lose sight of the fact we have
indigenous cultures, languages and histories that are important to us."

But Alex Salmond, the First Minister, insisted technology offered
opportunities for local cultures. "People have different views on
universality of culture, but I take the view that this provides the
opportunity for local cultures to project themselves on an international
stage, as it provides the opportunity for companies to conduct their
business on a worldwide stage."

He said there was 99 per cent broadband connectivity in Scotland, and a new
scheme aimed to give access to the other 1 per cent, largely in the
Highlands and Islands. "

Access to broadband is one of the key things that is promoting the rural and
remoter areas as the outstanding location of Scotland," Mr Salmond said.

Earlier, Willy Roe, chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said the
government needed to help ensure technology reached remote areas at the
same time, or even quicker, than urban centres.

He said: "The traditional practice has been that these things start in the
cities and ultimately, slowly, over years, reach rural and island areas.

If we are serious about giving the edge to the Highlands and Islands, then
why doesn't it start here?"


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 30 18:23:50 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:23:50 -0700
Subject: The Zuni Way (fwd link)
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.112350.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The Zuni Way

Though they embrace computers and TV, the secret of the tribe's unity lies
in fealty to their past

By Virginia Morell
Photographs by Scott S. Warren
Smithsonian magazine, April 2007

To access article, follow the link below:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/10024191.html


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 30 19:42:16 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:42:16 -0700
Subject: Yolngu video
In-Reply-To: <7f53d06c0710291942g3daf55c7h52ac4788a17fdd6b@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.124216.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Deadly...while viewing this, I also noticed "Yolngu Radio" in the listing and
that too is pretty cool...most all in the aboriginal language.
Phil
Quoting Claire Bowern :

> Hi everyone,
> My adopted family here at Milingimbi recently put a fusion Greek/Yolngu (NE
> Arnhem Land, Australia) video on YouTube.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MucVWo-Pw I haven't seen it because YouTube
> is blocked by the Milingimbi School (where I have email access) but I'm told
> it's quite something!
> Enjoy!
> Claire
> (ps we're making videos here to put up on Youtube too of more traditional
> Yolngu dancing.)


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From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM  Wed Oct 31 00:54:42 2007
From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:24:42 +0930
Subject: Yolngu video
In-Reply-To: <20071030124216.1ziuij7mscgkwk4k@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.102442.0930.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

It's ironic - I can't get Yolngu radio here either! The station broadcasts
at Ramingining, just across the river, so if I sit at the barge ramp with
the wind in the right direction I can sometimes hear it, but not usually,
and not from my house. This is the sort of thing that I was really hoping
the 'intervention' would change (like repeater stations for community
radio), but instead it's been an exercise in destroying trust and attempted
assimilation.
Claire



On 31/10/2007, phil cash cash <cashcash at email.arizona.edu> wrote:
>
> Deadly...while viewing this, I also noticed "Yolngu Radio" in the listing
> and that too is pretty cool...most all in the aboriginal language.
>
> Phil
>
> Quoting Claire Bowern <anggarrgoon at gmail.com>:
>
> > Hi everyone,
> > My adopted family here at Milingimbi recently put a fusion Greek/Yolngu
> (NE
> > Arnhem Land, Australia) video on YouTube.
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MucVWo-Pw I haven't seen it because
> YouTube
> > is blocked by the Milingimbi School (where I have email access) but I'm
> told
> > it's quite something!
> > Enjoy!
> > Claire
> > (ps we're making videos here to put up on Youtube too of more
> traditional
> > Yolngu dancing.)
>
>
> <https://www.email.arizona.edu/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DO-MucVWo-Pw>
>
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From jieikobu at HOTMAIL.COM  Wed Oct 31 07:26:20 2007
From: jieikobu at HOTMAIL.COM (Derksen Jacob)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:26:20 +0000
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539EF19@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.072620.0000.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>


Thanks for putting this forth. 
I constantly rail at the idea of university's so-called formal education being somehow superior to lived experience. The idea of a "formal education" is a social construct and an extremely class-based - and culturally biased! - one  at that. (Don't get me wrong, though; some of my best friends have PhD's...) 
That said, I wonder if Earl Claxton, Sr., John Elliott and his late father, David Elliott (Sencoten), and Dr. Burt McKay (Nisga'a) are on the list. 
Best,
Jacob
 
 
> Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:30:13 -0700> From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU> > I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that> list. > > Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work> on and where they work, what tribe they are a me
 mber of, etc. > Thank you,> > David G. Lewis> Manager, Cultural Resources Department> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde> > Office 503.879.1634> David.Lewis at grandronde.org> -----Original Message-----> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists> > >I just came across another native linguist!> > > >Dale Old Horn (Crow)> >1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language> >M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology> > Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on> people already on the list) please let me know.> > Bill
_________________________________________________________________
MSNミュージックとEMI Artistsが共同開催するオーディション SCHOOL OF SCHOOL
http://music.jp.msn.com/
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From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET  Wed Oct 31 15:16:18 2007
From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:16:18 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <BLU116-W39C0C639093DD29B38DA29D3930@phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.081618.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Kweh folks
there are many of us doing what we can, in our native communities
and of course appreciate some recognition and encouragement
but, speaking for myself ,
I don't know if it's necessary to make another list!
hey, social anthropologists:
where did all this list making come from?
haha!

Richard Zane Smith
(Söhahiyöh, of the bear clan)
Wyandotte Oklahoma


On 10/31/07 12:26 AM, "Derksen Jacob" <jieikobu at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Thanks for putting this forth.
> I constantly rail at the idea of university's so-called formal education being
> somehow superior to lived experience. The idea of a "formal education" is a
> social construct and an extremely class-based - and culturally biased! - one
> at that. (Don't get me wrong, though; some of my best friends have PhD's...)
> That said, I wonder if Earl Claxton, Sr., John Elliott and his late father,
> David Elliott (Sencoten), and Dr. Burt McKay (Nisga'a) are on the list.
> Best,
> Jacob
>  
>  

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From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US  Wed Oct 31 14:12:06 2007
From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:12:06 -0600
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <39a679e20710281256k2a34e5acm3843589f8e16a93c@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.081206.0600.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi, People, 

 

The unavailability of funding for revitalization is easily observable, but I
think Natasha was overly kind in her assessment of the reasoning. 

Historically, there has been a movement in the US to eradicate American
languages, replacing them with the Lingua Franca. I think that the funding
categories support this bias. I think that by documenting languages, we make
them available for scholars, thus increasing the total knowledge available
for non-Indigenous people. We also snap-shot them as anthropological
artifacts, ensuring that they do not change as they would if they were
alive. So the funding sources are doing their job of increasing knowledge,
and also following their social and anthropological mandates for
assimilation. 

 

It is impossible for me to believe that funding sources could be so cruel in
their allocations, depriving human beings of their last opportunity to save
and re-establish vestiges of their linguistic, social and cultural identity
unless the mid-19th century Eureka! that "White Man is G_d's supreme
creation" were not alive and well and living in the hearts of many. 

 

Mia 

 

  _____  

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Susan Penfield
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 1:56 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] legacy materials

 

All,

Natasha makes some great points here -- among them is the fact that there is
a real

disconnect between communities who want and need linguists and linguists who
want

to work at the community level, but are often frustrated by the powers that
be at the institution they

work for. 

 

More education is needed at the community level about what / who

can best serve their needs --understanding the difference between
theoretical linguists, descriptive 

linguists, field linguists (who wear many hats) and applied linguists.
Further, how to find a linguist

who is familar with the language, or related languages -- and how to get a
good reference for a good linguist. 

 

And, there needs to be more general support for revitalization activities
among funding agencies and institutions

alike. We all understand, I think, that documentation activities are more
well defined and exacting -- more easy

to report on and quantify. However, communities are crying out for more
support of revitalization -- both those with

'dormant' languages, those with still active languages. They need support
for teachers, materials development, 

money to hire the appropriate linguist, etc...and this type of funding is
hard to come by in the amounts usually

needed. Wish I had a solution; all I can do is offer this observation: Seems
like, with more documentation projects

under way these days, that agencies should logically follow with funds to
help spin this work into materials for

revitalization....perhaps wishful thinking on my part...

 

 

Susan

 

On 10/28/07, Natasha L Warner <nwarner at u.arizona.edu> wrote: 

Hi,

I've been out of town and am just now picking up on this interesting
discussion about analysis of existing (archival) data vs. new data 
collection.

I agree with the things Bill said _if_ the language still has fluent
speakers, which is the situation he was addressing.  (I especially
agree about all the problems with archival data itself that he listed, 
since I work with it!)  However, if we look at the bigger picture of
archival data vs./and new data collection across languages, there is
another issue.  I work on revitalization of a dormant California language, 
Mutsun, through archival data.  There hasn't been a fluent speaker since
1930, but the community has been working on revitalization since 1996, and
is making good but slow progress.

For Mutusn, we desparately needed funding in order to enter thousands of 
pages of Harrington microfilm data into a database and analyze it, in
order to make a good dictionary and teaching materials.  We've been told
by various funding agencies that they won't fund revitalization, they'll 
only fund new data collection from living speakers.  I see a couple of
reasons for this:  1) the idea that you have to get the data from living
speakers while they're alive, so that's a higher priority, whereas 
existing archival data won't change, and 2) the emphasis of the field of
linguistics on getting data to answer theoretical questions, more than to
help the community increase use of their language. (Analysis of archival 
data might be funded for theoretical purposes, but not to run community
language-learning workshops or to write a textbook.)

I understand the motivation on point 1 (higher priority if speakers are
elderly), but work on archival data can't just be done later, either. 
The reason is that the community, right now, has motivation, people who
have gained skills to work on language, and just plain momentum.  It's
cruel to tell them "Sorry, you're low priority because your language is 
already dead [we say "dormant"]), please come back in 20-30 years, because
then maybe everybody else's language will be in as bad a shape as yours,
and we can afford to give you the money then."  I completely understand 
that resouces for both documentation and revitalization are very, very
limited, and one has to make choices.  However, from the position of
applying for grants to get the data out of Harrington into usable form, 
being told that the language is dead and therefore unfundable has been
extremely frustrating.

As for the second point above, about collecting data for linguistic theory
vs. collecting or analyzing data for the community's benefit, I really do 
believe that one gets both benefits (data for theory and for community
use) out of analyzing a large set of archival materials, if there isn't
any source of new data available for the language.  But many granting 
agencies just have "documentation"  as the scope of their funding mission.
I also understand that granting agencies define what they're interested in
funding, and of course they have every right to do so.  Again, it's just 
frustrating.

By the way, we did eventually get funding to analyze the Harrington data:
from the NEH's Preservation and Access program, which tries to make
materials of cultural or historical importance more accessible.  Putting 
handwritten microfilmed unanalyzed field data into a database makes it
accessible.  The grant program isn't specific to language at all.

So my overall point is that in addition to considering priorities within 
one language, we should also look at how resources and energy get
allocated across languages.  The archival analysis vs. new data decision
is different if we look across languages, unless we're willing to tell all 
the dormant language communities to just forget about it and stop trying.

Oh, one more thing:  Bill, you mention there being no shortage of
linguists willing to work on archival data analysis.  I agree that there 
are probably more out there who would be interested in taking projects on,
but given that revitalization work frequently is not valued by one's
department and not counted as linguistic work toward tenure, and that many 
tribes can't afford to just hire themselves a full-time linguist, I'm not
so sure there are so many who really would like to take on the full scope
of a revitalization project.  If one follows it through, from digging up 
the old sources through creating a database, producing a dictionary,
writing a textbook and other materials, collaborating with the community
(if one isn't community oneself) on all parts of the work, getting 
funding, and figuring out with the community how to get fluency and spread
fluency through the community, it's a lifetime project.  I don't know many
linguists who are so interested in taking on a language to do this, while 
trying to maintain the part of their careers they get hired by a
department for as well.  I do think there are lots more who would like to
help out with parts of the work, though.

Thanks,

Natasha

****************************************************************************
***
Natasha Warner
Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics
University of Arizona
PO Box 210028
Tucson, AZ 85721-0028
U.S.A.

Until August 2008:
Visiting Researcher
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
PO Box 310
6500 AH Nijmegen
the Netherlands




-- 
____________________________________________________________ 
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)   
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI) 
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research)
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities." 
           
                                                          Wade Davis...(on a
Starbucks cup...) 

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From hsouter at GMAIL.COM  Wed Oct 31 15:34:59 2007
From: hsouter at GMAIL.COM (Heather Souter)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:34:59 -0500
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <C34DEA52.3399%rzs@wildblue.net>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.103459.0500.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Taanshi all,

Although there is not a real *need* for any lists, I am glad that both
of them have been created.  It is great to see the number of Native
people who have gotten training that allows them to bring the force of
their heritage to work in doing linguistic research.  The paradigms
need to change and having people who speak the language of academia
working on their own and other Native languages is an important step.
The more Native PhDs, the greater the chance that Native people will
get into positions of power in academia and be in positions of power
to initiate change and empower other Native researchers of ALL kinds.
It is good to have a list to know where one might find a possible ally
when thinking of going to graduate school.

At the same time, speaker scholars or community intellectuals are
doing work that has the potential to produce change within the
community in a very direct and timely manner.  The potential for
greater inclusiveness is there which is so important.  These people
are so important to the survival of our languages and are with out
question deserving of respect!  It is wonderful to see the names of
some these "unsung heroes" on list so they can be honored more
broadly.

Anyhow, that is all I have to say.  Eekushi.
Heather Souter,
Graduate Student (on leave) and Community Intellectual (?!)
Michif Language
Camperville, MB
Canada

On 10/31/07, Richard Smith <rzs at wildblue.net> wrote:
>
> Kweh folks
>  there are many of us doing what we can, in our native communities
>  and of course appreciate some recognition and encouragement
>  but, speaking for myself ,
>  I don't know if it's necessary to make another list!
>  hey, social anthropologists:
>  where did all this list making come from?
>  haha!
>
>  Richard Zane Smith
>  (Söhahiyöh, of the bear clan)
>  Wyandotte Oklahoma
>
>
>  On 10/31/07 12:26 AM, "Derksen Jacob" <jieikobu at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks for putting this forth.
>  I constantly rail at the idea of university's so-called formal education
> being somehow superior to lived experience. The idea of a "formal education"
> is a social construct and an extremely class-based - and culturally biased!
> - one  at that. (Don't get me wrong, though; some of my best friends have
> PhD's...)
>  That said, I wonder if Earl Claxton, Sr., John Elliott and his late father,
> David Elliott (Sencoten), and Dr. Burt McKay (Nisga'a) are on the list.
>  Best,
>  Jacob
>
>
>


From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US  Wed Oct 31 15:50:25 2007
From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:50:25 -0600
Subject: Info for Revitalizationists
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.095025.0600.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi, Folks, 

 

This article came in today, serendipity being what it is. It strongly
implies that if we want to be successful in our efforts to save and teach
languages, we need to have the sound occurring simultaneously with the
graphical information. I use both images and text, but some people
separately present images and text. What this article is saying is that
simultaneous presentation of sound will produce a better result :-) 

 

Mia 

 

 

  _____  

From: MindBrain at yahoogroups.com [mailto:MindBrain at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Robert Karl Stonjek
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:57 PM
To: Mind and Brain; Cognitive NeuroScience
Subject: [Mind and Brain] Article: Sight, Sound Processed Together and
Earlier than Previously Thought

 

Sight, Sound Processed Together and Earlier than Previously Thought 


The area of the brain that processes sounds entering the ears also appears
to process stimulus entering the eyes, providing a novel explanation for why
many viewers believe that ventriloquists have thrown their voices to the
mouths of their dummies.


More generally, these findings from Duke University Medical Center offer new
insights into how the brain takes in and assembles a multitude of stimuli
from the outside world. By studying monkeys, the researchers found that
auditory and visual information is processed together before the combined
signals make it to the brain's cortex, the analytical portion of the brain
that assembles the stimuli from all the senses into coherent thoughts. 

"The prevailing wisdom among brain scientists has been that each of the five
senses - sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste - is governed by its own
corresponding region of the brain," said Jennifer Groh, Ph.D., a
neurobiologist in Duke's Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. "The view has
been that each of these areas processes the information separately and sends
that information to the cortex, which puts it all together at the end. 

"Now, we are beginning to appreciate that it's not that simple," Groh
continued. "Our results show that there are interactions between the sensory
pathways that occur very early in the process, which implies that the
integration of the different senses may be a more primitive process and one
not requiring high-level brain functioning." 

The results of Groh's experiments were published early online in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

Groh has a particular interest in a tiny round structure in the brain known
as the inferior colliculus. This structure, less than a half-inch in
diameter, is located in the most primitive area of the brain. It is one of
several early stops in the brain for signals leaving the ear, headed for the
cortex. 

"In our experiments, we found that this structure, which had been assumed to
mainly process auditory information, actually responds to visual information
as well," Groh explained. "In fact, about 64 percent of the neurons in the
inferior colliculus can carry visual as well as auditory signals. This means
that visual and auditory information gets combined quite early, and before
the 'thinking part' of the brain can make sense of it." 

That is why ventriloquism seems to work, she said. The association between
the voice and the moving mouth of the dummy is made before the viewer
consciously thinks about it. The same process may also explain why the words
being spoken by a talking head on television appear to be coming out of the
mouth, even though the television speakers are located to the side of the
set. 

"The eyes see the lips moving and the ears hear the sound and the brain
immediately jumps to the conclusion about the origin of the voice," Groh
said. 

Groh said that it makes logical sense for hearing and vision to have some
level of integration in the monkeys she studied, and in humans. 

"We generally live in similar ecological niches; we are active during the
day and tend to communicate vocally," she said. "The inferior colliculus is
similar in both species, and with the advent of new imaging technology, like
functional MRI, which can visualize brain regions in real time. We should be
able to correlate what we're seeing in animal models with what happens in
humans." 

Groh and her team are now conducting experiments to determine whether or not
one of the senses influences how the other is perceived. 

Source: Duke University

http://www.physorg. <http://www.physorg.com/news112982731.html>
com/news112982731.html

 

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

__._,_.___ 

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From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET  Wed Oct 31 18:52:30 2007
From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:52:30 -0700
Subject: Info for Revitalizationists
In-Reply-To: <000701c81bd5$c2863b20$983f14ac@LFPMIA>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.115230.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

 this is interesting Mia,
 it's no wonder that little ones learn so much easier ...watching,
when i'm moving all around the room and acting out the lessons.

Music can play another part as an aide to learning.
Which of us didn't learn our alphabet by singing it?      "-L -a minnow ­P-"
I admit it i have no training or fancy theories - i teach the way i learn
best,
and singing sentences helps anchor them into my mind...even the morphology.
and somehow helps in the actual retrieval from my messy memory
"files/piles".

Useable Memory seems to require a useful retrieval system,
and this is what i look for in teaching Wyandot language to kiddos here.
A Cayuga elder and teacher once warned me that "summer vacation"
was the worst problem for kids learning a new language at school.
that scared me a little....
But I find if i express my fears openly to the class:
"I had a nightmare! OH!  It was terrible! (now i have their attention)
I dreamed you guys forgot everything i taught you! it was terrible..."
and then I take out my waterdrum and start with one of their old songs
ahhhh! it starts coming back...they remember!...and they also love to
please!

A complicated Navajo tongue twister is easier for me to remember/retrieve
than a colorless set of numbers or someone's non descriptive name
all of which seem to be tossed in the non-retrievable pile.
It seems important to me to think like a child to teach a child
(uhhh...not too hard for me)
We are not only teaching children NEW material,
but we must help them attach the best "strings" for retrieval.

Richard Zane Smith
Wyandotte Oklahoma


On 10/31/07 8:50 AM, "Mia Kalish" <MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US> wrote:

> Hi, Folks, 
>  
> This article came in today, serendipity being what it is. It strongly implies
> that if we want to be successful in our efforts to save and teach languages,
> we need to have the sound occurring simultaneously with the graphical
> information. I use both images and text, but some people separately present
> images and text. What this article is saying is that simultaneous presentation
> of sound will produce a better result J
>  
> Mia 
>  
>  
> 
> 
> From: MindBrain at yahoogroups.com [mailto:MindBrain at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
> Of Robert Karl Stonjek
> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:57 PM
> To: Mind and Brain; Cognitive NeuroScience
> Subject: [Mind and Brain] Article: Sight, Sound Processed Together and Earlier
> than Previously Thought
>  
> 
> Sight, Sound Processed Together and Earlier than Previously Thought
> 
> 
> The area of the brain that processes sounds entering the ears also appears to
> process stimulus entering the eyes, providing a novel explanation for why many
> viewers believe that ventriloquists have thrown their voices to the mouths of
> their dummies.
> 
> 
> More generally, these findings from Duke University Medical Center offer new
> insights into how the brain takes in and assembles a multitude of stimuli from
> the outside world. By studying monkeys, the researchers found that auditory
> and visual information is processed together before the combined signals make
> it to the brain's cortex, the analytical portion of the brain that assembles
> the stimuli from all the senses into coherent thoughts.
> 
> "The prevailing wisdom among brain scientists has been that each of the five
> senses ­ sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste ­ is governed by its own
> corresponding region of the brain," said Jennifer Groh, Ph.D., a
> neurobiologist in Duke's Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. "The view has been
> that each of these areas processes the information separately and sends that
> information to the cortex, which puts it all together at the end.
> 
> "Now, we are beginning to appreciate that it's not that simple," Groh
> continued. "Our results show that there are interactions between the sensory
> pathways that occur very early in the process, which implies that the
> integration of the different senses may be a more primitive process and one
> not requiring high-level brain functioning."
> 
> The results of Groh's experiments were published early online in the
> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
> 
> Groh has a particular interest in a tiny round structure in the brain known as
> the inferior colliculus. This structure, less than a half-inch in diameter, is
> located in the most primitive area of the brain. It is one of several early
> stops in the brain for signals leaving the ear, headed for the cortex.
> 
> "In our experiments, we found that this structure, which had been assumed to
> mainly process auditory information, actually responds to visual information
> as well," Groh explained. "In fact, about 64 percent of the neurons in the
> inferior colliculus can carry visual as well as auditory signals. This means
> that visual and auditory information gets combined quite early, and before the
> 'thinking part' of the brain can make sense of it."
> 
> That is why ventriloquism seems to work, she said. The association between the
> voice and the moving mouth of the dummy is made before the viewer consciously
> thinks about it. The same process may also explain why the words being spoken
> by a talking head on television appear to be coming out of the mouth, even
> though the television speakers are located to the side of the set.
> 
> "The eyes see the lips moving and the ears hear the sound and the brain
> immediately jumps to the conclusion about the origin of the voice," Groh said.
> 
> Groh said that it makes logical sense for hearing and vision to have some
> level of integration in the monkeys she studied, and in humans.
> 
> "We generally live in similar ecological niches; we are active during the day
> and tend to communicate vocally," she said. "The inferior colliculus is
> similar in both species, and with the advent of new imaging technology, like
> functional MRI, which can visualize brain regions in real time. We should be
> able to correlate what we're seeing in animal models with what happens in
> humans." 
> 
> Groh and her team are now conducting experiments to determine whether or not
> one of the senses influences how the other is perceived.
> 
> Source: Duke University
> 
> http://www.physorg.com/news112982731.html
> 
>  
> 
> Posted by
> Robert Karl Stonjek
> __._,_.___ 
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From hardman at UFL.EDU  Wed Oct 31 19:43:58 2007
From: hardman at UFL.EDU (MJ Hardman)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:43:58 -0400
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539EF19@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.154358.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thank you.

Yolanda Nieves Payano Iturrizaga, native linguist for Jaqaru (Jaqi family of
languages ( http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/).  Currently employed by the
Regional Government of Lima Provincias as Director of Bilingual Training for
teachers in service in the province of Yauyos, Peru.  She is Œegresada¹ from
the University of San Andrés in La Paz, Bolvia.  That means that she has the
equivalent of a B.A., but it is NOT a degree (Bolivia does not give the
equivalent of the B.A., only the M.A.).  For that she needed to have
completed her thesis, which she did not do.  Therefore, she technically has
no degree.  But she is a linguist.

Dr. MJ Hardman
website:  http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/


On 10/30/07 11:30 AM, "David Lewis" <David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG> wrote:

> I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
> list. 
> 
> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
> Thank you,
> 
> David G. Lewis
> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
> 
> Office 503.879.1634
> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
> 
>> I just came across another native linguist!
>> 
>> Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>> 1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>> M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
> 
> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
> people already on the list) please let me know.
> 
> Bill
> 


From hardman at UFL.EDU  Wed Oct 31 19:52:32 2007
From: hardman at UFL.EDU (MJ Hardman)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:52:32 -0400
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <C34E533E.9FCF%hardman@ufl.edu>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.155232.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Addendum:  In terms of what she is doing: teaching teachers linguistics,
especially Jaqi linguistics, preparing materials, giving lectures and
presentations in public places in Lima (seeking support), interacting with
agencies that might give support.

The town of Tupe, the center of the endangered Jaqaru language, was
destroyed in the earthquake of August 15 (officially, 80% of the homes are
uninhabitable).  The school was also destroyed, which puts the language at
even more danger.  She has been working seeking help for the rebuilding.
(cf. txupi.org)

She has written one primer & prepared a lot of teaching materials.

Dr. MJ Hardman
website:  http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/


On 10/31/07 3:43 PM, "MJ Hardman" <hardman at UFL.EDU> wrote:

> Thank you.
> 
> Yolanda Nieves Payano Iturrizaga, native linguist for Jaqaru (Jaqi family of
> languages ( http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/).  Currently employed by the
> Regional Government of Lima Provincias as Director of Bilingual Training for
> teachers in service in the province of Yauyos, Peru.  She is Œegresada¹ from
> the University of San Andrés in La Paz, Bolvia.  That means that she has the
> equivalent of a B.A., but it is NOT a degree (Bolivia does not give the
> equivalent of the B.A., only the M.A.).  For that she needed to have
> completed her thesis, which she did not do.  Therefore, she technically has
> no degree.  But she is a linguist.
> 
> Dr. MJ Hardman
> website:  http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/
> 
> 
> On 10/30/07 11:30 AM, "David Lewis" <David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG> wrote:
> 
>> I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
>> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
>> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
>> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
>> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
>> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
>> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
>> list. 
>> 
>> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
>> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
>> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
>> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
>> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
>> Thank you,
>> 
>> David G. Lewis
>> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
>> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
>> 
>> Office 503.879.1634
>> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
>> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
>> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
>> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>> 
>>> I just came across another native linguist!
>>> 
>>> Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>>> 1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>>> M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>> 
>> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
>> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
>> people already on the list) please let me know.
>> 
>> Bill
>> 
> 


From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Wed Oct 31 20:02:47 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:02:47 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<C34E5540.9FD4%hardman@ufl.edu>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.130247.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thank you

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of MJ Hardman
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 12:53 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

Addendum:  In terms of what she is doing: teaching teachers linguistics,
especially Jaqi linguistics, preparing materials, giving lectures and
presentations in public places in Lima (seeking support), interacting with
agencies that might give support.

The town of Tupe, the center of the endangered Jaqaru language, was
destroyed in the earthquake of August 15 (officially, 80% of the homes are
uninhabitable).  The school was also destroyed, which puts the language at
even more danger.  She has been working seeking help for the rebuilding.
(cf. txupi.org)

She has written one primer & prepared a lot of teaching materials.

Dr. MJ Hardman
website:  http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/


On 10/31/07 3:43 PM, "MJ Hardman" <hardman at UFL.EDU> wrote:

> Thank you.
> 
> Yolanda Nieves Payano Iturrizaga, native linguist for Jaqaru (Jaqi family of
> languages ( http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/).  Currently employed by the
> Regional Government of Lima Provincias as Director of Bilingual Training for
> teachers in service in the province of Yauyos, Peru.  She is Œegresada¹ from
> the University of San Andrés in La Paz, Bolvia.  That means that she has the
> equivalent of a B.A., but it is NOT a degree (Bolivia does not give the
> equivalent of the B.A., only the M.A.).  For that she needed to have
> completed her thesis, which she did not do.  Therefore, she technically has
> no degree.  But she is a linguist.
> 
> Dr. MJ Hardman
> website:  http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/
> 
> 
> On 10/30/07 11:30 AM, "David Lewis" <David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG> wrote:
> 
>> I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
>> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
>> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
>> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
>> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
>> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
>> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
>> list. 
>> 
>> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
>> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
>> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
>> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
>> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
>> Thank you,
>> 
>> David G. Lewis
>> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
>> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
>> 
>> Office 503.879.1634
>> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
>> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
>> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
>> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>> 
>>> I just came across another native linguist!
>>> 
>>> Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>>> 1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>>> M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>> 
>> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
>> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
>> people already on the list) please let me know.
>> 
>> Bill
>> 
> 


From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM  Wed Oct 31 21:56:54 2007
From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern)
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 07:26:54 +0930
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <000001c81bc8$098772e0$983f14ac@LFPMIA>
Message-ID: <THU.1.NOV.2007.072654.0930.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

>   We also snap-shot them as anthropological artifacts, ensuring that they
> do not change as they would if they were alive.
>
Mia, I think this implies that linguists have much more power than they
really do in communities. In my experience, the languages that die after
they've been documented are the ones that have already ceased to be used as
everyday vehicles of communication in their communities. That's a community
decision (beit usually an unconscious one) and there's nothing much that a
transient outsider visitor can do about it.

Claire
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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Wed Oct 31 23:21:56 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:21:56 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.162156.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I would agree with Claire for most languages today, however historically, the collection of languages began occurring in the middle to late 19th century, in the beginning of what we now call linguistics, and well into the 20th century, sort of a middle period (sorry don't know the lingo in historical linguistics...) and in this time period anthropologists and others knew that native languages were disappearing, that native populations were collapsing, even though they never truly went extinct, and did nothing about the survival of these languages. There may be scattered instances of aid from these linguists but for the most part nothing was done and native languages were allowed to go extinct. But then there were many economic, social and societal factors which influenced these periods, that created the collapse of native languages and influenced native peoples to move culturally away. 

Clearly BIA policies of assimilation were a huge factor. 

And now I pose the question of what linguists could have done, back then? Did they have the wherewithall to aid tribes and preserve speakers? or would they even be accepted? I think we would have to answer this tribe by tribe according to context. But still, with all of the resources of the Smithsonian and the Bureau could not something have been done to help tribes to preserve languages. I suppose this is an exercise in "what if" and all we will come away with is that we cannot change history and what has happened was all that was possible at the time. Yet I can not let go of the nagging criticism that if the linguists/anthropologists had devoted a small percentage of their efforts to returning their time and resources to the tribes they were studying that something could have been done. Their careers where more important at that time than the preservation of the tribal languages. I am glad to see today that this situation has changed for the most part. 


David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde




-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology on behalf of Claire Bowern
Sent: Wed 10/31/2007 2:56 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] legacy materials
 
>   We also snap-shot them as anthropological artifacts, ensuring that they
> do not change as they would if they were alive.
>
Mia, I think this implies that linguists have much more power than they
really do in communities. In my experience, the languages that die after
they've been documented are the ones that have already ceased to be used as
everyday vehicles of communication in their communities. That's a community
decision (beit usually an unconscious one) and there's nothing much that a
transient outsider visitor can do about it.

Claire

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From awebster at SIU.EDU  Mon Oct  1 16:58:45 2007
From: awebster at SIU.EDU (awebster@siu.edu)
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 12:58:45 -0400
Subject: World Literature Today
Message-ID: <MON.1.OCT.2007.125845.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

This issue concerns endangered languages and literature.

http://www.ou.edu/worldlit/onlinemagazine/2007September/home.htm

Anthony K. Webster, Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology
Southern Illinois University
Mail Code 4502
Carbondale, IL 62901-4502
618-453-5027


From hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM  Mon Oct  1 19:55:33 2007
From: hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM (hastiin yellowhair)
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 12:55:33 -0700
Subject: World Literature Today
In-Reply-To: <1191257925-29905.00033.00139-smmsdV2.1.6@saluki-mailhub.siu.edu>
Message-ID: <MON.1.OCT.2007.125533.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I like the World Literature Today and its great.  I teach Navajo Language here in Rough Rock Middle School (Arizona on the rez) and this is materials I use for classroom teaching.  Great... hagoonee'... Leroy Morgan

"awebster at siu.edu" <awebster at SIU.EDU> wrote:  This issue concerns endangered languages and literature.

http://www.ou.edu/worldlit/onlinemagazine/2007September/home.htm

Anthony K. Webster, Ph.D.
Department of Anthropology
Southern Illinois University
Mail Code 4502
Carbondale, IL 62901-4502
618-453-5027



Dinek'ehji Yalti' doo Ni tsekees
       
---------------------------------
Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more. 
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From gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct  1 22:43:46 2007
From: gforger at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Garry Forger)
Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2007 15:43:46 -0700
Subject: Last living speaker works to keep NorCal tribe's language alive
In-Reply-To: <39a679e20709200748s3b89d629m7ee34a32d0e15bc9@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <MON.1.OCT.2007.154346.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

As a child in the 1950s, Loretta Kelsey grew up hearing the sounds of 
Elem Pomo, an 8,000-year-old dialect spoken by early peoples of Northern 
California along the shores of Clear Lake in Lake County.

Since then, as an older generation passed away, the language they spoke 
went with them. According to scholars, 59-year-old Kelsey is the last 
fluent speaker of Elem Pomo alive today.

full story at http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7046816


-- 
Garry

___________________________________________
Garry J. Forger, MLS, MWS
(Santa Cruz Watershed)
Development and Grants Management Officer
for Learning Technologies
http://ltc.arizona.edu
and
Technology Manager for the Center for Educational
Resources in Culture, Language and Literacy
(CERCLL) http://cercll.arizona.edu
The University of Arizona
gforger at email.arizona.edu
520-626-3918
Fax 520-626-8220


From iackerman at ROSETTASTONE.COM  Wed Oct  3 17:13:42 2007
From: iackerman at ROSETTASTONE.COM (Ackerman, Ilse)
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 13:13:42 -0400
Subject: Chitimacha announcement
In-Reply-To: A<47017822.10305@email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <WED.3.OCT.2007.131342.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

 

Hi All,

 

We have happy news to share, below.  It's exciting also because it's the
first of endangered language projects subsidized by Rosetta Stone.

 

~ ilse

 

Ilse Ackerman
Editor-in-chief
Rosetta Stone



Chitimacha Tribe to Develop Rosetta Stone Software

 

    ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Rosetta Stone Inc., creator
of the world's No. 1 language-learning program, has formed a partnership
with the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana to develop a unique edition of
the award-winning software in the tribe's language, Sitimaxa.

 

    The tribe will own distribution and sales rights to the tribal
language version created through the Rosetta Stone Endangered Language
Program, which has developed culturally relevant language-learning
software with the Mohawk of Kahnawake, NANA Regional Corporation of
Alaska, and other

indigenous communities.

 

    Through its new corporate grant program, the global
language-learning software company will underwrite a substantial portion
of development costs for the Sitimaxa software. Rosetta Stone has
pledged to underwrite at least one project per year with endangered
language speaking communities interested in developing editions of the
cutting-edge immersion learning software.

 

    "Our hope is that Sitimaxa Rosetta Stone(R) software will be a tool
that will make a difference in the vitality of the language of the
Chitimacha Tribe," said Marion Bittinger, manager of the Endangered
Language Program. "We look forward to working with the tribe to help
realize their vision for a living and growing language."

 

    On Louisiana's coast, the Chitimacha tribe endured for century after
century -. surviving war, settlement and assimilation. This same
determination to survive has allowed the Chitimacha to revitalize their
language, which they almost lost.

 

    "Language is really the heart of who you are. It's not just about
learning the words; it's about learning your past. It's that
connection," said Kimberly S. Walden, M.Ed., cultural director of the
1,000 member

tribe.

 

    The native tongue of the Chitimacha people almost disappeared when
its last fluent speaker died in 1934 and its last semi-fluent speaker
died in 1940. One generation, then another, grew up knowing no more than
a few words of the rich language of their ancestors.

 

    Then in 1986, the Library of Congress mailed the tribe copies of wax
cylinder recordings made in the 1930s by Swedish linguist Morris
Swadesh. Tribal members listened to over 200 hours of their language .-
sounds no one had heard in decades, a cultural treasure buried in
archives for half a lifetime. The Chitimacha began rebuilding these
fragments back into a fluently spoken language. They recovered field
notes made by Swadesh and his wife to help decode what was recorded.

 

    "The recordings were very hard to understand, especially if you'd
never heard the language spoken before," Walden said. "You have to
realize that, as long as I was growing up, all we had in Sitimaxa was a
few words on a museum brochure that no one could pronounce."

 

    In 1995, the Chitimacha tribe established a cultural department.
Employees asked archeological contractors in Louisiana if they knew of
anyone familiar with the Chitimacha's language .- a long-shot request
that, improbably, paid off. Contractors suggested the tribe contact Dr.
Julian Granberry, a linguist and anthropologist living in Florida who
had worked with Swadesh as a high school sophomore.

 

    Granberry, now 80, had studied their language for decades, but had
never visited the reservation. The tribe invited Granberry to share his
findings. "When Dr. Granberry spoke Sitimaxa to a group of Chitimacha
elders assembled at a meeting, some of the elders began to cry," said
Walden. "Words started coming back. They remembered."

 

    With Granberry's help, the Chitimacha tackled the Sitimaxa
challenge, using the returned resources to develop dictionaries,
curriculum, primers and recordings. The tribe now offers Sitimaxa
classes for students as young as six weeks old at its child development
center. Students in kindergarten

through the eighth grade learn the language at the Chitimacha Tribal
School, and adults in night classes.

 

    Rachel Vilcan was one of the first students in the adult class. Now
she's an aide in the K-8 Sitimaxa program. "The language sounds natural;
it sounds like it fits me, like it fits the area," Vilcan said. "It was
scary, at first, to be learning it as an adult, but the desire to learn
was stronger. It's our identity."

 

    Like other tribes working to bring tribal language back into daily
use, the Chitimacha's goal is to develop conversational fluency. "We
want to bring the language back to the point where we can use it
conversationally when we gather as a tribe," said Walden.

 

    Through its immersion-based software that can be customized to
reflect unique linguistic and cultural features, Rosetta Stone will help
the tribe solve this problem. The tribe will work with Rosetta Stone to
translate and record lessons in Sitimaxa. The paired audio recordings of
tribal speakers and images from the community will teach this endangered
language in culturally relevant context using the company's
award-winning Dynamic Immersion(TM) methodology.

 

    "I think the chances are very great that they will succeed,"
Granberry said. "There has been for the last decade a strong interest on
the part of a large number of the tribal members."

 

    Ilse Ackerman, editor-in-chief at Rosetta Stone, said this language
teaching tool multiplies existing efforts. "If you have a small number
of fluent speakers, student time with these teachers is valuable and
limited. The software can give students access to their teaching around
the clock, allowing communities to save valuable face-to-face
instruction time for conversational practice," said Ackerman.

 

    The Chitimacha Tribe will use the immersion-based software to
enhance ongoing education programs for children and adults. Tribal
members as far away as Guam and Germany will be able to learn Sitimaxa
using CDs or through online access when the project finishes.

 

    Communities interested in learning more about the Rosetta Stone
Endangered Language Program should visit the program's Web site, at:
http://www.RosettaStone.com/global/endangered, or call 1-800-788-0822,
ext.5331.

 

    About the Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program

 

    The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program works with communities
to develop unique immersion-learning software. The Endangered Language
Program worked with the Kanien'kehaka Onkwawen:na Raotitiohkwa to
develop Mohawk software for the community of Kahnawake in 2006, and the
NANA Corporation of Alaska to develop Inupiaq language learning software
in 2007. The program and the Torngasok Cultural Centre in Labrador will
produce a version in Inuttitut.

 

    About Rosetta Stone Inc.

 

    Rosetta Stone Inc. is a leading provider of language-learning
software. Acclaimed for the speed, power and effectiveness of its
Dynamic Immersion(TM) method, Rosetta Stone is a revolutionary
language-learning software program. While teaching 30 languages to
millions of people in more

than 150 countries throughout the world, Rosetta Stone software is the
key to Language Learning Success(TM). Inc. Magazine has named Rosetta
Stone Inc. one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the United
States, and for the fourth consecutive year Deloitte has named the
company one of the

fastest-growing technology companies in Virginia. Rosetta Stone was
founded in 1992 on two core beliefs: that the natural way people learn
languages as children remains the most successful method for learning
new languages; and that interactive CD-ROM and online technology can
recreate the immersion

method powerfully for learners of any age. The company is based in
Arlington, Va. For more information, visit http://www.RosettaStone.com.

 

    Rosetta Stone, Dynamic Immersion, and Language Learning Success are
trademarks of Rosetta Stone Ltd.

 

     For More Information:

     Peggy Lohmann                               Grete Krohn

     Rosetta Stone                                  Carmichael Lynch
Spong

     (703) 387-5835                              (612) 375-8535

     plohmann at RosettaStone.com         grete.krohn at clynch.com

 

Denise Dixon

Carmichael Lynch Spong

(612) 375-8523

denise.dixon at clynch.com

 

 

SOURCE Rosetta Stone Inc.

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From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Thu Oct  4 21:26:10 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 14:26:10 -0700
Subject: DOCUMENTING WASHOE
Message-ID: <THU.4.OCT.2007.142610.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Tribal elders are helping a linguist compile an online dictionary of  
Washo, a language close to extinction. More than just words are at  
stake.
By Larry Gordon, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 21, 2007
WOODFORDS, CALIF. -- In a classroom amid the dusty hills southeast of  
Lake Tahoe, an unlikely duo sit across from each other and conjugate  
the verb "to sleep." They are working in Washo, a language with, at  
best, an uncertain future.

Elshim, to sleep. Lelshimi, I am sleeping. Elshimi, he is sleeping.  
Shelshimi, they are sleeping.

On one side of a yellow plastic table sits Ramona Dick, a 74-year-old  
elder of the Washo tribe, a great-grandmother and retired cook whose  
formal education ended at the eighth grade but who has a deep  
knowledge of the Native American language she learned as a child.

Facing her is Alan Yu, 30, a Hong Kong-born linguist who immigrated  
to California as a teenager, earned a doctorate at UC Berkeley and  
now is an assistant professor at the University of Chicago.

Despite differences in age, culture and education, the two have  
bonded in a way that they hope will bring lasting results.

What brings them together is their mutual interest in Washo, a tongue  
that tribe members estimate is spoken fluently by no more than 20 or  
30 people. The big picture is even grimmer: Half of California's 100  
Native American languages no longer have fluent speakers, and many of  
the rest have just five or six hanging on, experts say.

Attempts to document, if not revive, many of those languages have  
been going on for years. The goal is to preserve more than just  
conversation and literature; a vital part of cultural identity --  
what it means, for example, to be a Washo -- slips away when a  
language becomes extinct.

Now, Yu and Dick are part of newer efforts applying contemporary  
technology worldwide.

Last year, Yu received a $160,000 federal grant to compile an online  
dictionary of 5,000 Washo words and phrases, complete with digitally  
recorded pronunciations by Dick and other Washo elders. Scheduled to  
be finished in 2009, the dictionary is designed partly as a tool to  
help younger Washos learn the language -- even if just a few words,  
such as da'aw (Lake Tahoe), gewe (coyote)and gu'u (maternal  
grandmother).

"It's going to be lost, I think, if nobody tries to teach them," Dick  
said of Washo, which had no written form until 20th century scholars  
began transcribing it phonetically. "If the young people could learn,  
maybe they can tell their children down the line a bit that it's  
important to our tribe. Because we are not a very big tribe."



Washo (some spell it Washoe) leaders estimate that there are about  
1,500 tribal members, mainly in the eastern Sierra on both sides of  
the California-Nevada border. Dick lives in Woodfords, in an isolated  
Washo community known as Hung-a-lel-ti (Southern Washoes) on rolling  
ranchland with stunning mountain vistas. Its 350 or so residents can  
walk to the lime-green education center, where Yu and Dick meet, but  
must drive 10 miles north into Nevada for most shopping.

During his summer and vacation-time visits to the Washo towns, Yu  
said, he tries to avoid the paternalistic attitudes that strained  
some past relationships between nonnative researchers and Native  
Americans. Yu, who spoke only Cantonese until he started elementary  
school, stressed that his goal is to document Washo, not to save it.

"I think the consensus these days is for a language to be  
revitalized," he said. "It's really a community effort. It's  
something that an outsider can't come in and force it onto people."

The Washos have a better chance at revitalization than many other  
tribes, scholars say. About 60 adults and teens attend several Washo  
language classes, and teachers introduce Washo words and phrases to  
young children in pre-kindergarten and after-school programs.  
Besides, Yu said, it is a "gift" to meet fluent -- and vibrant --  
volunteers for the dictionary project like Dick, her cousin Steven  
James and his cousin Eleanore Smokey.

Nevertheless, everyone agrees it will be an uphill effort against  
assimilation and English-language television. Another formidable  
obstacle: the educations of many middle-aged and elderly tribe  
members, who were sent away from Washo-speaking homes to government  
boarding schools that discouraged the use of Washo.

Dick learned the language from a grandmother and great-grandmother,  
neither of whom had a full grasp of English. A widow, Dick says that  
none of her own five children, 18 grandchildren and seven great- 
grandchildren really speak Washo, although some are trying to learn  
and most understand when she speaks at home or at a class she is  
leading.

Lynda Shoshone, the tribe's language and cultural preservation  
coordinator, said she could "kick myself in the rear for not paying  
more attention" as a child when her grandmother spoke Washo. Shoshone  
said she knows Washo words but has trouble putting sentences  
together. However, her 22-year-old son, she said, attended a now- 
defunct immersion school and is quite fluent. So, she said, the  
language has a shot at survival.

James, 74, is pessimistic. "There's too much competition from the  
present-day world," said the retired electrical construction worker  
from Dresslerville, Nev. "Everyday living, your job, just trying to  
survive in this world is difficult."

Still, he and Dick are willing to spend long days, sometimes from 10  
a.m. to 6 p.m., answering Yu's detailed lists of questions. The  
elders' responses about nouns, adjectives, verbs and sentences are  
captured on a digital recording device, and Yu's graduate students  
splice them and upload them online.

On a recent day, Dick visited the classroom leaning on the cane she  
now requires and sat in front of the microphone. A full-faced,  
vivacious woman with a graying ponytail and gold hoop earrings, she  
paused only when she was unable to pull a word from the memory of her  
late grandmother's kitchen or when her voice got "froggy" from  
overuse. After all, "Dr. Yu," as she calls him despite his pleas for  
informality, "comes from far away, and when he does, it's always nice  
to sit down and talk with him."

Wearing jeans, a pullover shirt, sneakers and squarish glasses, Yu  
queried her in a low-key and respectful manner, like a grandson  
fishing for a family story. But he also was persistent and, for  
accuracy, asked the same thing in various ways. Taking lots of  
handwritten notes, he wanted equivalents of English words and  
inquired about Washo words or sentences he had picked up from other  
sources.

"Do you know how to describe someone who has a big tummy?" Yu asked.  
"Have you ever heard people talk about Ngalbuli?"

"It means he's got, like, a pot belly," Dick responded, chuckling.

They tackled other verbs after "sleep." How would you say, "I'm  
laughing?" Yu asked. Lasawi.

How about a lot of people laughing? Sasawi. Can you say that one more  
time? Sasawi. To swim? Yeem. I'm swimming? Diyeemi. He's swimming?  
Yeemi.

Sometimes Dick gently corrected Yu's backward word order or mangled  
pronunciations. Sometimes Yu pushed her into shades of meaning, such  
as the difference between shooting something and trying to shoot it.

Then came nouns: paternal grandmother (ama), maternal grandfather  
(elel), maternal grandchildren (gu'yi).

What about shrimp? She shook her head, drawing a blank. The word for  
fish is atabi, but apparently there is no word for shrimp. "There was  
no shrimp around here," she later explained, "until white men brought  
them into markets."

Yu has posted a preliminary Washo pronunciation guide online at  
http://washo.uchicago.edu and has compiled about two-thirds of the  
words he needs before he makes the dictionary and its voicing  
technology available to the public late next year. That progress is  
"very impressive," said Douglas Whalen, a program officer at the  
National Science Foundation's program known as Documenting Endangered  
Languages. The program, which also involves the National Endowment  
for the Humanities, is funding Yu's dictionary and similar work in  
about 60 other languages worldwide.

"Language is part of our human heritage," Whalen said. "It's part of  
what makes us human. Not having any record of what's gone on in a  
language is regrettable."



The rate of world language extinction is alarming, a study sponsored  
by the National Geographic Society warned this week. Of the world's  
7,000 languages, two are disappearing every month, and half may be  
gone by century's end, including scores of Native American tongues in  
the Southwestern U.S., researchers said.

To an English speaker, Washo sounds difficult, with frequent glottal  
stops that change meanings and a throaty "ng" sound (ngawngang is  
child). Verbs change prefixes as they shift among "I, he, we, they,"  
and verbs also have several forms for the recent or distant past. Its  
oddities include some double-negative expressions, such as "I don't  
not know."

Washo is very unlike the other Native American languages -- Miwok,  
Maidu and Northern Paiute -- that surround it, according to William  
H. Jacobsen Jr., a professor emeritus at the University of Nevada,  
Reno, who conducted groundbreaking linguistic research on Washo  
starting in the 1950s and published a basic grammar guide in 1996.

The tribe's linguistic isolation fed into a sense of cultural  
distinctiveness in the Indian world, even as white settlers took over  
traditional Washo fishing and hunting territory for silver mining,  
ranching, lake resorts and casinos in the 19th and 20th centuries,  
Jacobsen said.

Jacobsen said he too is compiling a Washo dictionary, albeit a print  
one. But he is gloomy about Washo's future, although he said he hopes  
his work, language classes and Yu's dictionary will help young people  
learn a few words and phrases.

"Even though they don't know the language or the grammar, there is  
some value in this," he said. "It gives them some identity and they  
can say, 'I'm a Washo.' "

Internet dictionaries are the latest tools for language survival but  
are not the sole answer, said former UC Berkeley linguistics  
professor Leanne Hinton. Tribes showing some success have put special  
effort into classes for children and for adults, such as the  
Pechangas, who are working to revive Luise?o in communities near  
Temecula, and the Yuroks in northwestern California, said Hinton, an  
expert in tribal languages.

Those and other tribes have people "who don't want to go down without  
a fight, so to speak," said Hinton, who has helped organize the  
biennial "Breath of Life -- Silent No More" conferences at UC  
Berkeley that seek to revive endangered Native American languages in  
California.

Yu, one of Hinton's former students, became fascinated with Washo  
when he was assigned to help out at one of the conferences. Hinton  
described Yu as a good match for the Washo elders: "He is extremely  
competent as well as being good with people. He is a very patient  
person."

Besides Cantonese and English, Yu can speak Mandarin and has a  
rudimentary knowledge of Turkish and Russian. He has a grasp of some  
Washo vocabulary and grammar but is not fluent.

"I am picking it up slowly. In general, I'm not a very good language  
learner. That may seem odd for a linguist to say, but linguists are  
not necessarily polyglots," said Yu, whose new book on linguistics  
was recently published by Oxford University Press.

Last month, the Chicago professor went public with his own Washo  
abilities. The tribe held a luncheon for anyone involved in learning  
the language. Yu prepared a brief speech in Washo but was clearly  
nervous.

So he first ran the speech past Dick: I'm happy to be here today.  
Wading ebe dihamu' angawi wa' le'iga' a'alu. . .

As I do not speak Washo very well. Washiw diwagay'angaweesinga. . .

Eat well and drink well. Gemlu'angaw geme'angaw.

Dick gently brushed up Yu's pronunciations here and there and sought  
to calm his concerns about the lunch crowd's reaction: "They can't  
expect to hear you talking like a lawyer."

That afternoon, about 20 people attended the baked chicken and salad  
luncheon in the education center. Melba Rakow, who teaches Washo  
classes in Nevada, offered a blessing and urged the tribe, she later  
translated, "not to throw our language down."

Yu initially hung back a bit before screwing up his courage. Then,  
clutching his notes, he seemed to carry off the speech flawlessly,  
finishing up with "Di'nga ledinga" ("That's all I'll say.") The  
audience applauded, and Dick declared: "I think he did real well."

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From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Thu Oct  4 22:09:52 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2007 15:09:52 -0700
Subject: Elem Pomo Language
Message-ID: <THU.4.OCT.2007.150952.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Only living Elem Pomo speaker teaches so she won't be the last
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/09/30/MNAISEMAH.D\
TL

Loretta Kelsey closed her eyes, letting memories ripple through her.
Visions of coyotes, childhood acorn hunts and fishermen filled her head.
A minute dragged by. She opened her eyes, stared at the calm waters of
Clear Lake, and began to speak.

"Ah wee-e-bee, we-e bit," she said quietly. "Fac-ma, fa-a-kepkin.
Aquichin wa mit." The words of the old ways rolled on for several
minutes, and as they came, Kelsey fixed her gaze on the ground.

"Sholbit," she finally said, looking up and smiling. "The end."

Yes and no.

It was the end of her story, in Kelsey's native Elem Pomo language,
about her aunt chewing tule reeds 60 years ago and using the chaff to
catch fish in an apron. But by the mere act of telling that story, she
was giving a desperately needed new beginning to her people's language.

Kelsey, 59, is the last person on Earth who is fluent in Elem Pomo, an
8,000-year-old dialect spoken by a people who once flourished along the
shores of Clear Lake (Lake County). Handed down orally and never
written, the language has nearly vanished - and Kelsey, a quiet, almost
demure woman with steely gaze, is doing everything she can to make sure
the ancient words do not die with her.

Every time an Elem Pomo phrase passes her lips and someone else hears
it, she says, she is helping keep it alive. It's even better if one of
the young people in her tribe speaks that phrase back to her - and over
the past three years, she has been holding workshops to make sure they
are able to do that.

"It would be so terribly sad to let this language die out because ...
well, look around you," Kelsey said, waving her hands to take in the oak
tree-studded spread of her reservation, the Elem Pomo Colony on the
southern shore of Clear Lake. "Our language is really right here. It's
in our ceremonies, our lives, our people, our ways.

"You keep the language alive, you help keep all of this alive."

It wasn't so long ago that dozens of people spoke Elem Pomo. When Kelsey
was a child in the 1950s and '60s, her parents and many other elders in
the 250-member tribe were fluent, and her mother spoke no English.

But as the older folks died off and the younger ones forayed into the
broader society around them to make a living, many native ways were
lost. It was a disintegration that was millennia in coming.

The Elem Pomo tribe originated in about 6000 B.C., and as it perfected
the arts of bluegill fishing, making bread from acorns and weaving
watertight baskets with bullrush and willow strands, it came to occupy
80,000 acres around the lake. However, the advent of white settlers in
the 1800s brought the usual displacement crises, the most notorious
being the 1850 Bloody Island Massacre at Clear Lake - in which 200 Elem
Pomo and other Indians were killed by the U.S. Army. The massacre was in
retaliation for the slaying of white ranchers Andrew Kelsey and Charles
Stone, who were killed by Pomo braves retaliating for the pair's
enslavement and rape of local Indians.

Today, the casino-less tribe exists on a 50-acre reservation of simple
houses, next to a closed sulfur mine so badly polluted with mercury that
it is on the nation's Superfund toxic cleanup list.

Over the past 30 years in particular, the Elem Pomo's traditions, such
as subsistence fishing and basket weaving, dwindled as people joined
area churches and found jobs in mercury mines, logging operations and
town stores. The same decline has affected tribes all over California.
Of the seven loosely related Pomo tribes around Clear Lake - each with
its own language - only one, the Elem Pomo, has a full traditional round
house.

Speaking the native tongue only got in the way of trying to fit in, the
thinking went.

"It's a difficult language, and my dad never taught it to us because he
didn't want the white kids to make fun of us," said Elem Pomo Tribal
Chairman Ray Brown. "It's a real shame, now that we all look back on it,
because you don't really learn it unless you grow up with it."

It's not too late to fix that, Kelsey said. "All we need is a
willingness to want it to live, and I think we have that."

Her interest in reviving the language ignited three years ago when her
nephew, Robert Geary, who helps run the tribe's ceremonial events,
attended a statewide meeting of Indian tribes interested in preserving
their culture. After Geary came back he polled the tribe for who spoke
the language, and only one name came up: Kelsey.

Remembering that UC Berkeley linguistic students had recorded tribal
members speaking Elem Pomo between the 1940s and '60s, the two called
the university for help on how to revive their dialect. They wound up
with one of the nation's pre-eminent Pomo language researchers,
Professor Emeritus Leanne Hinton.

Together, Hinton and Kelsey dug into the campus archives and found
recordings in Elem Pomo on old reel-to-reel tapes - and they included
Kelsey's father telling stories, and Ray Brown's father singing.

"California's tribes have been so fractured over the years that it's
very hard to tell how many languages are still alive," said Hinton, who
co-founded the statewide Advocates for Indigenous California Language
Survival. "What Loretta is doing is special. And for the last speaker of
a language, she's amazingly young."

Hinton said that in the mid-1770s, California's Indians - Miwoks, Pomos,
Ohlones being the main ones in Northern California - spoke 115
languages. Now, only about 50 dialects remain statewide, and many of
those have a just handful of speakers each.

Kelsey is the only lone speaker that Hinton knows of.

"A language is not just a monument to knowledge, it's a monument to
identity," Hinton said. "But bringing it back takes generations. Loretta
and her people have a lot of work ahead of them."

Listening to the old UC recordings with Hinton was the first time Kelsey
had heard the language fluently spoken since she was a young woman. She
hadn't really spoken much of it since then, either, but it always
remained strong in her for some reason.

"Hearing my father's voice brought back so many memories," she said,
sighing. "Memories of him and me camping, of us sliding down the hills
on cardboard in the summer, memories of my elders fishing.

"It helped me remember even more of the language to hear these."

Part of the charm of the Elem Pomo dialect for Kelsey, and for Hinton,
is its gentle nature. Much emphasis, in passing it down through the
generations, was on the telling of stories, such as the coyote myths,
which have the wily critter causing floods and the like. There are no
swear words in Elem Pomo, and nothing for "hello" or "goodbye."

"We just say 'How are you doing?' or 'I'll see you again,' " Kelsey
said. "As a people, we really just want to know how you are doing, I
guess. And I don't think anybody was mean enough to say bad words."

So far, Kelsey has conducted four weekendlong language camps for her
tribe. Each had a theme - animals and birds for one, foods and utensils
for the other three - and the 30 or so participants played bingo in Elem
Pomo using the themed words to make things more fun.

She's also writing a dictionary and a phrase handbook, with the help of
Hinton and a couple of other linguists from the UC system.

Such endeavors are a whole new direction for Kelsey, who raised two
children, has six grandchildren and worked as a nurses' assistant before
retiring on disability in 2004 after a back injury.

"I just never thought of things like this, but now I really wish I had
spoken the language to my kids as they grew up. It was kind of crazy,
but that's just how life was," Kelsey said. "It saddens me. I have a
tremendous responsibility now."

She sat with friends around an unlit fire pit at the reservation as she
spoke, grandchildren and dogs happily playing nearby. Occasionally an
Elem Pomo word would pop up in the chatter, and she'd smile.

"It's pretty hard work picking up the language, and it's hard to get
everyone together to learn," said Joe Peters, Kelsey's 19-year-old
grandson. "I can actually use words with my grandma now, like I'll say
"where" or "I love you" in Elem Pomo. But I can't really say a whole
phrase just yet."

Tribal Chairman Brown said that if the teaching proves too difficult, he
may ask all seven Pomo tribes to try to combine their languages into
one, so at least one dialect will be carried on through the ages. That
will be tough, he admitted, since only two words are common to all the
tribes - hiyu, meaning dog, and masin, meaning white man.

The Elem Pomo, like many tribes around California, is also reassessing
its tribal enrollment lists, and many members - including Kelsey - are
being considered for disenrollment based on historical family records.
That could prompt people to move away from the reservation, further
fracturing the ability to get together for language classes.

Kelsey watched Joe and his cousins kick a ball back and forth in the
bare dirt yard - the same yard she once kicked balls in 50 years ago as
her elders called to her in Elem Pomo. "At least when I speak it now, I
can live those old days again," she said, her eyes getting a faraway
look. "Maybe someday my grandchildren and their children will get to
experience that too."

But Kelsey said that no matter what happens, she is now committed to
passing her tongue along for the rest of her life.

"Sometimes I really wish for the old days, when things were simpler,"
Kelsey said. "Back then, our culture was clearer, things made more
sense."
Online resources: For Advocates for Indigenous California Language
Survival go to:
links.sfgate.com/ZYE <http://links.sfgate.com/ZYE>
For information on the Elem Pomo tribe, go to:
links.sfgate.com/ZYF <http://links.sfgate.com/ZYF>

To hear Loretta Kelsey tell a story in Elem Pomo with translation in
English, and to hear her translation of several Pomo words, go to
sfgate.com
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Sat Oct  6 09:33:43 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 02:33:43 -0700
Subject: College Corner: Professor David Harrison (fwd)
Message-ID: <SAT.6.OCT.2007.023343.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The Daily Gazette

College Corner: Professor David Harrison

By Neena Cherayil on 10/01/07 at 11:33 pm

Swarthmore associate linguistics professor David Harrison has become
somewhat of a celebrity in recent weeks, receiving press from NPR, the
Colbert Report, the New York Times, and many well-known foreign
publications for his ongoing efforts to call attention to the burgeoning
dilemma of language extinction. Professor Harrison??s work through National
Geographic??s Endangered Voices Project and his own co-founded non-profit
organization, The Living Tongues Institute, has sparked much discussion on
the importance of language to modern culture and society. His new book,
?When Languages Die?, builds on years of fieldwork spent revitalizing and
documenting dying and little-known languages (many with less than 30 fluent
speakers remaining) in Central Siberia, Western Mongolia, Northeast India,
and Bolivia.

[photo inset - Antonio Condori (left), with his son Illaryon Ramos Condori
(center), both hereditary Kallawaya healers, talking with David Harrison
(right) in Chary village, northern Bolivia, June 2007. Photo by Greg
Anderson, copyright 2007]

DG: Is linguistics merely the study of language? For those who don?t know,
could you give a brief description of what the field encompasses?

Harrison: Language is perhaps the most complex cognitive system we possess,
and Linguistics is the field of science devoted to its study. We are many
decades if not centuries away from understanding how language works. That?s
plenty.

DG: What prompted your interest in linguistics? As a linguist, specifically,
what is your area of study or interest?

Harrison: I got into Linguistics through International Studies, my
undergraduate major, and through living for several years in post-Soviet
Union countries. I specialize in Turkic languages of Siberia, and in the
study of language endangerment.

DG: In your book ?When Languages Die?, you say more than half of the
world??s languages are expected to become extinct by the end of the
century, how was this estimate reached and what exactly is happening?

Harrison: It is a best guess consensus estimate among scholars who work in
this area. It may turn out to be wrong, but small languages are being
abandoned by speakers in favor of globally dominant languages everyday.

DG: Why do you believe preserving endangered language is important?

Harrison: I don?t use the word ?preserve?, that sounds like jam in a jar or
a specimen in a museum. Languages only thrive if they have speaker
communities. Each language contains unique structures that tell us about
human cognition, entire mythologies and belief systems, and technologies
for survival (including fine-grained knowledge about species and ecosystems
that often exceeds what science knows).

DG: Alright I have to ask: what was it like being a guest on the Colbert
Report?

Harrison: Fun but stressful. How do you sum up 12 years of research in a 4
minute comedy interview? I tried to get a few basic points across. Stephen
was doing his thing, lampooning, so I tried to include some amusing facts
as well. Afterwards his two writers came up to me and said how much they
enjoyed my book and this topic. Guest author John Grisham also told me he
was very interested in my book and in Louisiana Creole French.

DG: What has the general reaction to your project been?

Harrison: Positive. People often ask us to do more, stay longer, and help
them revitalize their languages. We?re trying to expand to be able to do
that in a responsible way.

DG: Do you have any other future projects in mind?

Harrison: Lots. I want to write a book on global language hotspots, and on
our expeditions to visit them.

DG: Now, a tough one. What is your favorite word?

Harrison: I don?t have a favorite but I am fond of karabazhingnnattarivistan
(A Tuvan word that literally means ?from our prisoners?, I like it because
it is rather long and shows the complex concatenative [multiple units of
meaning strung together] morphological structures of Tuvan. I often use it
as an example in classes. It breaks down into 6 morphemes [smallest unit of
meaning in a word] like this:

[black-house-AGENTIVE-PLURAL-1.PLURAL.POSSESSIVE-ADLATIVE]

Poopungkoontam from the Sora language (India) is another favorite, meaning
?I will stab you in the gut with a knife.? I?m also fond of
dziewiecsetszesnascie, ?916&#8243; in Polish becuase it?s a real tongue
twister and one of the very first words I had to learn as an exchange
student in Poland (I arrived not speaking a single word of the language).
In our dormitory, keys had to be left at the front desk and asked for each
time you entered the building. The front desk ladies had endless amusement
hearing me try to utter my room number.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Sat Oct  6 09:37:22 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 02:37:22 -0700
Subject: Yu compiles dictionary of dying language (fwd)
Message-ID: <SAT.6.OCT.2007.023722.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Yu compiles dictionary of dying language

By Rachel-Cromidas
Friday, October 5th, 2007

Alan Yu, an assistant professor of linguistics at the University, is
currently recording and cataloguing the nearly extinct Native American
language ?Washo? in an online dictionary to be completed in 2009.

At present, only about 20 tribespeople speak the language, which springs
from a region bordering California and Nevada, according to Yu.

Yu, who has been working on this project with graduate and undergraduate
students at the University since 2004 after receiving a grant from the
National Endowment for the Humanities, is pessimistic about the survival of
Washo. He characterizes Washo as a ?moribund language??one that elders are
no longer actively teaching to children.

?The fact is that [Washo] is an endangered language,? Yu said. ?The people
who are speaking it right now are probably going to be the last group of
speakers in all likelihood, unless the [native speakers] start speaking to
their kids in Washo daily.?

Nonetheless, Yu says his primary goal is to create a full record of the
language that can be used for both humanistic and scientific purposes.
Washo has no written tradition, so Yu says the online dictionary will
emphasize its audio component.

Yu spends his summers and vacations in California interviewing tribe members
fluent in the language. To create this ?oral dictionary,? he is compiling
audio recordings of words and syllables. Yu has completed 3,000 audio
entries to date, but says he hopes to reach 5,000 by 2009.

?The purpose of having an oral medium transmitted and preserved, Yu said,
?is so that, should a Washo in the future want to learn the language, they
can hear an elder speaking the language in the flesh, so to speak.?

Yu equates studying a language like Washo to discovering a new species of
animal, because ?you never know what you?re going to learn or what you?re
missing out on until you fully describe it and understand it.?

Linguists have found no relation between Washo and the languages of
neighboring tribes, Yu said, so these mysteries make the language
particularly interesting to study.

?There are so many languages in the world on the verge of extinction, and
it?s our job as linguists to study them before they go away forever.?

His online dictionary can be accessed at washo.uchicago.edu.

Permanent URL:
http://maroon.uchicago.edu/online_edition/news/2007/10/05/yu-compiles-dictionary-of-dying-language/


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 02:45:34 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 19:45:34 -0700
Subject: High-tech revives ancient tongue (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.194534.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

High-tech revives ancient tongue

First Nations youth are employing computer technology to master the language
of their elders

Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
Published: Friday, October 05, 2007

A language traditionally spoken by First Nations in Saanich is being pulled
back from the brink of extinction by new technology.

The spoken words of elders in the Tsawout, Tsartlip and Tseycum bands are
being digitally transcribed, and the words -- sometimes known by only a
handful of people -- added to a digital dictionary.

Students can then use interactive tools and games on computers to learn the
language. Yesterday, as Labour Minister Olga Ilich handed over $250,000 to
the FirstVoices program, students from the Saanich bands demonstrated how
it works.

[photo inset - Ben Olsen, foreground, and Eugene Baker learn the traditional
language of their ancestors from a digital dictionary on computers at the
First Peoples' Council boardroom on the Tsartlip reserve yesterday. Debra
Brash, Times Colonist]

"I can't speak it that good yet, but this is fun. I just like it," said
13-year-old Ben Olsen as he keyboarded his way through a list of words in
the language, known as Sencoten.

The provincial funding will be added to a matching grant from the federal
New Relationship Trust.

"This revitalizes a piece of who we are deep inside. It's a piece that many
of us have buried for a very long time," said Tyrone McNeil, chairman of
the First Peoples' Heritage, Language and Culture Council.

FirstVoices is being used for 26 languages across North America and in 18
communities in B.C. The province has 32 languages and more than 70
dialects.

About a dozen elders speak the Sencoten language fluently, said research
assistant Belinda Claxton as she accompanied elders Ivan Morris, 77, and
Ray Sam, 78, to a celebration buffet table of buffalo meat, herring roe and
smoked salmon after the funding announcement.

"We are trying to teach the young children the language and traditional
disciplines."

A children's book has just been completed in Sencoten and English, telling
the traditional stories and warning about what Squashthun -- the Sencoten
equivalent of the bogeyman -- will do if they break the rules, Claxton
said.

Claxton understands the language and speaks a little, but Sam and Morris
grew up speaking it.

"We must give our young people the courage to carry on with our language ...
it's a language that is beautiful," Morris said.

The sounds of Sencoten are the sounds of nature, said John Elliott, who
teaches the language. "It's the voice of the land, the voice of the wind."

Young people are keen to learn their language because they can use modern
technology and see it has a use in today's society, Elliott said.


? Times Colonist (Victoria) 2007


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 02:51:32 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 19:51:32 -0700
Subject: Inuit need national language centre: Simon (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.195132.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Nunatsiaq News
October 5, 2007

Inuit need national language centre: Simon

?You need to preserve the old language and come up with new terminology to
keep up.?

JANE GEORGE
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/71005_575.html

Inuit need a nation-wide language and culture resource centre to preserve
and promote Inuktitut throughout Canada, says Mary Simon, the president of
Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

"It would be important for us as Inuit to have this kind of centre where you
can work on the language, as in the Faroes," Simon said, following a meeting
of the National Inuit Language Committtee in Ottawa.

In the Faroe Islands, the Faroese Language Committee is an advisory
institute, founded in 1985.

[photo inset - The National Inuit Language Committee, with members from
Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut and the Inuvialuit region, met in Ottawa to
discuss how to strengthen Inuktitut. (PHOTO COURTESY OF ITK)]

Its mandate is to preserve, promote and develop the Faroese language. It
provides individuals, businesses and government institutions with advice
and information about the Faroese language, and helps come up with new
words and expressions. It also answers questions about personal names,
place names and other names.

Simon suggested a similar Canadian Inuktitut centre might be able to develop
a unified written language, without changing the various regional dialects.
This, she said, could open the door for the regions to share more
educational material.

Inuktitut, along with Cree and Ojibway, is one of three aboriginal languages
in Canada that experts say has a chance of surviving, but Simon said it
needs more resources to continue developing.

"You need to preserve the old language and come up with new terminology to
keep up with what's happening in the Inuit world," she said.

With the support of ITK, the National Inuit Language Committee, with members
from Nunatsiavut, Nunavik, Nunavut and the Inuvialuit region, met last week
in Ottawa to discuss what Inuktitut needs - more language teachers, more
language learning materials, more books and more collaboration between the
regions.

Simon admits it will be challenging to help urban Inuit or Inuit in
Nunatsiavut and the Inuvialuit region learn or retain Inuktitut.

But Simon suggested a language and culture centre could support these
efforts over the long term, providing the school system with common
Inuktitut learning materials.

"It's not an easy thing to do, but a lot of things happen that aren't easy
to do. If the will is there, you can make it happen," she said.

Simon plans to promote the idea of the Inuktitut language and culture
resource centre during her cross-Canada speaking tour, which starts later
this month.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 02:56:30 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 19:56:30 -0700
Subject: Tireless worker for Bundjalung (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.195630.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

[photo inset - INSPIRING: Uncle Eric Walkers passion for his country will
be remembered at his funeral in Tabulam next Friday. JACKLYN WAGNER]

Tireless worker for Bundjalung

Northern Star, Queensland, AUS
06.10.2007
http://www.northernstar.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3751028&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

UNCLE Eric Walker was the%essence of an elder. He was wise,
highly-respected, passionate about his country and an advocate for
Aboriginal land rights. The 95-year-old died on September 28 and, according
to those who knew him best, his awe-inspiring persona will be missed by all.
He was one of the last speakers of the Bundjalung language and worked
tirelessly to promote the language and culture of the Bundjalung people.
Director of the College of Indigenous Australian People at SCU, Professor
Judy Atkinson, said Uncle Eric Walker would often pop into her class
unannounced to share his wisdom with her students. 
Uncle Eric believed
that whatever people were learning, they should use it to the absolute
advantage of their own community,
 she said. Prof Atkinson said Uncle Eric
encouraged people to find their roots and always speak the truth. He
received an honorary fellowship from Southern Cross University in 1996 in
recognition of his outstanding commitment to the Aboriginal community. In
1998 he and his wife Una were the NAIDOC Elders of the Year.

Uncle Eric commanded respect and Prof Atkinson said that he was held in as
high esteem as the university chancellor at SCU. He also had a sharp wit
and his speeches always captured the audiences attention. Former media
advisor with ATSIC, Phillipa McDermott, worked with Uncle Eric for years
and said he was a great storyteller and a really positive role model. 
He
was awe-inspiring, but really gentle and funny too. He was like a gentle
giant,
 she said. Uncle Eric had a deep spiritual connection to the land.
During a speech at the Wollumbin Festival, Uncle Eric said Wollumbin (Mount
Warning) was like a cathedral or a church.

The NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs director-general, Jody Broun, said
Aboriginal people across Northern NSW would mourn the loss of such a
highly-esteemed elder. His funeral will be next Friday at Tabulam.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 03:06:36 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 20:06:36 -0700
Subject: Catching Up with Rising Voices Outreach Projects (fwd link)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.200636.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Catching Up with Rising Voices Outreach Projects

Sunday, October 7th, 2007 @ 16:17 UTC
by David Sasaki

Since we last visited the Rising Voices outreach award winners, much
progress has been made, including the introduction of the world's first
weblog in the Andean indigenous language of Aymara.

To read the full article, just to the link below:
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/2007/10/07/catching-up-with-rising-voices-outreach-projects/


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 03:10:55 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 20:10:55 -0700
Subject: Disappearing Languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.201055.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Disappearing Languages

Native tongues facing extinction on a global scale; British Columbian
languages among those at greatest risk

By Joan Delaney
Epoch Times Victoria Staff
Oct 05, 2007
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-10-5/60393.html

[photo inset - Mary John Senior's death in 2004 meant there was one less
person left speaking the endangered Carrier language in Prince George. In
her long and accomplished life, John wrote Stony Creek Woman, co-founded
the Yinka Dene Language Institute, and received the Order of Canada and the
Queen's Jubilee Medal. (Bill Poser)]

Around the world, hundreds of indigenous languages, some as old as 10
thousand years, are dying off at an alarming rate.

In many regions, languages are heading for extinction at the rate of one
every 14 days. Some are hanging on by a thread, being spoken by only one or
a few people.

A National Geographic project called Enduring Voices has identified five
global "hotspots" where a large number of languages are in danger of
disappearing: the Pacific Northwest, Oklahoma southwest, northern
Australia, central and eastern Siberia, and central South America.

The Enduring Voices researchers found that more than 500 of the world's
languages may be spoken by fewer than 10 people. The current rapid decline,
they say, is without precedent in history.

The threat level in the Pacific Northwest, which includes British Columbia
and parts of Washington State, Oregon and Alaska, is rated in the study as
being severe. Only northern Australia and a region of South America are
facing a more rapid language loss.

Linguists lament that as a language disappears, it takes with it a vast
storehouse of irreplaceable knowledge about the natural world, eco-systems,
and cultural traditions that have been accrued over thousands of years.

"A host of linguistic structures are also lost," says linguist Gregory
Anderson. "It's a collective loss to humanity that's going on here."

Director of the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages in Oregon,
Anderson says the Haida language of B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Islands and
Alaska, with only about 50 elderly speakers left, is "absolutely in a
desperate situation."

Anderson says the Haida language, which consists of two dialects, is
"fascinating" because it appears to be unrelated to any other language in
the world. This makes it unique. "When it goes, that's one whole lineage
that goes out with it," he says.

British Columbia is home to over 60 percent of Canada's indigenous
languages. However, of the 36 languages remaining in the province, 13 are
spoken by fewer than 50 people each, none of whom are under the age of 15,
according to Bill Poser, an adjunct professor at the University of British
Columbia.

"Once children stop routinely learning the language it's gone. Even
languages that have thousands of speakers left, if they're all beyond
childbearing age then the language is on its death bed," says Poser, a
linguist who studies the Carrier language in Prince George, which is also
endangered.

While all the native languages in B.C. are in serious decline and three have
already become extinct, several other native languages continue to be passed
down elsewhere in Canada, such as Cree, Inuktitut, Ojibway, Slave and
Dogrib.

Although the reasons indigenous languages and are vanishing are many and
varied, it is generally agreed that the greatest blow was dealt by
colonialism. Many regions where languages are most threatened are located
in countries where colonial-era governments punished natives for speaking
their own tongue.

Because the dialects formed the territorial boundaries of the different
nations and established who owned what land, destroying those dialects was
an integral part of the "colonial takeover," says Kevin Annett, author of
Hidden From History: The Canadian Holocaust.

In the last 500 years, it is estimated that half of the world's languages
have become extinct. Researchers say that local languages are now
disappearing faster than at any time in history; of the remaining 7,000
languages in the world, at least half are expected to disappear by the end
of the century.

However, efforts are being made in many communities around the world to
record and preserve their language before the last speakers die. To support
such efforts, the Living Tongues Institute provides help at the grassroots
level to communities of various sizes.

In British Columbia, First Voices, which provides a selection of web-based
tools and services designed to support aboriginal people engaged in
language archiving, language teaching and culture revitalization, currently
has 26 communities archiving their languages.

One of the tricky and time-consuming parts is writing down a language that
has only ever existed in oral form, as is the case for many native
languages.

"It was recognized in the relatively recent past that in order to be able to
keep a record of these languages they would need to be written down, so
various forms of writing systems were devised," says Peter Brand,
coordinator of First Voices.

"We cater to all of those and they're all quite unique?every single language
that's currently documented at First Voices uses a different writing system
of one kind or another."

The Queen Charlottes Haida run the Skidegate Haida Immersion Program, where
the elders teach the language and share legends and oral history with the
younger generations.

In Alaska, a range of Haida classes is being offered in several Haida
communities, and the University of Alaska Southeast offers Haida classes.
The University of British Columbia is currently offering courses in
Musqueam, Plains Cree and Dakelh.

During his 10 years at Kuper Island Residential School, Duncan resident
Delmar Johnny was strapped and had his mouth washed out with soap if he
spoke his Coast Salish language of Hul'q'umi'num.

Now, however, along with his children, 61 year-old Johnny is re-learning the
language, which he says "really creates meaning" that can't be explained in
English.

"I stayed away from anything to do with my language until my later life," he
says. "Then I started to realize that I needed my language. I'm an Indian, I
need to be that."

One of Johnny's nephews who speaks Hul'q'umi'num fluently was taught
one-on-one by an elder. He now has the honour of speaking at longhouse
functions.

However, while efforts to learn, document and archive languages ensure their
survival as "written vehicles of culture," they have no hope of bringing
back a language that's on the brink of extinction into common use, says
Poser.

Hebrew and Welsh were endangered in the past, but they survived because they
had large populations and received state support. State support also allowed
a revival of Hawaiian and the Maori dialects of New Zealand. However,
neither had been reduced to the point where they were no longer spoken by
the children.

To boost a language that has been reduced to a few elderly speakers, Poser
says a full immersion program above the pre-school level is necessary, and
the only place that's currently happening in British Columbia is at the
Chief Atahm School in the Shuswap community in Adams Lake.

The program has been "an outstanding success" in that five classes have so
far graduated students speaking fluent Shuswap, and if they continue to use
the language outside of school they'll retain it, says Poser.

Even so, it takes much more than that to ensure the survival of a language.

"The problem is that these kids are a minority in their community. The
question is then will they stay there and marry each other and bring up the
kids in the language. Unfortunately, the odds are not very good that that
will happen."

Copyright 2000 - 2007 The Epoch USA Inc.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct  9 03:16:34 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 20:16:34 -0700
Subject: Program uses new technology to help preserve old languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.8.OCT.2007.201634.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Published - Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Program uses new technology to help preserve old languages

By K&#65533;ri Knutson | Winona Daily News.
http://www.winonadailynews.com/articles/2007/10/03/news/05words03.txt

[STORY PHOTO - Wayne Wells, right, and his cousin Leah Owen, translate a
children's book into their native Dakota language Tuesday during a workshop
at Winona State University designed to help Native Americans preserve their
language using technology. Wells and Owen plan to create learning materials
in Dakota when they return to the Prairie Island Indian Community in Welch,
Minn. (Photo by Melissa Carlo/Winona Daily News)]

Winona State University hosted a workshop Tuesday designed to teach American
Indians to use technology to preserve their languages.

The weeklong program, run by the Indigenous Language Institute, shows how to
use multimedia technology tools and language material templates, such as
storybooks, calendars and newsletters. On Tuesday, the class learned how to
translate a children?s book from English into other languages, including
Dakota and Oneida.

About half of the world?s 6,000 or so languages are in danger of being lost,
according to the National Science Foundation. Most languages die as people
are pressured to assimilate to a more dominant culture and children grow up
not speaking their parents? native tongue.

?Our mission is to put the skills and tools of technology into the hands of
communities working on preserving languages,? ILI executive director
In&#65533;e Yang Slaughter said.

Participants can then use the technology to create educational materials in
native languages. Keyboards can be adapted to different languages, and each
participant gets a flash drive that adapts to their home computer
accordingly.

The ILI is based in Santa Fe, N.M., and has a partnership with IBM that
makes these workshops possible. Two are conducted each year in different
regions.

Kathleen Moriarty works with bilingual and heritage language programs for
the Minnesota Humanities Center in St. Paul. She brought a
Dakota-to-English dictionary to help her during the workshop. Moriarty
hopes to take what she learns and apply it to other languages as well.

?The more I know, the more I can share,? Moriarty said.

Wayne Wells, 33, is a Dakota language consultant for the Prairie Island
Indian Community in Welch, Minn. He is hoping to create learning materials
in the Dakota language for his students. He works with students ages 7 to
14 and says that they know the Dakota language better than he did when he
was their age.

?Technology can be used as a learning tool,? Wells said. ?That?s what kids
are used to.?

One of the goals of the workshop is to have participants produce storybooks
in native languages that can be shared in their communities.

?Tribes are saying the storytelling tradition is dwindling,? Slaughter said.
?This is one way to make sure stories don?t disappear.?

Contact K&#65533;ri Knutson at kknutson at winonadaily news.com or (507)
453-3523.


From daryn at ARWARBUKARL.COM.AU  Tue Oct  9 03:13:00 2007
From: daryn at ARWARBUKARL.COM.AU (Daryn McKenny)
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 13:13:00 +1000
Subject: Languages to Live Longer
Message-ID: <TUE.9.OCT.2007.131300.1000.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Aboriginal culture is turning to technology, writes Lia Timson.

In a true marriage of old and new, the internet is set to perpetuate, if
not, revive dozens of Aboriginal languages facing extinction. The
Miromaa software project - miromaa means "saved" in Arwarbukarl language
- was developed by two Aboriginal men in Newcastle despite assurances
from linguists that lay community members were ill-equipped to save
languages.

Daryn McKenny, general manager of the not-for-profit Arwarbukarl
Cultural Resource Association (www.arwarbukarl.com.au
<http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au> ) led the development of the program. It
will be used in a yet-to-be-launched website that aims to take the
linguistic salvaging effort worldwide.

It is estimated that from the 250 known Australian Aboriginal languages,
only 15 to 20 are fluently spoken today. The top five indigenous
languages are spoken at home by between 2500 and 5800 people only,
according to the 2006 census.

"What culture is left is disappearing every day with each elder who
passes away," McKenny says. "We need not just linguists but an army of
people and technology to slow down the loss."

Arwarbukarl, originally spoken by the people of what is now Newcastle,
Lake Macquarie and the lower Hunter Valley, is among those languages in
danger of disappearing.

"We were doing song and dance to educate the community and our own kids,
we wanted to teach them the culture, but without the language there was
something missing. Here we are teaching and talking about our language
but in English. It's not the same," McKenny says.

The project was almost killed four years ago when the now-defunct ATSIC
conducted a review that recommended funding be cut because "two fellas
without a linguist could not revive a language", he says.

"It was a big kick up the butt but it meant we had to change our ways
and work smarter."

With a background in computing, he started a search for language
software around the world but settled for developing one from scratch
when he realised existing programs were aimed at professionals studying
threatened languages, not those practising them.

Miromaa allows community users of different language groups to post
text, images, sound and video of words and phrases in a sort of communal
multimedia dictionary effort and in the process create a resource others
can use. It has a separate section for linguists.

It has been licensed to cultural centres in Victoria, Western Australia
and north Queensland.

But it is the Our Languages website that will allow the wider community
to learn indigenous languages when it launches later this year. It will
cater for multiple dialects, so that an online search for the word
"emu", for example, will elicit several regional results, including
audio of the correct pronunciations. The site (www.ourlanguages.com.au)
is still under development and inaccessible but will be open to all when
finished.

"Everyone in Australia talks Aboriginal and they don't even know it -
it's in the street names, the places, everywhere," McKenny says.

Our Languages will be launched with significant pro-bono help from
Microsoft under its Unlimited Potential program and technology-enabling
company, Dimension Data. It received partial funding from the Federal
Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
(DCITA) but additional funds will be needed to add more languages.

The first dedicated national Aboriginal TV channel was launched last
month. National Indigenous Television (nitv.org.au) carries 24-hour
programming and can be seen by Optus Aurora satellite subscribers and
Imparja's Channel 31 viewers in remote Australia. The $50 million
venture, backed by the federal department, will be available nationally
via Foxtel and Austar from October.

The channel is calling for program submissions from the community,
including language-preservation ideas.

Download the actual article from here:
http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=160 

 

 

Regards

 

Daryn McKenny

 

Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association Inc.

 

Read our Indigenous Language BLOG at http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/blog/
<http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/blog/> 

 

P | 02 4961 0515    F | 02 4940 8455    E | daryn at arwarbukarl.com.au
<mailto:daryn at arwarbukarl.com.au>     W | www.arwarbukarl.com.au

 

P  Please consider the environment before printing this email

 

The Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association Inc. respects the privacy
of individuals and strives to comply with all areas of the Privacy Act.
The contents of this email are intended for the purpose of the person or
persons named in either the "To" or "CC" boxes of the email. Any person
not named in these boxes in receipt of this email should immediately
delete this email and advise the sender accordingly.

 

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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 10 17:22:14 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:22:14 -0700
Subject: Bible translated into Naskapi (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.10.OCT.2007.102214.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

10-October-2007 - Bible translated into Naskapi - Canada
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/digest/index.cfm?years=2007&months=10&article=1041&pos=

The Bible?s New Testament is now available in the Naskapi language, the
fruit of 25 years of translation work by Silas Nabinicaboo, a lay reader of
the aboriginal church in Kawawachikamach, diocese of Quebec, and Bill
Jancewicz, an American translator associated with the Wycliffe Bible
Translation Society.

Every household in the community, located near the mining town of
Schefferville, Que., received a copy of the Naskapi New Testament at a
public dedication ceremony held Sept. 16; elders received large print
editions.

?It?s a wonderful achievement,? said Archbishop Bruce Stavert, who was among
those who attended the ceremony, along with representatives of the Canadian
Bible Society. The Naskapi Nation Development Corporation helped fund the
project.

Archbishop Stavert said the project involved ?an elaborate process where
they (translators) consulted with elders? to ensure the accuracy of the
translation.

In the works is a translation for the Old Testament. ?For the last 15 years
or so, they (translators) have produced translation of the Sunday readings
on the three-year Sunday lectionary that we use, and produce them in
Syllabics and English,? he said. ?They?ve done that with Old Testament
readings, so they have a considerable portion of that done.? The Naskapi
language is similar to northern East-Cree and is almost always written in
syllabics.

?Even though English is taught in school, and some Naskapi men learned basic
English from trading post managers, English remains a distant second
language? for the Naskapi people, said the Canadian Bible Society,
explaining the importance of the translation work.

?Since early contact with the Hudson Bay Company and the (Church of England)
clergy that accompanied them, the Naskapi have embraced the Christian faith.
But the only Scriptures available to them for over a century were translated
into dialects of Cree from near James Bay,? the Naskapi Nation Development
Corporation said on its Web site.

Article from: Anglican Journal


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 10 17:25:07 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:25:07 -0700
Subject: How a generation lost its talk (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.10.OCT.2007.102507.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Last updated at 7:56 AM on 08/10/07

How a generation lost its talk

This is the second in a five-part series exploring the Mi'kmaq nation
specifically and matters affecting aboriginal people in general and will
appear in The Daily News every Monday of Mi'kmaq History Month this
October. This week: residential schools

CANDY PALMATER
The Daily News
http://www.hfxnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=69392&sc=89

[photo inset - Mi'kmaq girls take part in a sewing lesson at Shubenacadie
Residential School in 1929.]

"I lost my talk. The talk you took away when I was a little girl at
Shubenacadie school."

Those are the opening lines of a well-known poem by Mi'kmaq poet Rita Joe.
With those few simple words, Joe gave voice to so many people across Canada
who lost their "talk," - and so much more - at Indian residential schools.

Rita Joe passed away on March 20, 2007. Unfortunately, she wasn't here to
see the Canadian government 1/2nally acknowledge her experiences at the
residential school.

After years and years of mediating, healing, consulting and negotiation, the
Canadian government has 1/2nally signed and implemented a settlement
agreement with the survivors of the residential-school system.

This begins closure on a chapter of Canadian history that began so many
years ago. In the early 1800s, the government began grappling with what
they referred to as "the Indian problem."

History has shown us that the government took a three-pronged approach to
this so-called problem: christianization, isolation and assimilation.

Missionaries were among some of the 1/2rst immigrants to arrive in this
territory. They came to convert what they saw as a heathen people to the
teachings of Christ.

The isolation approach by government was represented by the reservation
system.

The British, in order to colonize, had to encourage more British subjects to
immigrate here. They did so by promising the newcomers free land once they
arrived; land that did not belong to them to begin with.

The government, however, still faced the problem of aboriginal people
continuing to have children. All experts of the day agreed that the best
possible solution was to assimilate aboriginal people into the lower
echelons of white society.

This assimilative approach began in 1857 when the Civilization Act was
passed. This legislation would make "savages" a part of society. If an
aboriginal person met a number of requirements, including the ability to
speak English or French and the attainment of any level of education, then
that aboriginal person could apply to the government to be "civilized."

Overtly racist

After a probationary period, the government could declare the person was no
long aboriginal. Therefore, all aboriginal rights would also be taken away,
including the right to live in your community. Readers must remember that
Canadian society was overtly racist in this era, so "civilized" aboriginal
people began lying about their identity in hopes of passing for white. This
legislation, then, also represented a divide-and-conquer strategy for
government. Those divisions still exist.

By 1920, the requirements of the Civilization Act were broadened and the
"civilization" process became mandatory for anyone who met those
requirements. This created a negative outcome to attaining an education or
becoming self-suf1/2cient.

Throughout the world, and at all points of history, oppression is carried
out in the same fashion. One of the key factors in conquering a people is
the destruction of that people's culture. Legislation outlawing cultural
practices will curb culture, but to destroy it completely takes total
assimilation.

Education, whether formal or informal, is how people pass their cultural DNA
down to the next generation. Therefore, when it came to cultural genocide in
Canada, the government realized very quickly that taking over the education
of aboriginal children would speed up the assimilation process. This is a
practice that has been done by conquerors all over the world.

The government, however, found that the in3/4uence of the family on a child
was greater than that of the day school. The government then came up with
the notion of industrialized residential schooling for all aboriginal
children.

Some of Canada's major churches were given the contracts to run these
residential schools and in 1920, attendance became compulsory for all
aboriginals between the ages of seven and 15.

The purpose of these schools was the cultural genocide of a people, thinly
veiled as an education.

In the early 1980s, residential-school students began talking about sexual
and other forms of abuse taking place at the schools. In 1996, the last
federally run residential school, the Gordon Residential School in
Saskatchewan, 1/2nally closed its doors.

The policy behind the schools was a crime against aboriginal people. Many
survivors of this system came back to their communities traumatized and
institutionalized.

Alcohol and drug abuse was the chosen form of self-medication for so many
who simply couldn't bear to speak openly about their experiences.

Unspoken atrocities

Here in Nova Scotia, many Mi'kmaq experienced this abuse at the residential
school in Shubenacadie, which operated from 1930 to 1967.

The atrocities that were done there were not spoken about openly for years.

Isabelle Knockwood attended the school from 1936 to 1947. A mother of six,
she started an anthropology degree at Saint Mary's University when she was
58.

She graduated in 1992, and in that same year, her experiences of that school
were shared with the public when her book, Out of the Depths was published.

Every Canadian who feels anger at the recent residential-school settlement
should take the time to read this book.

Isabelle shared her own experiences, but also talked to some of her former
classmates about their experiences. Stories of young girls being forced to
hold their panties out in front of them for inspection haunted me as I read
it.

If the nuns found any stains on the girls panties, they would be punished.
Page after page of memories of abuse and hard labour make it evident that
"academic education" was not the purpose of the school.

Boys and girls were forced to operate industrial-sized machines, resulting
in serious accidents.

So many stories told by the survivors centre around humiliation, beating and
sexual abuse.

The long-lasting cultural tragedy of these schools is internalized racism or
self-hatred.

This is a common theme we hear from survivors across the country: through
humiliation and abuse, aboriginal children were taught that their very
identity was a sin.

They were taught to be ashamed of their language, their culture and their
bodies.

Regaining their voice

When survivors began to talk openly about their experiences, the community
also started to understand the layer of generational grief that has existed
in the aboriginal community since the early 1930s.

The impact continued for children of survivors who have also been affected
by the experience of residential schools.

Years ago, the Assembly of First Nations began a residential-school
division, and many legal actions were launched all over the country.

Negotiations then began.

In May of 2006, the government of Canada announced that a settlement
agreement had been reached.

In the time since, the Canadian courts have approved the settlement
agreement. On Sept. 19 of this year, that agreement came into affect.

This agreement will distribute $1.9 billion to survivors, and it will also
set up a truth and reconciliation commission.

It will continue to support the Aboriginal Healing Foundation.

For survivors all over the country, this will mean that for the 1/2rst time
that their experiences will be validated and acknowledged, hopefully
allowing them to move on to the healing process.

Systematic abuse

Residential schools were federally regulated segregation and federally
sanctioned racism.

Residential schools were a systematic, tax-funded, sexual and physical abuse
of one race of Canadian people.

All Canadians should take pride in this process of making amends, and be
glad that the healing can 1/2nally begin.

And no Canadian has ever put the need for healing into words better than
Rita Joe when she penned her humble poem, I Lost My Talk:

I lost my talk

The talk you took away

When I was a little girl

At Shubenacadie school

You snatched it away:I speak like you

I think like you

I create like you

The scrambled ballad, about my word.

Two ways I talk

Both ways I say,

Your way is more powerful.

So gently I offer my hand and ask,

Let me 1/2nd my talk

So I can teach you about me.

Candy Palmater wants to dedicate this column to the many residential-school
survivors who continue to teach us all how to love, laugh and forgive.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 10 17:30:34 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 10:30:34 -0700
Subject: The Phraselator II (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.10.OCT.2007.103034.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The Phraselator II

By Rob Capriccioso Tuesday, October 9, 2007
http://www.american.com/archive/2007/october-10-07/the-phraselator-ii

A high-tech military device is helping to preserve the tribal languages of
American Indians.

When Terry Brockie first learned of the Phraselator, a speech interpretation
device developed by the military as a way to easily translate Arabic words
into English, he immediately wanted to get one. He saw great possibilities
for using the machine to record the elders of his tribe saying words and
phrases in their native tongue, and thus preserve his tribe?s language for
future generations. In 2005, Brockie visited a popular tribal elder,
109-year-old Theresa Lamebull, whose collected knowledge amounted to a
living linguistic history of a large chunk of the Gros Ventre tribe?s
culture.

The Gros Ventre people, as Brockie is quick to point out, have lived in the
north-central region of Montana for hundreds of years. But today there are
only a handful of speakers proficient in their ancient language. Brockie, a
high school and tribal college teacher, knew there would be a lot of
recording to do.

He was soon able to connect with a company selling the Palm Pilot-sized
gadgets and brought one over to Lamebull?s house. She was immediately
curious.

?What is it?? she asked Brockie, to whom she had been teaching the Gros
Ventre language for several years.

Brockie explained that with a few button clicks and a couple of touch-screen
presses on the Phraselator?s small digital monitor, he could record her
words, and those words could then be translated back into English (or any
other language, for that matter).

Lamebull marveled at the complexity of the new technology, but she quickly
understood the purpose of what she called an ?aa si aaw,? the Gros Ventre
phrase for computer.

After Lamebull?s first recording session, Brockie played back her speech.
She initially laughed heartily, with tears running down her cheeks at the
sound of her voice. And then she asked to continue. Lamebull ultimately
recorded hundreds of unique Gros Ventre words and phrases into the
Phraselator before she passed away in August.

?A wealth of knowledge left us when she died,? Brockie says. ?I learned so
much from her?not only about the language, but also about taking
responsibility for carrying on our culture to our children.?

Throughout Indian Country, hundreds of younger tribal citizens like Brockie
are diligently working with their elders to preserve and teach the unique
and complex linguistic traditions of their tribes. There are currently more
than 70 tribes using the Phraselator as a language preservation tool.

Indian linguists say the gadget has gained popularity at a critical time,
since most tribes have very few living members who know their native
tongue. It is increasingly rare to find young Indians who communicate with
their elders in the tribal language.

The story behind the Phraselator?s adaptation for tribal use begins with Don
Thornton, a Cherokee business owner who first read about the military?s use
of the gadget in Middle East war zones after 9/11. The weatherproof
handheld device was initially field-tested in Afghanistan in 2001, and has
been used by U.S. forces during the ongoing Iraq war to decipher Arabic
languages.

Thornton didn?t care much about the translation of Arabic, but he did
believe the device could be easily used to combat the problem of decreasing
Indian language knowledge. Since the technology behind the device was
proprietary to a U.S. government contractor, he soon began campaigning for
the right to use the technology in the fight to save indigenous dialects.

Thornton found an ally in Voxtec, a Maryland-based hi-tech company, and his
own company, Thornton Media Inc., was ultimately granted permission to sell
the device to tribes and individual Indians. Voxtec, in turn, agreed to
supply the company with new shipments of Phraselators, and has since
assisted in the development of Indian-focused language revitalization
software.

The Phraselator itself looks like a cross between a BlackBerry and a
walkie-talkie. It can record and translate both audio and video files, and
it stores language via a flash memory card. A one-gigabyte card will hold
up to 85,000 phrases or words, which can then be transferred to other
computers.

?There?s a huge trend in Indian Country to revive the languages,? Thornton
says. ?I think the feature of the Phraselator that really attracts tribes
is that they can do it all themselves?and they retain all copyright of
their materials. They don?t have to depend on outsiders.?

Lucinda Robbins, Thornton?s grandmother and a master speaker of the Cherokee
language, was among the first to program the device. She had previously
worked with a non-Indian professor from an American university who promised
to create a paper-based Cherokee-to-Indian dictionary.

?That man used to come to my house for three years asking how to say words
in Cherokee,? Robbins recalls. ?Pretty soon it would be lists of phrases. I
fixed his lists for three years, and all I wanted was a copy of the finished
work, but never received one.?

In light of that negative experience, Robbins is especially proud that her
grandson?s business is now able to offer the Phraselator to all tribes, and
that the words recorded can be saved and shared through digital computer
technology.

Thornton?s company offers on-site training to anyone who purchases more than
two of the devices, which cost about $3,300 per unit (plus additional
software costs of about $500).

That price tag has proven to be a barrier for some tribes, especially ones
that don?t have strong grant-writing teams or extra funding from tribal
enterprises. Approximately half of the 70 tribes Thornton Media works with
have purchased Phraselators via grants from the U.S. government.

For those able to afford the technology, the biggest surprise seems to have
been how quickly many elders embraced it. ?Traditionally, you?d think that
native-speaking elders would be technology-averse,? Thornton says. ?I guess
that?s sort of a stereotype I had in my head.?

Wayne Wells, a Dakota language teacher and a member of the Prairie Island
Indian Community in Minnesota, has seen firsthand the appreciation many
elders have for the new method of language preservation.

When his tribe received a Phraselator, Wells paid a visit to the home of
Curt Campbell, one of the tribe?s few fluent elders. After asking how the
device is different from a tape recorder, Campbell was ready to begin.

"Where do you go to school?? Wells asked.

?Okay,? Campbell responded. And then he clearly uttered the phrase ?mis hed
wabdawa? into a headset microphone.

Campbell is well-versed in the oral traditions of the tribe and has shared
much of his knowledge with Wells. ?I?ve learned a lot about our land, where
our people lived,? Wells says. ?And how our language was formed by the
land.?

In a similar vein, Brockie reports that his recording sessions with Lamebull
and other elders taught him about being a better person. ?I learned a lot of
old stories and the way we used to do things a long time ago,? he says. ?And
now I can tell those stories to my children.?

Since beginning to sell the device, Thornton says he has encountered some
biased beliefs regarding how Indians should be learning language. For
example, critics have asked whether the Phraselator is antithetical to the
tribes? traditional, community-focused method of learning.

Thornton admits that the best way to learn a language is from a native
speaker in the home?from one speaker to another. However, because so few
American Indians have been able to retain their languages, that route is
often impractical.

Elders who are highly proficient in their language note that they often
spend their time teaching basic words and phrases to Indian students. A
tool like the Phraselator could allow these elders to educate students more
efficiently.

Not all fluent elders make good language teachers, moreover. ?Sometimes
elders can?t get around well anymore,? Wells explains. ?Being able to bring
their translations on the Phraselator to a classroom is sometimes much
easier.?

Thornton stresses that Indians can be pro-technology without worrying that
they?ve sold out their culture.

?Some people want to see Indians sitting around in a lodge learning a
language from grandpa, with grandma tanning hides outside,? he says. ?But
the fact is, technology is here, and I think more and more Indians are
eager to use it to help retain culture.?

Rob Capriccioso is the editor of Big Head DC, a Washington news and gossip
blog


From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Wed Oct 10 21:45:32 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:45:32 -0700
Subject: Roseta Stone
Message-ID: <WED.10.OCT.2007.144532.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Chitimacha Tribe to Develop Rosetta Stone Software

ARLINGTON, Va. (Oct. 3, 2007) ? Rosetta Stone Inc., creator of the  
world?s No. 1 language-learning program, has formed a partnership  
with the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana to develop a unique edition of  
the award-winning software in the tribe?s language, Sitimaxa.

The tribe will own distribution and sales rights to the tribal  
language version created through the Rosetta Stone Endangered  
Language Program, which has developed culturally-relevant language- 
learning software with the Mohawk of Kahnawake, NANA Regional  
Corporation of Alaska, and other indigenous communities.

Through its new corporate grant program, the global language-learning  
software company will underwrite a substantial portion of development  
costs for the Sitimaxa software. Rosetta Stone has pledged to  
underwrite at least one project per year with endangered language  
speaking communities interested in developing editions of the cutting- 
edge immersion learning software.

"Our hope is that Sitimaxa Rosetta Stone? software will be a tool  
that will make a difference in the vitality of the language of the  
Chitimacha Tribe," said Marion Bittinger, manager of the Endangered  
Language Program. "We look forward to working with the tribe to help  
realize their vision for a living and growing language."

On Louisiana?s coast, the Chitimacha tribe endured for century after  
century ? surviving war, settlement, assimilation. This same  
determination to survive has allowed the Chitimacha to revitalize  
their language, which they almost lost.

"Language is really the heart of who you are. It?s not just about  
learning the words; it?s about learning your past. It?s that  
connection," said Kimberly S. Walden, M.Ed., cultural director of the  
1,000 member tribe.

The native tongue of the Chitimacha people almost disappeared when  
its last fluent speaker died in 1934 and its last semi-fluent speaker  
died in 1940. One generation, then another, grew up knowing no more  
than a few words of the rich language of their ancestors.

Then in 1986, the Library of Congress mailed the tribe copies of wax  
cylinder recordings made in the 1930s by Swedish linguist Morris  
Swadesh. Tribal members listened to over 200 hours of their language  
- sounds no one had heard in decades, a cultural treasure buried in  
archives for half a lifetime. The Chitimacha began rebuilding these  
fragments back into a fluently spoken language. They recovered field  
notes made by Swadesh and his wife to help decode what was recorded.

"The recordings were very hard to understand, especially if you?d  
never heard the language spoken before," Walden said. "You have to  
realize that, as long as I was growing up, all we had in Sitimaxa was  
a few words on a museum brochure that no one could pronounce."

In 1995, the Chitimacha tribe established a cultural department.  
Employees asked archeological contractors in Louisiana if they knew  
of anyone familiar with the Chitimacha?s language -- a long-shot  
request that, improbably, paid off. Contractors suggested the tribe  
contact Dr. Julian Granberry, a linguist and anthropologist living in  
Florida who had worked with Swadesh as a high school sophomore.

Granberry, now 80, had studied their language for decades, but had  
never visited the reservation. The tribe invited Granberry to share  
his findings. "When Dr. Granberry spoke Sitimaxa to a group of  
Chitimacha elders assembled at a meeting, some of the elders began to  
cry," said Walden. "Words started coming back. They remembered."

With Granberry?s help, the Chitimacha tackled the Sitimaxa challenge,  
using the returned resources to develop dictionaries, curriculum,  
primers and recordings. The tribe now offers Sitimaxa classes for  
students as young as six weeks old at its child development center.  
Students in kindergarten through the eighth grade learn the language  
at the Chitimacha Tribal School, and adults in night classes.

Rachel Vilcan was one of the first students in the adult class. Now  
she?s an aide in the K-8 Sitimaxa program. "The language sounds  
natural; it sounds like it fits me, like it fits the area," Vilcan  
said. "It was scary, at first, to be learning it as an adult, but the  
desire to learn was stronger. It?s our identity."

Like other tribes working to bring tribal language back into daily  
use, the Chitimacha?s goal is to develop conversational fluency. "We  
want to bring the language back to the point where we can use it  
conversationally when we gather as a tribe," said Walden.

Through its immersion-based software that can be customized to  
reflect unique linguistic and cultural features, Rosetta Stone will  
help the tribe solve this problem. The tribe will work with Rosetta  
Stone to translate and record lessons in Sitimaxa. The paired audio  
recordings of tribal speakers and images from the community will  
teach this endangered language in culturally relevant context using  
the company?s award-winning Dynamic ImmersionTM methodology.

"I think the chances are very great that they will succeed,"  
Granberry said. "There has been for the last decade a strong interest  
on the part of a large number of the tribal members."

Ilse Ackerman, editor-in-chief at Rosetta Stone, said this language  
teaching tool multiplies existing efforts. "If you have a small  
number of fluent speakers, student time with these teachers is  
valuable and limited. The software can give students access to their  
teaching around the clock, allowing communities to save valuable face- 
to-face instruction time for conversational practice," said Ackerman.

The Chitimacha Tribe will use the immersion-based software to enhance  
ongoing education programs for children and adults. Tribal members as  
far away as Guam and Germany will be able to learn Sitimaxa using CDs  
or through online access when the project finishes.

About the Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program

The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program works with communities  
to develop unique immersion-learning software. The Endangered  
Language Program worked with the Kanien'kehaka Onkwaw?n:na  
Raotitiohkwa to develop Mohawk software for the community of  
Kahnawake in 2006, and the NANA Corporation of Alaska to develop  
I?upiaq language learning software in 2007. The program and the  
Torngasok Cultural Centre in Labrador will produce a version in  
Inuttitut.

About Rosetta Stone Inc.

Rosetta Stone Inc. is a leading provider of language-learning  
software. Acclaimed for the speed, power and effectiveness of its  
Dynamic ImmersionTM method, Rosetta Stone is a revolutionary language- 
learning software program. While teaching 30 languages to millions of  
people in more than 150 countries throughout the world, Rosetta Stone  
software is the key to Language Learning Success?. Inc. Magazine has  
named Rosetta Stone Inc. one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in  
the United States, and for the fourth consecutive year Deloitte has  
named the company one of the fastest-growing technology companies in  
Virginia. Rosetta Stone was founded in 1992 on two core beliefs: that  
the natural way people learn languages as children remains the most  
successful method for learning new languages; and that interactive CD- 
ROM and online technology can recreate the immersion method  
powerfully for learners of any age. The company is based in  
Arlington, Va. For more information, visit www.RosettaStone.com.
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From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Thu Oct 11 19:53:28 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:53:28 -0700
Subject: Resending Roseta Stone Article
Message-ID: <THU.11.OCT.2007.125328.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Chitimacha Tribe to Develop Rosetta Stone Software

ARLINGTON, Va. (Oct. 3, 2007) ? Rosetta Stone Inc., creator of the   
world?s No. 1 language-learning program, has formed a partnership  
with  the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana to develop a unique edition  
of the  award-winning software in the tribe?s language, Sitimaxa.

The tribe will own distribution and sales rights to the tribal  
language  version created through the Rosetta Stone Endangered  
Language Program,  which has developed culturally-relevant language- 
learning software with  the Mohawk of Kahnawake, NANA Regional  
Corporation of Alaska, and other  indigenous communities.

Through its new corporate grant program, the global language- 
learning  software company will underwrite a substantial portion of  
development  costs for the Sitimaxa software. Rosetta Stone has  
pledged to underwrite  at least one project per year with endangered  
language speaking  communities interested in developing editions of  
the cutting-edge  immersion learning software.

"Our hope is that Sitimaxa Rosetta Stone? software will be a tool  
that  will make a difference in the vitality of the language of the  
Chitimacha  Tribe," said Marion Bittinger, manager of the Endangered  
Language  Program. "We look forward to working with the tribe to help  
realize  their vision for a living and growing language."

On Louisiana?s coast, the Chitimacha tribe endured for century after   
century ? surviving war, settlement, assimilation. This same   
determination to survive has allowed the Chitimacha to revitalize  
their  language, which they almost lost.

"Language is really the heart of who you are. It?s not just about   
learning the words; it?s about learning your past. It?s that   
connection," said Kimberly S. Walden, M.Ed., cultural director of  
the  1,000 member tribe.

The native tongue of the Chitimacha people almost disappeared when  
its  last fluent speaker died in 1934 and its last semi-fluent  
speaker died  in 1940. One generation, then another, grew up knowing  
no more than a  few words of the rich language of their ancestors.

Then in 1986, the Library of Congress mailed the tribe copies of wax   
cylinder recordings made in the 1930s by Swedish linguist Morris   
Swadesh. Tribal members listened to over 200 hours of their language  
-  sounds no one had heard in decades, a cultural treasure buried in   
archives for half a lifetime. The Chitimacha began rebuilding these   
fragments back into a fluently spoken language. They recovered field   
notes made by Swadesh and his wife to help decode what was recorded.

"The recordings were very hard to understand, especially if you?d  
never  heard the language spoken before," Walden said. "You have to  
realize  that, as long as I was growing up, all we had in Sitimaxa  
was a few  words on a museum brochure that no one could pronounce."

In 1995, the Chitimacha tribe established a cultural department.   
Employees asked archeological contractors in Louisiana if they knew  
of  anyone familiar with the Chitimacha?s language -- a long-shot  
request  that, improbably, paid off. Contractors suggested the tribe  
contact Dr.  Julian Granberry, a linguist and anthropologist living  
in Florida who  had worked with Swadesh as a high school sophomore.

Granberry, now 80, had studied their language for decades, but had  
never  visited the reservation. The tribe invited Granberry to share  
his  findings. "When Dr. Granberry spoke Sitimaxa to a group of  
Chitimacha  elders assembled at a meeting, some of the elders began  
to cry," said  Walden. "Words started coming back. They remembered."

With Granberry?s help, the Chitimacha tackled the Sitimaxa  
challenge,  using the returned resources to develop dictionaries,  
curriculum,  primers and recordings. The tribe now offers Sitimaxa  
classes for  students as young as six weeks old at its child  
development center.  Students in kindergarten through the eighth  
grade learn the language at  the Chitimacha Tribal School, and adults  
in night classes.

Rachel Vilcan was one of the first students in the adult class. Now   
she?s an aide in the K-8 Sitimaxa program. "The language sounds  
natural;  it sounds like it fits me, like it fits the area," Vilcan  
said. "It was  scary, at first, to be learning it as an adult, but  
the desire to learn  was stronger. It?s our identity."

Like other tribes working to bring tribal language back into daily  
use,  the Chitimacha?s goal is to develop conversational fluency. "We  
want to  bring the language back to the point where we can use it   
conversationally when we gather as a tribe," said Walden.

Through its immersion-based software that can be customized to  
reflect  unique linguistic and cultural features, Rosetta Stone will  
help the  tribe solve this problem. The tribe will work with Rosetta  
Stone to  translate and record lessons in Sitimaxa. The paired audio  
recordings of  tribal speakers and images from the community will  
teach this endangered  language in culturally relevant context using  
the company?s  award-winning Dynamic ImmersionTM methodology.

"I think the chances are very great that they will succeed,"  
Granberry  said. "There has been for the last decade a strong  
interest on the part  of a large number of the tribal members."

Ilse Ackerman, editor-in-chief at Rosetta Stone, said this language   
teaching tool multiplies existing efforts. "If you have a small  
number  of fluent speakers, student time with these teachers is  
valuable and  limited. The software can give students access to their  
teaching around  the clock, allowing communities to save valuable  
face-to-face  instruction time for conversational practice," said  
Ackerman.

The Chitimacha Tribe will use the immersion-based software to  
enhance  ongoing education programs for children and adults. Tribal  
members as  far away as Guam and Germany will be able to learn  
Sitimaxa using CDs or  through online access when the project finishes.

About the Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program

The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program works with communities  
to  develop unique immersion-learning software. The Endangered  
Language  Program worked with the Kanien'kehaka Onkwaw?n:na  
Raotitiohkwa to  develop Mohawk software for the community of  
Kahnawake in 2006, and the  NANA Corporation of Alaska to develop  
I?upiaq language learning software  in 2007. The program and the  
Torngasok Cultural Centre in Labrador will  produce a version in  
Inuttitut.

About Rosetta Stone Inc.

Rosetta Stone Inc. is a leading provider of language-learning  
software.  Acclaimed for the speed, power and effectiveness of its  
Dynamic  ImmersionTM method, Rosetta Stone is a revolutionary  
language-learning  software program. While teaching 30 languages to  
millions of people in  more than 150 countries throughout the world,  
Rosetta Stone software is  the key to Language Learning Success?.  
Inc. Magazine has named Rosetta  Stone Inc. one of the 500 fastest- 
growing companies in the United  States, and for the fourth  
consecutive year Deloitte has named the  company one of the fastest- 
growing technology companies in Virginia.  Rosetta Stone was founded  
in 1992 on two core beliefs: that the natural  way people learn  
languages as children remains the most successful  method for  
learning new languages; and that interactive CD-ROM and  online  
technology can recreate the immersion method powerfully for  learners  
of any age. The company is based in Arlington, Va. For more   
information, visit www.RosettaStone.com.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 12 21:17:22 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:17:22 -0700
Subject: CDU to award Honorary Doctorates to NT women (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.12.OCT.2007.141722.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

CDU to award Honorary Doctorates to NT women

12 October 2007
http://www.cdu.edu.au/newsroom/story.php?nID=2350

Charles Darwin University will present two honorary doctorates, both to
women, at this week?s graduation ceremony in Darwin.

A Yolngu woman, Raymattja Marika, will receive a Doctor of Education,
Honoris Causa, during the CDU graduation ceremony at the Darwin
Entertainment Centre on Friday evening, 12 October.

Dr Valerie Asche, a tireless worker for the NT and for the University
through her many contributions to the Menzies School of Health Research,
will receive the award of Doctor of the University, Honoris Causa.

Raymattja Marika, a woman of high esteem in both the Yolngu Aboriginal
community of north-east Arnhem Land and in the wider Australian community,
is being recognised for her contribution to education, especially to the
education of Aboriginal people in the NT, and her services to
reconciliation and inter-cultural understanding.

She is the eldest daughter of Dadaynga (Roy) Marika, a pioneer of the land
rights movement who believed in the value of education for Aborigines, both
in their own cultures and in the non-Aboriginal world.

Ms Marika learned to read and write in English, but also became literate in
her own Rirratjingu language. While at the mission school, she recorded and
wrote local stories for bilingual education programs which began in 1974. In
1976 she was employed at the school to continue this work, marking the start
of her formal career as an educator.

She recognised early on the need for young Yolngu to be able to express and
translate Yolngu language, lore and views to the wider community. Ms Marika
has spent the past three decades working for Aboriginal people to be
included in the mainstream education system, where the curriculum includes
aspects of Aboriginal life and culture, and where Aboriginal first
languages are respected.

Ms Marika holds a Certificate of Literary Attainment from the School of
Aboriginal Languages at Batchelor, an Advanced Diploma in Teaching from the
Batchelor Institute of Primary Education, and a Graduate Diploma in Adult
Education and Training from Melbourne University.

In 1984 she spearheaded the establishment of the Yirrkala School Action
Group which resulted in the Yirrkala School Council gaining control over
decision making and in achieving a program and mode of delivery of
educational services that is valued by Aboriginal communities.

She has held senior positions, including Director of the Australian
Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, Director of
Reconciliation Australia, and Treasurer of the Yothu Yindi Foundation. She
plays a central role in the annual Garma Festival. Ms Marika also provided
the original translations and cultural information for CDU?s Yolgnu Studies
program and has been an advisor to the program for 12 years.

Ms Marika was part of a team that won a Prime Minister?s Award for
Excellence in Tertiary Teaching in 2005. She also received a Territory Day
Award in 2006.

The second woman to be honoured at this week?s graduation ceremony is Dr
Valerie Asche, who will receive the award of Doctor of the University,
Honoris Causa, in recognition for her outstanding service to the field of
microbiological science, and to the University through her many
contributions, including the Menzies School of Health Research.

Dr Asche holds a Doctor of Philosophy, is a Member of the Order of
Australia, and is a Dame of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.

She has authored more than 40 papers in scholarly publications. In 1991 she
received the Distinguished Service Award of the Australian Society for
Microbiology.

With her husband, Austin, Dr Asche moved to the Northern Territory in 1986,
where she worked as senior research officer within the Microbiology Unit at
the Menzies School of Health Research, and sessional microbiologist at Royal
Darwin Hospital.

Under her leadership, the Microbiology Unit published numerous articles,
including the first paper published in the southern hemisphere to report on
the isolation of Chlamydia pneumoniae. When she retired from this work she
was awarded the Menzies School of Health Research Medallion for outstanding
service to the school. Dr Asche was appointed to the Governing Board of the
Menzies School in 1994 and remained a member until 2005.

In 1993, the couple moved into Government House for Mr Asche?s three-year
term as Administrator of the Northern Territory. During this period Dr
Asche became patron of at least 35 community organisations. She was a
foundation member of the Museum and Art Galleries Foundation and the
Government House Foundation.

Dr Asche remains the Patron of six NT organisations and is actively involved
with many others. In 2002 she chaired the Task Force on Illicit Drugs in the
Northern Territory, commissioned by the Northern Territory Legislative
Assembly.

Her awards include the 1998 Chief Minister?s Women?s Achievement Award for
Outstanding Contribution to the Northern Territory, the NT?s Senior
Australian Citizen of the Year in 2000, and in 2001 she was appointed a
Member of the Order of Australia for service to science, particularly in
the field of microbiology, and to the NT community.

?Charles Darwin University is delighted to be welcoming both Raymattja
Marika and Val Asche as distinguished alumni of the university,?
Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Garnett said.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 12 21:41:25 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:41:25 -0700
Subject: Expedition into the unknown uncovers remote Brazilian tribe
 threatened by hydroelectric dam (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.12.OCT.2007.144125.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

12 October 2007 14:43

Expedition into the unknown uncovers remote Brazilian tribe threatened by
hydroelectric dam

By Daniel Howden
Published: 11 October 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article3047638.ece

Two British explorers have completed a gruelling six-month expedition down
2,500 kilometres (1,550 miles) of the Xingu river through the Cerrado
savannahlands and rainforest in the heart of Brazil.

Sue and Patrick Cunningham were the sole members of the expedition,
travelling in a small open boat accompanied only by local boatmen. The
couple have received the Neville Shulman Award from the Royal Geographical
Society for their venture. And their journey is being showcased in a London
exhibition which opened this week.

The river passes through the largest Indian reserve in Brazil, and the
couple visited 48 Indian villages. "The Indians of the Xingu are incredible
people," said Sue Cunningham, "They have a profound knowledge of the forest;
they use a huge number of plants and trees to provide for their everyday
needs. And they are important for us, because the forest is a vital weapon
in the fight against climate change."

The Cunninghams kept a blog of their journey...

Departure, 6 April 2007

We finally departed Canarana on 3 April. Heading downriver, we arrived at
the vigilance post where a Kalapalo family group watch over the entrance to
the park. The local chief talks about his concern over the proposed
Paranatinga II dam, of which we will hear more everywhere we go.

Heart of Brazil, 23 May

Our boat, Cora??o do Brasil, is a 7m aluminium vessel. It is reinforced to
withstand the rocks in the rapids and waterfalls. We have been accompanied
by local boatmen from the start.

The first was Aparecido, a genial non-Indian from Canarana. He has worked
for Funai, the government Indian agency, and has a wealth of knowledge of
the people, plants and animals of the Cerrado.

The Indian way is to eat when food is available. The concept of three meals
a day is alien, and a meal may occur at any time of day, though it usually
happens in the afternoon or evening.

Dams, 28 May

Most of the Xingu catchment area is now protected. But the headwaters, to
the south, west and east, all lie outside of the protected areas. Much is
converted to agriculture, and subject to deforestation. As the forest is
cleared, the amount of sediment, agrotoxins and other pollution entering
the river grows, affecting fish stocks and polluting drinking water. There
are proposals to construct a series of six hydroelectric dams on all of the
main tributaries of the Xingu. One, known as Paranatinga II, is already
under construction. All of the people of the Xingu are seriously concerned.
Arivir? Matipu explains: "This hydroelectric scheme will destroy our
supermarket. Our main source of food is the river, we don't eat game and we
don't keep animals to eat. Our food is fish, and the river provides it. If
the dam is completed, the river will die. And if the river dies, we will
have no food, there will be no more Indians and the forest will die."

Uncontacted tribes, 31 May

A few days ago, a previously unknown group of Kayapo emerged from the forest
to contact their relatives in the village of Kremoro. The first contact was
made by two men who approached the house of Bepro, son of one of the
benajures [village chiefs]. He went to find out what was causing noises at
the back of the house, to find two strange Indians, who beckoned for him to
follow them into the forest. Bepro and his brother, Beprytire, decided to go
to look for them. They soon found them and established that the strange
Indians were Kayapo, though they spoke an archaic version of the language.
The newcomers told them their people were worried because they knew the
forest was being destroyed nearer and nearer to their village and, although
they had built it under the canopy of the forest, they were afraid they
would be found and killed.

Metuktire, 7 June

Metuktire is the closest village to the site of an aeroplane accident last
year involving a Gol Boeing and an executive jet which cost the lives of
over a hundred people. The wreckage of the Boeing came to earth in a remote
region of forest, and the people of Metuktire were the first on the scene.

"We quickly realised there were no survivors," said Cacique Waiwai, one of
the first to reach the wreckage. "All we could do was make a clearing so
that the army could land their helicopters. Once they were there, they sent
us away."

Rapids, 15 June

We negotiated the two most difficult sets of rapids, the Von Martius and the
Pedras. The previously placid river has given way to a series of rocky
stretches, each of which is especially perilous at this time of year.

The night before, our camp was visited by a pair of tapirs, which arrived on
the island from the bank of the river, stayed briefly, then swam away again.

Frontier town, 4 July

S?o F?lix do Xingu is a thriving town, deriving income from the ranches
which have been torn out of the forest. But it has another side. There
remain several large landowners who still use gunmen to frighten away, and
occasionally kill, any of their workers who have stepped out of line.

Final destination, 27 July

As we sped towards Porto de Moz, our final destination, we thought about the
strength of the indigenous cultures we had seen, and reflected on the
progress many ethnic groups have made towards self-determination. We
thought of the threats to the river and its people which are so powerful
today, from the soya farms and hydroelectric schemes on the headwaters to
the huge Belo Monte dam proposed so close to the mouth of the river.

An exhibition of photos from the journey will be on show at Gallery 32,
Green Street, London W1, until 18 October

http://ipcst.wordpress.com


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 12 21:45:42 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:45:42 -0700
Subject: Church urged to help preserve Native American language and
 culture (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.12.OCT.2007.144542.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Church urged to help preserve Native American language and culture

By staff writers
12 Oct 2007
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/5908

Native American languages have been under "extreme and direct attack" for
generations and many are in danger of extinction, the director of a project
working to save the Euchee language has told United Methodists in the USA.

Richard Grounds, project director of the Euchee (Yu-chee) Language Project
in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, works with the five remaining fluent Euchee speakers
left in the United States. His daughter, Renee, a board member of the
United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, has dedicated her life to
helping him keep the language alive - reports UMC's Kathy Gilbert.

Speaking in Euchee, Renee introduced her father to members of the commission
at Ware Chapel United Methodist Church before his presentation on the
project.

Commission members were taking a day during their 3-7 October 2007 board
meeting in Oklahoma City to visit Kiowa Native American United Methodist
churches and to hear from Native American United Methodists.

Caroline Botone and Henry Joseph Willis greeted the group in their native
languages of Kiowa and Choctaw.

"This is really a pretty special event," Grounds said. "We are hearing from
our elders at this meeting in their own languages. This is what their
mother spoke to them, and that's why they speak it to you."

Grounds said the World War II generation still speaks their native
languages, and most of that generation is slowly dying, taking the
languages with them.

"In this state where 25 indigenous languages are still spoken, only four of
those are being learned by children; all the rest are only spoken by
elders," he said. "The words you heard from my daughter, Renee, speaking
the language of my grandmother are extremely unusual."

The commission funded Grounds' Euchee project from 2000-2004 through the
Minority Group Self-Determination Fund. The fund was established by The
United Methodist Church to empower racial and ethnic minority people within
and outside the church.

The tradition of passing down native languages was "crushed through a very
ugly, sorted, intentional process" that took young people out of the tribes
and put them in boarding schools where they were forced to speak English.

"I would guess billions of dollars were spent destroying our languages,
breaking down our ceremonial ways, assaulting our traditions," he said.

Churches have been complicit in the dispossession of Native Americans, he
said. He told the group that Methodism founder John Wesley came to Georgia
in 1835 and met the Creeks, Muskogee, Chickasaws and Euchee. Wesley wrote
"really ugly things about these native nations," Grounds said.

"But he really saved his most cruel remarks for the Euchees, saying that the
Euchees killed their own children - things that were not really true and
things he didn't really have a basis for making the claims," Grounds said.

"Colonialism is taking other people's resources to service your own
interest. It's taking the richness of others in order to build your own
wealth. It was a fairly ugly process. In the context of the United States,
it was done under the name of U.S. expansion, a lot of patriotic fanfare,
often with a Christian veneer over it."

The use of Native American mascots and names points to the same thinking
today that says "if it's Indian, it's ours. It's no longer just the
resources. It's no longer just the land. It's literally the name. It's
literally the identity," he said.

"We want our young people to be proud of their languages."

Globally, Grounds said, the next 20 years likely will see the loss of half
of the world's languages and, in the United States, about 70 percent of
indigenous languages are projected to die out.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 12 22:00:24 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 15:00:24 -0700
Subject: CDU to award Honorary Doctorates to NT women (fwd)
In-Reply-To: <20071012141722.if48sscks4gssssg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <FRI.12.OCT.2007.150024.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Greetings,

I just want to express my great happiness and respect for Raymattja Marika
(Yolngu) for her honorary award!  I had the privilege of meeting her at the
Indigenous Languages Conference in Adelaiade, Australia this past month.

I highly recommend reading her prestigious 1998 Wentworth lecture (below).
Raymattja Marika, Wentworth Lecture 1998

AIATSIS Library, S06.1/AIAS/10 1999 no1, p.3-9
?The 1998 Wentworth Lecture? paper presented at the Wentworth Lecture.

To cite this file use :
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/lbry/dig_prgm/wentworth/a318678_a.pdf

Good day!

Phil Cash Cash
UofA ILAT

Quoting phil cash cash :

> CDU to award Honorary Doctorates to NT women
>
> 12 October 2007
> http://www.cdu.edu.au/newsroom/story.php?nID=2350
>
> Charles Darwin University will present two honorary doctorates, both to
> women, at this week?s graduation ceremony in Darwin.
>
> A Yolngu woman, Raymattja Marika, will receive a Doctor of Education,
> Honoris Causa, during the CDU graduation ceremony at the Darwin
> Entertainment Centre on Friday evening, 12 October.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Sun Oct 14 02:57:27 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 19:57:27 -0700
Subject: 'So we won't be lost' (fwd)
Message-ID: <SAT.13.OCT.2007.195727.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Saturday, October 13, 2007

'So we won't be lost'
Device helps preserve American Indian languages

By Samantha Bates
of the East Oregonian
Saturday, October 13, 2007
http://www.eastoregonian.com/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=67830

[photo inset - Modesta Minthorn, right, helps Fred Hill Sr. record phrases
from the Umatilla language Wednesday at the Cay-uma-wa Education Building
in Mission. Staff photo by Nicole Barker]

Preserving American Indian languages is important to members of the
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. They believe
language ties them to their culture, history and identity.

"It's God's gift," said Walla Walla speaker Cecelia Bearchum. "That's the
language that was given to us."

Umatilla speaker and teacher Fred Hill Sr. agreed, saying preserving the
languages is important.

"So we won't be lost," he said. "It points us to the religions. It directly
ties us to this land and connects us to our past."

This week, the CTUIR language department is training to use a new technology
to help preserve the languages. The Phraselator LC is a device that records
American Indian phrases and translates them into English.

Working with Thornton Media Inc., tribal members and linguists are
cataloging translations in Walla Walla, Cayuse and Umatilla.

Don Thornton, founder of Thornton Media Inc., said the Phraselators can
store about 80,000 phrases that can be accessed on a touch screen or can be
spoken into the device in English or American Indian languages.

The tribes purchased three Phraselators to use in the language department,
which teaches at Nixyaawii Community School and the tribal HeadStart
program. It also has two second-language apprentices for each language. The
Phraselators, which are about the size of a half-loaf of bread, may be used
in the classroom or in everyday situations.

"It's a crucial tool to carry out these purposes," CTUIR Education Director
Zenaida Lyles said. "Few tribal members are first-language speakers. This
captures the character of the languages."

"We're hoping it will help us with access to languages," CTUIR Linguist
Modesta Minthorn said. "We want to make sure everyone has access."

Minthorn also hopes this will open the door to allow the linguistics
department to use technology in teaching American Indian languages. Rather
than seeing technology as an obstacle, it should be viewed as an
opportunity to reach out to young people, she said.

"I was really a little afraid to even open the box," Minthorn said when the
Phraselators first arrived. "I was glad to get the training. I'm more at
ease now. But I'm very optimistic for it's uses as well."

As she gets more practice, she said the device becomes easier to use.
Minthorn hopes this will increase the chances people will use it.

"The easier something is to use, the more likely you are to use it," she
said.

Lyles also pointed out the portability of the device, allowing it to be used
almost anywhere.

"You could put it in your purse," she said.

On Wednesday morning, Minthorn was recording Umatilla phrases with Hill.
Along with being a first-language speaker, he teaches Umatilla at
Nixyaawii.

He said he learned Umatilla and Yakima from his grandmother, who raised him
and didn't speak English. As a result, he's one of about five individuals
who speaks Umatilla as a first language and are a part of CTUIR's
linguistics program.

On Wednesday morning, he spoke phrases into a headset with a microphone. As
he did so, Minthorn recorded Hill's voice on a laptop computer. The
recordings were later transferred to a Phraselator via an SD memory card.

Hill said he had to be careful when recording phrases, as intonation is an
important aspect of the Umatilla language.

"We're wanting to make sure everything is properly pronounced," he said.
"Some has been overrode by the English language so much, sometimes words
get slurred the wrong way."

For instance, when someone asks a question in English, the voice lifts up at
the end of a sentence. But in Umatilla, the voice lifts up in the middle of
the sentence and drops down again at the end.

Having proper intonation will help with learning, Hill said.

"One thing it'll be good because of the repetition," Hill said. "Students
will be able to mimic exactly the way we're speaking it. That's what we're
really after - consistency.

"Our language is not meant to be a harsh language," Hill continued. "This is
a good way to preserve that - the pureness of it."

Bearchum is one of first-language Walla Walla speaker with the linguistics
department.

"Walla Walla is most endangered," Bearchum said. "There are fewer
first-language speakers, so I get to talk real fast."

Growing up, she said Walla Walla was spoken as the first language in her
home. But when she reached school age, she was sent to boarding schools
where she was forbidden to speak her native tongue. But Bearchum didn't let
that discourage her. She still spoke Walla Walla when she came home for
summer breaks.

"If we had been allowed to speak all the time, we wouldn't have to do this,"
she said, referring to recording her voice on the Phraselator.

Hill, Bearchum and other first-language speakers will continue recording
phrases on the devices throughout the week. Theoretically, Thornton said,
they could continue recording for the next ten years and not run out of
memory.

But in the end, those in the linguistics department hope the Phraselators
will record more than just words.

"It's important to preserve our language because our language is a unique
perspective of us," Minthorn said. "It's our history, our relationship, our
religion. ... If we don't preserve it, we lose it. It's extremely important
to preserve our language."


From dzo at BISHARAT.NET  Mon Oct 15 02:28:54 2007
From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn)
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:28:54 -0400
Subject: "Global Conversations: A Festival of Marginalized Languages"
 2007/10/24-26
Message-ID: <SUN.14.OCT.2007.222854.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The International Center for Writing and Translation (ICWT) at the
University of California - Irvine is holding an event called "Global
Conversations: A Festival of Marginalized Languages" on Oct. 24-26, 2007.
(This is late to pass on word, but I hadn't been tracking this one - sorry)

See http://www.humanities.uci.edu/icwt/globalconversations/

The conference "will celebrate conversation among and between languages. The
conference will feature scholars, writers, performers, practitioners and
activists who are involved in and passionate about the languages with which
they work and live.? We will be focusing on examples of the revival,
restoration and visibility of languages and cultures in Asia, Africa, Europe
and the Americas. We see this conference as an opportunity to reflect on how
we can encourage conversation among and between languages in scholarship,
activism, literature, teaching, and performance. We are coming together in
order to be in conversation with one another and to be encouraged to go
forward in these areas."

"ICWT invites individuals to attend."

ICWT is headed by Prof. Ngugi wa Thiuon'o
See http://www.humanities.uci.edu/icwt/


From kms47 at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 15 02:34:18 2007
From: kms47 at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (=?ISO-8859-1?Q?Kenna_Smith?=)
Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:34:18 -0700
Subject: Question About Software
Message-ID: <SUN.14.OCT.2007.193418.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Greetings all,

To quote Dr. Carnie, "I'm new to the list, so please forgive me if this is
either inappropriate or has been discussed before."

I am a Linguistics undergraduate and am trying to get a sense of what
programs can be used for language documentation - specifically language
lesson creation.  I have heard about quite a few through this listserv, and
have found some on my own, but I have the feeling there are many programs
available that I have not heard of.  As such, I was hoping that maybe some
of you would be willing to share the names of programs you are aware of or
have worked with for the development of language lessons and / or
documentary materials (dictionaries, grammars etc).

I have listed the programs I know about (including their cost and method of
obtaining the software) below for the sake of efficiency, and as an attempt
to contribute to the listserv since I am asking for information.

Thank you very much for your help,
Kenna

PROGRAMS FOR LANGUAGE LESSON CREATION:

CourseLab
http://courselab.com/db/cle/root_id/examples/doc.html
	-- Free (expansion packs cost money)
	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)

Multimedia LessonBuilder
http://engage.wisc.edu/accomplishments/mmlb/index.html
	-- Purchase for $30 (https://wisccharge.wisc.edu/LandS/)
	-- Send Money (hard copy of program will be sent by mail)

MaxAuthor
http://cali.arizona.edu/docs/wmaxa/
	-- Free
	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)

ACORNS
http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns/
	-- Free
	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)


PROGRAMS WHICH MIGHT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH LANGUAGE LESSONS:

Microsoft Software Miromaa
http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=151 (best viewed in IE browser)
	-- Purchase for $??
	-- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)

Akira Language Project
http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/atp/atp.shtml (ATP)
http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/idd/idd.shtml (IDD) -- "The program,
now in its final stages of development, is designed to support standard
textual linguistic material as well as sound data, graphical images, and
video clips."
	-- Free
	-- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)

Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
http://vue.uit.tufts.edu/
	-- Free
	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)

Kirr Kirr
http://www-nlp.stanford.edu/kirrkirr/
	-- Free
	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)


From ryamada at UOREGON.EDU  Mon Oct 15 15:50:46 2007
From: ryamada at UOREGON.EDU (Racquel)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:50:46 -0700
Subject: Question About Software
In-Reply-To: <LISTSERV%200710141934181392.0485@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Message-ID: <MON.15.OCT.2007.085046.0700.RYAMADA@UOREGON.EDU>

A couple that I use:
Dictionary Development: LexiquePro from SIL--free download, works with Toolbox lexicon, and can support sound & picture files
Lesson Materials: Boardmaker from Mayer Johnson--costly (~USD200), but is easy to use and can make a variety of nifty-looking flash-card type materials (also games, calendars, etc.)
Lesson Materials: PuzzleMaker from Discovery Channel--~USD50--the teachers I work with love this program for making word-searches, etc. for classroom use
Lesson Materials: ESL HQ: http://www.eslhq.com/--free, after registering, you can make & print flashcards online (disadvantage is that you need internet access)

-Racquel


On Sun, 14 Oct 2007 19:34:18 -0700, Kenna Smith <kms47 at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:
> Greetings all,
> 
> To quote Dr. Carnie, "I'm new to the list, so please forgive me if this is
> either inappropriate or has been discussed before."
> 
> I am a Linguistics undergraduate and am trying to get a sense of what
> programs can be used for language documentation - specifically language
> lesson creation.  I have heard about quite a few through this listserv, and
> have found some on my own, but I have the feeling there are many programs
> available that I have not heard of.  As such, I was hoping that maybe some
> of you would be willing to share the names of programs you are aware of or
> have worked with for the development of language lessons and / or
> documentary materials (dictionaries, grammars etc).
> 
> I have listed the programs I know about (including their cost and method of
> obtaining the software) below for the sake of efficiency, and as an attempt
> to contribute to the listserv since I am asking for information.
> 
> Thank you very much for your help,
> Kenna
> 
> PROGRAMS FOR LANGUAGE LESSON CREATION:
> 
> CourseLab
> http://courselab.com/db/cle/root_id/examples/doc.html
> 	-- Free (expansion packs cost money)
> 	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
> 
> Multimedia LessonBuilder
> http://engage.wisc.edu/accomplishments/mmlb/index.html
> 	-- Purchase for $30 (https://wisccharge.wisc.edu/LandS/)
> 	-- Send Money (hard copy of program will be sent by mail)
> 
> MaxAuthor
> http://cali.arizona.edu/docs/wmaxa/
> 	-- Free
> 	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
> 
> ACORNS
> http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns/
> 	-- Free
> 	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
> 
> 
> PROGRAMS WHICH MIGHT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH LANGUAGE LESSONS:
> 
> Microsoft Software Miromaa
> http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=151 (best viewed in IE browser)
> 	-- Purchase for $??
> 	-- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
> 
> Akira Language Project
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/atp/atp.shtml (ATP)
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/idd/idd.shtml (IDD) -- "The program,
> now in its final stages of development, is designed to support standard
> textual linguistic material as well as sound data, graphical images, and
> video clips."
> 	-- Free
> 	-- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
> 
> Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
> http://vue.uit.tufts.edu/
> 	-- Free
> 	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
> 
> Kirr Kirr
> http://www-nlp.stanford.edu/kirrkirr/
> 	-- Free
> 	-- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
> 


--
Graduate Assistant
Department of Linguistics and
Northwest Indian Language Institute
University of Oregon
1629 Moss St.
Eugene, OR 97403
phone: 541-346-0730
fax: 541-346-6086
nwili at uoregon.edu
http://babel.uoregon.edu/nili/ 


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 15 20:59:50 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 13:59:50 -0700
Subject: Preserving Heritage (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.15.OCT.2007.135950.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Preserving Heritage

Story Published: Oct 14, 2007 at 8:29 PM MDT
By Penny Preston
[multimedia inset - Watch the video]
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/10540372.html

CODY, WYOMING - An historic meeting of natives from New Zealand and the
North America took place in Cody this week. They came together at the
Buffalo Bill Historical Center to help each other preserve their languages
and culture.

A Moari musician played a flute made of whale bone in the Coe Auditorium in
Cody. The haunting music of the Moari is a big part of their culture, as is
their language. Their challenge now, to revive the culture and language
among their youth.

Tapahia Heke is a Moari Tutor. He explained why language is so important.
"It's basically identity. It's who you are and what you do. And we found
that most people in New Zealand, like most Maori, that are educated in both
Moari and Europeon ways have ended up becoming quite successful career wise.
Blackfeet tribe member and Plains Indian Museum Advisor Curly Bear Wagner,
said, "We're all different in our ways, but held together by a common bond,
and that's our culture, our traditions, or our way of life, meaning our
religion."

Although oceans apart, the indigenous peoples of North America, and New
Zealand found they share common pasts. Their grandparents, and parents,
were not allowed to speak the native language. Heke said, "We've reached
the same sort of boundaries because we're basically under the boundaries of
the English queen, we had to abide by their rules because we became
residents of the English crown. It was hard to try to put the things we do
the way we do it, into a context that would suit them, because basically it
was their rule or no rule originally."

Both Heke, and Wagner say the best way to understand their culture is to
listen, and learn. Wagner told KULR 8 he's working to get Indian histories
in Montana schools. "The Indian people want to know and not only the Indian
people, but the non-Indian students want to know more history about the
first nations." The Maori were brought to Wyoming from New Zealand for the
31st annual Plains Indian Museum Seminar.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 15 21:02:24 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:02:24 -0700
Subject: How technology can save dying indigenous languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.15.OCT.2007.140224.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

How technology can save dying indigenous languages

Last Update: Monday, October 15, 2007. 4:28pm AEST
By Winsome Denyer
http://www.abc.net.au/northqld/stories/s2060162.htm?backyard

A small cultural association in Newcastle might just be the first to develop
a computer program aimed directly at Indigenous communities to save and
teach traditional languages.

Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association (ACRA) has developed a program
called Miromaa, which means "saved" in the Awabakal language.

General Manager Daryn McKenny and Program Manager Dianna Newman travelled up
to Cardwell over the weekend, to man a stall at the Girringun Cultural
Festival.

"We've found ways of being able to use technology to empower our people to
revive, maintain, preserve and disseminate our traditional languages,"
Daryn says.

"Normally that's in the domain of academics like linguists. To be here at
this festival where we have an awful lot of our people hanging around,
traditional owners, community people, people from language centres all
here, it's a great opportunity to expose what we do from little old
Newcastle, to other areas of the country."

ACRA's motto is, if you are using Miromaa to record your language via
textual information, audio recordings, still photographs or video clips,
you have gone an long way to saving your language. "That's why we named it
Miromaa," Daryn says. "We don't know of any program even internationally
which is aimed directly at community people to use technology for language
work."

We were told we'd be better off to employ a linguist to do the work. We
thought, we don't want that, because we want to be employed to do the work

The idea began when ACRA started to revive and disseminate its own local
language. "We couldn't find any programs [to do it]," Daryn says. "We were
told we'd be better off to employ a linguist to do the work. We thought, we
don't want that, because we want to be employed to do the work. We recognise
there's a time and place for linguists to do their stuff, but we want to be
hands on doing the work on a daily basis. And there weren't tools available
anywhere."

Daryn came up with the concept and work started from there. Over about three
years they are now at the point where Miromaa is being used around
Queensland, in New South Wales, and Victoria. "There are over 10
communities in Victoria which are using the program, and we're working with
the Victorian State Language Centre to get it out to the whole 38 language
areas. It's already being used out in Kalgoorlie by the language centre
there."

Daryn says as community development programs disappear, it's becomes harder
and harder for indigenous people to actually find work, particularly within
the community.

"To be able to look at the core of who we are, our identity, which is made
up of our connection with our culture and our language, we need to look
what we can do to strengthen that and to be involved with it," Daryn says.
"Let's look at using the world's newest culture, technology, to empower us
to maintain the world's oldest living culture and oldest living languages."

Our languages are an oral language, so lets use those senses, our eyes and
ears, to learn that

This comes at an opportune time, when it was highlighted in the media
recently that Australia is most at risk of losing its languages. "We have
the most endangered and extinct languages in the world," Daryn says. "We
need to have an army of our people right now recording our languages, our
people are unfortunately passing away younger and younger every year. That
knowledge is the heart of our identity."

The program can be used not only to store the language, but to teach it as
well - through audio, visual and text.

"The program comes blank. It doesn't have a language in it. You get the
program and then it is yours for you to put that language in, because the
language is owned by that community."

"Our languages are an oral language, so lets use those senses, our eyes and
ears, to learn that," Daryn says.

At the moment, the program doesn't translate. But there are always
possibilities down the track.

"We've just received federal funding to develop I think Australia's first
ever national aboriginal language website called Our Languages. It'll be a
place where we hope all Australians can go to and get to understand and
have awareness of languages."


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 15 21:06:48 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 14:06:48 -0700
Subject: National Science Foundation,
 National Endowment for the Humanities Award New Grants to
 Document Endangered Languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.15.OCT.2007.140648.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Press Release 07-142

National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities Award New
Grants to Document Endangered Languages

Focus on Arctic languages reflects International Polar Year research agenda

Eighteen institutional grants and nine fellowships were awarded to document
endangered languages.

October 12, 2007
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=109583&org=NSF&from=news

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Science
Foundation (NSF) today announced the award of 18 institutional grants and
nine fellowships in their Documenting Endangered Languages (DEL)
partnership. A workshop on language recording techniques also will be
supported. This is the third round of their multiyear campaign to preserve
records of languages threatened with extinction. Experts estimate that more
than half of the approximately 7,000 currently used human languages will
stop being spoken in this century. These new DEL awards, totaling more than
$4 million, will support direct documentation work on more than 30 such
languages and improvements in computer use that will help all language
work.

Further recognition came to awardee Sven Haakanson last month in the form of
a MacArthur Fellowship. Combining language work, funded by NSF, with revival
of cultural traditions, "Haakanson is preserving and reviving ancient
traditions and heritage, celebrating the rich past of Alutiiq communities,
and providing the larger world with a valuable window into a little-known
culture," according to the MacArthur Web site. The interaction of
communities and their environment via language is a common theme in DEL
grants. It is particularly relevant in the Arctic region during the current
International Polar Year (IPY).

Work by indigenous groups continues to play a prominent role in
documentation. Native groups have an automatic interest in preserving their
languages, often after decades of neglect and active suppression. Projects
funded at the Salish Kootenai College in Montana, the Choctaw Nation in
Oklahoma, the Navajo Language Academy in Arizona, the Koasati Tribe in
Louisiana (together with McNeese State University), the Alutiiq Museum in
Alaska (discussed above) and the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin demonstrate an
active and successful surge in preservation of Native American languages by
the speakers and their descendants.

As part of the U. S. IPY research agenda, NSF is supporting the
documentation and preservation of endangered Arctic languages. Most Arctic
indigenous languages are highly endangered. One project headed by Sharon
Hargus of the University of Washington will focus on obtaining personal
narratives of climate change in three Native communities in Alaska and
Canada. Not only will the narratives provide important linguistic material,
they will provide a Native perspective on changes to an environment that,
while harsh, is extremely sensitive to change. Other Arctic languages to be
recorded are Alutiiq, Klallam, Deg Xinag and Tlingit. A grant supplement
will extend the work in Siberia under the direction of Alexander
Nakhimovsky of Colgate University.

Several DEL grants extend work in the realm of computer support, allowing a
more efficient processing of language data and greater access for a wide
range of users. Andrew Garrett, at the University of California, Berkeley,
will begin the enormous task of making the extensive holdings in the
Berkeley Indigenous Language Archive available electronically. Jason
Baldridge, at the University of Texas, Austin, will work on an automatic
annotation technique that, if successful, will save countless hours on the
part of transcribers of endangered language material. And Susan Penfield,
at the University of Arizona, will explore the ways in which a community as
a whole can work collaboratively on language projects. An innovative
workshop strategy, led by Carol Genetti at the University of Washington,
will train a cadre of linguists and Native community members in the
techniques of digital archiving. The workshop will allow for an increased
use of hands-on experience with the opportunity for the attendees to take
away a suite of open-source products to continue their language work at
their home institutions.

Work in the Pacific will involve Cemaun Arapesh, Rotokas, and Bahinemo
(Papua New Guinea), Kimaragang (Malaysia), and Bardi (Australia). Africa
will be represented by Bikya, Bishuo, and Busuu (Cameroon), Krim and Bom
(Sierra Leone), and Nyangbo (Ghana). Further afield are studies of Albanian
and Razihi (Yemen). Central America is represented by work on Mayan: Chorti,
Yocot?n and Tumbal? Chol in one project and Tojolabal in another.

A complete listing of this year's awards follows. Note that ISO-639 language
codes, the new international standard for referring to any of the world's
languages, are typically included in the title in parentheses after the
language name.

-NSF-

The 2007 Documenting Endangered Language awards. Note that ISO-639 language
codes, the new international standard for referring to any of the world's
languages, are typically included in the title in parentheses after the
language name.

Institutional Grants

    * Jason Baldridge (University of Texas at Austin) Reducing Annotation
Effort in the Documentation of Languages using Machine Learning and Active
Learning, $79,106 (NSF)
    * Claire Bowern (Rice University) The Language of Bardi (bcj) Precontact
Narratives, $75,893 (NSF)
    * Joshua Brown (Salish Kootenai College) Speaking To the Future: Salish
(fla) Language Preservation, $100,000 (NSF)
    * G. Tucker Childs (Portland State University) Documenting Krim (krm)
and Bom (bmf), two endangered languages of Sierra Leone, $99,991 (NSF)
    * Carol Cornelius (Oneida Tribe of Wisconsin) Documenting and Archiving
the Oneida (one) Language of Wisconsin, $100,000 (NSF)
    * Richard Dauenhauer (University of Alaska Southeast, Juneau)
Documenting and archiving Deg Xinag (ing), Tlingit (tli), and other
Northern languages, $352,231 (NSF)
    * James Essegbey University of Florida Documentation of Nyangbo (nyb),
$79,908 (NSF)
    * Theordore Fernald (Navajo Language Academy) Navajo (nav) Language
Academy Workshop and Research, $77,092 (NSF)
    * Louanna Furbee (University of Missouri Columbia) Tojolabal (toj)
(Maya) Language Documentation Project, $240,844 (NSF)
    * Andrew Garrett (University of California, Berkeley) Berkeley
Indigenous Language Resources: Access, Archiving, and Documentation,
$340,000 (NEH)
    * Carol Genetti (University of Washinton) Workshop on field linguistics
and language documentation. $103,690 (NSF)
    * Jeffrey Good (University of Buffalo) Documentation of moribund
languages of Furu Awa, Cameroon (Bikya (byb), Bishuo (bwh), Busuu (bju)),
$14,498 (NEH).
    * Sven Haakanson (Alutiiq Museum) Alutiiq (ems)Living Words Project,
$445,929 (NSF)
    * Sharon Hargus (University of Washington) Athabaskan Personal Histories
of Climate Change in Alaska and Canada, $250,000 (NSF)
    * Linda Langley (McNeese State University) Kowasa:ton il:halas -- Let Us
Hear Koasati (cku): A Filmic Documentation Project of Koasati, $448,646
(NSF)
    * Martha Macri (University of California-Davis) J. P. Harrington
Database Project: Transcription, Coding, and Indices, $240,000 (NSF)
    * Timothy Montler (University of North Texas) Klallam (clm) Dictionary
and Electronic Text Archive, $317,502 (NEH)
    * Terry Ragan (Choctaw Nation) Choctaw (cho) Language Preservation
Project, $80,000 (NSF)

Fellowships

    * Lise Dobrin A Reference Grammar of Cemaun Arapesh (aon, ape, aoj)
    * Thurlow W. Dye Documenting the Bahinemo language and culture for
future study
    * John Fought Archiving a Linguistic Corpus of Chorti (caa), Yocot?n
(chf) and Tumbal? Chol (ctu) Mayan: Audio Recordings, Field Notes and
Photographs, and Related Materials
    * Jeffrey Good (University of Buffalo) Documentation of moribund
languages of Furu Awa, Cameroon (Bikya (byb), Bishuo (bwh), Busuu (bju))
    * Paul Kroeger (GIAL) Kimaragang (kqr) grammar outline and digital
recordings
    * Kelly L. Maynard Describing an Endangered Dialect of Albanian (aln)
Spoken in Samsun, Turkey
    * Susan Penfield (University of Arizona) Community-Based Language
Documentation: Mohave (mov) and Beyond
    * Elevina Perkins Navajo (nav) Language Investigations
    * Stuart Robinson Documenting the Dialects of Rotokas (roo)
    * Bonnie Stalls Razihi Grammar, Lexicon, Texts, and Recordings

Media Contacts
Peter West, NSF (703) 292-7761 pwest at nsf.gov
Bobbie Mixon, NSF (703) 292-8485 bmixon at nsf.gov

Program Contacts
Douglas Whalen, NSF (703) 292-7321 dwhalen at nsf.gov

Related Websites
U.S. Government Web Portal for the International Polar Year:
http://www.ipy.gov


From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Mon Oct 15 22:24:00 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:24:00 -0700
Subject: Preserving Heritage (fwd)
In-Reply-To: A<20071015135950.n4gccs8004gso0wk@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <MON.15.OCT.2007.152400.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

"Maori" is the actual spelling, as used by the people.

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2007 2:00 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [ILAT] Preserving Heritage (fwd)

Preserving Heritage

Story Published: Oct 14, 2007 at 8:29 PM MDT
By Penny Preston
[multimedia inset - Watch the video]
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/10540372.html

CODY, WYOMING - An historic meeting of natives from New Zealand and the
North America took place in Cody this week. They came together at the
Buffalo Bill Historical Center to help each other preserve their
languages
and culture.

A Moari musician played a flute made of whale bone in the Coe Auditorium
in
Cody. The haunting music of the Moari is a big part of their culture, as
is
their language. Their challenge now, to revive the culture and language
among their youth.

Tapahia Heke is a Moari Tutor. He explained why language is so
important.
"It's basically identity. It's who you are and what you do. And we found
that most people in New Zealand, like most Maori, that are educated in
both
Moari and Europeon ways have ended up becoming quite successful career
wise.
Blackfeet tribe member and Plains Indian Museum Advisor Curly Bear
Wagner,
said, "We're all different in our ways, but held together by a common
bond,
and that's our culture, our traditions, or our way of life, meaning our
religion."

Although oceans apart, the indigenous peoples of North America, and New
Zealand found they share common pasts. Their grandparents, and parents,
were not allowed to speak the native language. Heke said, "We've reached
the same sort of boundaries because we're basically under the boundaries
of
the English queen, we had to abide by their rules because we became
residents of the English crown. It was hard to try to put the things we
do
the way we do it, into a context that would suit them, because basically
it
was their rule or no rule originally."

Both Heke, and Wagner say the best way to understand their culture is to
listen, and learn. Wagner told KULR 8 he's working to get Indian
histories
in Montana schools. "The Indian people want to know and not only the
Indian
people, but the non-Indian students want to know more history about the
first nations." The Maori were brought to Wyoming from New Zealand for
the
31st annual Plains Indian Museum Seminar.


From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM  Tue Oct 16 16:00:42 2007
From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield)
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 09:00:42 -0700
Subject: Fwd: HRELP announcement
In-Reply-To: <E1IhjCU-0002L3-RL@citrine.w-dns.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.16.OCT.2007.090042.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Please note that our own Phil Cash Cash is a keynote speaker for this event!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: no_reply at hrelp.org <no_reply at hrelp.org>
Date: Oct 16, 2007 2:58 AM
Subject: HRELP announcement
To: susan.penfield at gmail.com

75 years of Linguistics at SOAS
5 years of the Endangered Languages Project


Conference on Language Documentation and Linguistic Theory
7-8 December 2007
SOAS, London


The conference features plenary lectures from two leading academics, Philip
Cash Cash and Richard Hudson.


About the conference
In 2007 the Department of Linguistics at School of Oriental and African
Studies celebrates its 75th anniversary. Founded in 1932 as the first
department of general linguistics in Britain, the research carried out by
linguistics within the department has made a significant and lasting impact
on the fields of language documentation and description and linguistic
theory.


This conference marks both the 75 year tradition of linguistics within the
School and the 5th anniversary of the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages
Project, comprising the Endangered Languages Academic Programme(ELAP), the
Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR), and the Endangered Languages
Documentation Programme (ELDP).


The conference aims to bring together researchers working on linguistic
theory and language documentation and description, with a particular focus
on innovative work on underdescribed or endangered languages, especially
those of Asia and Africa. Our goal is to provide a forum to discuss the ways
that linguists and others, including community members, can respond to the
current challenges to linguistic diversity and build on experiences of the
past.


Themes
?       implications of language documentation and description for
linguistic theory
?       implications of linguistic theory for language documentation and
description
?       experiences of language documentation and description and linguistic
theory at SOAS
?       new techniques and opportunities for documenting and describing
languages
?       community-oriented outcomes of endangered languages research


Full details for the conference, including the programme, registration
forms, venue information and accommodation suggestions are available now
from: http://www.hrelp.org/events/conference2007/index.html









-----------

To remove yourself from the HRELP seminar/events mailing list, click the
link below:
http://www.hrelp.org/myhrelp/remove_mail.php?id=1726&check=a41c97366051d8685649f44d8c71e034&email=susan.penfield at gmail.com



-- 
____________________________________________________________
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research)
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."

                                                          Wade Davis...(on a
Starbucks cup...)
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 16 18:05:30 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 11:05:30 -0700
Subject: Institute for American Indian Education Offers Free Test Prep for
 N.M. Native American Teachers (fwd)
Message-ID: <TUE.16.OCT.2007.110530.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Institute for American Indian Education Offers Free Test Prep for N.M.
Native American Teachers
http://www.unm.edu/~market/cgi-bin/archives/002311.html

Standardized tests often present particular challenges for those outside the
cultural context in which the test is written. The University of New Mexico
Institute for American Indian Education offers free workshops to help New
Mexico?s Native American teachers and pre-service teachers overcome that
challenge on the New Mexico Teacher Assessment Test.

IAIE, in the UNM College of Education, will offer the next workshop on
Saturday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the Henderson Fine Arts building,
room 9010, at San Juan College in Farmington, N.M.

The New Mexico Teacher Assessment is a mandatory test to fulfill part of the
state?s teacher licensure requirements.

Anne Calhoun, UNM associate professor in the Department of Language,
Literacy and Sociocultural Studies, said the test?s cultural assumptions
can pose a problem for Native American teachers. ?Indigenous epistemologies
look for ways to explain multiple and contradictory events, while Western
epistemology looks for one correct or one better explanation for events,?
she said.

Language can also be a barrier. ?The teachers primarily have difficulty with
the syntax of academic English [on the test] because it neither conforms to
their Indigenous languages nor everyday classroom English,? Calhoun said.

Calhoun co-teaches the IAIE Teacher Test Taking workshops with Professor
Emerita Anita Bradley Pfeifer. During the workshop, teachers take practice
tests and learn relaxation techniques and study and memory skills to help
cope with test anxiety.

?We also have them deconstruct the most problematic questions after giving
them the correct answers and then have them write the question as it would
make sense to them,? Calhoun said. ?This deconstruction/reconstruction
process helps them understand how test items are made and how to think
about the language in them.?

The New Mexico Public Education Department Indian Education Division awarded
a grant of $124,953 to fund the Native American Teacher Test Taking
workshops and other outreach services to recruit Native students into
teaching and revitalize Native languages in an effort to comply with the
Indian Education Act of 2003.

In addition to free registration, $30 stipends are available to cover travel
expenses. For more information and the registration form, visit Institute
for American Indian Education, call (505) 277-7781 or e-mail ptate at unm.edu.

Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1593; e-mail: michal at unm.edu


From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Wed Oct 17 00:17:48 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:17:48 -0700
Subject: Nearly lost Language
Message-ID: <TUE.16.OCT.2007.171748.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Learning an almost lost language
The few Mono Indians remaining who speak their tongue are passing it  
down to children to preserve culture.
By Charles McCarthy / The Fresno Bee
10/14/07 22:24:12
Source: Barbara Burrough
NORTH FORK -- Just uphill from an authentic cedar tepee -- or "nobi"  
in Mono -- four children sat down for a lesson in a language on the  
cusp of being lost.

Volunteer teacher Barbara Burrough, one of the few people left who  
still speaks Mono, held up a cue card with the word "kah-why-you."
"Horse," the youngsters said.
Next was "moo-nah."
"Mule," they said.

Burrough's mother, 81-year-old Gertrude Davis, smiled as she watched  
the recent lesson unfold.

"I speak it, and I have no one to talk to, because no one knows how  
to speak the language or understand it," she said.

In classrooms, Mono cultural sites and private homes in the North  
Fork area, Burrough and a few others are working hard to change that,  
one child at a time.

Before contact with Spanish and English-speaking cultures in the  
1800s, an estimated 5,000 spoke Mono in a territory that stretched  
from the San Joaquin River south to the Kern River. Today, Burrough  
estimates that no more than 17 Mono around North Fork can converse in  
the native tongue -- and not all of them are fluent.

It's unclear how many others outside the North Fork area might still  
know the language.

North Fork Mono Rancheria Tribal Council Treasurer Maryann McGovran's  
son Cody, 13, has been one of Burrough's pupils for about two years.  
She said she isn't fluent in Mono, but she knows a few words.

Preserving the language is important, she said at tribal  
headquarters, because the language reflects the culture.

"It's the heart of our tribe," she said. "It shows who we are and  
what our people are about."

Mono is among 50 Native American languages in California that are  
considered endangered, said Leanne Hinton, professor emeritus in the  
linguistics department at the University of California at Berkeley.  
Another 50 already have disappeared since the early 1800s, she said.

"When you lose a language, it's a symptom of losing a whole culture,"  
said Hinton, who has written three books devoted to endangered  
languages.
But saving a language is no easy task -- especially when so few  
people still speak it.

A nearby tribe -- the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians  
near Coarsegold -- also is trying to save its language. The  
Chukchansi are preserving tribal words and songs with state-of-the- 
art electronic translators inspired by military technology.

Tribal elders demonstrated the device last month. The "Phraselator"  
stores Chukchansi words electronically. When a person speaks into the  
device in English, it responds with the Chukchansi translation.  But  
at $3,000 apiece, the devices aren't in the Mono Rancheria budget --  
at least not yet.
Burrough's sister, North Fork Rancheria tribal vice chairwoman Elaine  
Bethel-Fink, said the Phraselator sounds like something the Mono  
should look into.

"We'd have to find the source of the dollars to do that," Bethel-Fink  
said. The Chukchansi paid for the devices with a federal grant.
Mono tribal officials say the decline of the language -- and  
traditional culture -- began as early as the 1810s with the arrival  
of outside cultures and languages.

A series of broken treaties, land grabs and the integration of much  
North Fork Mono tribal land into the Sierra National Forest left the  
native residents little choice other than to join mining, lumber and  
agricultural economies.

In school, children were discouraged from speaking Mono. As late as  
the 1970s, Native American children in Bureau of Indian Affairs  
boarding schools were punished for speaking their native languages,  
said Andre Cramblit, Northern California Indian Development Council  
operations director and chairman of the Karuk tribal language  
restoration committee.
Burrough said that her family escaped boarding school because her  
grandmother told her children to hide whenever a car came up their  
driveway.

"That's why we were able to hang on to our language," Burrough said.
The North Fork Rancheria Tribal Council does not have the funds for a  
formal program to preserve the Mono language, said council Chairwoman  
Jacquie Davis-Van Huss. The 1,652-member tribe relies on volunteers  
like Burrough and the support of educators who incorporate Mono  
lessons into programs in public schools.

Burrough teaches children as part of its Indian Education Program in  
North Fork Elementary School. Such programs also provide for  
classroom tutoring in subjects other than language and culture for  
Native American kids, Principal Stuart Pincus said.

The California Department of Education lists the North Fork  
Elementary School program as one of eight such programs statewide  
that it sponsors for schools where at least 10% of the students are  
Native American. The courses, intended for children in grades  
kindergarten through fourth, are designed to increase reading,  
language and math skills, along with self-esteem.

Another such effort is being coordinated in Fresno County's Sierra  
Unified School District by Gretchen Cox, the district's community  
liaison for its Indian Education Program. Cox estimated that there  
are about 250 youngsters eligible for Indian education in the district.

Cox blends Mono language instruction into a program that includes  
tutoring at Auberry and Sierra elementary schools, Foothill Middle  
School and Sierra High School, as well as cultural field trips, a  
drum group and a high school Indian Club. There also are homework  
centers at the Cold Spring and Big Sandy rancherias.

Cox said that most of the youngsters she is teaching about Mono  
language and culture already are two generations removed from it. Cox  
has invited parents to a series of Mono classes starting in November.

"It's important to know where you came from ... to have that sense of  
self," said Cox, 29, who learned Mono language and culture from her  
grandmother and others in North Fork but said she still is learning.  
She claims Chukchansi as well as Mono ancestors.

For Burrough, the effort is a labor of love.
"With learning the language, you learn the culture," the 57-year-old  
Burrough said. "And with the culture, you learn respect. With  
respect, you learn to love the land and each other."

Burrough often holds outdoor classes on the rural property of  
Kendrick Sherman, a tribal elder who died in late September. The  
Sherman family has dedicated the property to the future of the Mono  
nation, Burrough said.
Nine-year-old Antonio Beihn, a North Fork Elementary School student,  
said he signed up for the off-campus program because he is half-Mono  
and it's his culture.

"If it was lost, we wouldn't have what we have right now," he said.


From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET  Wed Oct 17 00:29:55 2007
From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber)
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 20:29:55 -0400
Subject: Nearly lost Language
Message-ID: <TUE.16.OCT.2007.202955.0400.PHONOSEMANTICS@EARTHLINK.NET>

Ironic, then, that the two Mono words at the beginning of the article are borrowings from European languages!

Jess Tauber
phonosemantics at earthlink.net


From Dmark916 at AOL.COM  Wed Oct 17 01:50:22 2007
From: Dmark916 at AOL.COM (Dmark916 at AOL.COM)
Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2007 21:50:22 EDT
Subject: Nearly lost Language
Message-ID: <TUE.16.OCT.2007.215022.EDT.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Nobi is a Mono word. The people borrowed words for the animals that were  not 
indigenous to their land. Ah, well!
 
Dorothy Martinez
Education Consultant



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 17 17:36:47 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:36:47 -0700
Subject: Poet works to preserve native tongue (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.17.OCT.2007.103647.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Poet works to preserve native tongue

Published Wednesday, October 17, 2007.
Meghan McNamara / Staff Writer / mm164705 at ohiou.edu
http://www.thepost.ohiou.edu/Articles/Culture/2007/10/17/21760/

As part of American Indian Heritage month, Ronald Snake Edmo, a linguistic
anthropologist who is a member of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe, will speak
about his poetry and the importance of language to a culture?s life.

The Shoshone language runs the risk of being lost as increasingly fewer
members of succeeding generations learn to speak it. Edmo, who grew up in a
time when children were beaten for speaking Shoshone in school, writes
poetry in Shoshone and English.

The Post?s Meghan McNamara spoke with Edmo about the challenges of
documenting an unwritten language.

The Post: You talk about the risk a culture faces when it begins to lose its
language through the succession of generations. Could you explain the
significance of this risk for an oral culture?

Edmo: Language and culture are intertwined, and there are certain things in
our culture that there?s no equivalent in non-Indian culture. 
 There?s no
equivalent in American culture. But when you lose the language, you also
lose that part of the culture.

Post:  Because Shoshone is an unwritten language and an oral culture
traditionally, do the other members of your tribe support your goal to
write it?

Edmo: That?s a yes/no answer. 
 We?re also known as an egalitarian society.

 No one person has a voice over anybody else. So, everything has to be
done by consensus, and if one person objects, then it can?t be done. Well,
we have people that support this program and we have people that oppose it.

  Mostly it?s because they aren?t involved in it. 
 The only way to get
anything done is to go ahead and do it.

Post: How does the influence or force of popular American culture affect
life on the reservation, and is this part of the threat to the Shoshone
language?

Edmo: That?s part of it. A lot of our young people ascribe to that gangster
culture, they don?t know who they are. 
 We don?t know what the answer is.

 We?re losing our best and our brightest through deaths caused by alcohol
and drugs. 
 These were kids that would be the future of our people. 

What?s our future going to be? That?s a big concern that we all have on the
reservations.

Post: How do you go about documenting an oral language?

Edmo: There are several steps. The first step would be to record 
 and
getting the elders. 
 They?re still fluent in it. So we need to record
their stories. 
 If we don?t understand a word, even an old word that?s no
longer used, we need to ask them to explain that to us and enroll them in
trying to preserve that for the future. 
 The second step is to develop an
orthography (a system of developing symbols to represent sounds) if we want
to teach you how to read and write it, then to develop lesson plans, both to
teach people to speak it, and also if you can read and write the language.
And then, that is just the very beginning of the process of revival.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 17 17:38:26 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:38:26 -0700
Subject: New system helps students learn the Lakota language (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.17.OCT.2007.103826.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

New system helps students learn the Lakota language

? Indian Country Today October 17, 2007. All Rights Reserved
Posted: October 17, 2007
by: David Melmer / Indian Country Today
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415930

LOWER BRULE, S.D. - For some people, unless they have heard a word before,
its proper pronunciation can be quite difficult.

Such can be the case with languages that never had a written version but are
now translated into printed form. For anyone who has studied a second
language, the difficulty is learning when and how to use the correct tense,
gender, verb conjugation and pronunciation.

The Lakota language - and any other American Indian language - is no
different. Pronunciation, the proper use of modifiers and knowledge of
sentence structure is important when it comes to saving a language that was
never written. The intent is to preserve the language as close to its
original form as possible.

Earl Bullhead, a Lakota educator on the Lower Brule Reservation in South
Dakota, has developed a phonetics chart that is easy to follow and offers
proper pronunciation. He also has a step-by-step approach that offers
students a chance to learn not just a core word, but when other letters or
words are added to make it plural or gender-qualified, or when it takes on
a slightly different meaning.

Bullhead has developed a system that includes 10 lessons that show the use
of conjugations so that the student will be able to visualize the word. The
system includes special modifiers that change the meaning of the word from,
for example, first person to second or third person.

He sets up the courses in 15-week increments of 10 lessons each. He has
also, with help from technical experts, developed a computer program that
allows students to overlay diacritical markings onto letters to change the
sound of the letter. The student can also add words and letters to other
words to change person, tense or gender.

Bullhead explained his program to teachers during the recent South Dakota
Indian Education Summit in Rapid City.

South Dakota, which has mandated that the Lakota language and culture be
taught in the state's public schools beginning with the current school
year, is close to accepting Bullhead's system. The language in the public
schools most generally will be taught by non-Lakota speakers who will be
trained with this system. They will also receive help from Lakota speakers
who will, on a part-time basis, be present in classrooms.

In the Great Plains, it is estimated that 30 percent of all members of the
various tribes speak their language. On the Navajo reservation the
percentage is higher, but in other parts of the country the indigenous
languages are almost extinct.

The Plains tribes are not in jeopardy of losing their languages because
there are many people who are focused on teaching the language to not just
elementary, middle and high school students, but to adults as well.

''I started the [computer] program to put emphasis on certain syllables as a
way of teaching the kids the words and how to write them,'' Bullhead said.

''This will make the best of two languages. We now have Lakota III students
reading Ella Deloria texts,'' he said.

Bullhead said that he rewards students with stories and songs when they
correctly use the Lakota language and learn anything new about the
language. Usually his stories involve humor and a message.

The students are also encouraged to research some of the original words that
have changed over time.

The system Bullhead developed teaches the words by visual image, which is
how the language developed.

''They have to think before they can speak,'' he said.

''The language is part of the success for students. With the language comes
a cultural way of teaching. It shows respect for the student and for the
teachers, and that's a key to learning.''

Bullhead was awarded the Teacher of the Year award by Crazy Horse Memorial,
and received the award at the annual Native American Day celebration Oct. 8
at the memorial.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 17 17:42:45 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 10:42:45 -0700
Subject: Enduring Voices project survey shows languages at risk of
 extinction (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.17.OCT.2007.104245.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Enduring Voices project survey shows languages at risk of extinction

? Indian Country Today October 17, 2007. All Rights Reserved
Posted: October 17, 2007
by: David Melmer / Indian Country Today
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415926

RAPID CITY, S.D. - American Indian educators in the northern Great Plains
have advocated for language education. The result is that more than 30
percent of the Lakota people can speak their language.

Only the Navajo have a higher percentage of speakers.

According to a survey by the National Geographic Enduring Voices project,
many indigenous languages are headed for extinction very soon. Some
languages have only one elder speaker; and when a language disappears, so
does a culture.

The Enduring Voices study, conducted worldwide, identified regions across
the globe that were at risk of losing languages. In the United States, two
at-risk regions are in Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest.

Every two weeks, a language dies somewhere in the world; and by the end of
the century, more than half of the roughly 7,000 languages spoken in the
world will disappear, according to the study.

The reason for the language loss, the study noted, is that dominant
languages or the languages of powerful groups of people has taken hold
while the smaller groups' languages have been pushed aside.

''This occurs through official language policies or through the allure that
the high prestige of speaking an imperial language can bring,'' the study
stated.

In Indian country, boarding schools of the past prohibited American Indians
from speaking their language. Some of those people, now grandparents, did
not encourage their children to speak the language. However, in many cases,
the language remained underground and only resurfaced a generation ago.

Schools in Montana and South Dakota have now dedicated curriculum
instruction to the American Indian culture and languages. Just last year,
Montana provided funding for cultural and language curriculum in public
schools. South Dakota is searching for ways to incorporate indigenous
language and culture into its public school curriculum.

In California, according to the survey, 50 languages remain, none of which
is taught in the schools.

''Languages not learned by children are not just endangered, they are
doomed,'' Lyle Campbell, a linguist professor at the University of Utah,
told National Geographic.

Campbell said that to look at hotspots where language is diminishing may be
misleading.

''Essentially all Native languages are under threat.''

Gary Holton of the University of Alaska said that the definition of a
language and who counts as a speaker may be changing. Dialects have altered
languages to a degree when the dialect or slang becomes the language. He
added that some people who are partial speakers may someday be considered
fluent speakers.

In the Great Plains, educators and elders knew the clock was ticking on the
languages; and for at least a decade or more, every gathering of American
Indian educators has included workshops dedicated to the teaching of the
language and culture. Many of the schools in South Dakota include elders in
the student's language and cultural education, utilizing them as language
mentors.

Montana has implemented a diverse public school curriculum called Education
for All, and elders are present in many of the public schools as well as
reservation schools.

Some hotspots that were identified as at risk of losing a language are in
Bolivia, northern Australia, eastern Siberia and two locations in South
America.

Bolivia, according to Enduring Voices, had a more diversified language base
than all of Europe, but Spanish is crowding the other languages out.

It is estimated that 80 percent of natural species, which include plant and
animal life, have not been discovered by science but are known by the
people who live in the regions through oral history, according to David
Harrison, a linguistics professor at Pennsylvania's Swarthmore College.
That knowledge is also at risk.

Many of the languages in North America were written down by religious clergy
who moved among the tribes. Today, books are written about the language by
fluent speakers in order to continue the original intent of the
pronunciation and meaning. One of the most acclaimed writers of the Lakota
language is Albert White Hat, Sicangu Lakota and director of the Lakota
language program at Sinte Gleska University.

He said to learn the dominant language doesn't mean that a person's original
language has to be sacrificed.

''Master the Western culture, master the English language; I don't have to
be like them if I learn their ways. Don't water academics down. Deal with
it. Knowledge doesn't force you into something,'' White Hat said.


From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Wed Oct 17 18:06:18 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:06:18 -0700
Subject: SAVE THE DATE
Message-ID: <WED.17.OCT.2007.110618.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>



Begin forwarded message:

From: "Diane TellsHisName" <dtellshisname at barona-nsn.gov>
Date: October 17, 2007 8:31:28 AM PDT
Subject: SAVE THE DATE





Please review and share the attached flyer.  (Please forgive any  
duplications or if this does not pertain you you).

Thank you, Diane



Mission Statement of the Yuman Language Summit

Our oral traditions teach us the Yuman Nations were one people at one
time through the commonality of our songs and language. Together we will
restore and reclaim the language using culture, traditions, history,
spirituality, songs, and stories. It is our inherent right and
responsibility to encourage and motivate each other and others to speak
the language and to promote understanding of culture and traditions. We
will use our resources to develop programs and projects to empower Yuman
language speakers.







Diane Tells His Name

Barona Cultural Center and Museum

?
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From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG  Thu Oct 18 17:31:54 2007
From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit)
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2007 10:31:54 -0700
Subject: FREE Language Flash Cards
Message-ID: <THU.18.OCT.2007.103154.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Subject: Fwd: Alphabet Flashcards--FREE from NBC Universal for Native
Communities
		
		FYI.  I've received permission from my Corp Comm department
to open up the alphabet flashcard project to the whole company.  So,  
if you
hear of any Indian school or Reservation that offers native language
lessons, and would like to have flashcards designed to use in  
conjunction
with the lessons, please let me know.  It wouldn't cost them  
anything.  We
would just need the list of words with the corresponding translations.
		

		Thanks.
		

		Patty Jones
		Sourcing Specialist/Contract Administrator
		NBC Universal, Inc. Corporate Sourcing
		30 Rockefeller Plaza
		New York, NY  10112
		tel: (212) 664-3551
		fax: (212) 664-7510
		Email:  patricia.jones at nbcuni.com


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 19 17:48:15 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:48:15 -0700
Subject: Course revives Ngarrindjeri language (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.19.OCT.2007.104815.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

19 October 2007
Australia

Course revives Ngarrindjeri language
http://murraybridge.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/course-revives-ngarrindjeri-language/1072342.html

[photo inset - Graduates: Students Louisa Schapel, Mary-Anne Gale, course
coordinator Charmaine Elvey and students Addy Smith and Lynne Graham are
proud to have graduated from the program.]

A UNIQUE course that revives the native Ngarrindjeri language and teaches it
to students at TAFE SA's Murray Bridge campus has just been completed for
the first time, with 16 students graduating.

The program, titled 'Introduction to Vocational Education Certificate (with
a Ngarrindjeri language focus)', involves studying the language, along with
its grammar and pronunciation.

TAFE SA regional education manager Tom Haig said the idea of the course was
to "revitalise" the language.

"The Ngarrindjeri language has been lost to the indigenous community
itself," he said.

?It?s a fantastic program.?

Students studied intensively under the guidance of University of Adelaide
lecturers Dr Mary-Anne Gail and Doctor Peter Mickan and course coordinator
Charmaine Elvey to earn their certificates over a 12-week period.

Dr Haig said he was delighted with the success of the course and how well
TAFE SA and the University of Adelaide had worked together. ?This is a
first class example of institutional cooperation with staff working
together who are focussed on providing students with a valuable and
enriching learning, cultural experience,? he said.

Aboriginal elders Eileen McHughes and Julia Yandell mentored students
through the program, which was well-received by its participants.

?The course has enabled me to teach the Aboriginal students at school in the
Ngarrindjeri language instead of the language the curriculum offers,?
student Linitji Graham said.

The course was funded after the University of Adelaide successfully obtained
a Commonwealth Government grant to resource the language component of the
program, adding an exciting dimension for the overall study program.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 19 17:44:16 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:44:16 -0700
Subject: Another endangered species: This one leads to the extinction of
 ideas (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.19.OCT.2007.104416.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Another endangered species: This one leads to the extinction of ideas

By AARON HOWARD
http://www.jhvonline.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=96&twindow=Default&mad=No&sdetail=3372&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1291&hn=jhvonline&he=.com

Languages are dying in our world at a faster rate than mammals, plants or
the polar ice caps, according to K. David Harrison, Swarthmore College
assistant professor of linguistics. On our planet, 6,912 distinct human
languages have been classified. By 2101, half these languages will be
extinct. At present, 10 percent of these languages have 99 or fewer active
speakers. Harrison is a specialist in endangered languages. In his new
book, ?When Languages Die? (Oxford University Press), Harrison said that
languages have been shaped by people to serve as repositories for culture.
When languages die, it means the extinction of ideas, ways of knowing and
parts of the human experience.

David Harrison flanted by ?Old Man? Patrick Nunadjul and Mona Nunadjul,
among the last speakers of the Magati Ke language, Western Australia.
The process of language death usually begins with political or social
discrimination against its speakers or the language, Harrison said. This
can take the form of official state policies to suppress speech (as in the
former Soviet Union) or benign neglect (as in the United States with its
Native American language speakers). The critical point is reached when
young speakers choose to speak the more dominant tongue, instead of their
native language. A language no longer learned by its young is a moribund
language.

Once a language becomes moribund, it rapidly declines, as its use becomes
more restricted to the home and to its elders. The elderly speakers become
invisible and, in time, begin to forget.

?The decision to give up a language is typically made by children under
duress,? Harrison argued. ?It?s not a freely made decision. I?ve spoken to
many elders, and they universally express a sense of loss and regret. The
elders say, ?I was made ashamed or punished for speaking my language.? So,
it was almost never a free decision. And, it certainly doesn?t fit with our
idea of human rights, of all groups having their own languages and cultures.
Of course, there are some benefits to not having so many languages to
translate but [not when] the process getting there is one of coercion.?

David Harrison interviewing Opino Gamango, a speaker of Sora, in Orissa,
India.
Harrison said the most threatened cultures and languages are those of
indigenous peoples. These are places on the globe where populations are
small and sparsely populated. Alaska?s 86,000 indigenous population, for
example, speaks 21 different languages ? the largest number of languages
spoken anywhere on Earth. English rapidly is extinguishing these languages.

When a language dies, Harrison argued, knowledge about the natural world,
myth and beliefs systems and a certain human cognitive capacity contained
in language systems are lost. ?Besides these other things, what is lost is
a people?s place in the universe. I?ve heard this sentiment expressed by
Native American groups: If we lose our language, we lose our sense of who
we are and our connection to the land. What we [English-speakers] seem to
be missing is that close connection to environment that indigenous people
feel. We don?t even think of our language like that. Since land is a big
part of people?s identity, it feeds into the problem of aboriginal people
who have been pushed off their land and lost their language and their
knowledge, especially in North America.?

Increasing urbanization also is a key factor in language death. Cities don?t
provide a supportive environment for small languages. ?Kids go to school
where the curriculum is going to be in the majority language. You don?t
have a lot of bilingual teaching going on,? Harrison said.

Jews, as a people scattered throughout the world, developed a number of
unique languages, many of which are now largely extinct. At the time of the
destruction of the Second Temple, most of the Jews in Israel spoke Aramaic.
The original Hebrew language already had become mainly associated with
religious life In the Middle Ages, Judeo-Arabic became the major literary
language. The rise of Yiddish in Europe and Ladino in the Mediterranean
occurred in the 14th and 15th centuries. Smaller Jewish groups in Europe
spoke Judeo-Italian, Yevanic (a Greek-Jewish dialect) and Karaim.

The Karaim language is a Turkic language with Hebrew influences, in a
similar manner to Yiddish or Ladino. It is spoken by Crimean Karaites (also
known as Karaim), ethnic Turkic adherents of Karaite Judaism in the Crimea,
Lithuania, Poland and western Ukraine. It has very few remaining active
speakers. Harrison met one of the last speakers of the Lithuanian dialect
of Karaim, Mykolas Firkovicius, during his fieldwork in Trakai and Vilna in
1994 and 1996.

?When I sat down with Mykolas, he counted off on both of his hands maybe a
dozen remaining speakers,? Harrison said. ?He was one of the most fluent.
He spoke the language, knew all of the ritual language and could perform
all of the ceremonies. So, he was highly skilled at the language.

?The Karaim are a Crimean Turkic people who adopted a form of Judaism quite
early, maybe the 14th century. They were invited to Lithuania in the 14th
century and have been there consistently. They lost their language in the
usual way: existing in a multilingual environment where Russian, Polish and
Lithuanian were all spoken. I?ve been in a Karaim household where the kids
speak Lithuanian, the television is broadcasting in Russian and the elderly
speak Polish [which was the former dominant language before World War II].
Only the very oldest generation speaks Karaim.

?They are making an attempt at language revitalization. But you can?t judge
the success of this project. in the short term.?

Can moribund or extinct languages be revived? Hebrew is the classic example
of successful language revitalization. The success of Irish Gaelic is less
certain. Both these languages are official languages of political states,
and they have millions of people who potentially speak those languages. A
better example of true revitalization, Harrison said, is the Hawaiian
language, which is making a dramatic comeback.

?Hawaiians have become a model for other groups,? Harrison said. ?They?ve
created language nests for four to six hours each day in which preschool
children are put in care of elders who speak the language. So, that model
seems to work. But most of the communities cannot mount that kind of effort
and resources. Once the number of speakers gets below a threshold number ?
we don?t know the number ? revival seems unlikely.

?And, we have languages like Navajo, which is spoken by 150,000 people, but
is in serious danger. Youngsters are not speaking it. The transmission
rate, the percentage of children in the community who are speaking and
keeping it as a first language, is very low. As long as you can motivate
children to speak the language, you?re creating a new generation of
speakers.?

And that?s why Harrison is not worried about Yiddish becoming an extinct
language. Children are learning the Yiddish language, especially in the
ultra-Orthodox community in the United States and Israel. ?Yiddish may not
have the large numbers of speakers it had prior to World War II,? Harrison
said, ?but, in terms of language transmission, Yiddish is robust.?

* * *

For information on efforts to document the world?s dying languages, visit
www.livingtongues.org.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 19 18:35:15 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:35:15 -0700
Subject: Question About Software
In-Reply-To: <LISTSERV%200710141934181392.0485@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Message-ID: <FRI.19.OCT.2007.113515.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Good question Kenna.?
I am under the impression that few of the language documentation 
software (e.g.
linguistic data creation) that linguists use are designed to allow language
teaching or language learning.? I think many might agree that documentation
goals and language revititalizatin goals are compatible and desirable, but in
practice they are quite separate activities and the linguists software 
tends to
reflect this reality.?
I and others would be thrilled certainly if we could unite documentation and
revitalization as one collaborative activity.? And my impressions from the
recent Indigenous Languages Conference and the Australian Linguistics Society
Conference in Adelaide, Australia this past September shows that this is
happening with promising results!?
At the moment, Miromaa (being developed and tested in collaboration with
Aboriginal speakers in Australia) and MaxAuthor (developed with Native 
American
speakers/communities and international languages) seem the most capable 
of what
you ask for.? Lexique Pro (dictionary software) may also be used for lesson
creation, however, the data results are pretty flat in terms of its one-way
format.? I am not familiar with the other software on your list.? Otherwise,
you may end up migrating masses of data into alternative formats, interfaces,
etc.
Ultimately, with any of these software, you may be limited to designing 
lessons
on grammar, structure, and vocabulary rather than developing immersion-based
lessons.? But this is not bad at all!?
l8ter,
Phil Cash Cash
UofA

Quoting Kenna Smith :

> Greetings all,
>
> To quote Dr. Carnie, "I'm new to the list, so please forgive me if this is
> either inappropriate or has been discussed before."
>
> I am a Linguistics undergraduate and am trying to get a sense of what
> programs can be used for language documentation - specifically language
> lesson creation.  I have heard about quite a few through this listserv, and
> have found some on my own, but I have the feeling there are many programs
> available that I have not heard of.  As such, I was hoping that maybe some
> of you would be willing to share the names of programs you are aware of or
> have worked with for the development of language lessons and / or
> documentary materials (dictionaries, grammars etc).
>
> I have listed the programs I know about (including their cost and method of
> obtaining the software) below for the sake of efficiency, and as an attempt
> to contribute to the listserv since I am asking for information.
>
> Thank you very much for your help,
> Kenna
>
> PROGRAMS FOR LANGUAGE LESSON CREATION:
>
> CourseLab
> http://courselab.com/db/cle/root_id/examples/doc.html
>  -- Free (expansion packs cost money)
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> Multimedia LessonBuilder
> http://engage.wisc.edu/accomplishments/mmlb/index.html
>  -- Purchase for $30 (https://wisccharge.wisc.edu/LandS/)
>  -- Send Money (hard copy of program will be sent by mail)
>
> MaxAuthor
> http://cali.arizona.edu/docs/wmaxa/
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> ACORNS
> http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns/
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
>
> PROGRAMS WHICH MIGHT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH LANGUAGE LESSONS:
>
> Microsoft Software Miromaa
> http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=151 (best viewed in IE browser)
>  -- Purchase for $??
>  -- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
>
> Akira Language Project
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/atp/atp.shtml (ATP)
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/idd/idd.shtml (IDD) -- "The program,
> now in its final stages of development, is designed to support standard
> textual linguistic material as well as sound data, graphical images, and
> video clips."
>  -- Free
>  -- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
>
> Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
> http://vue.uit.tufts.edu/
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> Kirr Kirr
> http://www-nlp.stanford.edu/kirrkirr/
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)


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From HarveyD at SOU.EDU  Fri Oct 19 18:49:15 2007
From: HarveyD at SOU.EDU (Dan Harvey)
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:49:15 -0700
Subject: Question About Software
In-Reply-To: <20071019113515.elrogcwo0scsw4g8@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <FRI.19.OCT.2007.114915.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I think one problem is that there is lots of grant money for documentation but little for language lesson software. As such there are not many Computer Scientists working in this area. Note that the ACORNS project (http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns) is dedicated to software that specifically is designed to create language lessons. Hopefully, we'll be able to integrate this with documentation efforts. Once we can import linguistic information as dictionaries and grammars, there is virtually no limit as to what can be done. 


>>> phil cash cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> 10/19/2007 11:35 AM >>>
Good question Kenna. 
I am under the impression that few of the language documentation
software (e.g.
linguistic data creation) that linguists use are designed to allow language
teaching or language learning.  I think many might agree that documentation
goals and language revititalizatin goals are compatible and desirable, but in
practice they are quite separate activities and the linguists software
tends to
reflect this reality. 
I and others would be thrilled certainly if we could unite documentation and
revitalization as one collaborative activity.  And my impressions from the
recent Indigenous Languages Conference and the Australian Linguistics Society
Conference in Adelaide, Australia this past September shows that this is
happening with promising results! 
At the moment, Miromaa (being developed and tested in collaboration with
Aboriginal speakers in Australia) and MaxAuthor (developed with Native
American
speakers/communities and international languages) seem the most capable
of what
you ask for.  Lexique Pro (dictionary software) may also be used for lesson
creation, however, the data results are pretty flat in terms of its one-way
format.  I am not familiar with the other software on your list.  Otherwise,
you may end up migrating masses of data into alternative formats, interfaces,
etc.
Ultimately, with any of these software, you may be limited to designing
lessons
on grammar, structure, and vocabulary rather than developing immersion-based
lessons.  But this is not bad at all! 
l8ter,
Phil Cash Cash
UofA

Quoting Kenna Smith :

> Greetings all,
>
> To quote Dr. Carnie, "I'm new to the list, so please forgive me if this is
> either inappropriate or has been discussed before."
>
> I am a Linguistics undergraduate and am trying to get a sense of what
> programs can be used for language documentation - specifically language
> lesson creation.  I have heard about quite a few through this listserv, and
> have found some on my own, but I have the feeling there are many programs
> available that I have not heard of.  As such, I was hoping that maybe some
> of you would be willing to share the names of programs you are aware of or
> have worked with for the development of language lessons and / or
> documentary materials (dictionaries, grammars etc).
>
> I have listed the programs I know about (including their cost and method of
> obtaining the software) below for the sake of efficiency, and as an attempt
> to contribute to the listserv since I am asking for information.
>
> Thank you very much for your help,
> Kenna
>
> PROGRAMS FOR LANGUAGE LESSON CREATION:
>
> CourseLab
> http://courselab.com/db/cle/root_id/examples/doc.html 
>  -- Free (expansion packs cost money)
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> Multimedia LessonBuilder
> http://engage.wisc.edu/accomplishments/mmlb/index.html 
>  -- Purchase for $30 (https://wisccharge.wisc.edu/LandS/)
>  -- Send Money (hard copy of program will be sent by mail)
>
> MaxAuthor
> http://cali.arizona.edu/docs/wmaxa/ 
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> ACORNS
> http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns/ 
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
>
> PROGRAMS WHICH MIGHT BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH LANGUAGE LESSONS:
>
> Microsoft Software Miromaa
> http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=151 (best viewed in IE browser)
>  -- Purchase for $??
>  -- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
>
> Akira Language Project
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/atp/atp.shtml (ATP)
> http://www.indiana.edu/~aisri/projects/idd/idd.shtml (IDD) -- "The program,
> now in its final stages of development, is designed to support standard
> textual linguistic material as well as sound data, graphical images, and
> video clips."
>  -- Free
>  -- Must Contact (via phone, fax, email, or physical address)
>
> Visual Understanding Environment (VUE)
> http://vue.uit.tufts.edu/ 
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)
>
> Kirr Kirr
> http://www-nlp.stanford.edu/kirrkirr/ 
>  -- Free
>  -- No Contact Necessary (download from website)


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 22 19:19:49 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:19:49 -0700
Subject: Recaps of Native convention to be broadcast in indigenous
 languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.22.OCT.2007.121949.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Recaps of Native convention to be broadcast in indigenous languages

Associated Press - October 22, 2007 11:24 AM ET
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7246720

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - The Anchorage-based radio station KNBA is planning
to give recaps of the Alaska Federation of Natives convention in 3 of
Alaska's indigenous languages.

The five-minute segments will be given in Inupiaq, Yupik and Koyukon
Athabascan by longtime speakers of the language.

KNBA has been broadcasting the convention for the past 11 years.

Last year marked the first time updates were given in a language other than
English.

The station decided to add Koyukon Athabascan this year since the convention
is being held in Fairbanks, an Athabascan territory.

Live broadcasting of the convention will run from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 22 19:22:11 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:22:11 -0700
Subject: Lost Mi’kmaq texts to be launched in Cape Breton (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.22.OCT.2007.122211.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Last updated at 11:55 PM on 21/10/07

Lost Mi?kmaq texts to be launched in Cape Breton

The Cape Breton Post
http://www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm?sid=73254&sc=147

SYDNEY ? The Stone Canoe, two lost Mi?kmaq texts translated by Elizabeth
Paul, edited by Peter Sanger and illustrated by Alan Syliboy, will be
launched in Cape Breton.
The book is published by Gaspereau Press.
The first launch takes place Wednesday in Eskasoni, 7 p.m. at the Eugene
Eagle Denny Board Room, Fisheries Complex, 4115 Shore Road and will feature
a reading and discussion with Elizabeth Paul, Peter Sanger and Alan Syliboy.
The second event is scheduled for 4-6 p.m., Thursday , in Cape Breton
University?s  Gallery II, hosted by the Mi?kmaq College Institute.
The Stone Canoe is a story about two stories and their travels through the
written record. The written part begins in the mid-nineteenth century, when
Silas T. Rand, a Baptist clergyman from Cornwallis, N.S., took as his task
the translation of the Bible into Mi?kmaq ? the language of the indigenous
communities in the region. In the process of developing his vocabulary,
Rand transcribed narratives from Mi?kmaq storytellers, and following his
death 87 of these stories were published in a book called Legends of the
Micmacs. As his understanding of the language grew, Rand began to translate
the stories as he heard them, and to record them in English. Until recently,
it appeared that none of the early transcriptions in the original Mi?kmaq
had survived. Then, in 2003, poet and essayist Peter Sanger uncovered two
manuscripts among the Rand holdings in the library at Acadia University in
Wolfville, Nova Scotia. One of these contains the story of Little Thunder
and his journey to find a wife, as told to Rand by Susan Barss in 1847.
The other is the story of a woman who survives alone on an island after
being abandoned by her husband. It was told by a storyteller known to us
now only as Old Man Stevens and dates from 1884. Both are among the
earliest examples of indigenous Canadian literature recorded in their
original language; the 1847 transcript being perhaps the earliest. Their
publication in The Stone Canoe makes a significant contribution to 
understanding of Mi?kmaq storytelling and indigenous Canadian literature.
At the heart of The Stone Canoe are the two stories themselves, including
Rand?s published versions, along with new translations and transliterations
by Elizabeth Paul, a Mi?kmaq speaker and teacher of the Eskasoni First
Nation. Paul provides new English translations and Mi?kmaq transliterations
of Rand?s transcripts, as well as notes detailing issues of language and
culture. The Stone Canoe also features artwork by Alan Syliboy, a Millbrook
First Nation artist. Syliboy?s original ink drawings illustrate scenes from
the two narratives, employing some of the traditional patterns in Mi?kmaq
art and working visually alongside the translations and  engagement with
the patterns contained in the stories.?


From jodi.burshia at GMAIL.COM  Tue Oct 23 13:56:41 2007
From: jodi.burshia at GMAIL.COM (Jodi Burshia)
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 06:56:41 -0700
Subject: Keres Pre-School Request for Funding
In-Reply-To: <f60057b90710212040o75292868o2368f0255626ae55@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.23.OCT.2007.065641.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

please post. thank you.
-----

Dear Friends, Family, Acquaintances,

Please do not skip this message or delete it. We need
your help. As many of you know, we are trying to open a
school that will serve 3-6 year old children from the
communities of Santo Domingo Pueblo and Cochiti Pueblo.
(Please see the following link
http://www.gameforcharity.com/iklc/iklc_home.aspx

The mission of the Iiwasi Katrutsini Learning Center is to
create a linguistically and culturally rich learning
environment that supports the fundamental principles and
values of native life that are essential in the
socialization of Cochiti and Kewa Pueblo children. The
Center will provide a quality preschool program for
children, ages 3-6 years of age, through teaching methods
that encompass both Native language immersion and holistic
approaches to learning and are supported through the
Montessori Method. The Learning Center is committed to
providing a learning environment in which children hear
their tribal heritage language spoken throughout all
Center activities, learn through culturally appropriate
ways which reflect traditional cultural practices, as well
as being prepared for future schooling.

We have been working on the school for the last year and a
half and our biggest challenge is finding money. Grants
have been applied for, but the process is slow. Our
ultimate goal is to endow the school and we cannot endow
the school with grant money. Although we are still in the
process of applying for grant money, we also feel that is
necessary to fund raise. It will cost almost $300,000 to
open the school which include start up expenses and first
year operating expenses. We will not be taking state or
federal funding because that will put the school back
under NCLB (No Child Left Behind).

We have a wonderful opportunity to raise money with a
company called Games for Charity. (We have received the
blessings from both tribal governments of Cochiti Pueblo
and Santo Domingo Pueblo to go through with this
fundraiser.) Basically, the money will be raised online.
We are asking people to donate $25 or more to an on line
tournament that will directly benefit IKLC. At the end of
the tournament, IKLC will be the receiving charity.
Please go to the following link to learn more, and if you
are able to help out, please submit your email address and
more information will be forthcoming. The link is
http://www.gameforcharity.com/iklc/iklc_home.aspx
We also ask that you forward this email or the link to as
many people as you know or who you think might interested
in helping out.
Thank you so much for your help and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Trisha L. Moquino & Olivia Coriz, Co-Founders, Iiwas
Katrutsini Learning Center


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 23 18:22:30 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:22:30 -0700
Subject: Support our languages, Kitikmeot Inuit demand (fwd)
Message-ID: <TUE.23.OCT.2007.112230.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Support our languages, Kitikmeot Inuit demand

Last Updated: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 | 9:48 AM CT
CBC News
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2007/10/23/kia-lang.html

Inuit in the Kitikmeot region in western Nunavut say they want the
territory's proposed education act to recognize their languages.

Meeting in Cambridge Bay last week, members of the Kitikmeot Inuit
Association passed a resolution calling for the act to include the dialects
of Inuinnaqtun and Nattilikmiun as languages to be taught in all Nunavut
schools.

Indigenous residents of the region of about 4,800 people speak Inuinnaqtun
and Nattilikmiun. While both are dialects of Inuktitut, members say they
are both different from Inuktitut itself.

"I'm hoping that the government of Nunavut or even the federal government
recognize these [languages] to make sure they are properly taught,"
association president Donald Havioyak told CBC News on Monday.

"Hopefully they'll make changes, but if they don't, we will continue to push
it in the future."

Havioyak said having the Kitikmeot-area dialects taught in schools would
help people in the Kitikmeot region move to other Nunavut communities.

Lawmakers in Nunavut are expected to introduce the proposed education act in
the new session of the legislative assembly, which begins Tuesday in Iqaluit
and runs until Nov. 9.

During that session, MLAs will also discuss two proposed language bills
aimed at preserving the Inuit languages and boosting their presence in the
territory.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 23 18:31:42 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 2007 11:31:42 -0700
Subject: Garrison filmmakers focus on dying languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <TUE.23.OCT.2007.113142.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Garrison filmmakers focus on dying languages

By BARBARA LIVINGSTON NACKMAN
THE JOURNAL NEWS
(Original Publication: October 21, 2007)
http://www.thejournalnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071021/NEWS02/710210352/1018

Three young filmmakers, including one from Cold Spring and another from
Yorktown, have just completed a documentary on the world's "dying"
languages. Nearly 3,500 of the world's 7,000 spoken tongues are rapidly
disappearing.

Intrigued by learning that some world languages are threatened with never
being heard again, the three accompanied two academic linguists around the
world as they investigated languages on the verge of extinction.

They traveled to rugged terrain in Siberia, India and Bolivia to find
answers and consider what forces - racism, local violence, economic
upheaval - were root causes. They also went to the Southwestern United
States, where at least 200 languages spoken by American Indians living on
reservations are endangered.

"We really felt like the Indiana Joneses of linguistic study and moviemaking
combined," said Jeremy Newberger, 33, of Yorktown, Ironbound Films' chief
executive officer.

He, along with colleagues Daniel A. Miller, 35, of Cold Spring and Seth
Kramer, 36, of Red Hook, N.Y., worked on "The Linguists" for nearly four
years, as it became a passion as well as a professional pursuit.

"Language is so connected to culture in ways I had never thought about,"
said Miller, noting that it offers a bond between generations and often a
secret way to talk.

"The Linguists" will be released this month, and they hope it will be
featured at major film gatherings, including the Sundance, Tribeca and New
York festivals.

"It was a difficult task to make a movie about language that is exciting and
that people would want to see," Kramer said. "We try to find issues we think
are important, and to raise consciousness. This really fit the bill and,
also, the issue is completely and utterly fascinating."

Most of the dying languages are only spoken, with no written versions.

For the project, the three had to wear the same clothes for two-week
stretches, camp in tents if they were lucky, and work while sick. But they
said they were overwhelmed with what they learned about the differences
between - and similarities among - people.

Making "The Linguists," they said, opened their eyes and provided rich,
colorful material.

Johnny Hill Jr., 53, of Parker, Ariz., tells them that his native Chemehuevi
tribal tongue will exist as long as he does, but not much more. He dreams in
it, and English is his second language.

Raised by his grandmother, who died at 102 when he was 21, Hill completed
his sophomore year of high school before beginning work as a farmer. He is
now a heavy-equipment operator for the federal government.

He doesn't have any children and said there isn't anyone who wants to learn
the language, and he is not sure he is capable of teaching it.

His wife is from a Nevada tribe and speaks a different Indian language.

"I know I have something special," said Hill, who lives near the Colorado
River with the Mohave tribe. "I could just about cry knowing that, soon,
the language of my people won't be heard anymore. But a man like me, there
isn't much I can do."

Cut to the National Science Foundation, which commissioned the film. It
features the work of linguists K. David Harrison, assistant professor of
linguistics at Swarthmore College and research director at Living Tongues
Institute for Endangered Languages; and Gregory Anderson, a specialist in
Siberian languages and founding director of Living Tongues in Salem, Ore.

Harrison said he hoped the film "will help to raise public awareness of the
problem, inspire people to study linguistics and perhaps to take up the
kind of work we do."

"It also will provide a place for small and marginalized cultures, some
seldom before seen or heard outside of their local villages, to reach a
worldwide audience, expressing their ideas, attitudes and thoughts about
cultural survival," he said.

"Small languages that have never been written, represent a link to our
ancient, spoken past, containing stories, wisdom and technologies that
helped humans survive and thrive over millennia."

More information

Ironbound Films works out of a Garrison-based studio along the Hudson River
(where, incidentally, "Hello, Dolly!" was filmed).
It also produces business videos, podcasts and Internet-based programs. In
2006, it produced "America Rebuilds II: Return to Ground Zero," a post-9/11
film released to critical acclaim.

Check out these sites for more information:
www.thelinguists.com
www.ironboundfilms.com
www.livingtongues.org


GARRISON


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 24 17:24:19 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:24:19 -0700
Subject: Hopi teacher wins Spirit of the Heard Award (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.24.OCT.2007.102419.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hopi teacher wins Spirit of the Heard Award

Tuesday October 23, 2007
By John Christian Hopkins
Din? Bureau
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/october/102307jch_sprtofthehrd.html

PHOENIX ? Emory Sekaquaptewa doesn?t take things for granted, his
philosophy, you could say, is ?Don?t worry, be Hopi.?

So Sekaquaptewa didn?t get a big head when he won the fourth Spirit of the
Heard Award from the Heard Museum.

?I was surprised but grateful for the recognition,?

Sekaquaptewa said. ?I?m not really doing these things for recognition; I
enjoy doing them and feel it has to be done.?

The central work of his life has been to try to save the language for future
Hopi generations.

The Spirit of the Heard Award recognizes a person?s actions and work
experience to further the Heard mission:

?To educate the public about the heritage and the living cultures and art of
Native peoples, with an emphasis on the peoples of the Southwest.?

The recipient of this national award must be a living member of an American
Indian tribe or community.

The museum?s Board of Trustee?s American Indian Advisory Committee created
the Spirit of the Heard Award to honor an individual who has demonstrated a
level of personal excellence in his or her life either individually as a
community leader. The award ceremony was part of this year?s Native
American Recognition Days in the Phoenix area. This year marks the 25th
Annual, and the theme is ?Celebrating 25 Years of Native American
Communities and Cultures.?

Committee members chose Sekaquaptewa, a research anthropologist at the
University of Arizona, for this honor because of his tireless work to help
preserve all aspects of Hopi life, including the Hopi language for future
generations.

One of his major works was the Hopi dictionary, which has more than 30,000
entries in it. It was published in 1998 after a decade of work. The latest
revision of the Hopi Dictionary was completed in February 2004.

Sekaquaptewa was born on Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation. He has worked
at the U of A since 1972, in teaching, research and service. In addition,
he was awarded a law degree from the university in 1970.

Sekaquaptewa is also an appellate judge for the Hopi Tribe.

During his tenure at the U of A, Sekaquaptewa has published dozens of
scholarly articles and books.

?Emory Sekaquaptewa?s dedication to preserving all aspects of Hopi culture
and language, his accomplishment in the Indian law field and his work as an
educator at the U of A serve as an inspiration to all of us at the Heard,?
said Frank Goodyear Jr., the museum?s director. ?We are truly honored to
present the Spirit of the Heard Award to such a stellar figure in Native
American today.?

Sekaquaptewa has no plans to rest on his laurels, though.

His current project involves laying foundations for Hopi literacy programs
at Hopi High School and other school on the Hopi Nation. He is also
involved with the Hopi Murals Projects, funded by the Getty Foundation at
the Museum of Northern Arizona .

He still teaches the ?Hopi Language in Culture? course at the U of A, where
he also co-teaches anthropology.

And, as one might expect, Sekaquaptewa is an active member of the Hopi
community in all of its activities, both modern and traditional.

?It?s like I never left. I?ve been involved in every aspect of Hopi life,?
Sekaquaptewa said.

He points to his 1966 Chevy Impala as an example.

?I think it had nearly 300,000 (miles) when I last looked,? he said.

Like his car, Sekaquaptewa just keeps on rolling along.

The Heard has educated visitors from around the world about the art and
cultures of Native people of the Southwest since 1929. It has nearly 40,000
artifacts in its permanent collection, an education center and an
award-winning shop and bookstore and restaurant.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 24 17:38:55 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:38:55 -0700
Subject: Desert elders lash out at intervention (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.24.OCT.2007.103855.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Desert elders lash out at intervention

[photo inset - Johnny Williams (above) is among concerned Warlpiri elders at
yesterday's meeting of the desert people in the Northern Territory township
of Yuendumu. Photo: Bryan O'Brien]

Lindsay Murdoch, Yuendumu
October 25, 2007
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/desert-elders-lash-out-at-intervention/2007/10/24/1192941153102.html

THE Warlpiri desert people are angry.

"This intervention has hit us like a ton of bricks," says elder Harry
Jakamarra Nelson. "There's been no consultation with us 
 We don't know
what is expected of us and we really believe that our future is under
threat."

Mr Nelson yesterday chaired an emotional meeting of Warlpiri elders who
issued a statement attacking the Federal Government's intervention in 73
remote Northern Territory communities.

"Our communities have been overwhelmed by the large number of changes and
have been placed under enormous pressure and stress," the statement said.

"We ask political leaders from all parties to show Aboriginal people respect
and to talk to us about how we can make a new start to the intervention
after the election."

The Warlpiri, who describe themselves as a nation with 4000 people scattered
across the territory, are the first Aboriginal language group to make a
united stand against the intervention, which includes seizing control of
communities for five years.

Dick Kimber, an historian who has been involved with the Warlpiri for 37
years, is not surprised. "The Warlpiri have had a strong sense of
confidence in themselves, their language and their culture," he says. "They
have had complete authority over their land."

At yesterday's meeting in Yuendumu, 293 kilometres north-west of Alice
Springs, elder after elder spoke about their opposition to the Government
taking over their townships, which include Yuendumu, Lajamanu and Willowra.

They said that Yuendumu ? a community of 800 ? has had up to 20 white people
in the town since the intervention began in late June, but they don't see
how their lives will improve.

The elders spoke of their anger at the decision to quarantine half people's
welfare payments, which must be spent on food and other essentials in a
designated shop. They also spoke of their opposition to the abolition of
the permit system.

Yuendumu elders said they were furious when they learnt the Government was
taking over culturally sensitive areas ? including a men's ceremonial area
and the cemetery.

One of the elders, Ned Hargraves, said Centrelink's quarantining of the
money in the half-dozen communities where it had been introduced had only
caused problems.

Mr Nelson, president of the Yuendumu Community Council, said a
government-appointed business manager, who lives in the community, had not
made clear what he wanted from the elders. "Is he a watchdog here to inform
Canberra what we are up to? I don't know," Mr Nelson said. "He has not
spoken to us as a community."

The manager fuelled anger when, shortly after arriving, he recommended that
police round up school truants and put them to work collecting rubbish.

Mr Nelson said Warlpiri elders had never before come together to take a
united stand against a government decision.

Their statement said the Warlpiri strongly supported action to tackle child
abuse. But, it said: "We are worried with the lack of respect the Federal
Government has shown us as the first Australians. We are not satisfied with
the communication and information from the Federal Government to our
communities."

Mr Nelson said Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough had never visited the
community, one of central Australia's largest.

Federal Labor MP Warren Snowdon told the meeting that if elected, a Labor
government would wind back key elements of the intervention, including
abolition of the permit system and the Community Development Employment
Program.

"Your concerns are not new to me," Mr Snowdon said. "I have heard them in 20
other communities I have visited."


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 24 18:11:32 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:11:32 -0700
Subject: Native conference opens in Fairbanks (fwd)
Message-ID: <WED.24.OCT.2007.111132.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Native conference opens in Fairbanks

by Steve Mac Donald
Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2007
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7256596

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Alaska Federation of Natives Conference kicked off
Tuesday in Fairbanks with the annual Elders and Youth Conference.

Georgianna Lincoln, the keynote speaker to the Youth and Elders Conference,
says Alaksa's Native people should be proud of their culture.

"My Athabascan lessons are coming along great.  Native language is a part of
my culture."

Lincoln opened the conference, titled "Living Cultures of the North:
Respecting Alaska Native People."

Youth ruled the day at the conference. Kia Hochee, a fifth-grader from
Minto, explained what she wants to do to keep her culture alive.

"We don't want the native language to die-off like the dinosaurs," Hochee
said. "I can help by learning it and passing it on to my children, and my
children's children."

The annual AFN conference runs through Saturday.

Contact Steve Mac Donald at stevem at ktuu.com


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Wed Oct 24 19:57:31 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:57:31 -0700
Subject: ILAT update
Message-ID: <WED.24.OCT.2007.125731.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

t?'c hal?Xpa
(good day!)

To all of the recent subscribers: Welcome to ILAT!  October marks the 5 year
anniversary of ILAT.

As many of you already know, one of the goals of ILAT is to create and
sustain open dialogue on issues relating to language endangerment,
revitalization, and technology.  More recently, another goal has grown to
include the posting of news items from around the world regarding
endangered indigenous languages.  Thus far no news publisher has stopped me
from posting news.  ;-)  In any event, all the news that is posted here is
considered "fair use" in terms of copyright.

Thanks to the people at The Linguist List, ILAT now has a mirror archive
there in addition to its home listserv at UofA.

So please continue with your engaging discussions and if you are becoming
acquainted/comfortable please feel free to introduce yourself and join in!

qe'ciy?w'yew' (thanks),

Phil Cash Cash (Cayuse/Nez Perce)
PhD Candidate, Joint Program in Anthropology and Linguistics
University of Arizona, Tucson (USA)
http://www.u.arizona.edu/~cashcash/

ILAT mg
~~~

List Description:
    Indigenous Languages and Technology discussion
    list is an open forum for community language
    specialists, linguists, scholars, and students to
    discuss issues relating to the uses of technology
    in language revitalization efforts.

Subscribers by Country:
*  Country                  Subscribers
*  -------                  -----------
*  Armenia                            1
*  Australia                         10
*  Canada                             7
*  Germany                            1
*  Great Britain                      4
*  Italy                              1
*  Mexico                             1
*  New Zealand                        4
*  Spain                              1
*  USA                              222

Total subscribers: 260


From hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM  Wed Oct 24 22:24:48 2007
From: hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM (hastiin yellowhair)
Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:24:48 -0700
Subject: NAVAJO STUDIES CONFERENCE
Message-ID: <WED.24.OCT.2007.152448.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Ya'at'eeh t'aa aniltso,
    The 17th Navajo Studies Conference will be held at Tsaile, AZ at Dine College on Nov. 1-3, 2007.  T'aa aniltso akoo doogaal.  Hagoonee' leroy morgan   Here is conference agenda and if you cannot get into conference agenda, just go to Dine College website and check it out.
  https://dinecollege.edu/ics/Community/NavajoStudiesConference 


Dinek'ehji Yalti' doo Ni tsekees
 __________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
http://mail.yahoo.com 
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From bischoff at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 08:39:52 2007
From: bischoff at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (s.t. bischoff)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 01:39:52 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.013952.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic work
that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that Boas
left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes in various
places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of materials,
or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone aware of any
archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?

Thanks,
Shannon
PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the Americas with
excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
interested in these things.

__________________________


"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins
to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

--Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia


From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Thu Oct 25 08:46:49 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 04:46:49 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.044649.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Although a few items are believe to exist that have not been located,
the bulk of Harrington's notes are available on microfilm. They were
catalogued by Smithsonian Archivist Elaine L. Mills. The fieldnotes
are available on microfilm, at US$80 per reel, from Norman Ross Publications.
The Papers of John Peabody Harrington in the Smithsonian Institution 1907-1957,
edited by Mills, originally published in 1981 by the defunct Kraus
International Publications, now available from Norman Ross, can be used
to determine the reels containing material on a particular language.
The ten volumes are:
    * Alaska/Northwest Coast
    * Northern and Central California
    * Southern California / Basin
    * Southwest
    * Plains
    * Northeast / Southeast
    * Mexico / Central America / South America
    * Notes and Writings on Special Linguistic Studies
    * Correspondence and Financial Records
    * Photographs

Contact:

Norman Ross Publications
330 West 58th Street, New York, NY 10019 USA
tel: 212-765-8200
tel: 800-648-8850
fax: 212-765-2393
http://www.nross.com/
info at nross.com

Another major source of old material is the American Philosophical
library in Philadelphia: http://www.amphilsoc.org/

For the Pacific Northwest, the Melville Jacobs archives at the
University of Washington are an important source.

Bill


From aidan at USYD.EDU.AU  Thu Oct 25 09:53:37 2007
From: aidan at USYD.EDU.AU (Aidan Wilson)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:53:37 +1000
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.195337.1000.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

"Is anyone aware of any archives that have field notes or recordings 
that are not be utilized?"

PARADISEC http://paradisec.org.au , for one, has plenty of recordings 
and field notes of languages from the pacific region (though not from 
the Americas nor Australia) in the archive that are quite freely 
available on application. The database is available for search on OLAC 
http://www.language-archives.org/tools/search/?archive=paradisec.org.au  
(of which Paradisec is a member), or you can search the database 
directly from here: http://paradisec.org.au/catalog

Just thought I'd let you know.

-Aidan Wilson
(Paradisec employee)

s.t. bischoff wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic work
> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that Boas
> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes in various
> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of materials,
> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone aware of any
> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?
>
> Thanks,
> Shannon
> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the Americas with
> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
> interested in these things.
>
> __________________________
>
>
> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins
> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
>
> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia
>   


From Melvin.Peltier at SAULTCOLLEGE.CA  Thu Oct 25 12:55:50 2007
From: Melvin.Peltier at SAULTCOLLEGE.CA (Melvin Peltier)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:55:50 -0400
Subject: FW: Sault College Pow Wow
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.085550.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

For Your Information on Upcoming Pow-Wow at Sault College. Sault Ste.
Marie, Canada

-----Original Message-----
From: Carol Simoncini
Subject: Sault College Pow Wow

 
http://www.saultcollege.ca/Services/Recruitment/pdf/CampusMap.pdf

http://www.saultcollege.ca/Services/Recruitment/Hotels.asp


Good afternoon,

Attached is the flyer for the Sault College 14th Annual Traditional Pow
Wow, November 17 & 18, 2007.  I have also supplied the links to a Campus
Map, List of Hotels and a map of "Where to find Sault College".  I hope
this info is helpful.
Please forward this info to all your contacts. My appologies if you are
receiving this info in duplicate.  For those who haven't been to our Pow
Wow before, it is held in the Gym which is in the A wing at the front of
the building (off Northern Avenue).   

For more information contact me at:

Carol Simoncini
Native Student Services Officer
Sault College of Applied Arts & Technology Native Education & Training
443 Northern Avenue
Sault Ste. Marie, ON    P6A 5L3

Ph:  (705) 759-2554 Ext. 2757
Fax: (705) 759-0175
Email:  carol.simoncini at saultcollege.ca

Hope to see everyone on Saturday, November 17 and Sunday, November 18,
2007 at the Sault College 14 ANNUAL TRADITIONAL POW WOW!!!  HONOURING
OUR CHILDREN

Miigwech
Carol



  

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From jpbeck at UCHICAGO.EDU  Thu Oct 25 14:25:22 2007
From: jpbeck at UCHICAGO.EDU (Joshua Beck)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:25:22 -0500
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.092522.0500.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Under the direction of Norman McQuown at the University of Chicago, many 
prominent linguists working on Mesoamerican indigenous languages 
(Berlin, Blair, Fox, Hopkins, Kaufman, Mayers, Sarles, Swadesh, and 
Whorf, as well as scores of other scholars?nearly 200 in all) 
contributed a wealth of field-work based resources (vocabulary lists, 
dictionaries, grammars, corpora of texts and elicited sentences, 
concordances, and guides to holdings of other research collections - 
roughly 175,000 pages of material in all) to the "Microfilm Collection 
of Manuscripts on Cultural Anthropology". Most of the Collection is 
related to field work on the indigenous languages of Mesoamerica 
conducted between 1930-1990 - although the out-dated system of 
classifying languages used in much of this material makes it difficult 
to assess precisely how many languages are documented in the collection, 
a conservative estimate would be around 100. You can find details and a 
Guide to the collection online at http://moca.lib.uchicago.edu/. An NEH 
Preservation and Access grant to our Language Archives in 2005 has 
supported digitization of roughly 500 hours of audio recordings, also 
made during the same time period - much of the audio material directly 
relates to the textual holdings of the Microfilm Collection. We're 
currently seeking support from the NSF/NEH Documenting Endangered 
Languages program to digitize the Microfilm Collection, link it to the 
digitized audio, and present it online.




s.t. bischoff wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic work
> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that Boas
> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes in various
> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of materials,
> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone aware of any
> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?
>
> Thanks,
> Shannon
> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the Americas with
> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
> interested in these things.
>
> __________________________
>
>
> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins
> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
>
> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia
>   

-- 
Josh Beck
Associate Director for Programs & Development
Center for Latin American Studies
University of Chicago
5848 South University Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637

tel. (773) 702-8420
fax (773) 702-1755
http://clas.uchicago.edu


From HeitshuS at U.LIBRARY.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 16:22:11 2007
From: HeitshuS at U.LIBRARY.ARIZONA.EDU (Heitshu, Sara)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:22:11 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: A<20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.092211.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The J. P. Harrington papers have been microfilmed.  We have a set here
at the University of Arizona Library.  There are guides which are worth
their weight in gold.

Sara

Sara C. Heitshu
Librarian, Social Sciences Team
American Indian Studies, Anthropology, Linguistics
Main Library, A211
POB 210055
Tucson Arizona 85721-0055
520-307-2781
Fax 520-626-7444
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of s.t. bischoff
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 1:40 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [ILAT] legacy materials

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding
out
about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic
work
that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that
Boas
left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous
languages.
Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes in
various
places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of
materials,
or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone aware
of any
archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?

Thanks,
Shannon
PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the
Americas with
excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
interested in these things.

__________________________


"It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly,
one begins
to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."

--Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia


From jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU  Thu Oct 25 16:38:50 2007
From: jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU (Joan Gross)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:38:50 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.093850.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi everyone,
In response to Shannon's question, I wanted to let you all know that we just
published a book, Teaching Oregon Native Languages (Oregon State University
Press) and in the appendix we list the primary repositories of Oregon Native
Language archival materials, both written and audio. We also include after
the bibliography a list of tribal and other websites where language material
can be accessed. I'm attaching an order form.

Joan Gross
(co-authors: Erin Haynes, Deanna Kingston, David Lewis, and Juan Trujillo)


On 10/25/07 1:39 AM, "s.t. bischoff" <bischoff at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:

> Hi all,
> 
> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic work
> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that Boas
> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes in various
> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of materials,
> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone aware of
> any
> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?
> 
> Thanks,
> Shannon
> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the Americas with
> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
> interested in these things.
> 
> __________________________
> 
> 
> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one
> begins
> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
> 
> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia

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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 17:39:05 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 10:39:05 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025013952.h6nswg4k40s808gg@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.103905.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Good question Shannon!? Linguists seem to be fairly parochial on how 
to access
legacy resources.? Maybe someday (in the near future) we can have a
comprehensive resource whereby legacy materials on endangered language
materials are indexed and searchable so that endangered language communities
can gain access to critical information and resources.? At the moment, we are
all are on our own.?
Phil
UofA

Quoting "s.t. bischoff" :

> Hi all,
>
> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the linguistic work
> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard that Boas
> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes 
> in various
> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of materials,
> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone 
> aware of any
> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?
>
> Thanks,
> Shannon
> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the 
> Americas with
> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
> interested in these things.
>
> __________________________
>
>
> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, 
> one begins
> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
>
> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia

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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 18:17:59 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:17:59 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025103905.k6ugogc0c00wko80@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.111759.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are 
focused almost
exclusively on the creation of legacy materials and less so on current
archived? materials despite their relatively equal status.? Just take a look
at the E-MELD webpage to see what I mean.? Whereas endangered language
communities have an interest in both aspects: legacy creation and archival
access.?
At least for the North American folks, it seems that the creation of
comprehensive searchable resource is a grant waiting to happen (hint, hint)!
Phil
UofA
Quoting phil cash cash :

> Good question Shannon!  Linguists seem to be fairly parochial on how
> to access
> legacy resources.  Maybe someday (in the near future) we can have a
> comprehensive resource whereby legacy materials on endangered language
> materials are indexed and searchable so that endangered language communities
> can gain access to critical information and resources.  At the moment, we are
> all are on our own. Phil
> UofA
>
> Quoting "s.t. bischoff" :
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for finding out
>> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc. I'm
>> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the 
>> linguistic work
>> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard 
>> that Boas
>> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous languages.
>> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes 
>> in various
>> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of 
>> materials,
>> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone 
>> aware of any
>> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be utilized?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Shannon
>> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the 
>> Americas with
>> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for those
>> interested in these things.
>>
>> __________________________
>>
>>
>> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. 
>> Insensibly, one begins
>> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
>>
>> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia

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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Thu Oct 25 18:21:15 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:21:15 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: A<20071025111759.15rswkck88os8os0@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.112115.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Yes, we did that with SWORP, but I am awaiting a model that tribes can
use in a digital database. We are developing a model here at Grand Ronde
for Digital archives on the web, but we are working on how this will
work in the field, at the archives in question. 

 

David G. Lewis

Manager, Cultural Resources Department

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634

David.Lewis at grandronde.org <mailto:David.Lewis at grandronde.org> 

________________________________

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash
Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2007 11:18 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] legacy materials

 

I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are focused
almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials and less so on
current archived  materials despite their relatively equal status.  Just
take a look at the E-MELD webpage to see what I mean.  Whereas
endangered language communities have an interest in both aspects: legacy
creation and archival access.  

At least for the North American folks, it seems that the creation of
comprehensive searchable resource is a grant waiting to happen (hint,
hint)!

Phil
UofA

Quoting phil cash cash <cashcash at email.arizona.edu>:

> Good question Shannon! Linguists seem to be fairly parochial on how
> to access
> legacy resources. Maybe someday (in the near future) we can have a
> comprehensive resource whereby legacy materials on endangered language
> materials are indexed and searchable so that endangered language
communities
> can gain access to critical information and resources. At the moment,
we are
> all are on our own. 
> Phil
> UofA
>
> Quoting "s.t. bischoff" :
>
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I was wondering if anyone might know of some good resources for
finding out
>> about various legacy materials in museums, archives, garages, etc.
I'm
>> wondering if anyone has sat down and done a survey of all the 
>> linguistic work
>> that has been done on indigenous languages. For example, I've heard 
>> that Boas
>> left hundreds if not thousands of pages of material on indigenous
languages.
>> Also, Harrington has quite a reputation for having left field notes 
>> in various
>> places. Has anyone done a systematic "inventory" of these types of 
>> materials,
>> or has anyone proposed some way to do such an inventory? Is anyone 
>> aware of any
>> archives that have field notes or recordings that are not be
utilized?
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Shannon
>> PS Ives Goddard has a nice survey of linguistic work done in the 
>> Americas with
>> excellent references in the Handbook of American Indians 17, for
those
>> interested in these things.
>>
>> __________________________
>>
>>
>> "It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. 
>> Insensibly, one begins
>> to wish facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
>>
>> --Sherlock Holmes, A Scandal in Bohemia

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From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Thu Oct 25 18:53:48 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:53:48 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025111759.15rswkck88os8os0@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.145348.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Phil Cash Cash writes:

>I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
>focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
>and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
>equal status.

Two comments:

First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with dying
languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the real
world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy materials
is time not spent gathering new material.

Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions about
where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite interested
in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
spend very much of my time on it because it is something that someone
else can do in the future.

Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
including the following:

(a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
    material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be accurate,
    but material recorded by non-professionals, such as missionaries,
    fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
    materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
    were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the linguist
    heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack of
    a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
    exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
    was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of interpretation
    since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
    middle of a page of notes.)

(b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
    one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
    was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
    if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
    are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
    do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
    defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
    are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
    spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
    for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
    One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
    of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
    For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
    forms since everything is told in the third person.

(c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and morphology
    but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
    discourse. 

On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.

In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
analyzing legacy material.

Bill


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 18:53:43 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:53:43 -0700
Subject: Stolen generation member dies just months after reunion (fwd)
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.115343.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Stolen generation member dies just months after reunion

Australia
25th October 2007, 18:15 WST
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=44701

A 107-year-old member of the stolen generation has died only months after
she was finally reunited with members of her original Kimberley people in
Western Australia?s far north.

Belinda Dann was only six or seven years old when she was taken from her
mother and family in Nykina Aboriginal country on a cattle station near
Derby early last century.

She and several of her sisters were taken by horse and cart to Beagle Bay
Mission, north of Broome, run by the Catholic St John of God sisters.

Ms Dann married as a teenager and later moved to Port Hedland, where she
died on October 9.

Her son Bernard Dann said his mother?s family knew the authorities were
looking for light-skinned children and would disguise her with charcoal.

?Her mother painted her in charcoal. But they got caught ... they went to a
billabong and it all came off,? Mr Dann said.

When she arrived at the mission, Ms Dann and her sisters would ask: ?Where?s
mummy?.

?They were told: ?Don?t worry, mummy?s coming?, but mummy never came, mummy
never knew where they were,? he said.

He said he and his mother were very poor living in Port Hedland and often
experienced bigotry.

Throughout the years, Ms Dann had remembered her Aboriginal name, but she
did not know who she was and where she came from.

Then four months ago one of her grandsons mentioned her original name in a
conversation with an Aboriginal girl who had heard of Ms Dann and was
connected to the Nykina people.

?They had searched for her for 100 years,? Mr Dann said.

When a meeting was arranged, an incredible thing happened.

?I?d never heard my mother speak in her language in all her years ... they
started speaking language all around her and she starts speaking in
language again!?

Belinda Dann will be buried in Port Hedland on Saturday.

AAP


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 19:01:54 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:01:54 -0700
Subject: American Indian scholar Grounds to speak at UNC-Pembroke Nov. 15
 (fwd)
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.120154.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

American Indian scholar Grounds to speak at UNC-Pembroke Nov. 15

Staff report
http://www.robesonian.com/articles/2007/10/24/news/news/story06.txt

PEMBROKE - ?Native Voices: Colonial and Contemporary Issues in Native
Language Revitalization,? a presentation by Richard A. Grounds, Ph.D., will
be held Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. in the Thomas Assembly Room of the Native
American Resource Center on the campus of The University of North Carolina
at Pembroke.

The talk is free and open to the public.

Grounds is of Yuchi and Seminole heritage. He is project director for the
Euchee (Yuchi) Language Project based in Sapulpa, Okla., working with the
five remaining fluent Yuchi speakers.

After completing his doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary in the
history of religions, he taught at St. Olaf College in Minnesota and at the
University of Tulsa. He taught courses on cultural diversity and religious
tolerance.

Grounds was also on the faculty of the Pew Foundation program in religion
and American history administered through Yale University. He is
co-chairman of Native Traditions in the Americas Group at the American
Academy of Religion.

Working for the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches, Grounds
was a director for the General Commission on Christian Unity and
Inter-religious Concerns of the United Methodist Church.

Grounds was co-convener of the hemispheric indigenous conference, ?Our
Living Languages, Our Living Cultures,? held in Oklahoma City in 2002. He
serves on the statewide board of the Intertribal Wordpath Society in
Oklahoma and is currently co-chairman of the Program Council on the board
of Cultural Survival, which has launched a national campaign to protect the
most critically endangered native languages in the United States.

He presented on ?Indian Stereotypes and American Identities? at the Atlanta
History Center; on museums and cultural prostitution at the American
Society for Ethnohistory Annual Meeting; and on conflicts between
anthropological research and cultural continuity for traditional
communities at the American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting.

The Native American Resource Center (NARC) is located in Old Main. Light
refreshments will be served and copies of Grounds' anthology ?Native
Voices: American Indian Identity and Resistance? will be available for
purchase.

The program is sponsored by the American Indian Studies Department and NARC.
For more information about the lecture, contact Jane Haladay by calling
(919) 521-6485 or by e-mail at haladay at uncp.edu.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 19:05:24 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 12:05:24 -0700
Subject: Tongue tied (fwd link)
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.120524.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Tongue tied

By Mukul Devichand
Analysis, Radio 4

Wales has been enjoying a revival of its native tongue, driven chiefly by
those in rural areas. Now a new awareness is growing in the industrialised
south, but some - including native Welsh speakers themselves - fear it
could foster division and resentment.

To access article, follow the link below.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7060486.stm


From leopold at SI.EDU  Thu Oct 25 20:20:54 2007
From: leopold at SI.EDU (Robert Leopold)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:20:54 -0400
Subject: Legacy Materials
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.162054.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The National Anthropological Archives has thousands of texts, narratives,
dictionaries, grammars, word lists, sound recordings and moving images that
document the indigenous languages of the world, with an emphasis on the
languages of North America. The NAA's collection began as the archives of
the Smithsonian's Bureau of American Ethnology in 1879, but many items are
considerably older. Among the most significant collections are those of John
Peabody Harrington, comprising more than 500,000 pages of linguistic and
ethnographic fieldnotes as well as 1,300 sound recordings of Native American
myths, legends, stories and songs. Our archives collects and preserves
anthropological and linguistic materials in all media and works closely with
native communities involved in language preservation and revitalization
projects. Our most recent collaborations, as well as our online catalog and
collection guides, are available here: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/naa/
 
Another source of information on legacy materials is our Guide to
Anthropological Fieldnotes and Manuscripts in Archival Repositories:
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/naa/other_archives.htm
 
Robert Leopold
Director, National Anthropological Archives
Smithsonian Institution
leopold at si.edu
301.238.1311


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Thu Oct 25 23:20:52 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:20:52 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025185348.D76FEB2498@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.162052.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thanks for your response Bill.? I will post a few more comments and additions
to your discussion shortly.?
Phil
Quoting William J Poser :

> Phil Cash Cash writes:
>
>> I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
>> focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
>> and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
>> equal status.
>
> Two comments:
>
> First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with dying
> languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
> alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
> there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
> In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the real
> world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy materials
> is time not spent gathering new material.
>
> Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions about
> where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite interested
> in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
> spend very much of my time on it because it is something that someone
> else can do in the future.
>
> Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
> have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
> on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
> state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
> good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
> legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
> including the following:
>
> (a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
>     material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be accurate,
>     but material recorded by non-professionals, such as missionaries,
>     fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
>     materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
>     were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the linguist
>     heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack of
>     a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
>     exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
>     was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of interpretation
>     since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
>     middle of a page of notes.)
>
> (b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
>     one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
>     was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
>     if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
>     are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
>     do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
>     defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
>     are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
>     spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
>     for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
>     One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
>     of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
>     For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
>     forms since everything is told in the third person.
>
> (c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and morphology
>     but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
>     discourse.
>
> On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
> that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
> limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
> of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
> a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
> circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
> may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
> exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
> morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.
>
> In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
> as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
> limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
> analyzing legacy material.
>
> Bill

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From jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM  Fri Oct 26 02:05:45 2007
From: jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM (Jordan Lachler)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 18:05:45 -0800
Subject: AudioDoc
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.180545.0800.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

AudioDoc -- a portable teaching device with innovative interactive features
to help students learn a foreign language.

The article is light on the details, but it could well be interesting.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/innovation/613828,CST-FIN-i-Berg22.article

-- 
Jordan
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 06:38:55 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:38:55 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025185348.D76FEB2498@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <THU.25.OCT.2007.233855.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

My apologies for the delay.  And, I just want to add that I appreciate your
response.

What you have just outlined in relation to the creation of legacy materials
is perhaps an ethical though practical solution to the broader problem of
documenting a dying language.  Certainly, it is a linguist?s practical
solution given that there is an emphasis on ?gathering data? and besides
there may not be a more practical way.

After having gained some varied experience in linguistic fieldwork, I can
readily agree with everything you propose.  However, there is one unique
element that can be additionally considered in the long term and that is
the aspirations of the endangered language community.  It is certainly true
that endangered language communities and linguists share the same concerns
over preserving a dying language.  What needs to be recognized, however, is
that the aspirations of the endangered language community are sometimes
expressed differently than those of professional linguists.

Linguists (perhaps mostly field linguists) must make an effort to re-examine
their privileged status by taking into account the aspirations of endangered
language communities and the concerns they have towards their heritage
language.  For example, it is not uncommon for endangered language
communities to express distrust of linguists over the control of language
materials.  Lack of access creates inequity.  While this situation may be a
thing of the past, this sentiment was expressed to me quite frequently
during my own fieldwork.  A common question posed to me was ?how do we get
our elder?s words back??  The solution seems easy enough.  If they want
everything back then we, as linguists, should be able to assist them in
this goal.  If they do not want their language recorded then we should be
prepared to offer alternatives.  If they want language materials destroyed
or restricted due to certain taboos then we should be prepared to do so.
Just to identify a few.  Too, it might be a good idea if we do not insist
that the practice of linguistic field research, including the linguistic
standards they pose, somehow predominates over other interests.  For
example, in the eyes of a linguist, one community intellectuals life-work
can be dismissed outright as ?sub-standard? in much the same way as other
historical works.  As I have learned in my graduate seminars, linguists
crush other linguists over research.  But going into an endangered language
community its just not the same.  Power differentials (or simple uncaring)
between a linguist and endangered language speakers is not a good thing.

My own experience confirms that documenting a dying language can?t be done
in isolation.  This is certainly not a new idea nor should I be regarded as
being any more thoughtful when I say this.  It?s just that every speech
community, every speaker, semi-speaker, dialect, and language is truly
unique and so goes one?s work there.  But certainly linguists just can?t be
?parachuting in? (as I heard in Australia recently in regard to the media
surge of late) to collect data.  Careful collaborative field work between
linguists and community speakers/intellectuals can powerfully resonate with
community aspirations and endangered language communities stand to benefit
far more than any linguist or discipline can imagine.

Just a few more thoughts here,
Phil Cash Cash


Quoting William J Poser :

> Phil Cash Cash writes:
>
>> I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
>> focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
>> and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
>> equal status.
>
> Two comments:
>
> First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with dying
> languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
> alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
> there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
> In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the real
> world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy materials
> is time not spent gathering new material.
>
> Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions about
> where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite interested
> in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
> spend very much of my time on it because it is something that someone
> else can do in the future.
>
> Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
> have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
> on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
> state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
> good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
> legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
> including the following:
>
> (a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
>     material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be accurate,
>     but material recorded by non-professionals, such as missionaries,
>     fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
>     materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
>     were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the linguist
>     heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack of
>     a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
>     exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
>     was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of interpretation
>     since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
>     middle of a page of notes.)
>
> (b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
>     one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
>     was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
>     if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
>     are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
>     do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
>     defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
>     are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
>     spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
>     for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
>     One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
>     of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
>     For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
>     forms since everything is told in the third person.
>
> (c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and morphology
>     but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
>     discourse.
>
> On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
> that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
> limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
> of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
> a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
> circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
> may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
> exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
> morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.
>
> In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
> as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
> limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
> analyzing legacy material.
>
> Bill


From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM  Fri Oct 26 10:57:07 2007
From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:27:07 +0930
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025233855.6s2x6q3v484kkkos@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.202707.0930.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

for Australian languages, the AIATSIS catalogue (mura.aiatsis.gov.au) is a
good place to look for archival and materials published in obscure places.
They include references to major collection items that they don't hold, too,
like the Elkin collection at the University of Sydney and the Bates papers
at the NLA. AIATSIS also has access officers who help out of area community
members (and visitors to the library) with searches and locating materials.

Claire
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From bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM  Fri Oct 26 13:27:37 2007
From: bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM (s.t. bischoff)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 09:27:37 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <7f53d06c0710260357u5e6ed1ebq3638fc31117667e6@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.092737.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi all,

Thanks for all the great material and fodder for thought. It seems that a
lot of very good and thoughtful work has been done in this area: The
National Anthropological Archives, http://www.nmnh.si.edu/naa/, the work
Joshua Beck mentioned at Chicago http://moca.lib.uchicago.edu/, the work
Aiden Wilson noted at PARADISEC http://paradisec.org.au, the Language
Archive Newsletter http://www.mpi.nl/LAN/,  OLAC
http://www.language-archives.org/tools/search/?archive=paradisec.org.au, the
work noted by Joan Gross on languages of Oregon. It seems that the issue is
one that folks have not only been thinking about, but have been working on.


I think Aiden's question is important:

"Is anyone aware of any archives that have field notes or recordings
that are not be utilized?"

>From personal experience I know the answer is yes. My enquiry was motivated,
in part, by just such a question. It was also motivated by the question:
"How could such materials be made available online/electronically. (How
would they look? What ethical and legal questions would need to be
addressed. How much material is there? What materials are out there, and
what condition are they in? Etc.)

I also think Phil's comment:

"I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are focused
almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials and less so on
current archived materials despite their relatively equal status."

is important, while William's follow up is equally valid. As individuals
with skills that can be meaningful to others, we are often faced with
difficult choices at times.  I agree that languages need to be recorded, but
we also must remember that for many communities, the only resources
available, are legacy materials, most of which I suspect are not recordings.
True, the data may not be the best, but it is all that some communities
have. As Blair Rude has shown, these materials, along with other knowledge
of language families, can be used to reconstruct a language, a language that
can be used and can be meaningful to communities.  I think Natasha Warner's
work serves as an excellent example of when legacy materials can be used in
 meaningful and important ways. Natasha's team has spent hundreds of hours
rendering Harrington's field notes (many very difficult to read), into
electronic format. Not only scanned, but typed into the various versions of
SILs shoebox for analysis. These materials are being used to further the
linguistic goals of the community. I think this work and the work that
William is doing are both necessary, and both very, very important.

I welcome any further thoughts. Thanks again, Shannon


On 10/26/07, Claire Bowern <anggarrgoon at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> for Australian languages, the AIATSIS catalogue (mura.aiatsis.gov.au) is a
> good place to look for archival and materials published in obscure places.
> They include references to major collection items that they don't hold, too,
> like the Elkin collection at the University of Sydney and the Bates papers
> at the NLA. AIATSIS also has access officers who help out of area community
> members (and visitors to the library) with searches and locating materials.
>
> Claire
>
>
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From HarveyD at SOU.EDU  Fri Oct 26 14:56:32 2007
From: HarveyD at SOU.EDU (Dan Harvey)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:56:32 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025233855.6s2x6q3v484kkkos@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.075632.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

As one who is not a linguist, my focus is on language revitalization,
not on documentation. I think both are important. I understand why a
linguist would want to collect data as fast as possible before languages
go extinct. But I disagree that analysis be done later, after the
languages have died. 

This is a field that spans disciplines. Documentation and analysis can
be done in parallel if linguistic materials were easily available to
researchers in other disciplines. I'm a computer scientist and am
especially interested in creating better software tools that puts data
into forms that language teachers find helpful. The more I see what
linguists produce, the easier my job can be. 

Thanks for listening, dan

>>> phil cash cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> 10/25/2007 11:38 PM
>>>
My apologies for the delay.  And, I just want to add that I appreciate
your
response.

What you have just outlined in relation to the creation of legacy
materials
is perhaps an ethical though practical solution to the broader problem
of
documenting a dying language.  Certainly, it is a linguist?s practical
solution given that there is an emphasis on ?gathering data? and
besides
there may not be a more practical way.

After having gained some varied experience in linguistic fieldwork, I
can
readily agree with everything you propose.  However, there is one
unique
element that can be additionally considered in the long term and that
is
the aspirations of the endangered language community.  It is certainly
true
that endangered language communities and linguists share the same
concerns
over preserving a dying language.  What needs to be recognized,
however, is
that the aspirations of the endangered language community are
sometimes
expressed differently than those of professional linguists.

Linguists (perhaps mostly field linguists) must make an effort to
re-examine
their privileged status by taking into account the aspirations of
endangered
language communities and the concerns they have towards their heritage
language.  For example, it is not uncommon for endangered language
communities to express distrust of linguists over the control of
language
materials.  Lack of access creates inequity.  While this situation may
be a
thing of the past, this sentiment was expressed to me quite frequently
during my own fieldwork.  A common question posed to me was ?how do we
get
our elder?s words back??  The solution seems easy enough.  If they
want
everything back then we, as linguists, should be able to assist them
in
this goal.  If they do not want their language recorded then we should
be
prepared to offer alternatives.  If they want language materials
destroyed
or restricted due to certain taboos then we should be prepared to do
so.
Just to identify a few.  Too, it might be a good idea if we do not
insist
that the practice of linguistic field research, including the
linguistic
standards they pose, somehow predominates over other interests.  For
example, in the eyes of a linguist, one community intellectuals
life-work
can be dismissed outright as ?sub-standard? in much the same way as
other
historical works.  As I have learned in my graduate seminars,
linguists
crush other linguists over research.  But going into an endangered
language
community its just not the same.  Power differentials (or simple
uncaring)
between a linguist and endangered language speakers is not a good
thing.

My own experience confirms that documenting a dying language can?t be
done
in isolation.  This is certainly not a new idea nor should I be
regarded as
being any more thoughtful when I say this.  It?s just that every
speech
community, every speaker, semi-speaker, dialect, and language is truly
unique and so goes one?s work there.  But certainly linguists just
can?t be
?parachuting in? (as I heard in Australia recently in regard to the
media
surge of late) to collect data.  Careful collaborative field work
between
linguists and community speakers/intellectuals can powerfully resonate
with
community aspirations and endangered language communities stand to
benefit
far more than any linguist or discipline can imagine.

Just a few more thoughts here,
Phil Cash Cash


Quoting William J Poser :

> Phil Cash Cash writes:
>
>> I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
>> focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
>> and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
>> equal status.
>
> Two comments:
>
> First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with
dying
> languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
> alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
> there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
> In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the
real
> world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy
materials
> is time not spent gathering new material.
>
> Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions
about
> where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite
interested
> in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
> spend very much of my time on it because it is something that
someone
> else can do in the future.
>
> Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
> have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
> on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
> state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
> good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
> legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
> including the following:
>
> (a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
>     material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be
accurate,
>     but material recorded by non-professionals, such as
missionaries,
>     fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
>     materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
>     were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the
linguist
>     heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack
of
>     a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
>     exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
>     was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of
interpretation
>     since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
>     middle of a page of notes.)
>
> (b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
>     one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
>     was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
>     if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
>     are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
>     do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
>     defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
>     are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
>     spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
>     for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
>     One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
>     of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
>     For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
>     forms since everything is told in the third person.
>
> (c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and
morphology
>     but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
>     discourse.
>
> On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
> that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
> limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
> of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
> a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
> circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
> may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
> exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
> morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.
>
> In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
> as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
> limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
> analyzing legacy material.
>
> Bill


From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM  Fri Oct 26 15:14:43 2007
From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 08:14:43 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <47219DB0.0641.00A2.0@sou.edu>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.081443.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thanks for this, Dan,

I was recently asked if analysis was part of the documentation process -- I
said yes. In truth, though, it comes late in the process -- the urgency of
collecting and archiving data comes first -- given time, some analysis
happens (this is my experience at least).  Ideally, that would not be the
case.

Thanks for calling attention to the divide between documentation and
revitalization -- something which many of us don't like much. Really, these
are complimentary activities -- and should not exist in isolation from one
another.

Susan


On 10/26/07, Dan Harvey <HarveyD at sou.edu> wrote:
>
> As one who is not a linguist, my focus is on language revitalization,
> not on documentation. I think both are important. I understand why a
> linguist would want to collect data as fast as possible before languages
> go extinct. But I disagree that analysis be done later, after the
> languages have died.
>
> This is a field that spans disciplines. Documentation and analysis can
> be done in parallel if linguistic materials were easily available to
> researchers in other disciplines. I'm a computer scientist and am
> especially interested in creating better software tools that puts data
> into forms that language teachers find helpful. The more I see what
> linguists produce, the easier my job can be.
>
> Thanks for listening, dan
>
> >>> phil cash cash <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> 10/25/2007 11:38 PM
> >>>
> My apologies for the delay.  And, I just want to add that I appreciate
> your
> response.
>
> What you have just outlined in relation to the creation of legacy
> materials
> is perhaps an ethical though practical solution to the broader problem
> of
> documenting a dying language.  Certainly, it is a linguist's practical
> solution given that there is an emphasis on "gathering data" and
> besides
> there may not be a more practical way.
>
> After having gained some varied experience in linguistic fieldwork, I
> can
> readily agree with everything you propose.  However, there is one
> unique
> element that can be additionally considered in the long term and that
> is
> the aspirations of the endangered language community.  It is certainly
> true
> that endangered language communities and linguists share the same
> concerns
> over preserving a dying language.  What needs to be recognized,
> however, is
> that the aspirations of the endangered language community are
> sometimes
> expressed differently than those of professional linguists.
>
> Linguists (perhaps mostly field linguists) must make an effort to
> re-examine
> their privileged status by taking into account the aspirations of
> endangered
> language communities and the concerns they have towards their heritage
> language.  For example, it is not uncommon for endangered language
> communities to express distrust of linguists over the control of
> language
> materials.  Lack of access creates inequity.  While this situation may
> be a
> thing of the past, this sentiment was expressed to me quite frequently
> during my own fieldwork.  A common question posed to me was "how do we
> get
> our elder's words back?"  The solution seems easy enough.  If they
> want
> everything back then we, as linguists, should be able to assist them
> in
> this goal.  If they do not want their language recorded then we should
> be
> prepared to offer alternatives.  If they want language materials
> destroyed
> or restricted due to certain taboos then we should be prepared to do
> so.
> Just to identify a few.  Too, it might be a good idea if we do not
> insist
> that the practice of linguistic field research, including the
> linguistic
> standards they pose, somehow predominates over other interests.  For
> example, in the eyes of a linguist, one community intellectuals
> life-work
> can be dismissed outright as "sub-standard" in much the same way as
> other
> historical works.  As I have learned in my graduate seminars,
> linguists
> crush other linguists over research.  But going into an endangered
> language
> community its just not the same.  Power differentials (or simple
> uncaring)
> between a linguist and endangered language speakers is not a good
> thing.
>
> My own experience confirms that documenting a dying language can't be
> done
> in isolation.  This is certainly not a new idea nor should I be
> regarded as
> being any more thoughtful when I say this.  It's just that every
> speech
> community, every speaker, semi-speaker, dialect, and language is truly
> unique and so goes one's work there.  But certainly linguists just
> can't be
> "parachuting in" (as I heard in Australia recently in regard to the
> media
> surge of late) to collect data.  Careful collaborative field work
> between
> linguists and community speakers/intellectuals can powerfully resonate
> with
> community aspirations and endangered language communities stand to
> benefit
> far more than any linguist or discipline can imagine.
>
> Just a few more thoughts here,
> Phil Cash Cash
>
>
> Quoting William J Poser :
>
> > Phil Cash Cash writes:
> >
> >> I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
> >> focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
> >> and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
> >> equal status.
> >
> > Two comments:
> >
> > First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with
> dying
> > languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
> > alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
> > there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
> > In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the
> real
> > world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy
> materials
> > is time not spent gathering new material.
> >
> > Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions
> about
> > where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite
> interested
> > in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
> > spend very much of my time on it because it is something that
> someone
> > else can do in the future.
> >
> > Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
> > have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
> > on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
> > state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
> > good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
> > legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
> > including the following:
> >
> > (a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
> >     material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be
> accurate,
> >     but material recorded by non-professionals, such as
> missionaries,
> >     fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
> >     materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
> >     were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the
> linguist
> >     heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack
> of
> >     a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
> >     exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
> >     was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of
> interpretation
> >     since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
> >     middle of a page of notes.)
> >
> > (b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
> >     one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
> >     was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
> >     if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
> >     are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
> >     do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
> >     defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
> >     are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
> >     spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
> >     for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
> >     One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
> >     of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
> >     For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
> >     forms since everything is told in the third person.
> >
> > (c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and
> morphology
> >     but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
> >     discourse.
> >
> > On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
> > that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
> > limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
> > of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
> > a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
> > circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
> > may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
> > exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
> > morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.
> >
> > In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
> > as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
> > limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
> > analyzing legacy material.
> >
> > Bill
>



-- 
____________________________________________________________
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research)
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."

                                                          Wade Davis...(on a
Starbucks cup...)
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From bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM  Fri Oct 26 16:47:22 2007
From: bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM (s.t. bischoff)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:47:22 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <39a679e20710260814x495a0525kddff778690ffbb4e@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.124722.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Rather serendipitously a colleague from the Basque Country sent me these two
articles today. Many of you maybe familiar with the projects. Both were
published in the last few months and discuss methods in digital archiving.

On 10/26/07, Susan Penfield <susan.penfield at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thanks for this, Dan,
>
> I was recently asked if analysis was part of the documentation process --
> I said yes. In truth, though, it comes late in the process -- the urgency of
> collecting and archiving data comes first -- given time, some analysis
> happens (this is my experience at least).  Ideally, that would not be the
> case.
>
> Thanks for calling attention to the divide between documentation and
> revitalization -- something which many of us don't like much. Really, these
> are complimentary activities -- and should not exist in isolation from one
> another.
>
> Susan
>
>
> On 10/26/07, Dan Harvey <HarveyD at sou.edu> wrote:
> >
> > As one who is not a linguist, my focus is on language revitalization,
> > not on documentation. I think both are important. I understand why a
> > linguist would want to collect data as fast as possible before languages
> > go extinct. But I disagree that analysis be done later, after the
> > languages have died.
> >
> > This is a field that spans disciplines. Documentation and analysis can
> > be done in parallel if linguistic materials were easily available to
> > researchers in other disciplines. I'm a computer scientist and am
> > especially interested in creating better software tools that puts data
> > into forms that language teachers find helpful. The more I see what
> > linguists produce, the easier my job can be.
> >
> > Thanks for listening, dan
> >
> > >>> phil cash cash < cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> 10/25/2007 11:38 PM
> > >>>
> > My apologies for the delay.  And, I just want to add that I appreciate
> > your
> > response.
> >
> > What you have just outlined in relation to the creation of legacy
> > materials
> > is perhaps an ethical though practical solution to the broader problem
> > of
> > documenting a dying language.  Certainly, it is a linguist's practical
> > solution given that there is an emphasis on "gathering data" and
> > besides
> > there may not be a more practical way.
> >
> > After having gained some varied experience in linguistic fieldwork, I
> > can
> > readily agree with everything you propose.  However, there is one
> > unique
> > element that can be additionally considered in the long term and that
> > is
> > the aspirations of the endangered language community.  It is certainly
> > true
> > that endangered language communities and linguists share the same
> > concerns
> > over preserving a dying language.  What needs to be recognized,
> > however, is
> > that the aspirations of the endangered language community are
> > sometimes
> > expressed differently than those of professional linguists.
> >
> > Linguists (perhaps mostly field linguists) must make an effort to
> > re-examine
> > their privileged status by taking into account the aspirations of
> > endangered
> > language communities and the concerns they have towards their heritage
> > language.  For example, it is not uncommon for endangered language
> > communities to express distrust of linguists over the control of
> > language
> > materials.  Lack of access creates inequity.  While this situation may
> > be a
> > thing of the past, this sentiment was expressed to me quite frequently
> > during my own fieldwork.  A common question posed to me was "how do we
> > get
> > our elder's words back?"  The solution seems easy enough.  If they
> > want
> > everything back then we, as linguists, should be able to assist them
> > in
> > this goal.  If they do not want their language recorded then we should
> > be
> > prepared to offer alternatives.  If they want language materials
> > destroyed
> > or restricted due to certain taboos then we should be prepared to do
> > so.
> > Just to identify a few.  Too, it might be a good idea if we do not
> > insist
> > that the practice of linguistic field research, including the
> > linguistic
> > standards they pose, somehow predominates over other interests.  For
> > example, in the eyes of a linguist, one community intellectuals
> > life-work
> > can be dismissed outright as "sub-standard" in much the same way as
> > other
> > historical works.  As I have learned in my graduate seminars,
> > linguists
> > crush other linguists over research.  But going into an endangered
> > language
> > community its just not the same.  Power differentials (or simple
> > uncaring)
> > between a linguist and endangered language speakers is not a good
> > thing.
> >
> > My own experience confirms that documenting a dying language can't be
> > done
> > in isolation.  This is certainly not a new idea nor should I be
> > regarded as
> > being any more thoughtful when I say this.  It's just that every
> > speech
> > community, every speaker, semi-speaker, dialect, and language is truly
> > unique and so goes one's work there.  But certainly linguists just
> > can't be
> > "parachuting in" (as I heard in Australia recently in regard to the
> > media
> > surge of late) to collect data.  Careful collaborative field work
> > between
> > linguists and community speakers/intellectuals can powerfully resonate
> > with
> > community aspirations and endangered language communities stand to
> > benefit
> > far more than any linguist or discipline can imagine.
> >
> > Just a few more thoughts here,
> > Phil Cash Cash
> >
> >
> > Quoting William J Poser :
> >
> > > Phil Cash Cash writes:
> > >
> > >> I should add that the recent trends in the linguistics field are
> > >> focused almost exclusively on the creation of legacy materials
> > >> and less so on current archived materials despite their relatively
> > >> equal status.
> > >
> > > Two comments:
> > >
> > > First, there is a very good reason for this: when we're dealing with
> > dying
> > > languages, it is important to gather data now, while they are still
> > > alive. Analysis of legacy materials can be done in the future, when
> > > there are no more native speakers; gathering of new material cannot.
> > > In a world with infinite resources, we could do both, but in the
> > real
> > > world, with very limited resources, time spent studying legacy
> > materials
> > > is time not spent gathering new material.
> > >
> > > Indeed, for this reason some of us have made conscious decisions
> > about
> > > where to place our priorities. In my case, while I am quite
> > interested
> > > in historical linguistics, some time ago I made the decision not to
> > > spend very much of my time on it because it is something that
> > someone
> > > else can do in the future.
> > >
> > > Second, generally speaking legacy materials and new material do not
> > > have "relatively equal status". Of course, the relationship depends
> > > on exactly what legacy materials are available and what the current
> > > state of the language is. If the language is still in sufficiently
> > > good condition to yield copious new data, it is very likely that
> > > legacy materials will be inferior to new material for reasons
> > > including the following:
> > >
> > > (a) legacy material is often poorly transcribed. Relatively recent
> > >     material recorded by professional linguists is likely to be
> > accurate,
> > >     but material recorded by non-professionals, such as
> > missionaries,
> > >     fur traders, and, often, anthropologists, is often poor. Earlier
> > >     materials recorded by professional linguists, insofar as there
> > >     were such things, is often not very good, or, even if the
> > linguist
> > >     heard well, may be very difficult to interpret due to the lack
> > of
> > >     a standard notation at the time. (Harrington's work is a major
> > >     exception - he had an unusually good ear and his transcription
> > >     was very accurate, though it does pose difficulties of
> > interpretation
> > >     since he was known to do such things as switch notation in the
> > >     middle of a page of notes.)
> > >
> > > (b) legacy material is often restricted in genre. For example, in
> > >     one major anthropological tradition, the principal activity
> > >     was to collect texts, where the texts usually consist primarily
> > >     if not exclusively of legends and/or oral history. Such texts
> > >     are often of great cultural and historical interest, and they
> > >     do yield insight into the language, but they are also quite
> > >     defective as a source of information. For one thing, such texts
> > >     are often in a form of the language different from the ordinary
> > >     spoken variety. In many cultures there are special conventions
> > >     for telling such stories and the language is often archaic.
> > >     One misses the language of ordinary conversation, of speeches,
> > >     of prayer, etc. One may even miss common grammatical forms.
> > >     For example, narratives may contain few or no 1st and 2nd person
> > >     forms since everything is told in the third person.
> > >
> > > (c) linguists of earlier times tended to focus on lexicon and
> > morphology
> > >     but to have very little to say about syntax, semantics, and
> > >     discourse.
> > >
> > > On the other hand, if the language is in poor shape, the material
> > > that can be obtained from the last few speakers may itself be
> > > limited. The last "fluent" speakers often have a narrower range
> > > of genres than their parents or grandparents and may also have
> > > a narrower range of vocabulary due to the decreasing range of
> > > circumstances in which they use the language. Their language
> > > may even be "degenerate" (no moral judgment intended here) in
> > > exhibiting such effects of language death as simplification of
> > > morphology and loss of phonological distinctions.
> > >
> > > In sum, where the language is still in sufficiently good shape
> > > as to provide good data, it generally  makes sense to devote
> > > limited resources to gathering new material at the expense of
> > > analyzing legacy material.
> > >
> > > Bill
> >
>
>
>
> --
> ____________________________________________________________
> Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.
>
> Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
> and Literacy (CERCLL)
> Department of English (Primary)
> American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
> Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
> Department of Language,Reading and Culture
> Department of Linguistics
> The Southwest Center (Research)
> Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836
>
>
> "Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of
> thought, an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."
>
>                                                           Wade Davis...(on
> a Starbucks cup...)
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 17:29:13 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:29:13 -0700
Subject: 3D Scanner May Save Vanishing Languages from Extinction (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.102913.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2007

3D Scanner May Save Vanishing Languages from Extinction
http://www.imls.gov/news/2007/092007.shtm

[photo inset - Vitaliy Fadeyev (rear) and Carl Haber beside some of the
instrumentation at Berkeley Lab used in the optical scanning of cylinders
and disc records.]

Washington, DC?Fragile field recordings of American Indian speech and song
gathered in the early 1900s may be saved for future generations through
breakthrough technology supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and
Library Services (IMLS). The Institute is funding the research and
development of a 3D optical scanner through a $507,233 interagency
agreement with the Department of Energy?s Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory (LBNL) announced Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and IMLS Director
Anne-Imelda Radice, Ph.D. Sept. 20.

?This agreement underscores the federal commitment to making critical and
irreplaceable collections held by the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of
Anthropology ? and thousands of museums, libraries, and archives around the
country ? available to the widest possible audience while and respecting the
sensitive nature of the recordings,? said Lee who represents Berkeley in the
9th Congressional District of California.

?The 2,700 wax cylinder recordings held by the Hearst museum are jewels in a
treasure trove of early recordings that we hope will be rescued,? Radice
said. ?Saving the delicate recordings, which literally may keep alive some
of these Native American languages, fits squarely within the goals of
IMLS?s conservation initiative -- Connecting to Collections: A Call to
Action.? Nationwide, there are approximately 20,000 Native American
fieldwork recordings on fragile wax cylinders, the earliest method of
recording and reproducing sound.

Other rare recordings that would benefit from the technology include:

? Field recordings of linguistic, cultural, and anthropological materials,
such as early 20th century Mexican-American folk recordings from Southern
California and Hawaiian folk music recordings.

? Field recordings of American and European folk music, including those
recorded and collected by John Lomax.

? Speeches of historical figures such as Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt,
William Jennings Bryan, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and P.T. Barnum.

The new 3D system builds on a 2D system also developed by the Berkeley Lab
called IRENE (Image, Reconstruct, Erase Noise, Etc.), which gathers digital
sound from grooved discs (flat recordings such as traditional 78 rpm shellac
disc records) by illuminating the record surface with a narrow beam of
light. The flat bottoms of the groove -- and the spaces between tracks --
appear white, while the sloped sides of the groove, scratches, and dirt
appear black. The computer turns this information into a digital sound file
and corrects areas where scratches, breaks or wear have made the groove
wider or narrower than normal. IRENE then ?plays? the file with a virtual
needle without damaging or destroying the original media. The technology
was adapted from methods used to build radiation detectors for high-energy
physics experiments.

IMLS is funding the next stage of the project: development of the 3D imaging
sound player that can read foil, wax, plastic cylinders (which preceded the
development of flat records), plastic dictation belts, and discs. The 3D
technology is required to read cylinders since the sound is held in
vertical movements of the groove. The 3D device is based upon a type of
confocal microscope. White light directed at the surface of a cylinder or
disc passes through a special lens, creating a spectrum. Each color of the
spectrum comes into focus at a different depth so the color of the
reflected light reveals the height of the scanned point. A computer
assembles these points into profiles for each groove and translates the
data into a sound file. The 3D scan would extract information based on
20-30 points ? compared to IRENE?s 2-4 points ? also offering the
possibility of higher quality sound files. Tinfoil and wax cylinders were
developed in the late 1870s and 1880s, and cylinders remained in use until
1929, when commercial production for these music recordings ceased.
However, cylinder technology continued to be used for dictation recordings
for office use into the early 1950s.

"IRENE and its 3D offspring have the potential to recover great recorded
sound collections in libraries, museums, and archives across the United
States," said Carl Haber, a senior scientist in LBNL?s Physics Division who
developed the technology with fellow Physics Division scientist Vitaliy
Fadeyev. ?The project could revolutionize the preservation of early
recordings because it will use digital imaging to recover sound from
three-dimensional recordings without contact with the media.?

IMLS is funding development of two 3D prototype machines: one will be
evaluated at Berkeley, the other at the Library of Congress. Both systems
could be available to the national community of museums and libraries. By
the project?s end, the path to reproduce the technology should be clear and
the raw hardware costs should decrease significantly over time. The
prototype?s open design will enable improvements to the hardware and
software as more experience is acquired.

In addition to potentially providing preservation-quality transfers of all
mechanical formats, the project would provide a comprehensive assessment of
the media?s condition. The Heritage Health Index, a survey on the state of
the nation?s collections supported by IMLS, reported that American
collections contain 46.4 million items of recorded sound, and 9.6 million
(21 percent) are in grooved formats that could be affected by development
of the prototype. A comprehensive assessment is needed because of the 9.6
million grooved carriers, 59 percent were in an unknown condition. With the
new system, even cracked or scratched cylinders could be reproduced.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 17:38:50 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:38:50 -0700
Subject: Create Nunavut education channel, IBC urges (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.103850.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Nunavut
October 26, 2007

Create Nunavut education channel, IBC urges
?I do not want to speak English now. I?m an Inuk.?

JIM BELL
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/news/nunavut/71026_633.html

With Johnny the Travelling Lemming watching your back, there's no good
reason to ever call it quits.

Johnny, the well-known puppet character from the Inuit Broadcasting Corp.'s
Takuginai children's show, popped his furry head up in Iqaluit this week to
help IBC officials make a pitch for the creation of an educational TV
channel for Nunavut.

Okalik Eegeesiak, IBC's chair, and Debbie Brisebois, IBC's executive
director, told MLAs on the the legislative assembly's Ajauqtiit committee
that such a channel could be modeled after provincial services such as TV
Ontario or T?l?-Qu?bec.

[photo inset - For more 20 years, children have learned Inuktitut from
watching the Inuit Broadcasting Corp.?s puppet-based program, Takuginai.
IBC has been forced to cut back on the number of episodes it produces each
season, because of declining revenues and an APTN policy requiring English
translation.(FILE PHOTO)]

The IBC officials had been invited to give Ajauqtiit an oral submission on
the Nunavut government's proposed new language laws.

They pointed out that it's getting harder now for IBC to continue its
25-year-long role as a promoter of the Inuit language - because of
declining funds and new policies adopted by the Aboriginal Peoples
Television Network.

In recent years, APTN has produced slick, youth-oriented aboriginal
television shows that have increased viewership and brought in new revenue
from advertisers. Two of those programs won Gemini awards this week in
youth-children categories.

But those new offerings are in the one language that most young aboriginal
people in Canada share - English. At the same time, IBC has seen its Inuit
language production drop by more than half.

"While at one time, IBC has the capacity to produce close to seven hours per
week ... we are now producing only three hours per week," IBC said in a
written submission dated Aug. 17.

That's because APTN now requires that Inuit-language shows such as Takuginai
be run with English-language text translations running across the bottom of
the screen, creating a new expense for the cash-strapped IBC.

"There wil be less new Takuginai shows because we have had to use our
limited resources for Johnny to learn and speak in English," Eegeesiak told
MLAs.

To make this point, Johnny refused to speak English at the committee
hearing.

"I do not want to speak English now. I'm an Inuk," Johnny said.

The IBC officials say they get about the same amount of money from the
federal government now that they were getting in 1990, when Ottawa reduced
grants to aboriginal broadcasting societies. Taking 17 years of inflation
into account, that adds up to a cut, IBC says.

The Nunavut government has given IBC between $250,000 and $350,000 a year
since 1999, but the broadcaster must apply for it on a year-to-year basis,
depending on specific projects.

In contrast, IBC received fixed and guaranteed annual funding from the
Government of the Northwest Territories before 1999, IBC said in one of its
written submission.

Eegeesiak and Brisebois told MLAs that a Nunavut education channel could
serve several purposes: a better vehicle for IBC programming, and a vehicle
that the Department of Education could use to offer education programs,
including Inuit language instruction.

To that end, they're urging that the Government of Nunavut bring a group of
partners together to produce a feasibility study on the creation of their
proposed TV Nunavut service.

They also want IBC to be given one of the five member positions on the
proposed new Inuit Language Authority that would be created by the Inuit
language protection bill.


From rtroike at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 17:42:36 2007
From: rtroike at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Rudy Troike)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:42:36 -0700
Subject: Legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <ILAT%200710260947587466.05D4@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.104236.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

To add my two cents to what Susan Penfield said, sometimes one may be in a
"salvage" mode, to collect as much language as possible before it is gone
forever, as has happened in the past (Samuel Gatschet's experience with
Karankawa is an example -- much of what we have would not exist if he had
waited six months to interview a person who remembered hearing the language
as a child). But apart from recognizing -- as Bill Poser noted -- the often
radical differences among genres (unfortunately ignored by most linguists in
the past), and recording samples of various general types, if there is time
there should be concurrent analysis, since some aspects may turn out to be
uninterpretable later on without a living speaker to check them with. Bill's
example of traditional texts' containing archaic words is one example, since
the meaning may still be known to the person telling the stories, but might
not be known to younger speakers or might not be determinable from mere later
analysis. Or a rare grammatical form might occur only once in certain types
of texts for pragmatic reasons, and because of its uniqueness might not be
interpretable on later inspection or might not be known to younger speakers,
if there are any. Constraints on the possible extension of grammatical forms
(such as the influence of an animacy hierarchy) might be undiscoverable
without concurrent analysis and exploration with competent speakers.

    Rudy Troike


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 17:43:14 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:43:14 -0700
Subject: Volunteers try to save lost languages (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.104314.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Volunteers try to save lost languages

By CHARLES MCCARTHY
Fresno Bee
Friday, October 26, 2007
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/27893

Just uphill from an authentic cedar tepee four children sat down for a
lesson in a language on the cusp of being lost.

Volunteer teacher Barbara Burrough, one of the few people left who still
speaks Mono, held up a cue card with the word "kah-why-you."

"Horse," the youngsters said.

Next was "moo-nah."

"Mule," they said.

Burrough's mother, 81-year-old Gertrude Davis, smiled as she watched the
recent lesson unfold.

"I speak it, and I have no one to talk to, because no one knows how to speak
the language or understand it," she said.

In classrooms, Mono cultural sites and private homes in the North Fork area,
Burrough and a few others are working hard to change that, one child at a
time.

Before contact with Spanish and English-speaking cultures in the 1800s, an
estimated 5,000 spoke Mono in a territory that stretched from the San
Joaquin River south to the Kern River. Today, Burrough estimates that no
more than 17 people around North Fork can converse in the native tongue and
not all of them are fluent.

North Fork Mono Rancheria Tribal Council Treasurer Maryann McGovran's son
Cody, 13, has been one of Burrough's pupils for about two years. She said
she isn't fluent in Mono, but she knows a few words.

Preserving the language is important, she said at tribal headquarters,
because the language reflects the culture.

"It's the heart of our tribe," she said. "It shows who we are and what our
people are about."

Mono is among 50 Native American languages in California that are considered
endangered, said Leanne Hinton, professor emeritus in the linguistics
department at the University of California at Berkeley. Another 50 already
have disappeared since the early 1800s, she said.

"When you lose a language, it's a symptom of losing a whole culture," said
Hinton, who has written three books devoted to endangered languages.

But saving a language is no easy task especially when so few people still
speak it.

A nearby tribe -- the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians near
Coarsegold -- also is trying to save its language. The Chukchansi are
preserving tribal words and songs with state-of-the-art electronic
translators inspired by military technology.

Tribal elders demonstrated the device last month. The "Phraselator" stores
Chukchansi words electronically. When a person speaks into the device in
English, it responds with the Chukchansi translation.

But at $3,000 apiece, the devices aren't in the Mono Rancheria budget.

Mono tribal officials say the decline of the language began as early as the
1810s with the arrival of outside cultures and languages.

A series of broken treaties, land grabs and the integration of much North
Fork Mono tribal land into the Sierra National Forest left the native
residents little choice other than to join mining, lumber and agricultural
economies.

In school, children were discouraged from speaking Mono. As late as the
1970s, Native American children in Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding
schools were punished for speaking their native languages, said Andre
Cramblit, Northern California Indian Development Council operations
director and chairman of the Karuk tribal language restoration committee.

Burrough said that her family escaped boarding school because her
grandmother told her children to hide whenever a car came up their
driveway.

"That's why we were able to hang on to our language," Burrough said.

The North Fork Rancheria Tribal Council does not have the funds for a formal
program to preserve the Mono language, said council Chairwoman Jacquie
Davis-Van Huss. The 1,652-member tribe relies on volunteers like Burrough
and the support of educators who incorporate Mono lessons into programs in
public schools.

Burrough teaches children as part of its Indian Education Program in North
Fork Elementary School. Such programs also provide for classroom tutoring
in subjects other than language and culture for Native American kids,
Principal Stuart Pincus said.

The California Department of Education lists the North Fork Elementary
School program as one of eight such programs statewide that it sponsors for
schools where at least 10 percent of the students are Native American. The
courses, intended for children in grades kindergarten through fourth, are
designed to increase reading, language and math skills, along with
self-esteem.

Charles McCarthy can be reached at cmccarthy(at)fresnobee.com. For more
stories visit scrippsnews.com


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 18:42:42 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:42:42 -0700
Subject: A ring tone in your language...
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.114242.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I haven't tried it yet, but it seems fairly easy enough to make a
language-based ring tone.  So try it out and get back to us.  ;-)

Phil
UofA

~~~~
Make your own ring tone

Excerpt from: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/207588

1. Turn your future ring tone into an MP3 file.

? Download the free Mac- and PC-friendly audio editor Audacity
(audacity.sourceforge.net), and download and unzip LAME
(lame.sourceforge.net). LAME helps Audacity make MP3 files.

? In Audacity, click Edit/Preferences/File Formats, then click "Find
Library." Find the LAME file you just downloaded, and click it. Now,
Audacity can make MP3s.

? Use Audacity to record a 15-second snippet.

? Delete all unwanted recorded music, then export as an MP3 file.

2. The E-mail Method for transferring the MP3 file from your computer to
your phone.

? E-mail the MP3 file to your phone as an attachment. Your phone's e-mail
address is your 10-digit phone number @carriername.com (e.g.,
messaging.sprintpcs.com or vzwpix.com).

? On your phone, download the attachment to your phone, then use the ring
tone program in your phone to make your attachment your new ring tone.

3. The Bluetooth Method for transferring the MP3 file from your computer to
your phone.

? You'll need Bluetooth radio technology on both your computer and your
phone. Follow the instructions that came with your phone to pair it with
your computer using Bluetooth (This involves pressing a couple of keys then
holding the phone near your computer).

? Once the two are paired, use Bluetooth to beam your MP3 file from your
computer to your phone. Then use your ring tone function on your phone to
make the new music clip your ring tone.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Fri Oct 26 23:46:32 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:46:32 -0700
Subject: Conference examines impact of environmental issues on human
 rights (fwd)
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.164632.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Conference examines impact of environmental issues on human rights

by Sherry Fisher - October 29, 2007
http://www.advance.uconn.edu/2007/071029/07102909.htm

In many locations around the world, native names are being ignored, thus
denying people?s cultural pasts and histories, says Jim Enote, a Zuni
tribal member, farmer, artist, and activist for the environment.

Enote was the keynote speaker Oct. 23 in the Student Union Theatre during
the Eighth Annual UNESCO Chair and Institute of Comparative Human Rights
Conference. The event?s topic was human rights and the environment.

?Indigenous people around the world have always had names of places, but in
many cases those names have all been eliminated and replaced with other
languages, other terms, and words that are foreign to us,? Enote said.

?In many cases, these are a direct denial of our past and history.?

For example, Bear Spring in New Mexico is now called Fort Wingate, Enote
said.

?What is embedded in my language is thousands and thousands of years of
environmental monitoring,? he added. ?It?s all part of these languages that
are becoming extinct around the world.?

The Zuni are indigenous Americans living in New Mexico.

Indigenous peoples have a lot to contribute to the dialogue about the
environment and human rights, he said.

?Somewhere in the lives of society and cultures, we all want a piece of the
pie,? he said.

?We all want that security. We have always sought something better.
Somewhere, from the time of our innocent birth to the time we grow up, we
develop a sense of compassion, a sense of sharing. But what happens when
our environmental resources are stretched?? he asked. ?What about the
ethics of helping each other, the ethics of sharing our resources? Which
voices are being heard and which aren?t??

He said that human beings have ?an urge to get something you don?t have ? to
seek something better. But in that process comes about conquering and
displacement. Many native communities around the world have been conquered
and displaced.?

[photo inset - Environmental activist Jim Enote gives the keynote
presentation during a conference on human rights and the environment in the
Student Union Oct. 23. Photo supplied by ITL Photo]

Enote urged the audience to ?respect each other?s languages, respect where
you come from. Everyone has something to contribute and no one should be
left behind.?

Another speaker, Pam Dashiell, a community activist in New Orleans, said the
U.S. government failed to deal with Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. She
is from the Holy Cross neighborhood in the Lower Ninth Ward, where Katrina?s
storm surge broke the levee at the Industrial Canal flooding dozens of
homes.

?There are people who want to return, and there hasn?t been a concerted
effort to bring them back or ever find them,? she said.

Other issues, she said, are ?the crumbling infrastructure, loss of housing,
and toxic sediments.?

Dashiell said, ?With the help from universities, corporations, charities,
and individuals, we were able to plan and implement a Center for
Sustainable Engagement and Development. We are determined to come back. The
?green? rebuilding is going inch by inch.?

She said it is a human right ?to be protected from the storms and the
stresses. She also said that without the help of ordinary people, recovery
in the Ninth Ward wouldn?t have come even as far as it has.

?We need to have fresh eyes on what exists. We need accountants, lawyers,
doctors, engineers, and architects, and are appreciative of the help that
has already been given,? she said. ?The eye-opener is that there is no
government will to fix it; only the will of the people.?

The conference was co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for
Multicultural and International Affairs, the Office of the Vice Provost for
Enrollment Management, and the Department of Residential Life.


From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Sat Oct 27 01:19:22 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:19:22 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <1c1f75a20710260627s65005e5fla0658f9f01e37133@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.211922.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

With regard to the need for analysis of legacy materials where there
are no longer any speakers, I am not aware of a shortage of linguists
interested in this sort of work. If there are communities that want
linguists to help with this, I think they can get them. If there is a problem
here, it is probably one of communication rather than lack of linguists
willing to do this. There are quite a few linguists who are attracted
by the need to document endangered languages and by language
revitalization projects but who lack the skills or taste for fieldwork
or cannot do so for reasons of health or work or family circumstances.
Work on archival material is an attractive alternative for many such
linguists.

Bill


From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Sat Oct 27 01:28:27 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:28:27 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <39a679e20710260814x495a0525kddff778690ffbb4e@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <FRI.26.OCT.2007.212827.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Dan Harvey wrote:
>I disagree that analysis be done later...

I agree that analysis cannot be separated from data collection.
When I said that analysis of legacy materials can be done later,
I was referring only to circumstances in which live data is
available, the point being not only that we will end up with
more data in toto but that an interaction between data gathering
and analysis is only possible when working with living speakers.
When I said that the analysis can be done later, I meant only
that since the legacy data is already "dead", someone in the future
can do as good a job of studying it as I can, whereas I can do
better working with living speakers than someone in the future will
be able to for the simple reason that there probably won't be any
in the future.

The idea that one can simply gather an unanalyzed corpus
and store it away, which some people are promoting, is
I think quite fallacious.  It encourages people to bypass
the interactive data gathering and analysis that is likely
to produce the greatest insight, and all too often it seems to
be associated with projects that expend an awful lot of time and
money to obtain a very small amount of data.

Bill


From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET  Sat Oct 27 04:57:04 2007
From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:57:04 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.005704.0400.PHONOSEMANTICS@EARTHLINK.NET>

Bill Poser wrote:

>The idea that one can simply gather an unanalyzed corpus
and store it away, which some people are promoting, is
I think quite fallacious.  It encourages people to bypass
the interactive data gathering and analysis that is likely
to produce the greatest insight, and all too often it seems to
be associated with projects that expend an awful lot of time and
money to obtain a very small amount of data.<

Yet this was one of the reasons a grant proposal to work with the last Yahgan speakers was rejected- the reviewer *knew* that the linguistic community had all relevant information about the language, and that further work with live speakers was useless. Even though the purpose of the fieldwork was to gather data about conversational pragmatics- sorely lacking in all of the extant archival materials.

And now, with only one speaker left, and linguists being forbidden access by her granddaughter who loathes academics, it may be too late. I'd sure like to give this anonymous reviewer a piece of my mind- and a few carefully folded fingers.

Jess Tauber
phonosemantics at earthlink.net


From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Sat Oct 27 05:11:33 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 01:11:33 -0400
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <23403037.1193461024638.JavaMail.root@elwamui-royal.atl.sa.earthlink.net>
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.011133.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Jess Tauber wrote:
>Yet this was one of the reasons a grant proposal to work with
>the last Yahgan speakers was rejected- the reviewer *knew* that
>the linguistic community had all relevant information about the
>language, and that further work with live speakers was useless.

Well, that reviewer sure wasn't me. I'm amazed that this reviewer's
ridiculous opinion carried weight with the panel. The only circumstance
in which I can see this being reasonable is if the last speaker is
known to be such a poor source that little useful could be obtained,
which I assume is not the case.

Bill


From hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM  Sat Oct 27 13:49:04 2007
From: hastiin52 at YAHOO.COM (hastiin yellowhair)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 06:49:04 -0700
Subject: Navajo Studies Conference
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.064904.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Ya'at'eeh all,
  Just for your information:  Navajo Studies Conference on November 1-3, 2007 at Tsaile, AZ - Dine College.  Go to:  http://www.dinecollege.edu/ics/NavajoStudiesConference  
  Check it out.  Hagoonee' .... leroy morgan


Dinek'ehji Yalti' doo Ni tsekees
 __________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
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From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET  Sat Oct 27 19:05:49 2007
From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:05:49 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539E7F2@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.120549.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I just came across another native linguist!

Dale Old Horn (Crow)
1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology


Phil
UofA


From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU  Sat Oct 27 19:09:59 2007
From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 15:09:59 -0400
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <2275FA67-0931-4127-89F2-D7EC3520FCF6@dakotacom.net>
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.150959.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Sat Oct 27 19:27:28 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:27:28 -0700
Subject: Program Seeks Rare American Indian and Indigenous Books (fwd)
Message-ID: <SAT.27.OCT.2007.122728.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Program Seeks Rare American Indian and Indigenous Books

The effort is an attempt to improve intercultural understanding through the
use of children's books.

By La Monica Everett-Haynes, University Communications
October 23, 2007
http://uanews.org/node/16511

Language and culture are often thought of as the seminal core of any given
group.

But what happens when one?s own language is endangered?

A new effort at The University of Arizona?s College of Education is focused
on indigenous populations and trying to help keep indigenous languages from
disappearing ? and to do this, children and adolescent literature will be
used.

With a $15,000 donation from the Tohono O?odham Nation, the college?s
International Collection of Children?s and Adolescent Literature is
initiating a project to bring some of the world?s most rare American Indian
and indigenous peoples books to Tucson.

?We want to have books that reflect on indigenous populations around the
world,? said Kathy G. Short, a professor in the college's language, reading
and culture department.

The books will build on the existing collection, which is a teaching and
research library that contains 30,000 books housed in the College of
Education?s basement. The full library is one of the largest collections of
international children's literature in the world.

Many of the children's books reflecting on the lives of indigenous people
are produced by large, national publishing companies and are most often
written in English by people who do not self-identify as American Indian.

Also, Short said, many of the books are about history or historical events.

She said the challenge with finding books that accurately portay indigenous
people, either written in English or native languages, is that such books
are generally very difficult to find because they most often are printed by
much smaller publishing companies and tribal presses.

Short, who oversees the collection at the UA, is not deterred ? she already
has access to databases that have gathered information about books written
in varying languages.

?So, now, we have to search them out and figure out how to get the books
here,? she said.

?What we?re hoping is that we end up with an exemplary collection, and I
think it will be used by different scholars,? she said. ?I see that
collection as being so important to different interests in the University
and across the state, and also teachers coming from all over North
America."

Such work is one among a number of different efforts across campus
attempting to both preserve and document native and indigenous languages
and culture.

Others include:

    * ArizonaNativeNet.com, which is a Web site run out of the James E.
Rogers College of Law that offers distance learning and telecommunications
for tribal nations.
    * The Knowledge River program out of the School of Information Resources
and Library Science, teaching about librarianship issues in the context of
the American Indian perspective, as well as that of Hispanic populations.
    * The American Indian Language Development Institute is a residential
summer program held at the UA. Run out of Short?s department, the institute
educates participants on ways to incorporate cultural and linguistic
teachings into schools and provides assistance to tribal nations attempting
to preserve their respective languages.
    * The UA offers degree programs in Native American linguistics and
American Indian studies.
    * The University of Arizona Libraries keeps a permanent collection of
material written in the central Mexico language of Nahuatl, which is
periodically on display. Also, certain library staff teach and share
material specific to indigenous groups.

And there is even more.

Short?s new initiative is important not only for children, but likely will
be important to all organizations and scholars researching American Indian
culture or trying to preserve their languages, she said.

?Given those strong programs, our location in Arizona, and the focus on
language revitalization, it helps our focus on having a very strong
indigenous collection,? Short said. ?Having a collection like that will be
important to their work. That is really important.?

Office of University Communications
888 N. Euclid Ave. Room 413, Tucson,Arizona 85721


From nwarner at U.ARIZONA.EDU  Sun Oct 28 17:43:03 2007
From: nwarner at U.ARIZONA.EDU (Natasha L Warner)
Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 10:43:03 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <20071025185348.D76FEB2498@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <SUN.28.OCT.2007.104303.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi,

I've been out of town and am just now picking up on this interesting
discussion about analysis of existing (archival) data vs. new data
collection.

I agree with the things Bill said _if_ the language still has fluent
speakers, which is the situation he was addressing.  (I especially
agree about all the problems with archival data itself that he listed,
since I work with it!)  However, if we look at the bigger picture of
archival data vs./and new data collection across languages, there is
another issue.  I work on revitalization of a dormant California language,
Mutsun, through archival data.  There hasn't been a fluent speaker since
1930, but the community has been working on revitalization since 1996, and
is making good but slow progress.

For Mutusn, we desparately needed funding in order to enter thousands of
pages of Harrington microfilm data into a database and analyze it, in
order to make a good dictionary and teaching materials.  We've been told
by various funding agencies that they won't fund revitalization, they'll
only fund new data collection from living speakers.  I see a couple of
reasons for this:  1) the idea that you have to get the data from living
speakers while they're alive, so that's a higher priority, whereas
existing archival data won't change, and 2) the emphasis of the field of
linguistics on getting data to answer theoretical questions, more than to
help the community increase use of their language. (Analysis of archival
data might be funded for theoretical purposes, but not to run community
language-learning workshops or to write a textbook.)

I understand the motivation on point 1 (higher priority if speakers are
elderly), but work on archival data can't just be done later, either.
The reason is that the community, right now, has motivation, people who
have gained skills to work on language, and just plain momentum.  It's
cruel to tell them "Sorry, you're low priority because your language is
already dead [we say "dormant"]), please come back in 20-30 years, because
then maybe everybody else's language will be in as bad a shape as yours,
and we can afford to give you the money then."  I completely understand
that resouces for both documentation and revitalization are very, very
limited, and one has to make choices.  However, from the position of
applying for grants to get the data out of Harrington into usable form,
being told that the language is dead and therefore unfundable has been
extremely frustrating.

As for the second point above, about collecting data for linguistic theory
vs. collecting or analyzing data for the community's benefit, I really do
believe that one gets both benefits (data for theory and for community
use) out of analyzing a large set of archival materials, if there isn't
any source of new data available for the language.  But many granting
agencies just have "documentation"  as the scope of their funding mission.
I also understand that granting agencies define what they're interested in
funding, and of course they have every right to do so.  Again, it's just
frustrating.

By the way, we did eventually get funding to analyze the Harrington data:
from the NEH's Preservation and Access program, which tries to make
materials of cultural or historical importance more accessible.  Putting
handwritten microfilmed unanalyzed field data into a database makes it
accessible.  The grant program isn't specific to language at all.

So my overall point is that in addition to considering priorities within
one language, we should also look at how resources and energy get
allocated across languages.  The archival analysis vs. new data decision
is different if we look across languages, unless we're willing to tell all
the dormant language communities to just forget about it and stop trying.

Oh, one more thing:  Bill, you mention there being no shortage of
linguists willing to work on archival data analysis.  I agree that there
are probably more out there who would be interested in taking projects on,
but given that revitalization work frequently is not valued by one's
department and not counted as linguistic work toward tenure, and that many
tribes can't afford to just hire themselves a full-time linguist, I'm not
so sure there are so many who really would like to take on the full scope
of a revitalization project.  If one follows it through, from digging up
the old sources through creating a database, producing a dictionary,
writing a textbook and other materials, collaborating with the community
(if one isn't community oneself) on all parts of the work, getting
funding, and figuring out with the community how to get fluency and spread
fluency through the community, it's a lifetime project.  I don't know many
linguists who are so interested in taking on a language to do this, while
trying to maintain the part of their careers they get hired by a
department for as well.  I do think there are lots more who would like to
help out with parts of the work, though.

Thanks,

Natasha

*******************************************************************************
Natasha Warner
Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics
University of Arizona
PO Box 210028
Tucson, AZ 85721-0028
U.S.A.

Until August 2008:
Visiting Researcher
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
PO Box 310
6500 AH Nijmegen
the Netherlands


From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM  Sun Oct 28 19:56:08 2007
From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield)
Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2007 12:56:08 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <Pine.GSO.4.58.0710270131340.15857@basil.u.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <SUN.28.OCT.2007.125608.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

All,
Natasha makes some great points here -- among them is the fact that there is
a real
disconnect between communities who want and need linguists and linguists who
want
to work at the community level, but are often frustrated by the powers that
be at the institution they
work for.

More education is needed at the community level about what / who
can best serve their needs --understanding the difference between
theoretical linguists, descriptive
linguists, field linguists (who wear many hats) and applied linguists.
Further, how to find a linguist
who is familar with the language, or related languages -- and how to get a
good reference for a good linguist.

And, there needs to be more general support for revitalization activities
among funding agencies and institutions
alike. We all understand, I think, that documentation activities are more
well defined and exacting -- more easy
to report on and quantify. However, communities are crying out for more
support of revitalization -- both those with
'dormant' languages, those with still active languages. They need support
for teachers, materials development,
money to hire the appropriate linguist, etc...and this type of funding is
hard to come by in the amounts usually
needed. Wish I had a solution; all I can do is offer this observation: Seems
like, with more documentation projects
under way these days, that agencies should logically follow with funds to
help spin this work into materials for
revitalization....perhaps wishful thinking on my part...


Susan


On 10/28/07, Natasha L Warner <nwarner at u.arizona.edu> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I've been out of town and am just now picking up on this interesting
> discussion about analysis of existing (archival) data vs. new data
> collection.
>
> I agree with the things Bill said _if_ the language still has fluent
> speakers, which is the situation he was addressing.  (I especially
> agree about all the problems with archival data itself that he listed,
> since I work with it!)  However, if we look at the bigger picture of
> archival data vs./and new data collection across languages, there is
> another issue.  I work on revitalization of a dormant California language,
> Mutsun, through archival data.  There hasn't been a fluent speaker since
> 1930, but the community has been working on revitalization since 1996, and
> is making good but slow progress.
>
> For Mutusn, we desparately needed funding in order to enter thousands of
> pages of Harrington microfilm data into a database and analyze it, in
> order to make a good dictionary and teaching materials.  We've been told
> by various funding agencies that they won't fund revitalization, they'll
> only fund new data collection from living speakers.  I see a couple of
> reasons for this:  1) the idea that you have to get the data from living
> speakers while they're alive, so that's a higher priority, whereas
> existing archival data won't change, and 2) the emphasis of the field of
> linguistics on getting data to answer theoretical questions, more than to
> help the community increase use of their language. (Analysis of archival
> data might be funded for theoretical purposes, but not to run community
> language-learning workshops or to write a textbook.)
>
> I understand the motivation on point 1 (higher priority if speakers are
> elderly), but work on archival data can't just be done later, either.
> The reason is that the community, right now, has motivation, people who
> have gained skills to work on language, and just plain momentum.  It's
> cruel to tell them "Sorry, you're low priority because your language is
> already dead [we say "dormant"]), please come back in 20-30 years, because
> then maybe everybody else's language will be in as bad a shape as yours,
> and we can afford to give you the money then."  I completely understand
> that resouces for both documentation and revitalization are very, very
> limited, and one has to make choices.  However, from the position of
> applying for grants to get the data out of Harrington into usable form,
> being told that the language is dead and therefore unfundable has been
> extremely frustrating.
>
> As for the second point above, about collecting data for linguistic theory
> vs. collecting or analyzing data for the community's benefit, I really do
> believe that one gets both benefits (data for theory and for community
> use) out of analyzing a large set of archival materials, if there isn't
> any source of new data available for the language.  But many granting
> agencies just have "documentation"  as the scope of their funding mission.
> I also understand that granting agencies define what they're interested in
> funding, and of course they have every right to do so.  Again, it's just
> frustrating.
>
> By the way, we did eventually get funding to analyze the Harrington data:
> from the NEH's Preservation and Access program, which tries to make
> materials of cultural or historical importance more accessible.  Putting
> handwritten microfilmed unanalyzed field data into a database makes it
> accessible.  The grant program isn't specific to language at all.
>
> So my overall point is that in addition to considering priorities within
> one language, we should also look at how resources and energy get
> allocated across languages.  The archival analysis vs. new data decision
> is different if we look across languages, unless we're willing to tell all
> the dormant language communities to just forget about it and stop trying.
>
> Oh, one more thing:  Bill, you mention there being no shortage of
> linguists willing to work on archival data analysis.  I agree that there
> are probably more out there who would be interested in taking projects on,
> but given that revitalization work frequently is not valued by one's
> department and not counted as linguistic work toward tenure, and that many
> tribes can't afford to just hire themselves a full-time linguist, I'm not
> so sure there are so many who really would like to take on the full scope
> of a revitalization project.  If one follows it through, from digging up
> the old sources through creating a database, producing a dictionary,
> writing a textbook and other materials, collaborating with the community
> (if one isn't community oneself) on all parts of the work, getting
> funding, and figuring out with the community how to get fluency and spread
> fluency through the community, it's a lifetime project.  I don't know many
> linguists who are so interested in taking on a language to do this, while
> trying to maintain the part of their careers they get hired by a
> department for as well.  I do think there are lots more who would like to
> help out with parts of the work, though.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Natasha
>
>
> *******************************************************************************
> Natasha Warner
> Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics
> University of Arizona
> PO Box 210028
> Tucson, AZ 85721-0028
> U.S.A.
>
> Until August 2008:
> Visiting Researcher
> Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
> PO Box 310
> 6500 AH Nijmegen
> the Netherlands
>



-- 
____________________________________________________________
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research)
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."

                                                          Wade Davis...(on a
Starbucks cup...)
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From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US  Mon Oct 29 17:57:05 2007
From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:57:05 -0600
Subject: Hopi teacher wins Spirit of the Heard Award (fwd)
In-Reply-To: <20071024102419.ntw8css80ccsgo8g@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.115705.0600.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

This is Too Cool. I was in Emory's Hopi course when I was at AILDI a few
years ago. I did a presentation on DNA in Hopi. It's on my website at
http://learningforpeople.us/  Under Languages, select Hopi & then "Blue Corn
& Diabetes" The effort brought out lots of issues, especially about
contemporary ideas, cultural understandings and language extensions. 
Emory liked the presentation, but I noticed he didn't run off an ask us to
build stuff like it for the students in school. Sigh. 

Mia 

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of phil cash cash
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 11:24 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [ILAT] Hopi teacher wins Spirit of the Heard Award (fwd)

Hopi teacher wins Spirit of the Heard Award

Tuesday October 23, 2007
By John Christian Hopkins
Din? Bureau
http://www.gallupindependent.com/2007/october/102307jch_sprtofthehrd.html

PHOENIX ? Emory Sekaquaptewa doesn?t take things for granted, his
philosophy, you could say, is ?Don?t worry, be Hopi.?

So Sekaquaptewa didn?t get a big head when he won the fourth Spirit of the
Heard Award from the Heard Museum.

?I was surprised but grateful for the recognition,?

Sekaquaptewa said. ?I?m not really doing these things for recognition; I
enjoy doing them and feel it has to be done.?

The central work of his life has been to try to save the language for future
Hopi generations.

The Spirit of the Heard Award recognizes a person?s actions and work
experience to further the Heard mission:

?To educate the public about the heritage and the living cultures and art of
Native peoples, with an emphasis on the peoples of the Southwest.?

The recipient of this national award must be a living member of an American
Indian tribe or community.

The museum?s Board of Trustee?s American Indian Advisory Committee created
the Spirit of the Heard Award to honor an individual who has demonstrated a
level of personal excellence in his or her life either individually as a
community leader. The award ceremony was part of this year?s Native
American Recognition Days in the Phoenix area. This year marks the 25th
Annual, and the theme is ?Celebrating 25 Years of Native American
Communities and Cultures.?

Committee members chose Sekaquaptewa, a research anthropologist at the
University of Arizona, for this honor because of his tireless work to help
preserve all aspects of Hopi life, including the Hopi language for future
generations.

One of his major works was the Hopi dictionary, which has more than 30,000
entries in it. It was published in 1998 after a decade of work. The latest
revision of the Hopi Dictionary was completed in February 2004.

Sekaquaptewa was born on Third Mesa on the Hopi Reservation. He has worked
at the U of A since 1972, in teaching, research and service. In addition,
he was awarded a law degree from the university in 1970.

Sekaquaptewa is also an appellate judge for the Hopi Tribe.

During his tenure at the U of A, Sekaquaptewa has published dozens of
scholarly articles and books.

?Emory Sekaquaptewa?s dedication to preserving all aspects of Hopi culture
and language, his accomplishment in the Indian law field and his work as an
educator at the U of A serve as an inspiration to all of us at the Heard,?
said Frank Goodyear Jr., the museum?s director. ?We are truly honored to
present the Spirit of the Heard Award to such a stellar figure in Native
American today.?

Sekaquaptewa has no plans to rest on his laurels, though.

His current project involves laying foundations for Hopi literacy programs
at Hopi High School and other school on the Hopi Nation. He is also
involved with the Hopi Murals Projects, funded by the Getty Foundation at
the Museum of Northern Arizona .

He still teaches the ?Hopi Language in Culture? course at the U of A, where
he also co-teaches anthropology.

And, as one might expect, Sekaquaptewa is an active member of the Hopi
community in all of its activities, both modern and traditional.

?It?s like I never left. I?ve been involved in every aspect of Hopi life,?
Sekaquaptewa said.

He points to his 1966 Chevy Impala as an example.

?I think it had nearly 300,000 (miles) when I last looked,? he said.

Like his car, Sekaquaptewa just keeps on rolling along.

The Heard has educated visitors from around the world about the art and
cultures of Native people of the Southwest since 1929. It has nearly 40,000
artifacts in its permanent collection, an education center and an
award-winning shop and bookstore and restaurant.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 29 17:58:41 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:58:41 -0700
Subject: World languages are disappearing: experts (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.105841.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

World languages are disappearing: experts

Mon Oct 29, 2007 1:30pm IST
By Jalil Hamid
http://in.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idINKLR20239520071029?sp=true

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters Life!) - Every two weeks on average, one of the 6,500
languages of the world vanishes with the death of its last elderly
speakers, taking with it a wealth of cultural knowledge, experts say.

At a recent meeting in the Malaysian capital, linguistic experts said the
United States, Canada and Australia were the worse off, with a wealth of
Asian languages also under threat.

"There is a vast treasure house of human knowledge," said Nicholas Ostler,
President of Foundation for Endangered Languages, a UK-based group.

"So when a language is lost, it's just not the words but typically it's a
kind of knowledge that came with that language."

According to a report in U.S. magazine Cultural Survival, 89 percent of the
154 tribal languages left in the United States were in imminent danger of
extinction, with more than half having only a handful of elderly speakers.

In the state of Oklahoma for example, at least 14 languages -- including
Hitchiti, Kaw, Kitsai and Peoria of the native Americans -- are no longer
spoken.

The situation is no better in many parts of Asia, despite the region's
cultural diversity. Experts said many governments were unwilling to address
the issue for the sake of national unity.

"Traditionally, large number of languages have been seen as contributing to
divisiveness to countries that are harder to govern, may be more unruly or
may be poorer," said Ostler.

"Diversity is seen as a load on the government to deal with it," he told
Reuters.

DISAPPEARING DIALECTS

In the Indian Ocean island of Andaman, the largest language there is down to
just 20 speakers. And in tiny Brunei, linguists say some minority languages
could face extinction within a generation or two, leaving behind only two
or three languages.

"All the minority languages and dialects of Brunei are endangered," said
Adrian Clyne, an English lecturer at a Brunei university. "In most cases,
they are undocumented."

In Pakistan, linguists say Siraiki, a language spoken by 40 million people
in the southwestern districts of the Punjab province, is under threat as
people turn to English and Urdu in a bid to better their social and
economic standing.

"They feel this Siraiki language has nothing to offer," said Pakistani
linguist Saiqa Imtiaz Asif. "Siraiki-speaking students face constant
dismissals, inequalities and put-downs."

"Siraikis have to learn English and Urdu to survive, to get good jobs.
Probably they will come back to their heritage but it might be too late by
then," she told Reuters.

China, which has some 235 living languages and dialects, is not immune to
language loss in the wake of the rise of Mandarin, said Picus Sizhi Ding, a
lecturer at Macau Polytechnic Institute.

As the predominant language, Mandarin has been vigorously promoted under the
current language education policy, inevitably marginalizing other languages
and dialects, he said.

There are few signs of hope, experts said. In south Australia, for example,
the Kaurna people in the Adelaide plains have been working with linguists
and musicians to reclaim Kaurna language that was considered to be extinct.

"If the new generation can be interested in a language, perhaps it doesn't
need to die after all," said Ostler of the Foundation for Endangered
Languages."

? Reuters2007All rights reserved


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 29 18:01:56 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:01:56 -0700
Subject: Learning The Lakota Language (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.110156.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Learning The Lakota Language

Video
10/28/2007
http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail6371.cfm?Id=0,62499
Sioux Falls, SD

Less than 70% of Native American students who attend South Dakota public
schools, graduate from high school. But the Sioux Falls School District is
working to turn those numbers around by introducing the Native American
culture and language into the classroom.

High school students in the Sioux Falls School District can take world
languages like Spanish or German, but a new dialect is also making it's way
into the classroom.

Native American students at Washington High school are enrolled in the
districts new Lakota Language class. Here they're learning much more than
vowels and consonants.

"What it really provides for them is appreciation of who they are and where
they come from," Lakota Language Teacher Jim Thunder Hawk.

Thunder Hawk says the students are showing a great sense of respect for the
language that's the backbone of where they come from.

"I'm excited that they did this, Sophomore Korrie Thomas said.

Thomas says she signed up for the class to learn more about her people and
herself.

"Most native kids that I know hardly know any Lakota unless they're in the
class, and I'm pretty sure if they get signed up for next semester, they'll
start learning and they'll start wanting to come back to learn some more,"
Thomas said.

With low graduation rates among native american students, the district hopes
this class will get them excited about furthering their education. Thunder
Hawk says it's a lesson not only native american students can learn from,
but all students.

"It's important for the cultures of South Dakota to get to know their
neighbors who've been here before statehood is the Lakota people," Thunder
Hawk said.

The class is open to every student in the district. It is part of a 5 year
pilot program and will be offered again next year.




Kelli Grant
? 2007 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 29 18:29:21 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:29:21 -0700
Subject: Rez Radio (fwd link)
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.112921.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Rez Radio

Arts: Loris Taylor talks about Native Americans' fight for freedom on the
media frontier.

Interviewed By Gary Moskowitz
October 25, 2007
http://www.motherjones.com/arts/qa/2007/10/rez-radio.html


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 29 18:59:42 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:59:42 -0700
Subject: Discursive Practices: The Formation of a Transnational Indigenous
 Poetics (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.115942.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>



  Discursive Practices: The Formation of a Transnational Indigenous Poetics
12-14 May 2008 / University of California, Davis  

  The conference will feature the participation of representative Native
American/indigenous writers from North, Central, and South America. Sponsored
by the Department of Native American Studies, with co-sponsorship from the
Chicana/Latina Research Center, the Hemispheric Institute on the Americas, the
Davis Humanities Institute, and the Spanish Department, with systemwide support
from the UC Humanities Research Institute at Irvine.
????????Papers are invited that consider the importance of indigenous
literatures in the Americas in relationship to cultural (re)vindication
movements within the last 40 years. The following list suggests some possible
areas for development, but proposals in any area relating to the conference
theme of indigenous literatures will be welcome: 

  * orality and literacy
  * land and literature
  * indigenous languages and literature
  * myths, traditional stories, and history
  * intertextuality and indigenous literary production
  * parallelism and indigenous poetics
  * North/South literary histories
  * memory and imagination
  * gendering voice

  Send a 150-200 word abstract to: Gloria Chac?n: gechacon at gmail.com[1] and
In?s Hern?ndez-?vila: ighernandez at ucdavis.edu[2]. Include author name,
affiliation, contact information and paper title. Deadline for submissions:
DECEMBER 1, 2007. Essays will be selected for a possible anthology. 

  Conference Organizers: In?s Hern?ndez-Avila, UC Davis; Gloria Chac?n, UC
Davis; Stefano Varese, UC Davis; Victoria Bomberry, UC Riverside.

Links:
------
[1] mailto:gechacon at gmail.com
[2] mailto:ighernandez at ucdavis.edu
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From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Mon Oct 29 19:01:30 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:01:30 -0700
Subject: The Fourth Annual Storytellers Of the Americas Conference (fwd)
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.120130.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>



  THE FOURTH ANNUAL STORYTELLERS OF THE AMERICAS CONFERENCE
Honoring The Life and Work of John C. Mohawk
28-30 March 2008 / State University of New York at Buffalo 

  The Fourth Annual Storytellers of the Americas Conference will honor the life
and work of John C. Mohawk through storytelling and through academic papers
relating to the many and varied fields in which Dr. Mohawk worked throughout
his life.
????????John Mohawk told stories. Whether in a classroom, a board
meeting, or a deposition, John Mohawk told a story to help his listeners see
the shape of the issue at hand. John Mohawk laughed at his own stories, often
at unexpected moments. His infectious laughter helped break down resistance to
the difficulty of the fact patterns he built up for his audiences. 

  * As a journalist for several decades, he told stories of contemporary
indigenous struggles that shaped public understanding of Indian country.
  * As a professor and lecturer, he easily moved through the broad flow of
world history as well as the details of modernity, helping students connect
their realities to the larger stories.
  * As a teacher, he led students to active discussions about and further
digging through history and culture not for the self-indulgent collection of
knowledge but for practical application in their own projects.
  * As a cultural spokesperson, he connected the dots between indigenous
technologies and knowledges; food, farming, and nutrition; contemporary and
historical politics; and development and resistance projects around the world.
  * As a traditional storyteller, he participated in the ceremonies of his own
people, telling the ancient stories that continue to shape worldviews.
  * As a friend, he was more likely to tell a story about a recent meal than
anything else.

  Are you a storyteller? As this is a Storytellers Conference, we invite you to
tell stories. Stories will be told in a special session, wrapping up the
conference, on Sunday, March 30, 2008. 

  Are you a scholar? We also seek proposals for academic papers related to John
Mohawk, his life, and work. Panels include but are not limited to: 

  * Iroquois White Corn Project, including issues of slow food, contemporary
cuisine, farming, and native nutrition.
  * Indigenous Stories within their own culture, including creation stories,
ceremonies, and histories.
  * Environmental concerns, including historical climate change, contemporary
global warming, the effects on indigenous peoples, and survival advice offered
by indigenous prophecies.
  * Indigenous History, including government, law, resistance, land rights, and
development.
  * Modernity and the West, including the European projects of white supremacy,
colonization, and domination by the sword, by the pen, and by any means
available.

 The deadline for submission is 1 NOVEMBER 1 2007. Presenters will be notified
by January 20, 2008. Send a one-page proposal of no more than 250 words for a
15-20 minute presentation to: Storytellers of Americas Conference Organizing
Committee c/o Nikki Dragone (n_dragone at yahoo.com[1]), Amber Adams
(ambermeadowadams at verizon.net[2]), and Ula Piasta (ulapiasta at yahoo.com[3]).

Links:
------
[1] mailto:n_dragone at yahoo.com
[2] mailto:ambermeadowadams at verizon.net
[3] mailto:ulapiasta at yahoo.com
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From jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU  Mon Oct 29 22:41:53 2007
From: jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU (Joan Gross)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 15:41:53 -0700
Subject: Rez Radio (fwd link)
In-Reply-To: <20071029112921.8qs6ugo800swgoc0@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <MON.29.OCT.2007.154153.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Juan,
Here's a nice article if you ever decide to resurrect your media initiative.

Joan


On 10/29/07 11:29 AM, "phil cash cash" <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:

> Rez Radio
> 
> Arts: Loris Taylor talks about Native Americans' fight for freedom on the
> media frontier.
> 
> Interviewed By Gary Moskowitz
> October 25, 2007
> http://www.motherjones.com/arts/qa/2007/10/rez-radio.html


From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM  Tue Oct 30 02:42:41 2007
From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:12:41 +0930
Subject: Yolngu video
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.121241.0930.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi everyone,
My adopted family here at Milingimbi recently put a fusion Greek/Yolngu (NE
Arnhem Land, Australia) video on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MucVWo-Pw I haven't seen it because YouTube
is blocked by the Milingimbi School (where I have email access) but I'm told
it's quite something!
Enjoy!
Claire
(ps we're making videos here to put up on Youtube too of more traditional
Yolngu dancing.)
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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 15:30:13 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:30:13 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<20071027190959.8B092B24B7@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.083013.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
list. 

Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc. 
Thank you,

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill


From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 15:42:22 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:42:22 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: A<20071027012827.5EADFB249D@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.084222.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

This is, on my experience, not the way things work. I have worked with
and organized the Southwest Oregon Research Project Collection at the
University of Oregon. Over the course of three field research gathering
trips, we have gathered close to 200,000 pages of information. Most of
this information has been freely given to 17 tribes in and around
Oregon. The collection now creates the backbone for research on native
languages throughout Oregon and now that the linguistic departments are
beginning to produce native linguists, they can go back to this
collection and access their language from over 100 years before. This is
occurring in various ways. The main problem is lack of archive-ally
train staff at tribes. The tribes are just in the past 10-5 year begun
forming their tribal archives. 

The main issues are economics. In a perfect world we could seamlessly
collect data from archives and immediately analyze it. But most of us do
not live in that world. It takes lots of money, time, and planning to
collection archival materials, then lots more money, time, and planning
to analyze it and use it in tribal communities. I can not see how you
can place absolutes on how data is collected. Yes collection from living
speaking may be more important, but so is beginning the archival
collection because it will take about 5-10 years for that archive to be
functional in the perfect world. And today, with data collection going
digital, there are other problems of longevity of records, more time for
scanning, etc.  which should not take precedence over the actual
physical collection of and organization of paper collection which still
have a longer shelf life than digital collections. 


David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 6:28 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] legacy materials

Dan Harvey wrote:
>I disagree that analysis be done later...

I agree that analysis cannot be separated from data collection.
When I said that analysis of legacy materials can be done later,
I was referring only to circumstances in which live data is
available, the point being not only that we will end up with
more data in toto but that an interaction between data gathering
and analysis is only possible when working with living speakers.
When I said that the analysis can be done later, I meant only
that since the legacy data is already "dead", someone in the future
can do as good a job of studying it as I can, whereas I can do
better working with living speakers than someone in the future will
be able to for the simple reason that there probably won't be any
in the future.

The idea that one can simply gather an unanalyzed corpus
and store it away, which some people are promoting, is
I think quite fallacious.  It encourages people to bypass
the interactive data gathering and analysis that is likely
to produce the greatest insight, and all too often it seems to
be associated with projects that expend an awful lot of time and
money to obtain a very small amount of data.

Bill


From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM  Tue Oct 30 15:47:20 2007
From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:47:20 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539EF19@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.084720.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thanks for this, David..

Phil and I have had this discussion often and the term "community
intellectuals' sometimes surfaces --

While I realize your list will focus on currently practicing folks, I would
like to acknowledge someone who passed away a few years ago but whose
knowledge and contribution still are valuable to the Mohave language
community: Leona Little.
Leona was an elder I worked with for some time and was the first - perhaps
only- person to develop full literacy in Mohave and began, of her own
intiative, to do full translations and transcriptions of traditional
stories. There are others currently working in this direction and following
her example (including two of her daughters who are just recently getting
really interested in working with their heritage language).

Please add Amelia Flores  (Mohave, enrolled at Colorado River Indian Tribes
where she is the tribal librarian and archivist)to your list. Amelia is
finishing her MA in Native American languages at the U of Arizona and is
developing a community-friendly grammar of Mohave as part of her work. As
well, she is teaching classes in Mohave and developing a carefully staged
curriculum for the language. Seems like she might bridge the criteria for
both lists!

Best,
Susan


On 10/30/07, David Lewis <David.Lewis at grandronde.org> wrote:
>
> I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
> list.
>
> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
> Thank you,
>
> David G. Lewis
> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
>
> Office 503.879.1634
> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>
> >I just came across another native linguist!
> >
> >Dale Old Horn (Crow)
> >1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
> >M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>
> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
> people already on the list) please let me know.
>
> Bill
>



-- 
____________________________________________________________
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research)
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."

                                                          Wade Davis...(on a
Starbucks cup...)
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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 15:54:44 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:54:44 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<39a679e20710300847y7b1443f7xa06881eda4cfaaac@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.085444.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thanks, They are added. 

 

David G. Lewis

Manager, Cultural Resources Department

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634

David.Lewis at grandronde.org <mailto:David.Lewis at grandronde.org> 

________________________________

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Susan Penfield
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:47 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

 

Thanks for this, David..

 

Phil and I have had this discussion often and the term "community
intellectuals' sometimes surfaces --

 

While I realize your list will focus on currently practicing folks, I
would like to acknowledge someone who passed away a few years ago but
whose knowledge and contribution still are valuable to the Mohave
language community: Leona Little. 

Leona was an elder I worked with for some time and was the first -
perhaps only- person to develop full literacy in Mohave and began, of
her own intiative, to do full translations and transcriptions of
traditional stories. There are others currently working in this
direction and following her example (including two of her daughters who
are just recently getting really interested in working with their
heritage language). 

 

Please add Amelia Flores  (Mohave, enrolled at Colorado River Indian
Tribes where she is the tribal librarian and archivist)to your list.
Amelia is finishing her MA in Native American languages at the U of
Arizona and is developing a community-friendly grammar of Mohave as part
of her work. As well, she is teaching classes in Mohave and developing a
carefully staged curriculum for the language. Seems like she might
bridge the criteria for both lists! 

 

Best,

Susan

 

On 10/30/07, David Lewis <David.Lewis at grandronde.org> wrote: 

I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In 
native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it 
possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
list.

Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within 
their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work

on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
Thank you,

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill




-- 
____________________________________________________________
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture,
Language and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)   
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research) 
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of
thought, an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities." 
           
                                                          Wade
Davis...(on a Starbucks cup...) 

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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 16:10:21 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:10:21 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539EF19@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.091021.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Also, please think about native linguists of the past that made
significant contributions. I will be adding such people as John Hudson
Jr. and William Hartless from Grand Ronde. But I know that many tribes
have had culture bearers that have served to link the generations
through language. 

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of David Lewis
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:30 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
list. 

Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc. 
Thank you,

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill


From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 16:17:57 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:17:57 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<20071027190959.8B092B24B7@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.091757.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Please add Gordon Bettles, Klamath Tribes, University of Oregon, Masters
in independent program linguistics, international studies, anthropology,
working on Klamath language

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill


From bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM  Tue Oct 30 16:24:28 2007
From: bischoff.st at GMAIL.COM (s.t. bischoff)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:24:28 -0400
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539EF22@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.122428.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Lawrence G Nicodemus of the Coeur d'Alene tribe was an important figure in
Salishan linguistics. He created the current community orthography, wrote a
Coeur d'Alene / English dictionary and English / Coeur d'Alene dictionary.
He also worked with most, if not all, the linguists of the 20th Century that
worked on Coeur d'Alene. His mother Dorothy Nicodemus, along with Tom
Miyal,  was one of the primary informants for Gladys Reichard. Lawrence
passed away a few years ago. I believe Lawrence was the subject of Raymond
Brinkman's U of Chicago PhD dissertation.

On 10/30/07, David Lewis <David.Lewis at grandronde.org> wrote:
>
> Also, please think about native linguists of the past that made
> significant contributions. I will be adding such people as John Hudson
> Jr. and William Hartless from Grand Ronde. But I know that many tribes
> have had culture bearers that have served to link the generations
> through language.
>
> David G. Lewis
> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
> Office 503.879.1634
> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of David Lewis
> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:30 AM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>
> I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
> list.
>
> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
> Thank you,
>
> David G. Lewis
> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
>
> Office 503.879.1634
> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>
> >I just came across another native linguist!
> >
> >Dale Old Horn (Crow)
> >1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
> >M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>
> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
> people already on the list) please let me know.
>
> Bill
>
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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Tue Oct 30 16:35:28 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:35:28 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<1c1f75a20710300924q2412336cm8b747e70503b69c1@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.093528.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Got it thanks.

 

David G. Lewis

Manager, Cultural Resources Department

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634

David.Lewis at grandronde.org <mailto:David.Lewis at grandronde.org> 

________________________________

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of s.t. bischoff
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 9:24 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

 

Lawrence G Nicodemus of the Coeur d'Alene tribe was an important figure
in Salishan linguistics. He created the current community orthography,
wrote a Coeur d'Alene / English dictionary and English / Coeur d'Alene
dictionary. He also worked with most, if not all, the linguists of the
20th Century that worked on Coeur d'Alene. His mother Dorothy Nicodemus,
along with Tom Miyal,  was one of the primary informants for Gladys
Reichard. Lawrence passed away a few years ago. I believe Lawrence was
the subject of Raymond Brinkman's U of Chicago PhD dissertation. 

On 10/30/07, David Lewis <David.Lewis at grandronde.org> wrote:

Also, please think about native linguists of the past that made
significant contributions. I will be adding such people as John Hudson
Jr. and William Hartless from Grand Ronde. But I know that many tribes
have had culture bearers that have served to link the generations 
through language.

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org 

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of David Lewis
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:30 AM 
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In 
native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it 
possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
list.

Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within 
their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work

on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
Thank you,

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde

Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
[mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

>I just came across another native linguist!
> 
>Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
people already on the list) please let me know.

Bill

 

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From pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET  Tue Oct 30 17:48:50 2007
From: pasxapu at DAKOTACOM.NET (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:48:50 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <39a679e20710300847y7b1443f7xa06881eda4cfaaac@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.104850.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

David and Susan, everybody,

Just a quick note.  The Languages volume of the HBNA (Handbook of  
North American Indians, Vol 17, Languages) acknowledges the  
contributions of the native communities to modern linguistic  
research.  These individuals are identified as "native speaker  
researchers" (pp 56).  As Susan mentioned, we have used the term  
"community intellectual" at various times in acknowledging these  
people in our AILDI (American Indian Language Development Inst)  
courses.  In my UofA M.A thesis of 2000, I have used the term  
"speaker scholar" and speaker scholar research to describe the work  
of one such individual.  So everybody should feel free to take a look  
at the listing from the HBNA-Languages vol. pages 57-58.  There you  
(all) will find a diverse listing of community scholars/researchers  
who made important contributions to modern native language research  
and revitalization.  I am certain there are more but at the moment  
many go unrecognized.  Thanks David.

Phil



On Oct 30, 2007, at 8:47 AM, Susan Penfield wrote:

> Thanks for this, David..
>
> Phil and I have had this discussion often and the term "community  
> intellectuals' sometimes surfaces --
>
> While I realize your list will focus on currently practicing folks,  
> I would like to acknowledge someone who passed away a few years ago  
> but whose knowledge and contribution still are valuable to the  
> Mohave language community: Leona Little.
> Leona was an elder I worked with for some time and was the first -  
> perhaps only- person to develop full literacy in Mohave and began,  
> of her own intiative, to do full translations and transcriptions of  
> traditional stories. There are others currently working in this  
> direction and following her example (including two of her daughters  
> who are just recently getting really interested in working with  
> their heritage language).
>
> Please add Amelia Flores  (Mohave, enrolled at Colorado River  
> Indian Tribes where she is the tribal librarian and archivist)to  
> your list. Amelia is finishing her MA in Native American languages  
> at the U of Arizona and is developing a community-friendly grammar  
> of Mohave as part of her work. As well, she is teaching classes in  
> Mohave and developing a carefully staged curriculum for the  
> language. Seems like she might bridge the criteria for both lists!
>
> Best,
> Susan
>
>
> On 10/30/07, David Lewis <David.Lewis at grandronde.org> wrote: I feel  
> that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the  
> true
> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
> list.
>
> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a  
> leader.
> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the  
> work
> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
> Thank you,
>
> David G. Lewis
> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
>
> Office 503.879.1634
> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>
> >I just came across another native linguist!
> >
> >Dale Old Horn (Crow)
> >1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
> >M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>
> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
> people already on the list) please let me know.
>
> Bill
>
>
>
> -- 
> ____________________________________________________________
> Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.
>
> Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture,  
> Language and Literacy (CERCLL)
> Department of English (Primary)
> American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)
> Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
> Department of Language,Reading and Culture
> Department of Linguistics
> The Southwest Center (Research)
> Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836
>
>
> "Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of  
> thought, an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities."
>
>                                                           Wade  
> Davis...(on a Starbucks cup...)


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 30 18:18:38 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:18:38 -0700
Subject: Global computer links 'are putting Gaelic culture at risk' (fwd)
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.111838.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Global computer links 'are putting Gaelic culture at risk'

Tuesday, 30th October 2007
JOHN ROSS (jross at scotsman.com)
http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=1727512007

THE advance of computer technology linking the most remote communities in
Scotland to the rest of the world could be eroding Gaelic culture, it was
claimed yesterday.

The likes of broadband is helping remove what has been called the "tyranny
of geography" and allowed some jobs previously done in cities to be
relocated to rural parts - including a Westminster Council call centre now
operating from Dingwall.

However, Scottish ministers have been warned that expanding the global
village could be harming communities due to its effect on cultural
identity.

Matthew MacIver, the chairman of Bord na Gaidhlig, the Gaelic development
agency, told the Highlands and Islands Convention meeting in Fort William
there was a risk of young people being seduced by the "blandness of the
global culture", and that the growing use of universal language could have
a negative effect on peoples' use of Gaelic.

He said: "I accept that broadband and the whole advance in technology is
important. But I'm worried that we could create an environment where we
isolate individuals, and that is a threat to community life. In the Gaelic
world, it is seriously important that we bring communities together to talk
their own language and take a pride in it.

"There is a danger of creating another environment where we have a
globalised culture. It's very important that, as the world grows smaller
and we create a global village, we do not lose sight of the fact we have
indigenous cultures, languages and histories that are important to us."

But Alex Salmond, the First Minister, insisted technology offered
opportunities for local cultures. "People have different views on
universality of culture, but I take the view that this provides the
opportunity for local cultures to project themselves on an international
stage, as it provides the opportunity for companies to conduct their
business on a worldwide stage."

He said there was 99 per cent broadband connectivity in Scotland, and a new
scheme aimed to give access to the other 1 per cent, largely in the
Highlands and Islands. "

Access to broadband is one of the key things that is promoting the rural and
remoter areas as the outstanding location of Scotland," Mr Salmond said.

Earlier, Willy Roe, chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, said the
government needed to help ensure technology reached remote areas at the
same time, or even quicker, than urban centres.

He said: "The traditional practice has been that these things start in the
cities and ultimately, slowly, over years, reach rural and island areas.

If we are serious about giving the edge to the Highlands and Islands, then
why doesn't it start here?"


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 30 18:23:50 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:23:50 -0700
Subject: The Zuni Way (fwd link)
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.112350.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

The Zuni Way

Though they embrace computers and TV, the secret of the tribe's unity lies
in fealty to their past

By Virginia Morell
Photographs by Scott S. Warren
Smithsonian magazine, April 2007

To access article, follow the link below:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people-places/10024191.html


From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU  Tue Oct 30 19:42:16 2007
From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:42:16 -0700
Subject: Yolngu video
In-Reply-To: <7f53d06c0710291942g3daf55c7h52ac4788a17fdd6b@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <TUE.30.OCT.2007.124216.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Deadly...while viewing this, I also noticed "Yolngu Radio" in the listing and
that too is pretty cool...most all in the aboriginal language.
Phil
Quoting Claire Bowern :

> Hi everyone,
> My adopted family here at Milingimbi recently put a fusion Greek/Yolngu (NE
> Arnhem Land, Australia) video on YouTube.
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MucVWo-Pw I haven't seen it because YouTube
> is blocked by the Milingimbi School (where I have email access) but I'm told
> it's quite something!
> Enjoy!
> Claire
> (ps we're making videos here to put up on Youtube too of more traditional
> Yolngu dancing.)


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From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM  Wed Oct 31 00:54:42 2007
From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:24:42 +0930
Subject: Yolngu video
In-Reply-To: <20071030124216.1ziuij7mscgkwk4k@www.email.arizona.edu>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.102442.0930.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

It's ironic - I can't get Yolngu radio here either! The station broadcasts
at Ramingining, just across the river, so if I sit at the barge ramp with
the wind in the right direction I can sometimes hear it, but not usually,
and not from my house. This is the sort of thing that I was really hoping
the 'intervention' would change (like repeater stations for community
radio), but instead it's been an exercise in destroying trust and attempted
assimilation.
Claire



On 31/10/2007, phil cash cash <cashcash at email.arizona.edu> wrote:
>
> Deadly...while viewing this, I also noticed "Yolngu Radio" in the listing
> and that too is pretty cool...most all in the aboriginal language.
>
> Phil
>
> Quoting Claire Bowern <anggarrgoon at gmail.com>:
>
> > Hi everyone,
> > My adopted family here at Milingimbi recently put a fusion Greek/Yolngu
> (NE
> > Arnhem Land, Australia) video on YouTube.
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-MucVWo-Pw I haven't seen it because
> YouTube
> > is blocked by the Milingimbi School (where I have email access) but I'm
> told
> > it's quite something!
> > Enjoy!
> > Claire
> > (ps we're making videos here to put up on Youtube too of more
> traditional
> > Yolngu dancing.)
>
>
> <https://www.email.arizona.edu/horde/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DO-MucVWo-Pw>
>
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From jieikobu at HOTMAIL.COM  Wed Oct 31 07:26:20 2007
From: jieikobu at HOTMAIL.COM (Derksen Jacob)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 07:26:20 +0000
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539EF19@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.072620.0000.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>


Thanks for putting this forth. 
I constantly rail at the idea of university's so-called formal education being somehow superior to lived experience. The idea of a "formal education" is a social construct and an extremely class-based - and culturally biased! - one  at that. (Don't get me wrong, though; some of my best friends have PhD's...) 
That said, I wonder if Earl Claxton, Sr., John Elliott and his late father, David Elliott (Sencoten), and Dr. Burt McKay (Nisga'a) are on the list. 
Best,
Jacob
 
 
> Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 08:30:13 -0700> From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU> > I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that> list. > > Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work> on and where they work, what tribe they are a me
 mber of, etc. > Thank you,> > David G. Lewis> Manager, Cultural Resources Department> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde> > Office 503.879.1634> David.Lewis at grandronde.org> -----Original Message-----> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists> > >I just came across another native linguist!> > > >Dale Old Horn (Crow)> >1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language> >M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology> > Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on> people already on the list) please let me know.> > Bill
_________________________________________________________________
MSN???????EMI Artists?????????????? SCHOOL OF SCHOOL
http://music.jp.msn.com/
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From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET  Wed Oct 31 15:16:18 2007
From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:16:18 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <BLU116-W39C0C639093DD29B38DA29D3930@phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.081618.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Kweh folks
there are many of us doing what we can, in our native communities
and of course appreciate some recognition and encouragement
but, speaking for myself ,
I don't know if it's necessary to make another list!
hey, social anthropologists:
where did all this list making come from?
haha!

Richard Zane Smith
(S?hahiy?h, of the bear clan)
Wyandotte Oklahoma


On 10/31/07 12:26 AM, "Derksen Jacob" <jieikobu at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

> Thanks for putting this forth.
> I constantly rail at the idea of university's so-called formal education being
> somehow superior to lived experience. The idea of a "formal education" is a
> social construct and an extremely class-based - and culturally biased! - one
> at that. (Don't get me wrong, though; some of my best friends have PhD's...)
> That said, I wonder if Earl Claxton, Sr., John Elliott and his late father,
> David Elliott (Sencoten), and Dr. Burt McKay (Nisga'a) are on the list.
> Best,
> Jacob
>  
>  

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From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US  Wed Oct 31 14:12:06 2007
From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 08:12:06 -0600
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <39a679e20710281256k2a34e5acm3843589f8e16a93c@mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.081206.0600.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi, People, 

 

The unavailability of funding for revitalization is easily observable, but I
think Natasha was overly kind in her assessment of the reasoning. 

Historically, there has been a movement in the US to eradicate American
languages, replacing them with the Lingua Franca. I think that the funding
categories support this bias. I think that by documenting languages, we make
them available for scholars, thus increasing the total knowledge available
for non-Indigenous people. We also snap-shot them as anthropological
artifacts, ensuring that they do not change as they would if they were
alive. So the funding sources are doing their job of increasing knowledge,
and also following their social and anthropological mandates for
assimilation. 

 

It is impossible for me to believe that funding sources could be so cruel in
their allocations, depriving human beings of their last opportunity to save
and re-establish vestiges of their linguistic, social and cultural identity
unless the mid-19th century Eureka! that "White Man is G_d's supreme
creation" were not alive and well and living in the hearts of many. 

 

Mia 

 

  _____  

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Susan Penfield
Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 1:56 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] legacy materials

 

All,

Natasha makes some great points here -- among them is the fact that there is
a real

disconnect between communities who want and need linguists and linguists who
want

to work at the community level, but are often frustrated by the powers that
be at the institution they

work for. 

 

More education is needed at the community level about what / who

can best serve their needs --understanding the difference between
theoretical linguists, descriptive 

linguists, field linguists (who wear many hats) and applied linguists.
Further, how to find a linguist

who is familar with the language, or related languages -- and how to get a
good reference for a good linguist. 

 

And, there needs to be more general support for revitalization activities
among funding agencies and institutions

alike. We all understand, I think, that documentation activities are more
well defined and exacting -- more easy

to report on and quantify. However, communities are crying out for more
support of revitalization -- both those with

'dormant' languages, those with still active languages. They need support
for teachers, materials development, 

money to hire the appropriate linguist, etc...and this type of funding is
hard to come by in the amounts usually

needed. Wish I had a solution; all I can do is offer this observation: Seems
like, with more documentation projects

under way these days, that agencies should logically follow with funds to
help spin this work into materials for

revitalization....perhaps wishful thinking on my part...

 

 

Susan

 

On 10/28/07, Natasha L Warner <nwarner at u.arizona.edu> wrote: 

Hi,

I've been out of town and am just now picking up on this interesting
discussion about analysis of existing (archival) data vs. new data 
collection.

I agree with the things Bill said _if_ the language still has fluent
speakers, which is the situation he was addressing.  (I especially
agree about all the problems with archival data itself that he listed, 
since I work with it!)  However, if we look at the bigger picture of
archival data vs./and new data collection across languages, there is
another issue.  I work on revitalization of a dormant California language, 
Mutsun, through archival data.  There hasn't been a fluent speaker since
1930, but the community has been working on revitalization since 1996, and
is making good but slow progress.

For Mutusn, we desparately needed funding in order to enter thousands of 
pages of Harrington microfilm data into a database and analyze it, in
order to make a good dictionary and teaching materials.  We've been told
by various funding agencies that they won't fund revitalization, they'll 
only fund new data collection from living speakers.  I see a couple of
reasons for this:  1) the idea that you have to get the data from living
speakers while they're alive, so that's a higher priority, whereas 
existing archival data won't change, and 2) the emphasis of the field of
linguistics on getting data to answer theoretical questions, more than to
help the community increase use of their language. (Analysis of archival 
data might be funded for theoretical purposes, but not to run community
language-learning workshops or to write a textbook.)

I understand the motivation on point 1 (higher priority if speakers are
elderly), but work on archival data can't just be done later, either. 
The reason is that the community, right now, has motivation, people who
have gained skills to work on language, and just plain momentum.  It's
cruel to tell them "Sorry, you're low priority because your language is 
already dead [we say "dormant"]), please come back in 20-30 years, because
then maybe everybody else's language will be in as bad a shape as yours,
and we can afford to give you the money then."  I completely understand 
that resouces for both documentation and revitalization are very, very
limited, and one has to make choices.  However, from the position of
applying for grants to get the data out of Harrington into usable form, 
being told that the language is dead and therefore unfundable has been
extremely frustrating.

As for the second point above, about collecting data for linguistic theory
vs. collecting or analyzing data for the community's benefit, I really do 
believe that one gets both benefits (data for theory and for community
use) out of analyzing a large set of archival materials, if there isn't
any source of new data available for the language.  But many granting 
agencies just have "documentation"  as the scope of their funding mission.
I also understand that granting agencies define what they're interested in
funding, and of course they have every right to do so.  Again, it's just 
frustrating.

By the way, we did eventually get funding to analyze the Harrington data:
from the NEH's Preservation and Access program, which tries to make
materials of cultural or historical importance more accessible.  Putting 
handwritten microfilmed unanalyzed field data into a database makes it
accessible.  The grant program isn't specific to language at all.

So my overall point is that in addition to considering priorities within 
one language, we should also look at how resources and energy get
allocated across languages.  The archival analysis vs. new data decision
is different if we look across languages, unless we're willing to tell all 
the dormant language communities to just forget about it and stop trying.

Oh, one more thing:  Bill, you mention there being no shortage of
linguists willing to work on archival data analysis.  I agree that there 
are probably more out there who would be interested in taking projects on,
but given that revitalization work frequently is not valued by one's
department and not counted as linguistic work toward tenure, and that many 
tribes can't afford to just hire themselves a full-time linguist, I'm not
so sure there are so many who really would like to take on the full scope
of a revitalization project.  If one follows it through, from digging up 
the old sources through creating a database, producing a dictionary,
writing a textbook and other materials, collaborating with the community
(if one isn't community oneself) on all parts of the work, getting 
funding, and figuring out with the community how to get fluency and spread
fluency through the community, it's a lifetime project.  I don't know many
linguists who are so interested in taking on a language to do this, while 
trying to maintain the part of their careers they get hired by a
department for as well.  I do think there are lots more who would like to
help out with parts of the work, though.

Thanks,

Natasha

****************************************************************************
***
Natasha Warner
Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics
University of Arizona
PO Box 210028
Tucson, AZ 85721-0028
U.S.A.

Until August 2008:
Visiting Researcher
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics
PO Box 310
6500 AH Nijmegen
the Netherlands




-- 
____________________________________________________________ 
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Associate Director, Center for Educational Resources in Culture, Language
and Literacy (CERCLL)
Department of English (Primary)   
American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI) 
Second Language Acquisition & Teaching Ph.D. Program (SLAT)
Department of Language,Reading and Culture
Department of Linguistics
The Southwest Center (Research)
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836


"Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought,
an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities." 
           
                                                          Wade Davis...(on a
Starbucks cup...) 

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From hsouter at GMAIL.COM  Wed Oct 31 15:34:59 2007
From: hsouter at GMAIL.COM (Heather Souter)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:34:59 -0500
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <C34DEA52.3399%rzs@wildblue.net>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.103459.0500.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Taanshi all,

Although there is not a real *need* for any lists, I am glad that both
of them have been created.  It is great to see the number of Native
people who have gotten training that allows them to bring the force of
their heritage to work in doing linguistic research.  The paradigms
need to change and having people who speak the language of academia
working on their own and other Native languages is an important step.
The more Native PhDs, the greater the chance that Native people will
get into positions of power in academia and be in positions of power
to initiate change and empower other Native researchers of ALL kinds.
It is good to have a list to know where one might find a possible ally
when thinking of going to graduate school.

At the same time, speaker scholars or community intellectuals are
doing work that has the potential to produce change within the
community in a very direct and timely manner.  The potential for
greater inclusiveness is there which is so important.  These people
are so important to the survival of our languages and are with out
question deserving of respect!  It is wonderful to see the names of
some these "unsung heroes" on list so they can be honored more
broadly.

Anyhow, that is all I have to say.  Eekushi.
Heather Souter,
Graduate Student (on leave) and Community Intellectual (?!)
Michif Language
Camperville, MB
Canada

On 10/31/07, Richard Smith <rzs at wildblue.net> wrote:
>
> Kweh folks
>  there are many of us doing what we can, in our native communities
>  and of course appreciate some recognition and encouragement
>  but, speaking for myself ,
>  I don't know if it's necessary to make another list!
>  hey, social anthropologists:
>  where did all this list making come from?
>  haha!
>
>  Richard Zane Smith
>  (S?hahiy?h, of the bear clan)
>  Wyandotte Oklahoma
>
>
>  On 10/31/07 12:26 AM, "Derksen Jacob" <jieikobu at HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks for putting this forth.
>  I constantly rail at the idea of university's so-called formal education
> being somehow superior to lived experience. The idea of a "formal education"
> is a social construct and an extremely class-based - and culturally biased!
> - one  at that. (Don't get me wrong, though; some of my best friends have
> PhD's...)
>  That said, I wonder if Earl Claxton, Sr., John Elliott and his late father,
> David Elliott (Sencoten), and Dr. Burt McKay (Nisga'a) are on the list.
>  Best,
>  Jacob
>
>
>


From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US  Wed Oct 31 15:50:25 2007
From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:50:25 -0600
Subject: Info for Revitalizationists
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.095025.0600.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Hi, Folks, 

 

This article came in today, serendipity being what it is. It strongly
implies that if we want to be successful in our efforts to save and teach
languages, we need to have the sound occurring simultaneously with the
graphical information. I use both images and text, but some people
separately present images and text. What this article is saying is that
simultaneous presentation of sound will produce a better result :-) 

 

Mia 

 

 

  _____  

From: MindBrain at yahoogroups.com [mailto:MindBrain at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Robert Karl Stonjek
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:57 PM
To: Mind and Brain; Cognitive NeuroScience
Subject: [Mind and Brain] Article: Sight, Sound Processed Together and
Earlier than Previously Thought

 

Sight, Sound Processed Together and Earlier than Previously Thought 


The area of the brain that processes sounds entering the ears also appears
to process stimulus entering the eyes, providing a novel explanation for why
many viewers believe that ventriloquists have thrown their voices to the
mouths of their dummies.


More generally, these findings from Duke University Medical Center offer new
insights into how the brain takes in and assembles a multitude of stimuli
from the outside world. By studying monkeys, the researchers found that
auditory and visual information is processed together before the combined
signals make it to the brain's cortex, the analytical portion of the brain
that assembles the stimuli from all the senses into coherent thoughts. 

"The prevailing wisdom among brain scientists has been that each of the five
senses - sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste - is governed by its own
corresponding region of the brain," said Jennifer Groh, Ph.D., a
neurobiologist in Duke's Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. "The view has
been that each of these areas processes the information separately and sends
that information to the cortex, which puts it all together at the end. 

"Now, we are beginning to appreciate that it's not that simple," Groh
continued. "Our results show that there are interactions between the sensory
pathways that occur very early in the process, which implies that the
integration of the different senses may be a more primitive process and one
not requiring high-level brain functioning." 

The results of Groh's experiments were published early online in the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

Groh has a particular interest in a tiny round structure in the brain known
as the inferior colliculus. This structure, less than a half-inch in
diameter, is located in the most primitive area of the brain. It is one of
several early stops in the brain for signals leaving the ear, headed for the
cortex. 

"In our experiments, we found that this structure, which had been assumed to
mainly process auditory information, actually responds to visual information
as well," Groh explained. "In fact, about 64 percent of the neurons in the
inferior colliculus can carry visual as well as auditory signals. This means
that visual and auditory information gets combined quite early, and before
the 'thinking part' of the brain can make sense of it." 

That is why ventriloquism seems to work, she said. The association between
the voice and the moving mouth of the dummy is made before the viewer
consciously thinks about it. The same process may also explain why the words
being spoken by a talking head on television appear to be coming out of the
mouth, even though the television speakers are located to the side of the
set. 

"The eyes see the lips moving and the ears hear the sound and the brain
immediately jumps to the conclusion about the origin of the voice," Groh
said. 

Groh said that it makes logical sense for hearing and vision to have some
level of integration in the monkeys she studied, and in humans. 

"We generally live in similar ecological niches; we are active during the
day and tend to communicate vocally," she said. "The inferior colliculus is
similar in both species, and with the advent of new imaging technology, like
functional MRI, which can visualize brain regions in real time. We should be
able to correlate what we're seeing in animal models with what happens in
humans." 

Groh and her team are now conducting experiments to determine whether or not
one of the senses influences how the other is perceived. 

Source: Duke University

http://www.physorg. <http://www.physorg.com/news112982731.html>
com/news112982731.html

 

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

__._,_.___ 

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From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET  Wed Oct 31 18:52:30 2007
From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:52:30 -0700
Subject: Info for Revitalizationists
In-Reply-To: <000701c81bd5$c2863b20$983f14ac@LFPMIA>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.115230.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

 this is interesting Mia,
 it's no wonder that little ones learn so much easier ...watching,
when i'm moving all around the room and acting out the lessons.

Music can play another part as an aide to learning.
Which of us didn't learn our alphabet by singing it?      "-L -a minnow ?P-"
I admit it i have no training or fancy theories - i teach the way i learn
best,
and singing sentences helps anchor them into my mind...even the morphology.
and somehow helps in the actual retrieval from my messy memory
"files/piles".

Useable Memory seems to require a useful retrieval system,
and this is what i look for in teaching Wyandot language to kiddos here.
A Cayuga elder and teacher once warned me that "summer vacation"
was the worst problem for kids learning a new language at school.
that scared me a little....
But I find if i express my fears openly to the class:
"I had a nightmare! OH!  It was terrible! (now i have their attention)
I dreamed you guys forgot everything i taught you! it was terrible..."
and then I take out my waterdrum and start with one of their old songs
ahhhh! it starts coming back...they remember!...and they also love to
please!

A complicated Navajo tongue twister is easier for me to remember/retrieve
than a colorless set of numbers or someone's non descriptive name
all of which seem to be tossed in the non-retrievable pile.
It seems important to me to think like a child to teach a child
(uhhh...not too hard for me)
We are not only teaching children NEW material,
but we must help them attach the best "strings" for retrieval.

Richard Zane Smith
Wyandotte Oklahoma


On 10/31/07 8:50 AM, "Mia Kalish" <MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US> wrote:

> Hi, Folks, 
>  
> This article came in today, serendipity being what it is. It strongly implies
> that if we want to be successful in our efforts to save and teach languages,
> we need to have the sound occurring simultaneously with the graphical
> information. I use both images and text, but some people separately present
> images and text. What this article is saying is that simultaneous presentation
> of sound will produce a better result J
>  
> Mia 
>  
>  
> 
> 
> From: MindBrain at yahoogroups.com [mailto:MindBrain at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
> Of Robert Karl Stonjek
> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2007 8:57 PM
> To: Mind and Brain; Cognitive NeuroScience
> Subject: [Mind and Brain] Article: Sight, Sound Processed Together and Earlier
> than Previously Thought
>  
> 
> Sight, Sound Processed Together and Earlier than Previously Thought
> 
> 
> The area of the brain that processes sounds entering the ears also appears to
> process stimulus entering the eyes, providing a novel explanation for why many
> viewers believe that ventriloquists have thrown their voices to the mouths of
> their dummies.
> 
> 
> More generally, these findings from Duke University Medical Center offer new
> insights into how the brain takes in and assembles a multitude of stimuli from
> the outside world. By studying monkeys, the researchers found that auditory
> and visual information is processed together before the combined signals make
> it to the brain's cortex, the analytical portion of the brain that assembles
> the stimuli from all the senses into coherent thoughts.
> 
> "The prevailing wisdom among brain scientists has been that each of the five
> senses ? sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste ? is governed by its own
> corresponding region of the brain," said Jennifer Groh, Ph.D., a
> neurobiologist in Duke's Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. "The view has been
> that each of these areas processes the information separately and sends that
> information to the cortex, which puts it all together at the end.
> 
> "Now, we are beginning to appreciate that it's not that simple," Groh
> continued. "Our results show that there are interactions between the sensory
> pathways that occur very early in the process, which implies that the
> integration of the different senses may be a more primitive process and one
> not requiring high-level brain functioning."
> 
> The results of Groh's experiments were published early online in the
> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
> 
> Groh has a particular interest in a tiny round structure in the brain known as
> the inferior colliculus. This structure, less than a half-inch in diameter, is
> located in the most primitive area of the brain. It is one of several early
> stops in the brain for signals leaving the ear, headed for the cortex.
> 
> "In our experiments, we found that this structure, which had been assumed to
> mainly process auditory information, actually responds to visual information
> as well," Groh explained. "In fact, about 64 percent of the neurons in the
> inferior colliculus can carry visual as well as auditory signals. This means
> that visual and auditory information gets combined quite early, and before the
> 'thinking part' of the brain can make sense of it."
> 
> That is why ventriloquism seems to work, she said. The association between the
> voice and the moving mouth of the dummy is made before the viewer consciously
> thinks about it. The same process may also explain why the words being spoken
> by a talking head on television appear to be coming out of the mouth, even
> though the television speakers are located to the side of the set.
> 
> "The eyes see the lips moving and the ears hear the sound and the brain
> immediately jumps to the conclusion about the origin of the voice," Groh said.
> 
> Groh said that it makes logical sense for hearing and vision to have some
> level of integration in the monkeys she studied, and in humans.
> 
> "We generally live in similar ecological niches; we are active during the day
> and tend to communicate vocally," she said. "The inferior colliculus is
> similar in both species, and with the advent of new imaging technology, like
> functional MRI, which can visualize brain regions in real time. We should be
> able to correlate what we're seeing in animal models with what happens in
> humans." 
> 
> Groh and her team are now conducting experiments to determine whether or not
> one of the senses influences how the other is perceived.
> 
> Source: Duke University
> 
> http://www.physorg.com/news112982731.html
> 
>  
> 
> Posted by
> Robert Karl Stonjek
> __._,_.___ 
> 
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From hardman at UFL.EDU  Wed Oct 31 19:43:58 2007
From: hardman at UFL.EDU (MJ Hardman)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:43:58 -0400
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <ED1092A3B17C0E4EB40F5DFFBAAA33B539EF19@EXCHG1.grandronde.org>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.154358.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thank you.

Yolanda Nieves Payano Iturrizaga, native linguist for Jaqaru (Jaqi family of
languages ( http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/).  Currently employed by the
Regional Government of Lima Provincias as Director of Bilingual Training for
teachers in service in the province of Yauyos, Peru.  She is ?egresada? from
the University of San Andr?s in La Paz, Bolvia.  That means that she has the
equivalent of a B.A., but it is NOT a degree (Bolivia does not give the
equivalent of the B.A., only the M.A.).  For that she needed to have
completed her thesis, which she did not do.  Therefore, she technically has
no degree.  But she is a linguist.

Dr. MJ Hardman
website:  http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/


On 10/30/07 11:30 AM, "David Lewis" <David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG> wrote:

> I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
> list. 
> 
> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
> Thank you,
> 
> David G. Lewis
> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
> 
> Office 503.879.1634
> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
> 
>> I just came across another native linguist!
>> 
>> Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>> 1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>> M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
> 
> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
> people already on the list) please let me know.
> 
> Bill
> 


From hardman at UFL.EDU  Wed Oct 31 19:52:32 2007
From: hardman at UFL.EDU (MJ Hardman)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:52:32 -0400
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: <C34E533E.9FCF%hardman@ufl.edu>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.155232.0400.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Addendum:  In terms of what she is doing: teaching teachers linguistics,
especially Jaqi linguistics, preparing materials, giving lectures and
presentations in public places in Lima (seeking support), interacting with
agencies that might give support.

The town of Tupe, the center of the endangered Jaqaru language, was
destroyed in the earthquake of August 15 (officially, 80% of the homes are
uninhabitable).  The school was also destroyed, which puts the language at
even more danger.  She has been working seeking help for the rebuilding.
(cf. txupi.org)

She has written one primer & prepared a lot of teaching materials.

Dr. MJ Hardman
website:  http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/


On 10/31/07 3:43 PM, "MJ Hardman" <hardman at UFL.EDU> wrote:

> Thank you.
> 
> Yolanda Nieves Payano Iturrizaga, native linguist for Jaqaru (Jaqi family of
> languages ( http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/).  Currently employed by the
> Regional Government of Lima Provincias as Director of Bilingual Training for
> teachers in service in the province of Yauyos, Peru.  She is ?egresada? from
> the University of San Andr?s in La Paz, Bolvia.  That means that she has the
> equivalent of a B.A., but it is NOT a degree (Bolivia does not give the
> equivalent of the B.A., only the M.A.).  For that she needed to have
> completed her thesis, which she did not do.  Therefore, she technically has
> no degree.  But she is a linguist.
> 
> Dr. MJ Hardman
> website:  http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/
> 
> 
> On 10/30/07 11:30 AM, "David Lewis" <David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG> wrote:
> 
>> I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
>> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
>> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
>> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
>> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
>> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
>> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
>> list. 
>> 
>> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
>> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
>> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
>> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
>> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
>> Thank you,
>> 
>> David G. Lewis
>> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
>> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
>> 
>> Office 503.879.1634
>> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
>> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
>> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
>> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>> 
>>> I just came across another native linguist!
>>> 
>>> Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>>> 1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>>> M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>> 
>> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
>> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
>> people already on the list) please let me know.
>> 
>> Bill
>> 
> 


From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Wed Oct 31 20:02:47 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 13:02:47 -0700
Subject: Native linguists
In-Reply-To: A<C34E5540.9FD4%hardman@ufl.edu>
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.130247.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

Thank you

David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Office 503.879.1634
David.Lewis at grandronde.org

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of MJ Hardman
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 12:53 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists

Addendum:  In terms of what she is doing: teaching teachers linguistics,
especially Jaqi linguistics, preparing materials, giving lectures and
presentations in public places in Lima (seeking support), interacting with
agencies that might give support.

The town of Tupe, the center of the endangered Jaqaru language, was
destroyed in the earthquake of August 15 (officially, 80% of the homes are
uninhabitable).  The school was also destroyed, which puts the language at
even more danger.  She has been working seeking help for the rebuilding.
(cf. txupi.org)

She has written one primer & prepared a lot of teaching materials.

Dr. MJ Hardman
website:  http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/


On 10/31/07 3:43 PM, "MJ Hardman" <hardman at UFL.EDU> wrote:

> Thank you.
> 
> Yolanda Nieves Payano Iturrizaga, native linguist for Jaqaru (Jaqi family of
> languages ( http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/).  Currently employed by the
> Regional Government of Lima Provincias as Director of Bilingual Training for
> teachers in service in the province of Yauyos, Peru.  She is ?egresada? from
> the University of San Andr?s in La Paz, Bolvia.  That means that she has the
> equivalent of a B.A., but it is NOT a degree (Bolivia does not give the
> equivalent of the B.A., only the M.A.).  For that she needed to have
> completed her thesis, which she did not do.  Therefore, she technically has
> no degree.  But she is a linguist.
> 
> Dr. MJ Hardman
> website:  http://grove.ufl.edu/~hardman/
> 
> 
> On 10/30/07 11:30 AM, "David Lewis" <David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG> wrote:
> 
>> I feel that the current structure of the native linguist lists ignores
>> the incredible contribution of natives without advanced degrees. In
>> native society, within the Native worldview these are for many the true
>> linguists and those who carry power within their society. I understand
>> the concept of the list but if this is about native people how is it
>> possible to ignore the native worldview. If this list will not create
>> that parallel with the higher degree holders, then I will create that
>> list. 
>> 
>> Please send me your lists of native people who are linguists within
>> their communities, they do not have to hold a degree from a university
>> but must be working with the linguistic field, and considered a leader.
>> Please also send me more information about them, what languages the work
>> on and where they work, what tribe they are a member of, etc.
>> Thank you,
>> 
>> David G. Lewis
>> Manager, Cultural Resources Department
>> Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
>> 
>> Office 503.879.1634
>> David.Lewis at grandronde.org
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Indigenous Languages and Technology
>> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser
>> Sent: Saturday, October 27, 2007 12:10 PM
>> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
>> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Native linguists
>> 
>>> I just came across another native linguist!
>>> 
>>> Dale Old Horn (Crow)
>>> 1974. Some Complement Constructions of the Crow Indian Language
>>> M.S. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
>> 
>> Got him. My current list is at: http://ydli.org/NativeLinguists.html
>> Anyone with additional information (including gaps in the info on
>> people already on the list) please let me know.
>> 
>> Bill
>> 
> 


From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM  Wed Oct 31 21:56:54 2007
From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern)
Date: Thu, 1 Nov 2007 07:26:54 +0930
Subject: legacy materials
In-Reply-To: <000001c81bc8$098772e0$983f14ac@LFPMIA>
Message-ID: <THU.1.NOV.2007.072654.0930.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

>   We also snap-shot them as anthropological artifacts, ensuring that they
> do not change as they would if they were alive.
>
Mia, I think this implies that linguists have much more power than they
really do in communities. In my experience, the languages that die after
they've been documented are the ones that have already ceased to be used as
everyday vehicles of communication in their communities. That's a community
decision (beit usually an unconscious one) and there's nothing much that a
transient outsider visitor can do about it.

Claire
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From David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG  Wed Oct 31 23:21:56 2007
From: David.Lewis at GRANDRONDE.ORG (David Lewis)
Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:21:56 -0700
Subject: legacy materials
Message-ID: <WED.31.OCT.2007.162156.0700.ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>

I would agree with Claire for most languages today, however historically, the collection of languages began occurring in the middle to late 19th century, in the beginning of what we now call linguistics, and well into the 20th century, sort of a middle period (sorry don't know the lingo in historical linguistics...) and in this time period anthropologists and others knew that native languages were disappearing, that native populations were collapsing, even though they never truly went extinct, and did nothing about the survival of these languages. There may be scattered instances of aid from these linguists but for the most part nothing was done and native languages were allowed to go extinct. But then there were many economic, social and societal factors which influenced these periods, that created the collapse of native languages and influenced native peoples to move culturally away. 

Clearly BIA policies of assimilation were a huge factor. 

And now I pose the question of what linguists could have done, back then? Did they have the wherewithall to aid tribes and preserve speakers? or would they even be accepted? I think we would have to answer this tribe by tribe according to context. But still, with all of the resources of the Smithsonian and the Bureau could not something have been done to help tribes to preserve languages. I suppose this is an exercise in "what if" and all we will come away with is that we cannot change history and what has happened was all that was possible at the time. Yet I can not let go of the nagging criticism that if the linguists/anthropologists had devoted a small percentage of their efforts to returning their time and resources to the tribes they were studying that something could have been done. Their careers where more important at that time than the preservation of the tribal languages. I am glad to see today that this situation has changed for the most part. 


David G. Lewis
Manager, Cultural Resources Department
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde




-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology on behalf of Claire Bowern
Sent: Wed 10/31/2007 2:56 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] legacy materials
 
>   We also snap-shot them as anthropological artifacts, ensuring that they
> do not change as they would if they were alive.
>
Mia, I think this implies that linguists have much more power than they
really do in communities. In my experience, the languages that die after
they've been documented are the ones that have already ceased to be used as
everyday vehicles of communication in their communities. That's a community
decision (beit usually an unconscious one) and there's nothing much that a
transient outsider visitor can do about it.

Claire

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