Native linguists

[Susan Penfield]

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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