From harveyd at SOU.EDU Tue Jan 1 18:14:06 2008 From: harveyd at SOU.EDU (Dan Harvey) Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 10:14:06 -0800 Subject: ACORNS language revitalization software release 3.1 available Message-ID: The 3.1 release of ACORNS language revitalization software is now available at http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns. This software can be freely downloaded for non commercial use. Our hope is that many tribes will find it useful as they work to revitalize their language and culture. This release corrects some bugs that came up and adds new features. The download web page also contains an alternate install procedure to avoid the security issues that come up on some systems. We've greatly improved the on-line documentation and added an ACORNS user manual in pdf format. Among the new features are: 1) Recognition of all indigenous keyboards as long as they are properly installed on your system in ttf format. 2) An easier way to create web pages out of ACORNS lessons. 3) Automatic association of files with an '.lnx' extension with the ACORNS application. 4) Ability to launch ACORNS from a command line to open selected files. 4) Improved integration with MAC systems. We plan to release version 4.0 this coming summer. It will include, among other things, a talking dictionary, with the ability to import electronic formats created by linguists. It will also include a couple of games making use of the dictionary. Please let me know of any problems you might run into. We welcome your feedback (harvey at sou.edu). With respect, dan From rtroike at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 1 19:42:24 2008 From: rtroike at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Rudy Troike) Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 12:42:24 -0700 Subject: Developing technical terminology In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Happy New Year to Y'all! And thanks to Phil for his thoughtful reflections and suggestions, which I have passed along to another couple of lists. Re Mia's comments about the difficulty of constructing new native terms for new technical/conceptual phenomena, the lessons from the field of so- called 'language planning' can be instructive. Terminology evolves or is borrowed/adapted as users make use of the language to do so -- artificial efforts, unless institutionally enforced, are unlikely to take root or have effect. Some years ago I heard of a dictionary project in Nigeria which was organized by a group of academics who were trying to "modernize" some language for dealing with the technological culture beginning to affect them. The anecdote I heard involved their invention of a number of terms for parts of an automobile -- then someone subsequently visited auto repair shops in the city and found that self-trained mechanics (my grandfather was one such) had come up with their own terms, which they were, in the course of daily give-and- take, already beginning to standardize. Sometimes this involves borrowing and indigenization, as has happened with English over the centuries, and sometimes it involves extension of native elements and linguistic resources. Borrowing has the psycholinguistic value of facilitating processing transfer from another linguistic code -- witness the international use of much scientific, technical, and conceptual terminology (only in Germany was the use of "telephone" resisted and an artificial translated form "Fernsprecher" insisted upon). Even in linguistics it is easy to spot borrowed correspondences for "syntax", "phoneme", "morphology", even "linguistics". Though linguists are loath to admit it, word-learning involves (as capturable in Object-Oriented Programming) the acquisition of whole "packages" of information/knowledge, and it takes some practice to transfer this packaged information to another language, even one's native language. When one of my students from Italy, who had studied Chomsky's Government and Binding model with me, got hold of a new book setting forth this model in Italian, he reported to me that he had difficulty reading it, since he was used to thinking about the topic in English. The early culture contact between Navajo and Spanish speakers led to the borrowing of a small number of Spanish terms, which are now simply part of the native vocabulary (and terms such as "caballo" for 'horse' diffused widely between Native languages even in the absence of direct contact, while others modified the term for 'dog' one way or another). Such "organic" adaptation can be a productive way to import technological knowledge into the Native discourse, and thereby helping indigenize it, rather than treating the conceptual information as ineffable in the Native language because there is no certifiable Native way of referring to it. This can begin as simple code-switching, much the way Arab or Chinese speakers on campus pepper their conversation with English university-life related terms such as "semester", "final examination", etc., even though ways might be found (or exist) to label such concepts in their native languages. When people can begin to feel comfortable discussing new concepts in their native language, even using imported terminology (note that 80% of the vocabulary in most advanced texts in English is borrowed), they can begin to take ownership of it, and it can more readily become incorporated into the expanding and modernizing Native culture. Without that, the language becomes a museum piece, and the community eventually abandons it as no longer signficantly functional. Rudy From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Wed Jan 2 16:16:26 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 11:16:26 -0500 Subject: IYL '08: Moratorium on beating kids for speaking mother tongue? Message-ID: Happy New Year 2008, which is the "International Year of Languages"! * Whatever else might be accomplished during IYL, one modest proposal I would like to put forward is that during this Year, there be an absolute prohibition on beating, shaming or otherwise punishing children for speaking their mother tongue at home or at school. All the rest is commentary. Punishing children for speaking their mother tongue is not new - one can read a lot about this of this sort of thing in biographical accounts (formal and informal) from all over the world, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. What is surprising is that it still continues even in extreme forms. For example, I just received an email from someone in Tanzania who mentioned teachers threatening young students with a beating if they spoke their maternal language. Not long ago there was mention in an article of some parents in Uganda beating their kids for speaking something other than English at home. (Those are just two examples from one region.). Some people will justify some kind of punishment for whatever reason (curriculum, language learning, etc.). The kind of punishment is another issue (important but another issue). But the issue here is that if learning is the object in an obviously multilingual setting, there are better ways to achieve it than by condemning maternal languages as out of place and punishing students who use them in the process f learning. This is not to say that language in a multilingual classroom or community is not a complex issue, but that negative approaches to children's first languages - which in some places go all the way to corporal punishment - are negative approaches to learning and to various social factors in a child's life. Once the punishing of children for speaking their mother tongue stops, then maybe some good thinking can go into what are the best ways to promote learning overall, including in first and second languages. It should also become clear from a moratorium on punishing children for speaking their mother tongue for the duration of IYL (all of 2008) that the alternative to such punishment is not babel and ignorance. So can this practice be stopped, at least for just this one year? Don Osborn * see the UNESCO page at http://tinyurl.com/2u2ewd -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 2 16:55:42 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 09:55:42 -0700 Subject: ACORNS language revitalization software release 3.1 available In-Reply-To: <477A126E020000A20001455B@gwdom.sou.edu> Message-ID: Dan, thanks for the update.  phil Quoting Dan Harvey : > The 3.1 release of ACORNS language revitalization software is now > available at http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns. This software can be > freely downloaded for non commercial use. Our hope is that many > tribes will find it useful as they work to revitalize their language > and culture. > > This release corrects some bugs that came up and adds new features. > The download web page also contains an alternate install procedure to > avoid the security issues that come up on some systems. We've greatly > improved the on-line documentation and added an ACORNS user manual in > pdf format. > > Among the new features are: > 1) Recognition of all indigenous keyboards as long as they are > properly installed on your system in ttf format. > 2) An easier way to create web pages out of ACORNS lessons. > 3) Automatic association of files with an '.lnx' extension with the > ACORNS application. > 4) Ability to launch ACORNS from a command line to open selected files. > 4) Improved integration with MAC systems. > > We plan to release version 4.0 this coming summer. It will include, > among other things, a talking dictionary, with the ability to import > electronic formats created by linguists. It will also include a > couple of games making use of the dictionary. > > Please let me know of any problems you might run into. We welcome > your feedback (harvey at sou.edu). > > With respect, dan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Wed Jan 2 17:08:08 2008 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 12:08:08 -0500 Subject: IYL '08: Moratorium on beating kids for speaking mother tongue? Message-ID: I propose we start beating the beaters. I don't think they'd otherwise get the message. Jess Tauber phonosemantics at earthlink.net From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 3 16:57:21 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 09:57:21 -0700 Subject: Digital workshops help train teachers of Native students (fwd link) Message-ID: Digital workshops help train teachers of Native students Posted: January 02, 2008 by: Bobbie Whitehead / Indian Country Today WASHINGTON - Teachers of American Indian and Alaska Native students can find free online workshops that will provide additional strategies for increasing student achievement. Available through the U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative's Web site, the Office of Indian Education and the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative collaborated to develop three digital workshops that provide strategies for teachers who may not be familiar with American Indians and Alaska Natives, and their cultures. To access full article, follow the link below: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416353 From iackerman at ROSETTASTONE.COM Thu Jan 3 20:04:55 2008 From: iackerman at ROSETTASTONE.COM (Ackerman, Ilse) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 15:04:55 -0500 Subject: internship opening -- please distribute! Message-ID: Dear ILAT, I'm writing to post an internship opening. Thanks for forwarding to potential candidates. We really appreciated the caliber of interns we found through ILAT forwards in the past! ~ ilse Ilse Ackerman Editor-in-chief Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program Student Internship The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program is offering a semester- or summer-long student internship at its Harrisonburg, VA offices. The intern will gain valuable hands-on experience in a successful language-learning software development company. Possible areas of specialization, according to the interests of the intern, include * program administration (website maintenance, resource development, research, communications), * audio editing and reviewing, * project management (materials development, planning), * photo editing, * software development (quality assurance, documentation), and * language learning (research, testing). To be eligible, students should be enrolled in and have completed at least one year in a degree-granting college or university, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and have a special interest in indigenous issues, languages and language revitalization. Knowledge of an indigenous language is also desirable. Housing and an hourly wage are provided. If interested, send resume and letter of interest to elpinternship at RosettaStone.com. The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program is committed to preserving language richness and diversity by working with indigenous communities to develop versions of Rosetta Stone software in their language for their exclusive use. Rosetta Stone is the world's largest language-learning software company. It offers programs in 30 different languages spoken by over 90% of the world's population. Marion Bittinger Manager, Endangered Language Program Rosetta Stone Harrisonburg, VA 22801 (800) 788-0822, ext. 5331 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: att4f538.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 2683 bytes Desc: att4f538.jpg URL: From leopold at SI.EDU Thu Jan 3 21:35:01 2008 From: leopold at SI.EDU (Robert Leopold) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 14:35:01 -0700 Subject: POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: CURATOR, ANTHROPOLOGY (LINGUIST) Message-ID: Department of Anthropology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution The Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian�s National Museum of Natural History is seeking a curator to develop and lead an endangered language program that will engage in research, documentation and preservation. Community engagement will be a major component of this position. In addition to conducting research, both in the field and drawing upon archival collections, the curator will develop strong interactions with communities faced with language loss while also addressing major research themes within linguistics and anthropology. This curator will join a large and diverse department, currently with 72 full-time staff members, including 17 curators. The Department is organized into three research divisions: archaeology, physical anthropology and ethnology, along with Collections Management, the National Anthropological Archives, the Human Studies Film Archives, and the Repatriation Office. There are a number of programs within the three research divisions, including the PaleoIndian Program, the Asian Cultural Heritage Program, the Archaeobiology Program and the Arctic Studies Center. Some of the current research in the Department centers on humankind�s earliest beginnings, the domestication of plants and animals, the rise of state-level societies, expressive culture in Africa and Polynesia, North American ethnohistory, circumpolar ethnology and the human dimensions of global climate change. Several staff hold teaching appointments as adjunct faculty with area universities. The Anthropology collections hold over 2.3 million archaeological objects and over 200,000 ethnology objects, more than 9,000 linear feet of archival documents and 8 million running feet of film and video. The Department�s webpage can be viewed at http://www.nmnh.si.edu/anthro/ The successful candidate will need to combine skills in field- and collections-based research, outreach and public programming, and experience securing external funding. This position will be offered as a four-year Federal term position, which may be converted to permanent. The four- year term position is comparable to tenure-track positions. U.S. citizenship is required. The official position announcment is available here: 08-NG-293573-DEU-NMNH Anthropologist (Linguist) GS-0190-12 DC http://www.sihr.si.edu/vac/08-NG-293573-DEU-NMNH.pdf From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 4 18:48:31 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 11:48:31 -0700 Subject: The Government of Canada Supports National Michif Language Conference (fwd) Message-ID: Jan 03, 2008 12:00 ET The Government of Canada Supports National Michif Language Conference http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=806974 SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwire - Jan. 3, 2008) - On behalf of the Honourable Josee Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages, the Honourable Carol Skelton, Member of Parliament (Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar), today announced funding for the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research. Funding of $60,000 will allow the organization to host the 7th National Michif Language Conference. The goals of the conference are to increase the number of Michif speakers, expand opportunities for speaking Michif, and ensure greater numbers of children and young people learn the language. "The Government of Canada supports the preservation and promotion of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis languages," said Minister Verner. "We are pleased to help preserve the Michif language, which is an important aspect of Metis culture." "Language is an integral part of a people's culture. To ensure that Metis communities in Canada thrive and that their culture survives, we must help protect the Michif language," said Ms. Skelton. "We are proud to support the Gabriel Dumont Institute's efforts in this regard." "The Gabriel Dumont Institute is pleased to receive funding to host the 7th Annual Michif Language Conference, March 14 and 15, 2008, in Saskatoon. This event will bring Michif speakers from across the Metis Homeland together for the renewal and retention of our languages and culture," said Geordy McCaffrey, Executive Director of the Gabriel Dumont Institute. The Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research is a not-for-profit organization that provides Metis people in Saskatchewan with the opportunity to obtain training and education. The Government of Canada will provide funding through the Department of Canadian Heritage and its Aboriginal Languages Initiative, which provides support to Aboriginal organizations and communities to maintain and revitalize Aboriginal languages for future generations by increasing the number of Aboriginal language speakers and by encouraging language transmission from generation to generation. The Aboriginal Languages Initiative provides $5 million per year to support the preservation and promotion of Aboriginal languages by encouraging the use of these languages in community and family settings. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 4 18:50:12 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 11:50:12 -0700 Subject: Feds fund Metis language conference (fwd link) Message-ID: Feds fund Metis language conference Saskatoon to host annual Michif event Matthew Kruchak, The StarPhoenix Published: Friday, January 04, 2008 With the death of every Michif-speaking Metis elder, the language which mixes Cree verbs with French nouns fades into obscurity. But like the infinity symbol on the Metis flag, there's hope that the dying language will continue forever. The Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research is making an effort to keep Michif a living language. The organization, which promotes the renewal and development of Metis culture, was awarded $60,000 by the federal government Thursday to host the seventh annual National Michif Language Conference. To access full article, just follow the link below: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=d13d0a09-b659-432a-a31b-4e32fe2feeff From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 4 19:01:47 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 12:01:47 -0700 Subject: Kickapoo Tribe has role in upcoming movie filmed in Kansas (fwd) Message-ID: Kickapoo Tribe has role in upcoming movie filmed in Kansas The Hays Daily News http://www.hdnews.net/wirestories/k1035_BC_KS_KickapooActing_01_03_0446 HORTON, Kan. (AP) -- Despite limited acting experience, Tammy Wahwassuck and about 20 members of the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas have small roles in the upcoming movie "The Only Good Indian." The movie was filmed in locations throughout Kansas and uses the Kickapoo language. Wahwassuck said her acting experience before this movie didn't extend much beyond childhood performances in the living room with her cousins. But now she's part of the film, starring American Indian actor Wes Studi. Producers got permission from the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas to use the Kickapoo language in the film. The movie is set in Kansas during the early 1900s and is about a young American Indian boy who flees from a school that assimilates Indians into the "white" world. Studi, who has appeared in "Dances with Wolves" and "The Last of the Mohicans," portrays an American Indian bounty hunter who intends to take the boy back to the school. Wahwassuck's played a crazy woman in a mental institution filmed in Topeka. In the scene, she pleads in the Kickapoo tongue for help from Studi's character. "It's hard to describe," she said of her experience. "It's an adrenaline rush." Steve Cadue, Kickapoo Tribal chairman, said it was important that the film portray American Indians accurately and without prejudice. He became acquainted with the writers and the producers before the Kickapoo Tribal government gave formal approval for the use of the language. "They gave us good assurances that it would be a positive type of film," said Cadue, who didn't volunteer as an extra, but watched from the sidelines. The reservation is hopeful that Studi will make good on their invitation to speak at the Kickapoo school. "I think he's a great individual," Cadue said. "I think he works hard and I think he tries to give back to the Native American community ... He is contributing to Indian education and correct historic accounts of native American people." The crew plans to attempt to sell the movie to a distributor once it is completed in mid-2008, said Scott Richardson, a producer. The film's director, Kevin Willmott, an assistant professor of film at The University of Kansas, was also the writer and director of "C.S.A.: Confederate States of America," a satire of what the United States would be like had the South won the Civil War. It was shown in the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Willmott also is writer, director and producer of "Bunker Hill," another film shot in Kansas. From hsouter at GMAIL.COM Sat Jan 5 03:09:47 2008 From: hsouter at GMAIL.COM (Heather Souter) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 21:09:47 -0600 Subject: Michif Language Funding by Canadian Government, Michif Language Conferences, etc.... Message-ID: Taanshi kiyawaaw! (Hello to you all!) Just so people subscribing to ILAT do not get the impression that the Canadian Government has taken a renewed interest in the Michif (and other Aboriginal) languages in Canada, please know that all the recent funding announcements are not about "new" monies being committed. Actually, the previous government (Liberal) had promised much more funding to become available for language revitalization (172.5 million over 11 years starting 2002) but the present Conservative government reneged on the commitment. Millions of dollars of funding disappeared with a blink of an eye. Now the funding stands at 5 million annually for ten years. (12.5 million was already dispersed before the Conservative government made its funding cuts.) This means that in a best case scenario as things stand the largest amount of funding over 11 years would be 62.5 million dollars. A cut of 110 million dollars or 64%! This is in spite of the fact that the Federal government will provide more than 1 billion dollars of funding for French language education over the four year period between 2005 and 2009! On a different note, "Michif Language Conferences" have been held annually for at least five years now (all have been made possible through government funding) but nothing very concrete has come out of them as of yet.... No plans based on linguistically-informed community-based language planning have been produced or implemented thus far. However, the host of the upcoming conference, the Gabrielle Dumont Institute, has produced some fine publications and created the fantastic Virtual Museum of Metis History and Culture, so perhaps the March meeting will be a breath of fresh air. Let's hope it will be a catalyst for change in regard to Michif language issues! We shall see.... Now, if I could directly influence the political machinery of each of the Metis provincial governing bodies and our National Council, I would tell them the following: Since we are a "dispersed nation" living all over Western Canada with many of the "more traditional" people living in rural communities, for real gains in Michif language acquisition to happen a variety of distributed language acquisition/learning programs need to be considered. Multi-media recordings, ( pedagogically and linguistically sound ones!) freely available on dedicated websites and language learning sessions using video conferencing (Skype, MSN Voice, etc!) could be set up if all Metis provincial governments put their funding money together QUICKLY. In addition, since our people speak a variety of languages known as "Michif" (from a linguistic perspective, the mixed language (also known as the "Southern dialect") of Michif; and also the unique Metis dialects of Cree, Ojibwa and French!), it might be wise to consider a master-apprentice language learning program that allows for such diversity--such as that run by AICLS in California. A special emphasis could be put on learning Michif (the most endangered variety being the "mixed language" aka Southern dialect) while showing respect for the languages spoken by of ALL our Metis Elders. In this way we would be cultivating new speakers who could receive further training to help pass Michif on to future generations. Our Michif-speaking Elders won't be physically with us forever. And, although virtual interactions with them through multimedia recordings are/will be a wonderful mode of learning, if our language(s) are to live they must be ACTUALLY spoken--used in the real and not only virtual world! Our languages need to again be out in the air--everywhere but ESPECIALLY in the home--where they belong! Heather Souter Michif Language Activist and Community Linguist Camperville, MB Canada From linguist4 at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU Mon Jan 7 02:59:52 2008 From: linguist4 at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU (Eugenie Collyer) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 12:29:52 +0930 Subject: Fwd: Job vacancy: Linguist position at Ngukurr Language Centre Message-ID: Begin forwarded message: > From: DAC Coordinator > Date: 27 December 2007 4:09:17 PM > > Subject: Job vacancy: Linguist position at Ngukurr Language Centre > > Please find attached information about a linguist position > available at the > Ngukurr Language Centre (an annexe of Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal > Corporation, or Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre). The > position is an exciting opportunity to help Ngukurr and neighbouring > communities to continue some great work on endangered language > revitalisation. Feel free to pass through your networks. > Applications > close January 21st. > > For further information, including duty statement and selection > criteria, > contact the Katherine Language Centre on 08 8971 1233 or via email: > dacadmin at kathlangcentre.org.au > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------ > EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST > ROPER LINGUIST (Full-time) > > Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation (DAC) is an Aboriginal > Language > Centre responsible for the language activities of the Katherine > Region. The > current team of linguists at DAC totals four. > > DAC has one full-time linguist position available until 30 June 2008 > (position is ongoing pending renewed funding). The position is > based in the > community of Ngukurr in Southern Arnhem Land at DAC’s ‘Ngukurr > Language > Centre’ annexe. The Ngukurr Language Centre supports the endangered > languages of the Roper Region, including Alawa, Marra, Ngalakgan, > Ngandi, > Wagilak, Rembarrnga and Nunggubuyu. The successful applicant will > be based > at Ngukurr and will also be required to travel to neighbouring > communities > and Katherine town. > > Applicants should have tertiary qualifications in Linguistics, > including > study in Australian Aboriginal languages, good organisational skills, > including project management skills and have the ability to work > independently in a cross-cultural environment. > > ROPER LINGUIST > The position involves overseeing the operations of the Ngukurr > Language > Centre, including supporting a small team of local language > workers, and > providing support for Indigenous language documentation, education and > revitalisation programs in schools and communities of the Roper > region. The > successful applicant will be based at Ngukurr and will also be > required to > travel to neighbouring communities and Katherine town. > > Accommodation at Ngukurr is provided by DAC. Salary will be in the > range of > $AU37,000 to $AU44,000 per annum, depending on qualifications and > experience. Annual leave is five weeks per year, eligible for a > further > week special leave after each six months of continuous service. Some > relocation assistance is available. > > The position is available for an immediate start. The closing date > for job > applications is 14th January 2008. Applications should address > selection > criteria and include a current CV. Correspondence should be > addressed to > the Coordinator and can be sent via mail or email. > > Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation > PO Box 871, Katherine NT 0851 > E-mail: dacadmin at kathlangcentre.org.au > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------ > Kind Regards, > > Greg Dickson > Acting Coordinator > > Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation > (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) > PO Box 871 Katherine NT 0851 > P (08) 89 711233 > F (08) 89 710561 >  Eugenie Collyer Town Linguist Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 Ph: (08) 89711233 Fax: (08) 8971 0561 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Expressions of interest.doc Type: application/msword Size: 164864 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 7 16:53:30 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 09:53:30 -0700 Subject: Saving a language, preserving a culture (fwd link) Message-ID: Saving a language, preserving a culture By Alysa Landry The Daily Times Article Launched: 01/06/2008 12:00:00 AM MST FARMINGTON — Lorraine Manavi's second-floor office at San Juan College is an unlikely place to learn Farsi. The language professor is learning the Arabic dialect via the acclaimed Rosetta Stone software between classes and in spare moments. It's the same software Manavi is helping develop to teach her native language — Navajo. "Navajo is very hard to learn," she said. "When people first come to my classes, they are intimidated." Manavi is part of a team of linguists, editors and native speakers launching a year-long project to develop the first Navajo language learning system accessible to anyone with a computer. The software will be owned by the Cornville, Ariz.—based organization Navajo Language Renaissance, and will be used to supplement Navajo language classes on and off the reservation. It will not be part of Rosetta Stone's commercial product line. To access full article, follow the link below: http://www.daily-times.com/ci_7893452?source=most_emailed From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 7 16:56:51 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 09:56:51 -0700 Subject: Navajo language-learning software to be introduced (fwd link) Message-ID: Navajo language-learning software to be introduced The Associated Press Article Launched: 01/06/2008 04:50:24 PM MST FARMINGTON, N.M.—A group of linguists, editors and native speakers are starting a yearlong project to develop the first software system to teach the Navajo language. To access full article, follow the link below: http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_7897918 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 7 16:58:44 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 09:58:44 -0700 Subject: Oneidas see benefits in public, tribal schools (fwd link) Message-ID: Posted January 4, 2008 Oneidas see benefits in public, tribal schools Whatever they choose, families keep culture in mind By Patti Zarling pzarling at greenbaypressgazette.com ONEIDA — Garrett Miller is a member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians and chose to attend tribal schools because he wants to learn the Native American language and culture. To access the full article, just follow the link below: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080104/GPG0101/801040644/1206/GPGnews From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 7 17:01:44 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 10:01:44 -0700 Subject: School board faces Native language issue (fwd link) Message-ID: School board faces Native language issue December 27, 2007 at 2:00PM AKST THE FISHERMAN STAFF Next year may see the return of instruction in Unangam Tunuu – the Native language spoken by the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands – in the Unalaska City School District. That's the hope of Katherine McGlashan, an Unangan/Aleut herself, and an active group of Unalaska residents, including educators, former teachers, parents, the Museum of the Aleutians and Ounalashka Corp., the representative Alaska Native corporation. "We as indigenous people would like the opportunity to be able to pass on traditions, values and the Unangan culture and language," wrote McGlashan in a September letter to Superintendent John Conwell. To access full article, just folloow the link below: http://www.thedutchharborfisherman.com/news/show/1049 From jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU Mon Jan 7 22:55:37 2008 From: jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU (Joan Gross) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 14:55:37 -0800 Subject: Saving a language, preserving a culture (fwd link) In-Reply-To: <20080107095330.qcug4g000880w444@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Farsi isn't an Arabic dialect. It's Indo-European, not Semitic. On 1/7/08 8:53 AM, "phil cash cash" wrote: > Saving a language, preserving a culture > > By Alysa Landry The Daily Times > Article Launched: 01/06/2008 12:00:00 AM MST > > FARMINGTON ? Lorraine Manavi's second-floor office at San Juan College is an > unlikely place to learn Farsi. > > The language professor is learning the Arabic dialect via the acclaimed > Rosetta > Stone software between classes and in spare moments. It's the same software > Manavi is helping develop to teach her native language ? Navajo. > > "Navajo is very hard to learn," she said. "When people first come to my > classes, > they are intimidated." > > Manavi is part of a team of linguists, editors and native speakers launching a > year-long project to develop the first Navajo language learning system > accessible to anyone with a computer. > > The software will be owned by the Cornville, Ariz.?based organization Navajo > Language Renaissance, and will be used to supplement Navajo language classes > on > and off the reservation. It will not be part of Rosetta Stone's commercial > product line. > > To access full article, follow the link below: > http://www.daily-times.com/ci_7893452?source=most_emailed From linguist4 at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU Tue Jan 8 05:41:09 2008 From: linguist4 at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU (Eugenie Collyer) Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 15:11:09 +0930 Subject: Fwd: Job vacancy: Coordinator, Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) Message-ID: > Subject: Job vacancy: Coordinator, Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal > Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) > > Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional > Aboriginal > Language Centre) is currently seeking expressions of interest for > the vacant > Coordinator position. An overview of the position is provided > below. Duty > statement and selection criteria are available on request. > > Please pass this information to anyone you know who may be > interested. If > you have any queries or would like more info, feel free to contact > me on 08 > 8971 1233 or via email at dacadmin at kathlangcentre.org.au > > Kind regards, > > Greg Dickson > Acting Coordinator > > Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation > (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) > PO Box 871 Katherine NT 0851 > P (08) 89 711233 > F (08) 89 710561 > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > COORDINATOR > > Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation is an Aboriginal Language > Centre > established in 1992 to support Indigenous communities throughout the > Katherine region to maintain and revitalise their traditional > languages. DAC > currently has five full-time linguists and two full-time clerical > staff and > works casually with a number of remote community members who are > involved in > various language projects. > > Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation (DAC) seeks applications from > suitably qualified persons for the position of Coordinator. The > position > will be based in Katherine, NT. The Coordinator will be responsible > to an > Indigenous Committee representing language groups throughout the > Katherine > Region. > > ROLE: > * Coordinate the activities of an Indigenous language centre, > including > financial management and staff management. > * Coordinate language projects and associated resources. > * Promote the activities of DAC and liaise with other agencies in > relation > to language activities. > * Implement policy and direction established by the Committee. > > Applicants should have strong administration and organisational > skills, > strong cross-cultural communication skills, experience with staff > supervision as well as experience with preparing and managing budgets. > > For enquiries, Selection Criteria and Duty Statement, contact Greg > Dickson > or Michelle Dawson on (08) 89711233 or e-mail > dacadmin at kathlangcentre.org.au > > CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: > Full-time (36hrs/wk) at $50,800 pa + Superannuation. Five weeks > annual > leave. > > Applications close January 28, 2008 >  Eugenie Collyer Town Linguist Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 Ph: (08) 89711233 Fax: (08) 8971 0561 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Coord's Advert updat#1A98D9.doc Type: application/applefile Size: 425 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Coord's Advert updat#1A98D9.doc Type: application/msword Size: 73728 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 8 17:07:59 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 10:07:59 -0700 Subject: Pupils mark Indigenous language milestone (fwd) Message-ID: Pupils mark Indigenous language milestone Posted Tue Jan 8, 2008 1:40pm AEDT http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/08/2134094.htm Aboriginal students in Alice Springs have completed Year 12 studies in an Indigenous language for the first time. Dominique Castle from the Alice Springs language centre says five Indigenous students received high NTCE scores in Arrernte language studies in 2007. Ms Castle says the students' success is a good sign for the future of the Arrernte language in the region. "It's very important to be teaching an Indigenous language and especially to have an Indigenous teacher who's also on the team teaching it, because students are getting the cultural and the language aspect of it and can keep the language alive," she said. Ms Castle says the students even went on a study tour of New Zealand to see how the Maori language is taught in schools. "Our students came back very, very enthusiastic to promote the Arrernte language and to keep it going because they realised that in New Zealand it's very, very strong," she said. "They're wanting the same thing to happen over here for Arrernte people." From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 8 17:09:47 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 10:09:47 -0700 Subject: "The Linguists," Documenting Vanishing Voices, Premieres at Sundance (fwd) Message-ID: Press Release 08-002 http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=110952&org=NSF&from=news "The Linguists," Documenting Vanishing Voices, Premieres at Sundance Film highlights endangered languages in Siberia, India and Bolivia [Photo shows indigenous Bolivian men being interviewed by linguists. Linguists Harrison and Anderson worked to document an endangered language in Bolivia.] January 8, 2008 In Siberia, fewer than 25 elderly people speak Chulym, a language spoken for generations by traditional hunter-gatherers and fishermen in small rural villages. In Bolivia, a language once spoken by healers to the Inca emperor is on the verge of extinction. In the Orissa state in the east of India, younger generations no longer speak Sora, a language of the region with a complex and expressive way of putting words together. These examples are brought vividly to life in "The Linguists," a documentary funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Producer-directors Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller and Jeremy Newberger of Ironbound Films accompanied scientists David Harrison of Swarthmore College and Gregory Anderson of the Living Tongues Institute on a journey to record these languages and understand the cultural and political pressures threatening their extinction. Scientists estimate that of 7,000 languages in the world, half will be gone by the end of this century. On average, one language disappears every two weeks. The human dimension of endangered languages is brought to light in "The Linguists," which premieres at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 18, 2008. The film dramatizes the kind of work involved in reaching indigenous communities and documenting their languages. "The most surprising discovery was just how interesting and dramatic it was to follow two seemingly no-nonsense linguists--David Harrison and Gregory Harrison--into the field," says Daniel Miller, the film's producer. "The linguists first had to penetrate bureaucracies, then gain trust within communities, and finally inspire speech from people often driven into not using their native tongue by decades of persecution and shame. These challenges required skills finely honed by the linguists and made the expeditions more like adventures." The adventures were not without risk. In India, extreme poverty in the region had sparked a violent Maoist insurgency. With its travel under strict government regulation, the group was urged by its Indian guides not to travel at night or stay in local villages, and to keep interactions with the populace to a minimum. Because the linguists' work demanded otherwise, the group was forced to take certain risks in the interest of recording endangered languages. "The resurgence of interest among linguists in smaller languages has happily coincided with an upsurge in activism on the part of the speaker communities," says Douglas H. Whalen, program director for NSF's Documenting Endangered Languages program. "This film provides a thought-provoking sample of cooperation between these groups in the urgent task of documenting endangered languages." In India, Siberia, and the United States, the group found confirmation of a recurring pattern: schools set up to "civilize" indigenous children had taught them the pointlessness of their native tongues and pushed them toward abandoning that language and the culture associated with it. "The Linguists" lets the communities involved speak for themselves in demonstrating the power of these forces. "We did not want to make a movie that looked at threatened ways of life with detached sentimentality," says Miller. "We sought to portray speakers of endangered languages, and the scientists who work with them, as regular people who share a sense of urgency about losing something vital. Their stories--at times sad, scary, even hilarious--reveal how the loss of a language affects us as human beings." "'The Linguists' is a compelling story about the causes of language loss and what scientists are doing to help maintain the languages and the cultures they support," says Valentine Kass, program director for NSF's Informal Science Education program. "We are thrilled that the quality of the production has led to its premiere at Sundance." For more information, and to see a trailer of the film, go to http://www.thelinguists.com/ From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 8 18:12:15 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 11:12:15 -0700 Subject: National Indian Education Association Revitalizing Native Language Research (fwd link) Message-ID: National Indian Education Association Revitalizing Native Language Research Scholarship ***DEADLINE EXTENDED*** http://www.niea.org/index.php The NIEA and Professor Lily Wong Fillmore solicits application for graduate student research on revitalizing Native language research. ($1,000 for one academic school year) Scholarship Criteria & Guidelines: • Graduate student-researcher must be American Indian, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian • Student must be engaged in the documentation or study of a language revitalization effort in an indigenous community or in a school serving indigenous students • Enrolled full-time in an accredited college/university master’s or doctorate program that incorporates studying the revitalization of an indigenous language. • Demonstrate leadership qualities • Maintain high academic achievement • Serve as a role model for other students • Demonstrate creativity in commitments in the following areas: Promote an understanding and appreciation for native language revitalization Demonstrate positive, active student leadership within the school or indigenous community they are serving Demonstrate and/or encourage peer student and indigenous community involvement in revitalizing indigenous languages Application Process: • Utilize existing application procedure/form for the Rouillard/Tonemah Scholarship. • Find application at www.niea.org • Applications due January 20, 2007 (NEW DEADLINE) -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 29.52.NIEARevitalizingNativeLanguageResearchAwardCriteria2.doc Type: application/msword Size: 135168 bytes Desc: not available URL: From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Wed Jan 9 19:13:08 2008 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 11:13:08 -0800 Subject: Credentialing Process Message-ID: Has anyone have any experience about alternative Credential requirements for Native Language teachers? From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Wed Jan 9 19:21:57 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 12:21:57 -0700 Subject: Credentialing Process In-Reply-To: Message-ID: We do. You can write to my boss, the VP of Academics & Student Affairs. If you want her email, send me an individual email, and I will give you her contact information. You should also talk to Joseph Suina from Cochiti Pueblo. They did credentialing for the K-12 public schools. He was at UNM last I heard. Mia -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Andre Cramblit Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 12:13 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Credentialing Process Has anyone have any experience about alternative Credential requirements for Native Language teachers? From saxon at UVIC.CA Wed Jan 9 19:21:08 2008 From: saxon at UVIC.CA (Leslie Saxon) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 11:21:08 -0800 Subject: Credentialing Process In-Reply-To: Message-ID: You might find information on this at the website of FNESC, First Nations Education Steering Committee of British Columbia, Canada, or through talking to people with that organization. http://www.fnesc.ca/ On 9 Jan 2008, at 11:13 AM, Andre Cramblit wrote: > Has anyone have any experience about alternative Credential > requirements for Native Language teachers? ************************************** Leslie Saxon Chair, Department of Linguistics University of Victoria Victoria, BC Canada V8W 3P4 Office (250) 721-7422 Fax (250) 721-7423 http://web.uvic.ca/ling/ Certificate in Aboriginal Language Revitalization http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/calr/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From HarveyD at SOU.EDU Wed Jan 9 19:34:50 2008 From: HarveyD at SOU.EDU (Dan Harvey) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 11:34:50 -0800 Subject: Credentialing Process In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Oregon has a program where the recognized tribes decide who is fluent to teach the language. The prospective fills out a form, the tribe authorizes it, and it is submitted to the state. Formal education is not a requirement. >>> Andre Cramblit 1/9/2008 11:13 AM >>> Has anyone have any experience about alternative Credential requirements for Native Language teachers? From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 9 21:52:26 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 14:52:26 -0700 Subject: Indigenous communities use cinema to redeem culture and traditions (fwd link) Message-ID: Indigenous communities use cinema to redeem culture and traditions December 2, 2007 - 07:52 pm Delcio Rocha http://www.ambienteemfoco.com.br/?p=6855 ~~~ Note: The above article is written in Portuguese. It gives a brief glimpse into a unique kind of ethnographic filmmaking done in the first person by indigenous Kuikuro of Brazil. You can learn more about this project--Video in the Villages--at the following link: Video in the Villages collection http://www.der.org/films/vitv-collection.html It also appeared as an article: The Video in the Villages Project: Videomaking with and by Brazilian Indians Patricia Aufderheide Visual Anthropology Review Fall 1995, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 83-93 From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU Wed Jan 9 23:31:50 2008 From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 18:31:50 -0500 Subject: IYL '08: Moratorium on beating kids for speaking mother tongue? In-Reply-To: <030a01c84d5a$d3b41910$7b1c4b30$@net> Message-ID: On the human rights aspects of minority language use I strongly recommend Tove Skutnabb-Kangas' book "Linguistic Genocide in Education or Worldwide Diversity and Human Rights?" (Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000), http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805834680/ref=ed_oe_p/103-7239221-8176636 Bill From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Thu Jan 10 17:07:27 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:07:27 -0500 Subject: IYL '08: Moratorium on beating kids for speaking mother tongue? In-Reply-To: <20080109233150.128D4B2478@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu> Message-ID: Thank you Bill. I have read some other of her materials and as it happens just finished a couple of recent articles she co-wrote. The larger context of rights is essential, I agree of course. My deliberately understated proposition - which I hope did not offend anyone - was in part the seeking of a tangible and immediate way to raise public awareness. Most people have no clue that kids are punished for speaking their maternal language or the policies that promote such. A few still think it's a good idea. Many probably are unaware of the histories of linguistic abuse and genocide. So, this proposition: That out of respect for the International Year of Languages, as declared by the UN for 2008, and for the entire duration of said year, beating, shaming or otherwise punishing children at school or at home for speaking their mother tongue - wherever it is in the world - will be halted, unconditionally. If such an approach could promote a fruitful discussion outside those of us concerned with language rights, then maybe it would be worth it. Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology > [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser > Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 6:32 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: Re: [ILAT] IYL '08: Moratorium on beating kids for speaking > mother tongue? > > On the human rights aspects of minority language use I strongly > recommend Tove Skutnabb-Kangas' book "Linguistic Genocide in > Education or Worldwide Diversity and Human Rights?" (Mahwah, > New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000), > http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805834680/ref=ed_oe_p/103- > 7239221-8176636 > > Bill From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 10 17:48:20 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:48:20 -0700 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) Message-ID: Greetings, This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique opportunities for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems (CMS) allow collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one possible scenario, collaborations between language communities and scholars. 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for language documentation/collaborative projects? 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance concerns of the CMS software you are using? Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements implicated by these questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open source software. Thanks is advance. Phil Cash Cash UofA From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Thu Jan 10 18:05:33 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:05:33 -0500 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: <20080110104820.eyp95lw8ggs44sgk@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hi Phil, There was a discussion about this in December on the PanAfrican Localisation lists - http://lists.kabissa.org/lists/archives/public/pal-en/ - though localization of the interface was the main topic. I've heard favorable things about Drupal, and that some who have used Joomla have since turned away from it. There are some links to comparisons and other info at http://www.panafril10n.org/PanAfrLoc/CMS Although a wiki software it can also be configured as a CMS - I'm currently experimenting with it for revamping the Bisharat.net site to have some sections function as a wiki and others more like CMS. (See http://www.pmwiki.org/ ) Hope this helps. Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology > [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash > Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 12:48 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: [ILAT] Content Management Systems (CMS) > > Greetings, > > This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique > opportunities > for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems > (CMS) allow > collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one possible > scenario, > collaborations between language communities and scholars. > > 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for > language > documentation/collaborative projects? > > 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance concerns > of the CMS > software you are using? > > Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements implicated > by these > questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open > source > software. > > Thanks is advance. > > Phil Cash Cash > UofA From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Thu Jan 10 18:09:40 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:09:40 -0500 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: <20080110104820.eyp95lw8ggs44sgk@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hi Phil, There was a discussion about this in December on the PanAfrican Localisation lists - http://lists.kabissa.org/lists/archives/public/pal-en/ - though localization of the interface was the main topic. I've heard favorable things about Drupal, and that some who have used Joomla have since turned away from it. There are some links to comparisons and other info at http://www.panafril10n.org/PanAfrLoc/CMS I currently use PmWiki for PanAfriL10n.org. Although a wiki software it can also be configured as a CMS - I'm currently experimenting with it for revamping the Bisharat.net site to have some sections function as a wiki and others more like CMS. (See http://www.pmwiki.org/ ) Hope this helps. Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology > [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash > Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 12:48 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: [ILAT] Content Management Systems (CMS) > > Greetings, > > This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique > opportunities > for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems > (CMS) allow > collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one possible > scenario, > collaborations between language communities and scholars. > > 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for > language > documentation/collaborative projects? > > 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance concerns > of the CMS > software you are using? > > Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements implicated > by these > questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open > source > software. > > Thanks is advance. > > Phil Cash Cash > UofA From oso at EL-OSO.NET Thu Jan 10 18:01:25 2008 From: oso at EL-OSO.NET (David Sasaki) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:01:25 -0500 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: <20080110104820.eyp95lw8ggs44sgk@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: We use a blogging CMS, WordPress, to coordinate multilingual translations of blog posts from around the developing world. While this isn't language research, it could provide some interesting opportunities for researchers. For example, we recently launched the world's first Aymara language weblog and all of those posts are also translated into English and Spanish: http://aymara.vocesbolivianas.org/ We also have many more multilingual translations using WordPress at http://lingua.globalvoicesonline.org Best, David ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David Sasaki | outreach at globalvoicesonline.org Director of Outreach, Global Voices http://globalvoicesonline.org gtalk: osopecoso | skype: elosopecoso US: +1.510.717.8377 | http://el-oso.net/blog Colombia: +57.312.785.9172 -------------------------------------------------- On Jan 10, 2008, at 12:48 PM, phil cash cash wrote: > Greetings, > > This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique > opportunities > for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems > (CMS) allow > collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one > possible scenario, > collaborations between language communities and scholars. > > 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for > language > documentation/collaborative projects? > > 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance > concerns of the CMS > software you are using? > > Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements > implicated by these > questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open > source > software. > > Thanks is advance. > > Phil Cash Cash > UofA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM Thu Jan 10 19:43:32 2008 From: jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM (Jordan Lachler) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:43:32 -0900 Subject: Online Haida Language Course, Spring 2008 Message-ID: *AKL 107-JD1: ELEMENTARY HAIDA I* 4 Credits Spring 2008 Instructor: Dr. Jordan Lachler This course is an introduction to the Haida language as spoken in Alaska. The course focuses on developing a core vocabulary of several hundred words, as well as an understanding of many of the basic grammatical patterns in the language. Students will learn how to make statements, ask and answer questions, give descriptions of people and things, and talk about activities in both the past and the present. This is a web-based course, meaning that all instruction will be carried out on the internet. All course materials, including written lessons, audio files, interactive language games, grammatical exercises and homework assignments will be available through the course website. Students will also be able to interact with each other and the instructor through discussion forums, email and other means throughout the semester. Students will not need any special computer equipment, aside from speakers, and all the software needed for the class is available free of charge. This is the first web-based course for any of our native languages in Southeast Alaska, and we are very excited about the possibilities that this new technology presents for helping us to reach more and more students interested in learning the Haida language, especially those living outside of Southeast. The course begins the week of January 14th, and continues though May 2nd. For information on registering, call the UAS-Juneau campus at *1-877-465-4827 ext 6163.* For further information on the course itself, email: * jordan.lachler at sealaska.com* Háw'aa, daláng 'wáadluwaan an Hl kíl 'láagang. Jordan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM Thu Jan 10 20:44:13 2008 From: jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM (Jordan Lachler) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:44:13 -0900 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: Message-ID: We've been using Drupal for our fledgling "e-documentation" project for Oroha. http://www.orohalanguage.org/ I've found it quite easy to work with, especially with a team that is spread out across the globe. The software has many many features that we're not even exploiting yet, but the interface is quite intuitive, allowing us to spend more of our time on writing up the documentation, and less time on fighting with the software. So far, I haven't experienced any drawbacks with it, but it would be interesting to hear if more experienced Drupal users have encountered any that we should be watching out for. Best wishes, Jordan On Jan 10, 2008 9:01 AM, David Sasaki wrote: > We use a blogging CMS, WordPress, to coordinate multilingual translations > of blog posts from around the developing world. While this isn't language > research, it could provide some interesting opportunities for researchers. > For example, we recently launched the world's first Aymara language weblog > and all of those posts are also translated into English and Spanish: > > http://aymara.vocesbolivianas.org/ > > We also have many more multilingual translations using WordPress at > http://lingua.globalvoicesonline.org > > Best, > > David > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > David Sasaki | outreach at globalvoicesonline.org > Director of Outreach, Global Voices > http://globalvoicesonline.org > gtalk: osopecoso | skype: elosopecoso > US: +1.510.717.8377 | http://el-oso.net/blog > Colombia: +57.312.785.9172 > -------------------------------------------------- > > On Jan 10, 2008, at 12:48 PM, phil cash cash wrote: > > Greetings, > > This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique > opportunities > for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems (CMS) > allow > collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one possible > scenario, > collaborations between language communities and scholars. > > 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for language > documentation/collaborative projects? > > 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance concerns of > the CMS > software you are using? > > Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements implicated by > these > questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open source > software. > > Thanks is advance. > > Phil Cash Cash > UofA > > > -- Jordan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Thu Jan 10 20:53:33 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:53:33 -0700 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: <3966a24c0801101244g31a10ec9raf5e5509d0420082@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi, We have been using WebStudy at the College. We don't use it 'specifically' for revitalization, but, we selected it because we can use it for Navajo because of the font support. We have had to fall back to deciding about how to localize the fonts, because the Unicode implementation doesn't work perfectly for us (as I knew it wouldn't, but the Committee had to see if fail before they believed). Anyway. WebStudy is much bigger than just a CMS; we also use it for general Distance Education. However, Jan Tucker, who should be around this list somewhere, has had pretty good success with Moodle. Mia _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jordan Lachler Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 1:44 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Content Management Systems (CMS) We've been using Drupal for our fledgling "e-documentation" project for Oroha. http://www.orohalanguage.org/ I've found it quite easy to work with, especially with a team that is spread out across the globe. The software has many many features that we're not even exploiting yet, but the interface is quite intuitive, allowing us to spend more of our time on writing up the documentation, and less time on fighting with the software. So far, I haven't experienced any drawbacks with it, but it would be interesting to hear if more experienced Drupal users have encountered any that we should be watching out for. Best wishes, Jordan On Jan 10, 2008 9:01 AM, David Sasaki wrote: We use a blogging CMS, WordPress, to coordinate multilingual translations of blog posts from around the developing world. While this isn't language research, it could provide some interesting opportunities for researchers. For example, we recently launched the world's first Aymara language weblog and all of those posts are also translated into English and Spanish: http://aymara.vocesbolivianas.org/ We also have many more multilingual translations using WordPress at http://lingua.globalvoicesonline.org Best, David ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David Sasaki | outreach at globalvoicesonline.org Director of Outreach, Global Voices http://globalvoicesonline.org gtalk: osopecoso | skype: elosopecoso US: +1.510.717.8377 | http://el-oso.net/blog Colombia: +57.312.785.9172 -------------------------------------------------- On Jan 10, 2008, at 12:48 PM, phil cash cash wrote: Greetings, This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique opportunities for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems (CMS) allow collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one possible scenario, collaborations between language communities and scholars. 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for language documentation/collaborative projects? 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance concerns of the CMS software you are using? Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements implicated by these questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open source software. Thanks is advance. Phil Cash Cash UofA -- Jordan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU Thu Jan 10 21:22:07 2008 From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:22:07 -0500 Subject: content management Message-ID: I have worked for the Linguistic Data Consortium, which produces data and other materials for industrial and intelligence computational linguistic projects. The LDC makes fairly extensive use of a wiki. The software used is MediaWiki (http://www.mediawiki.org). This is free software, the same software that underlies Wikipedia. You can see some of the LDC pages by starting at: http://projects.ldc.upenn.edu/LCTL/ (There are also restricted pages for internal use only.) The wiki is used for two main purposes. First, to record progress as a project progresses, including notes on the resources found/created and urls of where they are located. Second, for web harvest sessions, where a bunch of people all search the web for resources for a particular language. In this case, each section usually has one team member in charge. If somebody else happens to encounter a resource outside his or her assigned area, he or she will email the person in charge of that section. After the harvest sesssion, someone will clean up the whole thing, neatening it up and eliminating redundancies. I'm not aware of any problems with this software - it seems to work quite well and is used for projects of some complexity. My only caveat would be that the people using it are generally sophisticated computer users - it is possible that unsophisticated users might find it more difficult, though no particular problems come to mind. Bill From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Thu Jan 10 22:39:59 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:39:59 -0700 Subject: Developing technical terminology In-Reply-To: <20080101124224.yeuha8kkwk0wkw0o@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: I've been wanting to add to this for D-a-y-z-e, but have been in one with the beginning of the semester. In Israel in 1947-48, people needed a very large number of words to be able to make Hebrew the national language, with the restrictions that all business be done in it, so they had all the Rabbis convene minions and they literally made up words for things. Of course, Israel wasn't very big at the time. It still isn't, population-wise, really. They wrote all the words down - consonants only, of course - and distributed the dictionaries for people to use. The differences between Rudy's reflection and the Israeli experience is both the population density, and the ratio of people involved in the task to total population. (The same kinds of ratio statistics are needed for evaluation desirability of immersion programs, I might add.) Another major factor was the ratio of Total Language at Point A, when the need for a dictionary was determined, and Number of Words Defined at Point B, when the dictionary was released. In Israel, the ratio was whole numbers, many orders of magnitude greater than for the Nigerian and Spanish projects. But, I have what I think is an interesting and amazing experience to share. My friend Yolanda downloaded a Spanish-text version of a popular recording-to-text program. Then she called me up and said, Okay, what do I do (she was new to this particular technology.) We couldn't figure out what to do. Her interpretation of the Spanish didn't match our joint understandings of what the program should be offering us as options. I was stunned. I thought that this would be transparent. Actually, it was like running into a brick wall, and I have to admit, I kind of enjoyed it, because I don't get to experience things this dramatic very often. Not only could we not intuit the meaning, but not being able to do so was totally outside my ken of what would and would not be possible. It was a fun day. Then we got serious, and Yolanda downloaded the English version. All was well, and she was able to create the text for the many, many hours of her research interviews. In reflection, I wondered what dialect of Spanish the program had used. This idea arose partly because some of the children in her research had been "subjected" to a teacher from Spain in their bilingual classes. I looked on the web and found this: Today, the term "Castilian" is used in other ways too. Sometimes it is used to distinguish the north-central standard of Spanish from regional variations such as Andalusian (used in southern Spain). Sometimes it is used, not altogether accurately, to distinguish the Spanish of Spain from that of Latin America. And sometimes it is used simply as a synonym for Spanish, especially when referring to the "pure" Spanish promulgated by the Royal Spanish Academy (which itself preferred the term castellano in its dictionaries until the 1920s). For those interested, there is more at: http://spanish.about.com/od/historyofspanish/a/castilian.htm One of the nice things about learning things is that the more you learn, the more you have to think about, and the more sculpted the object of study becomes. It's like the little omega we look at to measure sensitivity of our quantitative experiences: How subtle is the effect you are trying to lure out. Mia -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Rudy Troike Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 12:42 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Developing technical terminology Happy New Year to Y'all! And thanks to Phil for his thoughtful reflections and suggestions, which I have passed along to another couple of lists. Re Mia's comments about the difficulty of constructing new native terms for new technical/conceptual phenomena, the lessons from the field of so- called 'language planning' can be instructive. Terminology evolves or is borrowed/adapted as users make use of the language to do so -- artificial efforts, unless institutionally enforced, are unlikely to take root or have effect. Some years ago I heard of a dictionary project in Nigeria which was organized by a group of academics who were trying to "modernize" some language for dealing with the technological culture beginning to affect them. The anecdote I heard involved their invention of a number of terms for parts of an automobile -- then someone subsequently visited auto repair shops in the city and found that self-trained mechanics (my grandfather was one such) had come up with their own terms, which they were, in the course of daily give-and- take, already beginning to standardize. Sometimes this involves borrowing and indigenization, as has happened with English over the centuries, and sometimes it involves extension of native elements and linguistic resources. Borrowing has the psycholinguistic value of facilitating processing transfer from another linguistic code -- witness the international use of much scientific, technical, and conceptual terminology (only in Germany was the use of "telephone" resisted and an artificial translated form "Fernsprecher" insisted upon). Even in linguistics it is easy to spot borrowed correspondences for "syntax", "phoneme", "morphology", even "linguistics". Though linguists are loath to admit it, word-learning involves (as capturable in Object-Oriented Programming) the acquisition of whole "packages" of information/knowledge, and it takes some practice to transfer this packaged information to another language, even one's native language. When one of my students from Italy, who had studied Chomsky's Government and Binding model with me, got hold of a new book setting forth this model in Italian, he reported to me that he had difficulty reading it, since he was used to thinking about the topic in English. The early culture contact between Navajo and Spanish speakers led to the borrowing of a small number of Spanish terms, which are now simply part of the native vocabulary (and terms such as "caballo" for 'horse' diffused widely between Native languages even in the absence of direct contact, while others modified the term for 'dog' one way or another). Such "organic" adaptation can be a productive way to import technological knowledge into the Native discourse, and thereby helping indigenize it, rather than treating the conceptual information as ineffable in the Native language because there is no certifiable Native way of referring to it. This can begin as simple code-switching, much the way Arab or Chinese speakers on campus pepper their conversation with English university-life related terms such as "semester", "final examination", etc., even though ways might be found (or exist) to label such concepts in their native languages. When people can begin to feel comfortable discussing new concepts in their native language, even using imported terminology (note that 80% of the vocabulary in most advanced texts in English is borrowed), they can begin to take ownership of it, and it can more readily become incorporated into the expanding and modernizing Native culture. Without that, the language becomes a museum piece, and the community eventually abandons it as no longer signficantly functional. Rudy From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU Thu Jan 10 22:53:58 2008 From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:53:58 -0500 Subject: Developing technical terminology In-Reply-To: <007f01c853d9$c1cd8760$e7c07b80@LFPMIA> Message-ID: A nit with regard to the modernization of the Hebrew vocabulary. The addition of modern terms to the Hebrew vocabulary began long before Independence in 1948. It actually began in the 19th century with the creation of Hebrew-language newspapers and the publication of novels in Hebrew, and continued with the development of the Zionist movement and increasing settlement in Palestine and the development of Hebrew-language collectives in Eastern Europe. The most important single figure in the modernization of Hebrew was Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who died in 1922. His son Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda was the first native speaker of modern Hebrew. From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Thu Jan 10 23:01:25 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:01:25 -0700 Subject: Developing technical terminology In-Reply-To: <20080110225358.2349DB245D@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu> Message-ID: 'Z'not a "nit": Is a very nice addition :-) thanks -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 3:54 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Developing technical terminology A nit with regard to the modernization of the Hebrew vocabulary. The addition of modern terms to the Hebrew vocabulary began long before Independence in 1948. It actually began in the 19th century with the creation of Hebrew-language newspapers and the publication of novels in Hebrew, and continued with the development of the Zionist movement and increasing settlement in Palestine and the development of Hebrew-language collectives in Eastern Europe. The most important single figure in the modernization of Hebrew was Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who died in 1922. His son Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda was the first native speaker of modern Hebrew. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 11 19:47:15 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:47:15 -0700 Subject: Pair breathe life into dead language (fwd link) Message-ID: Pair breathe life into dead language Takelma are thought to be the earliest residents of Southern Oregon By Paris Achen Mail Tribune January 11, 2008 In 1933, anthropologist John Peabody Harrington chauffeured the last known fluent Takelma speaker, Frances Johnson, from the Siletz Reservation near Newport to the Rogue River Valley to capture some of the phrases and stories of the dying indigenous language. During the trip, Harrington took about 1,200 pages of field notes on the language, now extinct, said storyteller Thomas Doty. Johnson died the following year. Seventy-five years later, Doty and author John Michael Greer hope to revive the Takelma language by writing its first handbook. To access the full article, follow the link below: http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/NEWS/801110323 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 11 19:49:37 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:49:37 -0700 Subject: He hopes film is the talk of Sundance (fwd link) Message-ID: Posted on Fri, Jan. 11, 2008 The Philadelphia Inquirer He hopes film is the talk of Sundance Premiere will costar a Phila. expert on vanishing languages. By Kathy Boccella Inquirer Staff Writer Linguist K. David Harrison is comfortable speaking five languages and has studied dozens of others, but next week he will need to learn the singular vernacular of Hollywood as costar of a film premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. "I have a conference call today with the filmmakers just to talk about the publicity stuff," Harrison said from his Center City home, sounding mystified. The Linguists follows Harrison and his colleague Greg Anderson around the world as they document the last whispers of endangered languages and try to understand the forces threatening their extinction. To access full article, follow the link below: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20080111_He_hopes_film_is_the_talk_of_Sundance.html From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 11 19:51:30 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:51:30 -0700 Subject: Indigenous play highlights 'language genocide' (fwd) Message-ID: Indigenous play highlights 'language genocide' Posted Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:13pm AEDT http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/11/2136812.htm?section=entertainment A production kicking off at the Sydney Festival tonight is seeking to highlight the dire status of Indigenous languages. Ngapartji Ngapartji, which opens tonight at the Belvoir Street Threatre in Surry Hills, is based on the forced removal of people from their traditional land in the Central Desert for British atomic weapons testing during the Cold War. The work is conducted in English and Pitjantjatjara and audience members are encouraged to visit a website and learn some of the language before seeing the show. Director Scott Rankin says Australia is at risk of losing its Indigenous languages if the Commonwealth does not instigate a national policy. "If I said, 'How do you say 'hello' in the language of Uluru,' Australians generally don't know that," he said. "That is language genocide and our generation now is responsible. "Interestingly, Mr [Kevin] Rudd, fascinated with languages, can speak Mandarin. He would know how to say hello at the Great Wall of China but would he know how to say hello at the foot of Uluru?" Mr Rankin says it is a question of moral will on behalf of the Federal Government to address the issue. "The Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) haven't looked at Indigenous language policy with a national agenda," he said. "The New South Wales Government is the most advanced in the country and has the most developed policy. "We're prepared to spend as a country, I think it's $29 million, making sure Indonesian can be taught in schools but we're only prepared to spend about $4 million on all indigenous languages." From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 11 19:58:22 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:58:22 -0700 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Message-ID: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American place names and words in the Mongolian language. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could be Mongolian. "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be Mongolian," he said. The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. From dpwiese at AOL.COM Fri Jan 11 21:32:43 2008 From: dpwiese at AOL.COM (Dr. Dorene Wiese) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:32:43 -0500 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) In-Reply-To: <20080111125822.80y3k0ooccsgkcws@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Dear ILAT LISTSERV. The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we visited there with the first American Indian group? in l980, they had never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were.? George Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. Dorene -----Original Message----- From: phil cash cash To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Mongolians first to discover America claims professor 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American place names and words in the Mongolian language. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could be Mongolian. "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be Mongolian," he said. The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM Fri Jan 11 22:29:06 2008 From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM (Bernadette Santamaria) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) In-Reply-To: <8CA22B0A289EF66-16D8-14AC@webmail-de11.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: Dear ILAT: I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does anyone know if there was something like that in the past several years? I believe it also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding the Bering Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been comparisons done. Bernadette A. Santamaria On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: > > Dear ILAT LISTSERV. > > The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we > visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they had > never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we > took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you > could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George > Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous > trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. > Dorene > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: phil cash cash > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm > Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor > (fwd) > > Mongolians first to discover America claims professor > > > 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 > http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html > > > BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said > > America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is > > popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. > > > Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian > > capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American > > place names and words in the Mongolian language. > > > "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian > > Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. > > > The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could > > be Mongolian. > > > "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be > > Mongolian," he said. > > > The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and > > Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. > > > Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians > > and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the > > Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. > > ------------------------------ > More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail > ! > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From johndillinger43 at HOTMAIL.COM Sat Jan 12 00:01:29 2008 From: johndillinger43 at HOTMAIL.COM (Ryan Denzer-King) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:01:29 -0700 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) In-Reply-To: Message-ID: >From what I know about the Bering Strait theory, the crossings occurred at far too great a time depth for any significant (at least superficial) linguistic evidence to be present. It's my understanding that any divergences great than 10,000 years are essentially impossible to prove, since the divergence will be great enough that similarities in the languages due to common genetic origin will not be statistically significantly greater than those due to chance. Ryan Denzer-King Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COMSubject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd)To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Dear ILAT: I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does anyone know if there was something like that in the past several years? I believe it also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding the Bering Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been comparisons done. Bernadette A. Santamaria On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: Dear ILAT LISTSERV.The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they hadnever heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. Dorene -----Original Message-----From: phil cash cash To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDUSent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pmSubject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Mongolians first to discover America claims professor 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American place names and words in the Mongolian language. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could be Mongolian. "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be Mongolian," he said. The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail! _________________________________________________________________ Make distant family not so distant with Windows Vista® + Windows Live™. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/digitallife/keepintouch.mspx?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_CPC_VideoChat_distantfamily_012008 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From delancey at UOREGON.EDU Sat Jan 12 00:39:48 2008 From: delancey at UOREGON.EDU (Scott DeLancey) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:39:48 -0800 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) In-Reply-To: Message-ID: On Fri, 11 Jan 2008, Bernadette Santamaria wrote: > Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is > the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, > in any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the > issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been > comparisons done. Fairly recently a Danish linguist, Michael Fortescu, presented some good evidence that the Eskimo-Aleut languages of Alaska and the Chukchee-Koryak languages of far eastern Siberia (just across the Bering Strait, there's even a Yupik language spoken there) are related. Even more recently, Ed Vadja has found evidence that the Na-Dene languages (Tlingit, Eyak, and Athabaskan) are related to the Yeniseian languages (Ket and a few close relatives) in central Siberia. This is an old idea, and a Russian linguist, Sergei Starostin, and some others did find some evidence, but not enough to convince most linguists. Vajda has a stronger case now. Neither of these is sufficiently proven yet, but I suspect they're right. Otherwise, you're right--there's no respectable evidence to suggest that any New World language is related to any Old World language. That's not proof of anything, though--the old Bering Strait hypothesis had people coming across no earlier than about 12,000 years ago, but I don't think anybody (or at least anybody under the age of 50) believes that anymore-- it would more likely be 15-20,000 or more. We (meaning linguists) have no concept at all of how to identify relationships that old, or what evidence for a relationship that old would look like, so not finding it isn't surprising no matter what you believe about the origins of Native people. Anyway, to bring this back to the original topic, my professional opinion (admitting that I don't know much about Mongolian, or most of the 1,000 or so New World languages) is that the idea of finding obvious evidence of relationship between Mongolian and any American language is impossible. If you just take a map of North America and take all the place names that come from Native languages--which sounds like what this fellow did--some of them will probably sound sorta like words in whatever language you happen to speak. It doesn't prove anything. Sorry, I just went into lecture mode ... Scott DeLancey Department of Linguistics 1290 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1290, USA delancey at uoregon.edu http://www.uoregon.edu/~delancey/prohp.html From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET Sat Jan 12 03:01:37 2008 From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:01:37 -0800 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In-Reply-To: Message-ID: In discussion with Greg Anderson of Living Tongues,he found similarities in siberian and some athabaskan languages but he presented the possibility that populations of migrating americans could just as well have settled parts of Siberia and languages could have been spread this way as well. The Bering Strait might not have been The One Way Road we see on high school school maps I guess Athabaskans could claim to have discovered Russia? Richard Zane Smith Wyandotte, Oklahoma On 1/11/08 4:01 PM, "Ryan Denzer-King" wrote: > From what I know about the Bering Strait theory, the crossings occurred at far > too great a time depth for any significant (at least superficial) linguistic > evidence to be present. It's my understanding that any divergences great than > 10,000 years are essentially impossible to prove, since the divergence will be > great enough that similarities in the languages due to common genetic origin > will not be statistically significantly greater than those due to chance. > > Ryan Denzer-King > > >> >> Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700 >> From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM >> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor >> (fwd) >> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >> >> Dear ILAT: >> I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been >> DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does >> anyone know if there was something like that in the past several years? I >> believe it also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding >> the Bering Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine >> Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is >> the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in >> any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the >> issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been >> comparisons done. >> >> Bernadette A. Santamaria >> >> >> On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: >>> Dear ILAT LISTSERV. >>> >>> The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we >>> visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they had >>> never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we >>> took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you >>> could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George >>> Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous >>> trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. >>> Dorene >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: phil cash cash >>> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >>> Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm >>> Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) >>> >>> Mongolians first to discover America claims professor >>> >>> >>> >>> 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 >>> >>> http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html >>> >>> >>> >>> BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has >>> said >>> >>> America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is >>> >>> popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. >>> >>> >>> >>> Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the >>> Mongolian >>> >>> capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between >>> American >>> >>> place names and words in the Mongolian language. >>> >>> >>> >>> "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the >>> Aleutian >>> >>> Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. >>> >>> >>> >>> The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands >>> could >>> >>> be Mongolian. >>> >>> >>> >>> "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to >>> be >>> >>> Mongolian," he said. >>> >>> >>> >>> The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language >>> and >>> >>> Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. >>> >>> >>> >>> Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the >>> Mongolians >>> >>> and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the >>> >>> Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of >>> Mongolia. >>> >>> >>> More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail >>> >> lcmp00050000000003> ! >>> >> > > > Make distant family not so distant with Windows Vista® + Windows Live. Start > now! > CPC_VideoChat_distantfamily_012008> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Sat Jan 12 06:56:41 2008 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 01:56:41 -0500 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Message-ID: I thought Jambaldorj believed in staying out of Muggle linguistic affairs.... Jess Tauber wvle:wa wi:amana:nashin phonosemantics at earthlink.net From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Sat Jan 12 16:46:54 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:46:54 -0700 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In-Reply-To: Message-ID: I like the options that the Athapascan people could have discovered Russia! I wish I had thought of that. However, the possibility is closer to being substantial than might be implied by my opening. I discovered research at U. Manitoba a few years ago. I summarized here: http://www.learningforpeople.us/Lipan/AlaskanMigration.htm Actually it's a whole web environment, but it is pretty, and incorporates related research on New Mexico evidence. Says that the Athapascans were living on the southeast corner of Glacial Lake Agassiz during the last ice age. When the ice started to melt, Agassiz water went East, to the great lakes, where Athapascan speakers were encountered in the 1800's, North, to Alaska, to the land of the midnight sun, and South. Arrow heads indicate that they went all over the south. We know there are still Lipan people in Mexico. :-) Enjoy. Mia PS: For music buffs, what famous song, _______ River Valley, was about the modern day Lake Agassiz water? (Maybe that's too much of a clue :-) ). _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Richard Smith Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 8:02 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In discussion with Greg Anderson of Living Tongues,he found similarities in siberian and some athabaskan languages but he presented the possibility that populations of migrating americans could just as well have settled parts of Siberia and languages could have been spread this way as well. The Bering Strait might not have been The One Way Road we see on high school school maps I guess Athabaskans could claim to have discovered Russia? Richard Zane Smith Wyandotte, Oklahoma On 1/11/08 4:01 PM, "Ryan Denzer-King" wrote: >From what I know about the Bering Strait theory, the crossings occurred at far too great a time depth for any significant (at least superficial) linguistic evidence to be present. It's my understanding that any divergences great than 10,000 years are essentially impossible to prove, since the divergence will be great enough that similarities in the languages due to common genetic origin will not be statistically significantly greater than those due to chance. Ryan Denzer-King _____ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700 From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Dear ILAT: I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does anyone know if there was something like that in the past several years? I believe it also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding the Bering Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been comparisons done. Bernadette A. Santamaria On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: Dear ILAT LISTSERV. The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they had never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. Dorene -----Original Message----- From: phil cash cash To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Mongolians first to discover America claims professor 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American place names and words in the Mongolian language. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could be Mongolian. "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be Mongolian," he said. The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. _____ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! _____ Make distant family not so distant with Windows VistaR + Windows LiveT. Start now! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Sat Jan 12 16:49:47 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:49:47 -0700 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In-Reply-To: Message-ID: This page has the Manitoba links http://www.learningforpeople.us/Lipan/Taltheilei.htm _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Richard Smith Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 8:02 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In discussion with Greg Anderson of Living Tongues,he found similarities in siberian and some athabaskan languages but he presented the possibility that populations of migrating americans could just as well have settled parts of Siberia and languages could have been spread this way as well. The Bering Strait might not have been The One Way Road we see on high school school maps I guess Athabaskans could claim to have discovered Russia? Richard Zane Smith Wyandotte, Oklahoma On 1/11/08 4:01 PM, "Ryan Denzer-King" wrote: >From what I know about the Bering Strait theory, the crossings occurred at far too great a time depth for any significant (at least superficial) linguistic evidence to be present. It's my understanding that any divergences great than 10,000 years are essentially impossible to prove, since the divergence will be great enough that similarities in the languages due to common genetic origin will not be statistically significantly greater than those due to chance. Ryan Denzer-King _____ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700 From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Dear ILAT: I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does anyone know if there was something like that in the past several years? I believe it also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding the Bering Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been comparisons done. Bernadette A. Santamaria On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: Dear ILAT LISTSERV. The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they had never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. Dorene -----Original Message----- From: phil cash cash To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Mongolians first to discover America claims professor 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American place names and words in the Mongolian language. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could be Mongolian. "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be Mongolian," he said. The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. _____ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! _____ Make distant family not so distant with Windows VistaR + Windows LiveT. Start now! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM Sat Jan 12 18:42:46 2008 From: jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM (Jordan Lachler) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:42:46 -0900 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: <006301c853ca$dd715370$e7c07b80@LFPMIA> Message-ID: Group in Spain unveils Wikipedia-style site for fine-tuning Spanish language around the world DANIEL WOOLLS Associated Press Writer MADRID, Spain — A new Wikipedia-style online tool designed to help the world's nearly 400 million Spanish speakers consult on proper use of their language launched officially on Thursday. Spoken in more than 20 countries, Spanish poses a daunting and fluid challenge to academics trying to track variations in grammar and vocabulary; there can be many ways to say a simple word such as car or pen. The Web site, called Wikilengua, in testing since August, works like the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, where Internet users can modify the entries they consult. But Wikilengua contributors must register in order to edit entries, and supervisors check contributions and filter out those they deem inaccurate or inappropriate. Thursday's official unveiling was at Casa de America, a cultural center that aims to symbolize and enhance Spain's strong ties with Latin America — and their common use of the world's third-most-spoken language, after Chinese and English. "The first cyberspace forum that is open and dedicated to bringing together honestly all knowledge about the Spanish language was born today," said Alex Grijelmo, president of the Spanish national news agency Efe, part of the foundation that created the Web site. "Wikilengua aims to serve as a place for reflection on language, the grand instrument of human intelligence," Grijelmo said at the presentation. The site gets about 1,000 visits a day, and the number is rising steadily, said Javier Bezos, coordinator of the Web site. It is the brainchild of Fundeu BBVA, a foundation created by Efe and BBVA, Spain's No. 2 bank, to monitor and offer advice on correct use of Spanish, especially in the news media. The plan is to enlist the expertise of the Spanish Royal Academy, the official watchdog of the language, and 20-odd affiliated academies in Latin America, the United States and the Philippines. "What we are doing with Wikilengua is open an immense network of highways granting access to the ... work of the academies," said Victor Garcia de la Concha, director of the Spanish Royal Academy. "Now we (have) a space for exchanging opinions, studies and suggestions." ——— On the Net: http://www.wikilengua.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET Sun Jan 13 02:42:10 2008 From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:42:10 -0800 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In-Reply-To: <002001c8553a$bd0896e0$1200a8c0@LFPMIA> Message-ID: interesting pages Mia, thanks for sharing the link! awww...no plans for scuba archaeology in the Bering Strait? Rzs On 1/12/08 8:46 AM, "Mia Kalish" wrote: > I like the options that the Athapascan people could have discovered Russia! I > wish I had thought of that. > > However, the possibility is closer to being substantial than might be implied > by my opening. > I discovered research at U. Manitoba a few years ago. I summarized here: > http://www.learningforpeople.us/Lipan/AlaskanMigration.htm > > Actually it¹s a whole web environment, but it is pretty, and incorporates > related research on New Mexico evidence. > Says that the Athapascans were living on the southeast corner of Glacial Lake > Agassiz during the last ice age. When the ice started to melt, Agassiz water > went East, to the great lakes, where Athapascan speakers were encountered in > the 1800¹s, North, to Alaska, to the land of the midnight sun, and South. > Arrow heads indicate that they went all over the south. We know there are > still Lipan people in Mexico. J > > Enjoy. > Mia > > PS: For music buffs, what famous song, _______ River Valley, was about the > modern day Lake Agassiz water? (Maybe that¹s too much of a clue J ). > > > > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] > On Behalf Of Richard Smith > Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 8:02 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor > > In discussion with Greg Anderson of Living Tongues,he found > similarities in siberian and some athabaskan languages > but he presented the possibility that > populations of migrating americans could just as well have settled > parts of Siberia and languages could have been spread this way as well. > The Bering Strait might not have been The One Way Road > we see on high school school maps > > I guess Athabaskans could claim to have discovered Russia? > > Richard Zane Smith > Wyandotte, Oklahoma > > > > On 1/11/08 4:01 PM, "Ryan Denzer-King" wrote: > From what I know about the Bering Strait theory, the crossings occurred at far > too great a time depth for any significant (at least superficial) linguistic > evidence to be present. It's my understanding that any divergences great than > 10,000 years are essentially impossible to prove, since the divergence will be > great enough that similarities in the languages due to common genetic origin > will not be statistically significantly greater than those due to chance. > > Ryan Denzer-King > > > Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700 > From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM > Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor > (fwd) > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > > Dear ILAT: > I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been > DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does anyone > know if there was something like that in the past several years? I believe it > also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding the Bering > Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine Deloria, it > is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is the linguistic > evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in any way, > similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the issue of > parallels in language has not been proven although there have been comparisons > done. > > Bernadette A. Santamaria > > > On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: > Dear ILAT LISTSERV. > > The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we > visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they had > never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we > took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you > could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George > Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous > trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. > Dorene > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: phil cash cash > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm > Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) > > Mongolians first to discover America claims professor > > > > 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 > > http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html > > > > BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said > > America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is > > popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. > > > > Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian > > capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American > > place names and words in the Mongolian language. > > > > "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the > Aleutian > > Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. > > > > The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands > could > > be Mongolian. > > > > "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to > be > > Mongolian," he said. > > > > The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language > and > > Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. > > > > Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the > Mongolians > > and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the > > Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. > > > More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail > mp00050000000003> ! > > > > > > Make distant family not so distant with Windows Vista® + Windows Live. Start > now! > CPC_VideoChat_distantfamily_012008> > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 14 01:22:35 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:22:35 -0700 Subject: Language of the elders (fwd link) Message-ID: Language of the elders Preserving the sounds and identity of their American Indian culture By Flynn Espe The East Oregonian As in any typical high school classroom, the level of engagement varied from student to student Tuesday morning in the Umatilla language class at Nixyáawii Community School. In reviewing Umatilla vocabulary for articles of clothing, teacher Tawtaliksh (English name Fred Hill, Sr.) told several amusing stories behind the meaning of the words, being careful to clarify the language's precise sounds. With the slightest of change in vowel pronunciation, he demonstrated, the word for sleep would turn into the word for drink. To access the full article, just follow the link below: http://www.eastoregonian.info/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=71753 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 14 16:19:57 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:19:57 -0700 Subject: Nepal to document 8 endangered languages (fwd link) Message-ID: Nepal to document 8 endangered languages www.chinaview.cn 2008-01-14 13:36:35 KATHMANDU, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Eight different endangered indigenous languages are to be documented with grammar sketches and dictionaries, local newspaper The Kathmandu Post reported Monday. The research will be conducted by Central Department of Linguistics of Tribhuvan University with support from the National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN). The endangered languages are Raji, Bankariya, Dumi, Thakali, Danuwar, Kishan, Santhali and Kou. To access full article, follow the link below: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/14/content_7419086.htm From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 14 16:24:35 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:24:35 -0700 Subject: Dead linguist's work reviving dead languages (fwd link) Message-ID: Jan. 12, 2008, 10:59PM Dead linguist's work reviving dead languages Eccentric traveled California talking to native speakers in the early 1900s By LISA KRIEGER San Jose Mercury News SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Bringing voices from the grave, volunteers at the University of California-Davis are working to decipher nearly a million pages of notes from conversations with long-gone Californians, reviving more than 100 languages from the distant past. To access full article, just follow the link below: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5448796.html From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Mon Jan 14 22:43:52 2008 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:43:52 -0800 Subject: A Link To Creation Message-ID: Language of the elders Preserving the sounds and identity of their American Indian culture By Flynn Espe The East Oregonian As in any typical high school classroom, the level of engagement varied from student to student Tuesday morning in the Umatilla language class at Nixyáawii Community School. In reviewing Umatilla vocabulary for articles of clothing, teacher Tawtaliksh (English name Fred Hill, Sr.) told several amusing stories behind the meaning of the words, being careful to clarify the language's precise sounds. With the slightest of change in vowel pronunciation, he demonstrated, the word for sleep would turn into the word for drink. While some peers chatted away in various corners of the room, senior Randy Robinson, now in his third year of learning the language, sat front and center taking down notes. "I kind of try to focus on myself," Robinson said. "I'm starting to understand more of what Fred says when he starts speaking." In another classroom on campus, a different group of students reviewed the answers to a test on the Walla Walla tribal language, while a third classroom of students spent the morning studying pronouns of the Nez Perce language. Sitting in on the latter session, two elder Nez Perce speakers listened to make sure their apprentice teacher taught the proper annunciation. A new effort While the three American Indian dialects once flourished across the region as a backbone of native culture, very few fluent speakers - who learned the languages orally, often through grandparents - remain living. Beginning in 1996, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation adopted an ambitious language program to preserve the old tongues from becoming extinct. Each weekday, a small selection of tribal elders representing all three languages gathers informally to socialize and help one another re-extract the old words and phrases from their memories. While the group started with about nine elders, two have since died. With the help of descriptive linguist Noel Rude, Ph.D., the tribes have begun to amass a collection of recorded and phonetically written texts of the native dialects, transcribed interviews with the present tribal elders. From those, Rude has continued to expand the dictionaries and figure out the language grammars. While that work continues, the tribes have begun to build curriculum to teach the languages, now foreign, to the newest generation. At Nixyáawii, often depending on their blood lineage, students choose to study either Umatilla, Walla Walla or what the tribes refer to as Cayuse-Nez Perce, a slightly modified version of the Nez Perce language the Cayuse people began to speak after being nearly wiped out from war and disease in the 1800s. As the true Cayuse language no longer exists, tribal members attached the name to the Nez Perce as an identifier of the people who lived on through intermarriage. Reclaiming what was lost "When the Catholic priests came and they started the boarding schools, they punished the young people for speaking Indian. And also the United States government schools punished the youngsters severely," said elder Shaw' shwíinan' may (Kathleen Gordon), who helps pass on the Cayuse-Nez Perce language. "It was beaten out of us really. So our grandmas and our parents feared for us being punished and beaten." For many, such painful history contributed to long-lasting feelings of suspicion. "There was a lot of resistance at one time to have the language written down," said Kakiinash (Thomas MorningOwl), original language program director, explaining the old sentiment of some elders. " 'Why do you write down the language? The white man has stolen our identity. They've stolen our land.' " It's a viewpoint MorningOwl said has begun to fall by the wayside. "If I have the language, as I do, and I don't do anything to pass it on to my kids and leave a legacy of the written word behind, and I go to my grave ... I steal it from everybody," MorningOwl said. As the program now operates, a handful of elders from each language work independently to teach one or two adult apprentices, who in turn pass on the language to the high school students. Students study the languages twice a week. The tribes also work the language into their HeadStart program and teach a group of students weekly at Pendleton's Washington Elementary. Language barriers It is by no means an easy task. Aside from the different grammar and vocabulary, each of the three native tongues incorporates phonetic sounds not used in the English language. "English is kind of the upper limit for vowel sounds, huge numbers of vowels," Rude said. "And these (American Indian) languages are really rich in consonant sounds." Those sounds can incorporate everything from subtle pops at the front of the mouth to guttural throat pronunciations. "One of the things that always comes to my mind is, 'Are the people here really ready to start pronouncing the words how they're supposed to be pronounced?' " program supervisor Tîsyawak (Mildred Quaempts) said. "If they really want this language to go out, they have to be patient, and they have to be willing and committed." A link to creation For Hill, it also is a matter of immersing the young people in storytelling, an important teaching vehicle by which past generations learned to imitate the sounds of language not easily captured on paper. "There were life lessons, and as the stories were told you learned to become a listener. And one of those ways you indicated you were listening was by begetting sounds as you listened," he said, demonstrating a few vowel hums. "There are sounds that are evoked by the spirit of the story." And many tribal members believe those sounds have roots as deep as creation, a message Gordon imparts to all of her students. "These were sacred gifts to us from our creator that we were to speak for a lifetime. But they were taken from us and we need to revive them, because it is our true identity," Gordon said. "Like every bird has a song, their own unique song and sound - the dogs, the cats - everything has their own sound and this is our unique sound the creator gave to us." In an increasingly English-saturated world, local languages like the Umatilla, Walla Walla and Nez Perce, may never again exist in the same pure capacity as the past. "It's very hard to maintain a minority language in the world anywhere today," Rude said. "That's what we're trying to do here." Nevertheless, teachers at Nixyáawii may find encouragement from students like Robinson, who are making more noticeable efforts to listen. "I'm hoping to come back next year as an apprentice," he said. "I would like to keep up with the language, so I don't lose it over time." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 19:28:21 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:28:21 -0700 Subject: Most of Canada's 61 aboriginal languages continue decades-long slide (fwd link) Message-ID: Most of Canada's 61 aboriginal languages continue decades-long slide The Canadian Press INUVIK, N.W.T. - The lively five-year-olds in Sandra Ipana's language class chant through the calendar in Inuvialuktun. On the floor, elder Emma Dick plays word games with two shy little twin sisters. The posters on the wall are bright and there are plenty of colourful books on the shelves. But even here, where the effort to revive the language of the Inuvialuit is strongest, Ipana says the chances of her young pupils speaking their ancestral tongue in their everyday lives are modest. Article link: http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5i4n957oDs3QFjQyZ0sT7I2DXGC3g From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 19:30:32 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:30:32 -0700 Subject: Aboriginal language shows gains and losses (fwd link) Message-ID: Aboriginal language shows gains and losses Meagan Fitzpatrick, Canwest News Service Published: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 OTTAWA -- The growth in Canada's aboriginal population hasn't necessarily translated into more people speaking an aboriginal language, the 2006 census reveals. Knowledge and regular use of an aboriginal language rests largely with the older generations and while some languages gained speakers over the last decade, others lost, according to data contained in the Statistics Canada report released Tuesday on the country's aboriginal population. Article link: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=239370 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 19:32:09 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:32:09 -0700 Subject: Aboriginal diversity spans language, culture (fwd link) Message-ID: Aboriginal diversity spans language, culture Jan 15, 2008 08:45 AM Bob Weber THE CANADIAN PRESS INUVIK, N.W.T – Their steady murmur was the soundtrack to the recently completed hearings on a proposed Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline, as they are to virtually any important public event in the Northwest Territories. The presence of – and need for – aboriginal translators belie the too-often-held view in mainstream Canada that all First Nations are similar. Article link: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/294108 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 19:34:56 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:34:56 -0700 Subject: The last of Nepal's Dura speakers (fwd link) Message-ID: The last of Nepal's Dura speakers By Charles Haviland BBC News, Kathmandu Plans are being made to extend medical help to an octogenarian woman in Nepal who is the last known speaker of a minority language. None of the rest of Soma Devi Dura's family speak Dura, despite being from the same ethnic group. The only other person who could speak the language died last August. Now Soma Devi Dura's health is ailing at her home in the hills of western Nepal, and she has severely impaired sight and hearing. Article link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7189898.stm From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 19:40:35 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:40:35 -0700 Subject: Odawa language course makes its way into Harbor Springs’ curriculum (fwd link) Message-ID: Odawa language course makes its way into Harbor Springs’ curriculum By Christina Rohn News-Review Staff Writer Tuesday, January 15, 2008 11:59 AM EST A groundbreaking new course is being offered at Harbor Springs High School — Anishinaabemowin, the native language of Odawa Indians. The class, which is a collaboration between the Little Traverse Bay Bands (LTBB) of Odawa Indians and Harbor Springs Public Schools, began in September 2007 — the beginning of the current school year. According to officials from the Michigan Department of Education, no other public school system in the state is currently offering a “Native American” language course for credit toward graduation. Article link: http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2008/01/15/news/doc478ce2d409651389481741.txt Article has a really nice though short video segment worth viewing! From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 20:37:23 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:37:23 -0700 Subject: All Roads Seed Grants (fwd link) Message-ID: All Roads Seed Grants (National Geographic) http://www.nationalgeographic.com/allroads/seed-grants.html The All Roads Seed Grant Program funds film projects by and about indigenous and underrepresented minority-culture filmmakers year-round and from all reaches of the globe. The program seeks filmmakers who bring their lives and communities to light through first-person storytelling. Submission deadlines are quarterly on the 15th of each March, June, September, and December. Award notifications are made approximately six weeks after each of these dates. From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Wed Jan 16 15:01:27 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:01:27 -0700 Subject: Summer Institute: InField Message-ID: *** Apologies for cross-postings *** CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Linguists, Students of Linguistics, Language Activists INSTITUTE ON FIELD LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE DOCUMENTATION UC Santa Barbara http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/infield/ Workshops: June 23rd - July 3, 2008 Field Training: July 7-August 1st, 2008 Application Deadline: February 29, 2008 The Institute on Field Linguistics and Language Documentation is designed for field linguists, graduate students, and language activists to receive training in current techniques and issues in language documentation, language maintenance, and language revitalization. WORKSHOPS Steps in language documentation Models of language documentation and revitalization Language activism Introduction to linguistics for language activists Language resources and the community Grant writing for language activists or linguists Web and WIKIs for language documentation Audio recording Video recording Lexicography Orthography Discourse Transcription Principles of archiving, metadata, media, file formats Principles of database design Toolbox Field phonetics Life in the field Problematizing the field experience Intellectual property rights FIELD TRAINING (Intensive field methods) Patricia Shaw University of British Columbia Language: Kwakwala Tucker Childs Portland State University Language: Mende Carol Genetti UC Santa Barbara Language: TBA FOR APPLICATION AND COMPLETE INFORMATION, POINT YOUR BROWSER TO: http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/infield/ SPONSORS U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities: Documenting Endangered Languages Program University of California, Santa Barbara: Division of Humanities and Fine Arts, the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, and the Department of Linguistics -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 16 17:58:52 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:58:52 -0700 Subject: Aboriginal films from around the world hosted on new website (fwd link) Message-ID: Aboriginal films from around the world hosted on new website Inuit filmmaker Zach Kunuk and his co-producer Norman Cohn grabbed worldwide attention for their film "Atanarjuat" when it won a medal at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, but neither expected the accolades and attention to trickle down to others telling aboriginal stories. That's why the two have started a new service allowing such filmmakers from around the world to share and show their work on a website that could become the YouTube of aboriginal cinema. Full article link: http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jOXpLKjKFtGKXYT0J2qOLJM7zCOA From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 16 18:01:12 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:01:12 -0700 Subject: Language crusaders revitalize dying tongues (fwd link) Message-ID: Language crusaders revitalize dying tongues As Canada's native dialects slide toward obsolescence, aboriginal groups are finding resourceful ways to ensure linguistic posterity PATRICK WHITE >From Wednesday's Globe and Mail January 16, 2008 at 4:36 AM EST For a brief time when he was 6, Chief Robert Joseph's schoolteachers rendered him mute. If he dared speak Kwak'wala, his only tongue, even to complain of t'sit'saxsisala (sore feet) or t'ixwa ( a cough), the missionaries at St. Michael's Residential School in Alert Bay, B.C., would strike. And if Mr. Joseph's friends mustered the audacity to ask him yalkawa'mas — did you get hurt? — they risked a smack themselves. "I certainly saw my share of rulers, straps and cuffs on the ear," Mr. Joseph says in perfect English, the language forced upon him 62 years ago. "You had to pick up English or not communicate at all." Others students had it worse. One common punishment involved a sewing needle through the tongue. The last native residential schools closed in 1996, but the silencing of native tongues continues. Tuesday, Statistics Canada released data showing nearly all of Canada's native languages sliding toward obsolescence as fluent elders die and young aboriginals grow up speaking only English or French. Link to full article below: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080115.Lcensuslanguages0116/BNStory/lifeMain/home From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 17 18:41:57 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:41:57 -0700 Subject: Census numbers portray 'crisis' among Inuit: Simon (fwd link) Message-ID: Census numbers portray 'crisis' among Inuit: Simon Last Updated: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 | 9:15 AM CT CBC News A Canadian Inuit leader said she's worried about new statistics that show poor conditions among Canada's Inuit, from crowded houses to fewer people using traditional languages. Full article link below: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2008/01/16/inuit-census.html From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Thu Jan 17 20:53:44 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:53:44 -0500 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico Message-ID: FYI (link seen on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19666430768 ) Publica DOF el Catálogo de Lenguas Indígenas Notimex / La Jornada On Line http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2008/01/14/publica-dof-el-catalogo-de-len guas-indigenas México. El Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas (Inali) publicó este lunes en el Diario Oficial de la Federación el Catálogo de las Lenguas Indígenas Nacionales que contiene 300 variantes lingüísticas que se hablan en el país. . . . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Fri Jan 18 01:25:29 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:25:29 -0700 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico In-Reply-To: <035901c8594b$0d4787b0$27d69710$@net> Message-ID: This page requires a log in. . . . _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Don Osborn Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:54 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico FYI (link seen on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19666430768 ) Publica DOF el Catálogo de Lenguas Indígenas Notimex / La Jornada On Line http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2008/01/14/publica-dof-el-catalogo-de-len guas-indigenas México. El Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas (Inali) publicó este lunes en el Diario Oficial de la Federación el Catálogo de las Lenguas Indígenas Nacionales que contiene 300 variantes lingüísticas que se hablan en el país. . . . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmarmole at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 18 04:17:55 2008 From: fmarmole at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Francisco Marmolejo) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:17:55 -0700 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico In-Reply-To: <011f01c85971$03d8de60$8b0214ac@LFPMIA> Message-ID: Dear colleagues: An interactive version of the catalog can be consulted directly at: http://www.inali.gob.mx/catalogo2007/mapa.html The full Catalog in text can be downloaded from: http://www.inali.gob.mx/pdf/CLIN_completo.pdf Regards, Francisco Marmolejo Executive Director Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration CONAHEC - University of Arizona PO Box 210300 220 W. Sixth Street Tucson, AZ 85721-0300 USA Tel. (520) 621-9080 / 621-7761 Fax (520) 626-2675 Email: fmarmole at email.arizona.edu http://conahec.org cid:image001.jpg at 01C7AF30.82AF8360 Francisco Marmolejo Assistant Vice President for Western Hemispheric Programs University of Arizona PO Box 210158 888 N. Euclid Ave. / University Services Bldg. Tucson, AZ 85721 USA Tel. (520) 626-4258 Fax (520) 621-6011 Email: fmarmole at email.arizona.edu http://www.whp.arizona.edu cid:image002.gif at 01C7AF30.82AF8360 From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Mia Kalish Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 6:25 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico This page requires a log in. . . . _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Don Osborn Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:54 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico FYI (link seen on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19666430768 ) Publica DOF el Catálogo de Lenguas Indígenas Notimex / La Jornada On Line http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2008/01/14/publica-dof-el-catalogo-de-len guas-indigenas México. El Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas (Inali) publicó este lunes en el Diario Oficial de la Federación el Catálogo de las Lenguas Indígenas Nacionales que contiene 300 variantes lingüísticas que se hablan en el país. . . . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 2535 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 3042 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Fri Jan 18 04:37:52 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:37:52 -0500 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico In-Reply-To: <011f01c85971$03d8de60$8b0214ac@LFPMIA> Message-ID: Hi Mia, Yes the first URL requires a login (Facebook; sorry for not making that clear) but that is not critical - it's just where I saw the reference to the second URL, for the article. Of course Francisco Marmolejo's pointers are the substance of the matter. How many countries have done what Mexico has in one form or another? In many cases, and for various reasons, it has been foreign linguists and agencies like SIL which have done much of the work. While such outside-initiated efforts are vital, especially when there is nothing else, it doesn't seem to substitute for national initiative and data gathering, and can't take the place of policy to do something with the results. Don From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Mia Kalish Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 8:25 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico This page requires a log in. . . . _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Don Osborn Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:54 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico FYI (link seen on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19666430768 ) Publica DOF el Catálogo de Lenguas Indígenas Notimex / La Jornada On Line http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2008/01/14/publica-dof-el-catalogo-de-len guas-indigenas México. El Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas (Inali) publicó este lunes en el Diario Oficial de la Federación el Catálogo de las Lenguas Indígenas Nacionales que contiene 300 variantes lingüísticas que se hablan en el país. . . . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From candaceg at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 18 19:59:46 2008 From: candaceg at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Candace K. Galla) Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:59:46 -0700 Subject: American Indian Language Development Institute 2008 Message-ID: ** Announcing the 29th Annual American Indian Language Development Institute June 4 - July 2, 2008 University of Arizona *Creating Spaces for Indigenous Languages in Everyday Life* ** The University of Arizona and Department of Language, Reading & Culture invite you to the 29th American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI). AILDI 2008 will have a special focus on Native teachers in the classroom and language. Special topics will include NCLB & Native students, language immersion methods in the classroom, Native children's literature & writing and schooling in Native American communities. Our theme, *Creating Spaces for Indigenous Languages in Everyday Life *reflects this emphasis and will be highlighted with guest speakers, presentations, activities, projects, and fieldtrips. AILDI provides a unique educational experience for teachers of Native children. The AILDI format offers Native and non-Native teachers the opportunity to become researchers, practitioners, bilingual/bicultural curriculum specialists, and especially effective language teachers. The common concern of language loss, revitalization and maintenance brings educators, parents, tribal leaders and community members to this university setting to study methods for teaching Native languages and cultures and to develop materials. AILDI offers six graduate credits or undergraduate credit hours during four weeks of intensive study. Courses can be applied toward regular degree programs and teacher endorsements. Please visit our website at http://www.u.arizona.edu/~aildi for more information. Best, Candace K. Galla Ph.D Student, LRC Graduate Assistant American Indian Language Development Institute Department of Language, Reading & Culture College of Education, Room 517 P.O. Box 210069 Tucson, AZ 85721-0069 (520) 621-1068, Fax (520)621-8174 www.u.arizona.edu/~aildi candaceg at email.arizona.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2008%20Brochure.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 2228542 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dmark916 at AOL.COM Sat Jan 19 00:31:54 2008 From: dmark916 at AOL.COM (Dorothy Martinez) Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:31:54 -0700 Subject: Dorothy sent you a friend request on Tagged :) Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From aidan at USYD.EDU.AU Sat Jan 19 02:08:33 2008 From: aidan at USYD.EDU.AU (Aidan Wilson) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 13:08:33 +1100 Subject: Dorothy sent you a friend request on Tagged :) In-Reply-To: <20080119003155.0288D6216@listserv.arizona.edu> Message-ID: What is this? Is 'tagged' another social networking site or did a chunk of spam make its way onto the list? -Aidan (a human) Dorothy Martinez wrote: > If you can't see this email please click here > > Dorothy Martinez > Dorothy Martinez has added you as a friend > Is Dorothy your friend? > > > > Click Yes if Dorothy is your friend, otherwise click No. > But you have to click! > > Please respond or Dorothy may think you said no :( > Click here > > to block all emails from Tagged, P.O. Box 193152 San Francisco, CA > 94119-3152 > From Dmark916 at AOL.COM Sat Jan 19 05:04:06 2008 From: Dmark916 at AOL.COM (Dmark916 at AOL.COM) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:04:06 EST Subject: Dorothy sent you a friend request on Tagged :) Message-ID: Sorry, I was trying to delete the message I had received! Dorothy **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Dmark916 at AOL.COM Sat Jan 19 05:04:58 2008 From: Dmark916 at AOL.COM (Dmark916 at AOL.COM) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:04:58 EST Subject: Dorothy sent you a friend request on Tagged :) Message-ID: Sorry, ILAT: I was trying to delete a message I had received!! Dorothy **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From langendt at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 19 19:10:28 2008 From: langendt at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (D. Terence Langendoen) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:10:28 -0500 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico In-Reply-To: <039401c8598b$e393f570$aabbe050$@net> Message-ID: Don, I agree; in fact a transnational global effort is called for. Terry -- Terry Langendoen Prof Emeritus, Dept of Linguistics, Univ of Arizona, and Program Officer, Linguistics Program, Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, and Office of Cyberinfrastructure National Science Foundation, Arlington VA 22230, USA Phone: +1 (703) 292-5088 Fax: +1 (703) 292-9068 Email: dlangend at nsf.gov Quoting Don Osborn : [first paragraph omitted] > Of course Francisco Marmolejo's pointers are the substance of the matter. > How many countries have done what Mexico has in one form or another? In many > cases, and for various reasons, it has been foreign linguists and agencies > like SIL which have done much of the work. While such outside-initiated > efforts are vital, especially when there is nothing else, it doesn't seem to > substitute for national initiative and data gathering, and can't take the > place of policy to do something with the results. > > > Don > > > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] > On Behalf Of Don Osborn > Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:54 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico > > > FYI (link seen on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19666430768 ) > > Publica DOF el Catálogo de Lenguas Indígenas > > Notimex / La Jornada On Line > > http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2008/01/14/publica-dof-el-catalogo-de-len > guas-indigenas > > > > México. El Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Indígenas (Inali) publicó este > lunes en el Diario Oficial de la Federación el Catálogo de las Lenguas > Indígenas Nacionales que contiene 300 variantes lingüísticas que se hablan > en el país. > > > > . . . From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Sun Jan 20 08:05:48 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 03:05:48 -0500 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico In-Reply-To: <20080119141028.icoess0g8oc0o08k@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hi Terry, What is needed to start such a thing? I'm thinking that this being the International Year of Languages makes it natural & acceptable to bring up such issues at whatever level. (And in fact that there are a lot of language-related issues to get on a clearer agenda internationally this year.) Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology > [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of D. Terence Langendoen > Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 2:10 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: Re: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico > > Don, I agree; in fact a transnational global effort is called for. > Terry > -- > Terry Langendoen > Prof Emeritus, Dept of Linguistics, Univ of Arizona, and > Program Officer, Linguistics Program, Division of Behavioral and > Cognitive > Sciences, and Office of Cyberinfrastructure > National Science Foundation, Arlington VA 22230, USA > Phone: +1 (703) 292-5088 Fax: +1 (703) 292-9068 Email: > dlangend at nsf.gov > > > Quoting Don Osborn : > > [first paragraph omitted] > > Of course Francisco Marmolejo's pointers are the substance of the > matter. > > How many countries have done what Mexico has in one form or another? > In many > > cases, and for various reasons, it has been foreign linguists and > agencies > > like SIL which have done much of the work. While such outside- > initiated > > efforts are vital, especially when there is nothing else, it doesn't > seem to > > substitute for national initiative and data gathering, and can't take > the > > place of policy to do something with the results. > > > > > > Don > > . . . From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 20 14:10:23 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:10:23 -0700 Subject: Pioneering research shows ‘Google Generation’ is a myth (fwd link) Message-ID: Pioneering research shows ‘Google Generation’ is a myth 16 January 2008 * All age groups revealed to share so-called ‘Google Generation' traits * New study argues that libraries will have to adapt to the digital mindset * Young people seemingly lacking in information skills; strong message to the government and society at large A new study overturns the common assumption that the ‘Google Generation' – youngsters born or brought up in the Internet age – is the most web-literate. The first ever virtual longitudinal study carried out by the CIBER research team at University College London claims that, although young people demonstrate an apparent ease and familiarity with computers, they rely heavily on search engines, view rather than read and do not possess the critical and analytical skills to assess the information that they find on the web. Full article at link below: http://www.bl.uk/news/2008/pressrelease20080116.html From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 20 14:15:39 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:15:39 -0700 Subject: People of Nunavut fight to save Inuktitut language (fwd link) Message-ID: People of Nunavut fight to save Inuktitut language Sara Minogue, For Canwest News Service Published: Sunday, January 20, 2008 IQALUIT, Nunavut -- The Ecole des Trois Soleils sits atop a large hill with a commanding view of Frobisher Bay. The red and yellow striped building opened in 2001. About 50 young francophones between the ages of 5 and 14 come to classes here to be educated in their mother tongue, in spacious classrooms of about 15 students each. That the school exists in a community of 6,000, in a territory where fewer than 450 people have French as their first language, is remarkable. "And it's only there because of the fact that there's legislation. It would be ideal if we were in that situation," says Terry Audla. As executive director of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, representing Inuit in the Baffin region, Audla is hoping that new language legislation will give Nunavut the power to establish Inuktitut-language education throughout the territory. Full article link below: http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=dc1439a0-da5e-403f-ac94-e45a18a4d804&k=86097 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 20 14:26:53 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:26:53 -0700 Subject: Last fluent speaker of Wichita tribal language preserves what's left (fwd link) Message-ID: Last fluent speaker of Wichita tribal language preserves what's left In the end, one woman passes on what's left 12:00 AM CST on Sunday, January 20, 2008 By PAUL MEYER / The Dallas Morning News pmeyer at dallasnews.com ANADARKO, Okla. – The silence can't be far off now, Doris knows. She'll die and an old Indian language will die and the world will move on slightly smaller than before. No, she never expected to be the last one, the fair-skinned illegitimate daughter of a Wichita woman and white father. But everyone just kept disappearing: her mom, Mae, and brother, Newton, and tribal elders like Bertha Provost and then Vivian McCurdy five Decembers ago. Now it's just her, Doris Jean Lamar McLemore, the 80-year-old last fluent speaker of the Wichita language, driving alone through the dense fog of an early November morning to preserve what's left. Like most Fridays of late, she left her small house behind a budget motel before 8 a.m., rattling in a white Ford Escort wagon down a two-lane highway to the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes complex. Full article link below: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-wichita_20met.ART0.State.Edition2.383793f.html From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 20 14:44:35 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:44:35 -0700 Subject: "The Linguists" Message-ID: Greetings, You can view some clips from the film "The Linguists" now showing at the Sundance Film Festival. I suspect that there may be clips found elsewhere on the internet but this is what came up in my keyword search today. The Linguists http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=video l8ter, Phil Cash Cash UofA ilat From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 20 14:47:47 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:47:47 -0700 Subject: Remaining Oneida elders want language to live on (fwd link) Message-ID: Posted January 18, 2008 Remaining Oneida elders want language to live on ONEIDA — She remembers speaking Oneida as a child, in the days when she could still use it to converse in living rooms and corner stores across the reservation. Almost a century later, Maria Hinton is running out of people to talk to. "There is nobody to speak with," the 97-year-old great-grandmother says in exasperation. "I'm just walking around my house speaking to myself." Full article link below: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080118/GPG0101/801180700/1207/GPGnews From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 21 17:16:50 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:16:50 -0700 Subject: Siberian Nations Abandon Their Written Languages (fwd link) Message-ID: Siberian Nations Abandon Their Written Languages 21.01.2008 Despite numerous attempts to save languages of Siberian indigenous people, dialects are dying one after another. Full article link below: http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/5598/ From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 21 17:20:08 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:20:08 -0700 Subject: "Linguists" the talk of the town at Sundance (fwd link) Message-ID: "Linguists" the talk of the town at Sundance Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:29am EST By Kirk Honeycutt PARK CITY, Utah (Hollywood Reporter) - Indiana Jones' spirit certainly infects the intrepid heroes of "The Linguists." These are bold academics who plunge into the jungles and backwater villages of the world to rescue living tongues about to go extinct. There are more than 7,000 languages spoken in the world. Yet we lose a language every two weeks thanks to colonialization, globalization and indifference. To access full article, just follow the link below: http://www.reuters.com/article/reviewsNews/idUSN2135148520080121?sp=true From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 22 17:22:15 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:22:15 -0700 Subject: Course to help break the language barrier in the Labrador justice system (fwd link) Message-ID: Last updated at 2:54 PM on 21/01/08 Course to help break the language barrier in the Labrador justice system The Telegram A course intended to get Innu and Inuit people involved in the justice system in Labrador began today in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Students from Innu and Inuit communities who complete the Aboriginal Legal Interpreters Course will be eligible for employment in the justice system as legal interpreters. Justice Minister Jerome Kennedy said the hope is that the course will foster increased understanding of the justice system as more people are able to participate using their own language. Full article link below: http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=100139&sc=79 From lanz at RICE.EDU Tue Jan 22 22:16:06 2008 From: lanz at RICE.EDU (Linda Lanz) Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:16:06 -0900 Subject: Last native Eyak speaker dead at 89 Message-ID: http://www.adn.com/189/story/290580.html Last native Eyak speaker dead at 89 By DEBRA McKINNEY ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS January 22nd, 2008 Chief Marie Smith Jones, 89, the last full-blooded Eyak and last native speaker of the Eyak language, died of natural causes on Monday at her home in Anchorage, according to her family. Services will begin at 1 p.m. Friday at St. Innocent Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 401 Turpin St. Viewing will begin at 11 a.m. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM Wed Jan 23 06:00:56 2008 From: jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM (Jordan Lachler) Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:00:56 -0900 Subject: Indigenous languages and instant messaging Message-ID: Here's an interesting article on the use of English in instant messaging... http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/01/22/im-language.html It made me curious about other folks' experiences with instant messaging and other versions of online text-chatting in indigenous languages. I know several of our younger Haida students text one another regularly in Haida, or at least a mix of Haida and English. -- Jordan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 23 14:34:53 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:34:53 -0700 Subject: Linguist Explains Why He Documents Disappearing Bantu Languages (fwd) Message-ID: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 News Release Linguist Explains Why He Documents Disappearing Bantu Languages He calls them a rich source of information about our own potential and our BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Much research addresses how and why many of the earth's thousands of languages are disappearing. The question still arises, however, as to why it should matter to the rest of us if, say, Pite Sami, a language spoken by fewer than 20 inhabitants of Norway and Sweden, should vanish from the face of the Earth. Jeff Good, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Linguistics in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, says that we should attend to these losses because even seldom-used languages can tell us a great deal about the methods of categorization of the natural and mental world and because they can serve as vital links between the present and the prehistoric past. Good is the recipient of a recent grant and a fellowship from the National Science Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities' Documenting Endangered Languages Program, a new, multi-year effort to preserve records of key languages before they become extinct. He says, "As the numbers of languages decline, we lose rich and distinct cultural variations from which we can learn a great deal in fields as far ranging as anthropology, agriculture, linguistics, philosophy, geography and prehistory." His current research involves six languages spoken in a cluster of villages in the northwest highlands of Cameroon, a country in which more than 200 different languages are spoken, from Aghem to Zulgo. Good says that from a scientific standpoint, the work of linguists today is like that of early botanical and zoological explorers and collectors who went into the field to document the diversity of living things in the world, with no idea of what they might find. "Of course there is a human dimension to linguistics study," he says, "since linguists also work to preserve for the speakers themselves, their descendants and posterity information about cultures that find themselves marginalized by the modern world. Good says, "Although in principle, cultural knowledge can be transmitted apart from language -- as the Irish, for instance, can attest -- in practice, the political and economic forces that cause people to give up their languages also cause them to lose cultural knowledge," he says. He notes that very often, the last speakers also are among the last who remember traditional stories, songs and histories. "The languages of concern to me," he says, "are in the Bantu language family, which itself includes 500 or 600 distinct languages. The languages I study remain alive in part because the hilly terrain of this area seems to foster language variety and isolates the region commercially and politically. "In fact, people living in one village may speak an entirely different language than that spoken in the next village," Good says, noting that people in such circumstances are multilingual by necessity. In addition to speaking their own languages and those of nearby villages, many also speak the official languages of Cameroon, which are English and French. "When these villagers move to a new place," he says, "they add new languages to their repertoire, rather than replacing one language with another. Even in large cities they maintain their native languages by attending regular 'country meetings' with their fellow villagers." Social groups like 'country meetings' are important, Good says, because as the speakers of a minor language disappear or die, those who are left are often absorbed -- along with the special aspects of their culture -- into larger social and language groups. This is less likely to occur, he says, if speakers of a minority language (even those fluent in the lingua franca) are able to retain the use of their original tongue, if not in all spheres of life, at least within the home. The NEH grants will fund Good's documentary and descriptive work on two groups of under-described languages, the endangered Western Beboid languages and the moribund languages of the Furu Awa subdivision and will produce the first comprehensive descriptive materials on the grammar and lexicon of these languages. Although much work in the classification of the 500-plus Bantu languages (including Swahili and Zulu) spoken throughout southern Africa remains to be done, Good says it is generally believed that the ancestors of the 240 million modern-day Bantu language speakers migrated in prehistoric times from the borderland area in Cameroon where he works. When his study is complete, Good will have produced primary documentation resources of the endangered languages studied and descriptive materials on the languages in the form of annotated recordings and initial descriptions of the languages' grammars. He also will construct a comparative database of grammatical information on Western Beboid and closely related languages and produce recommendations for tool design for field linguistics, including structured annotations of grammatical data containing links to linguistic ontologies. Good has conducted fieldwork on other African languages and worked on the Comparative Bantu Online Dictionary and a lexical database for the Turkish Electronic Living Lexicon project. He also is technical director of the Rosetta Project, for which he oversees the development of standards and tool for accessioning data into the Rosetta data management system. Good has published a score of articles in linguistic journals, with three additional articles forthcoming and two under review. Also forthcoming from Oxford University Press is his edited volume, "Linguistic Universals and Language Change." The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 23 14:36:12 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:36:12 -0700 Subject: Linguist Explains Why He Documents Disappearing Bantu Languages (fwd) In-Reply-To: <20080123073453.w0g484o4w008084k@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: oops... Here is the full article link below: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/9096 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 23 14:39:32 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:39:32 -0700 Subject: The Fighting Eyak (fwd link) Message-ID: The Anchorage Daily News The Fighting Eyak By Marilee Enge Published: January 22nd, 2008 05:08 PM Last Modified: January 22nd, 2008 05:12 PM Editor's Note:This story was originally published August 22, 1993. Marie Smith Jones, 75, holds hands with John Johnson, the Eyak historian, during a ceremony marking the bones repatriation.On the eve of the ceremony marking the repatriation of Eyak bones, Marie Smith Jones waits nervously in a Cordova home. The bones had been held at the Smithsonian Institution for more than 60 years. he day they were to bury the bones again on the shores of Eyak Lake, the sky was gray and clouds hung low on the dark green forested mountains that ring Cordova. The last Native speaker of the Eyak Indian language dressed herself in her beaded dance vest and headdress and waited nervously in a little borrowed house not far from where she'd spent her childhood. Full article link below: http://www.adn.com/189/story/290818.html From daryn at ARWARBUKARL.COM.AU Thu Jan 24 04:41:31 2008 From: daryn at ARWARBUKARL.COM.AU (Daryn McKenny) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:41:31 +1100 Subject: Miromaa 3 Sneak preview - Language database computer software Message-ID: This story appears on our BLOG Site Miromaa 3 Sneak Preview Posted in January 24th, 2008 | Edit by Daryn in General , Puliima Online , Information Technology , Miromaa Hi Everyone, You may or may not have heard about the computer program "Miromaa" that we have developed. For those that have not here is a quick brief: Miromaa is a computer program which is aimed at empowering Indigenous people to enable us to best utilise technology in the task of researching, recording, reclaiming and disseminating our traditional languages. It enables us to be hands on in the preservation and revitalisation of our languages. Well, we are proud to now give you all a sneak preview of Miromaa 3, this is our major revised version developed on the .Net platform. The program still has all of the great features of before but now with a new fresher layout to make using Miromaa even easier. The program enforces good archive practise and helps you gather any and all evidences of language including, text, audio, images and video. You can also use it to store your digitised documents for example pdf and Word documents, Excel spreadsheets plus more. It has a secure environment which can only be accessed by username and password, it can help you work on multiple languages or dialects and it also has a learning area where you can begin learning immediately. The program can run on either a stand-alone desktop or on a network and you are not just limited to using Miromaa only as the program has the ability to export its data in various forms including SIL Shoebox/Toolbox text file format, Lexique Pro text file format, Microsoft Word, tables and more. Please add your thoughts to the BLOG as we would love to hear them. So, to get on with it here is the link to the preview site: http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/miromaa/Preview/Preview.html You will need a broadband connection to view the Shockwave video For further information about Miromaa 2 please visit here: http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=153 For further information about Arwarbukarl CRA visit here: http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/ Regards Daryn McKenny Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association Inc. Read our Indigenous Language BLOG at http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/blog/ P | 02 4954 6899 F | 02 4954 3899 E | daryn at arwarbukarl.com.au W | www.arwarbukarl.com.au Please note that we have recently moved to our new location at Cardiff. 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. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 24 16:32:37 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:32:37 -0700 Subject: Miromaa 3 Sneak preview - Language database computer software In-Reply-To: Message-ID: This is great news, Daryn, thanks! Phil Cash Cash UofA Quoting Daryn McKenny : > This story appears on our BLOG Site > > > > Miromaa 3 Sneak Preview Posted in January 24th, 2008 | Edit > 9> > > by Daryn in General > , Puliima Online > , Information Technology > , Miromaa > > > Hi Everyone, > > You may or may not have heard about the computer program "Miromaa" that > we have developed. For those that have not here is a quick brief: > > Miromaa is a computer program which is aimed at empowering Indigenous > people to enable us to best utilise technology in the task of > researching, recording, reclaiming and disseminating our traditional > languages. It enables us to be hands on in the preservation and > revitalisation of our languages. > > Well, we are proud to now give you all a sneak preview of Miromaa 3, > this is our major revised version developed on the .Net platform. The > program still has all of the great features of before but now with a new > fresher layout to make using Miromaa even easier. > > The program enforces good archive practise and helps you gather any and > all evidences of language including, text, audio, images and video. You > can also use it to store your digitised documents for example pdf and > Word documents, Excel spreadsheets plus more. > > It has a secure environment which can only be accessed by username and > password, it can help you work on multiple languages or dialects and it > also has a learning area where you can begin learning immediately. > > The program can run on either a stand-alone desktop or on a network and > you are not just limited to using Miromaa only as the program has the > ability to export its data in various forms including SIL > Shoebox/Toolbox text file format, Lexique Pro text file format, > Microsoft Word, tables and more. > > Please add your thoughts to the BLOG > as we would love to hear > them. > > So, to get on with it here is the link to the preview site: > > http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/miromaa/Preview/Preview.html > > You will need a broadband connection to view the Shockwave video > > For further information about Miromaa 2 please visit here: > > http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=153 > > For further information about Arwarbukarl CRA visit here: > http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/ > > > > > > Regards > > > > Daryn McKenny > > > > Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association Inc. > > > > Read our Indigenous Language BLOG at http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/blog/ > > > > > P | 02 4954 6899 F | 02 4954 3899 E | daryn at arwarbukarl.com.au > W | www.arwarbukarl.com.au > > > > Please note that we have recently moved to our new location at Cardiff. > > > > 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. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 24 16:41:26 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:41:26 -0700 Subject: Last Alaska language speaker dies (fwd link) Message-ID: BBC NEWS Last Alaska language speaker dies A woman believed to be the last native speaker of the Eyak language in the north-western US state of Alaska has died at the age of 89. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/americas/7206411.stm Published: 2008/01/24 10:56:02 GMT From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 24 21:50:30 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:50:30 -0700 Subject: Indigenous languages and instant messaging In-Reply-To: <3966a24c0801222200n32956624rfce468cf5db9ab94@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Jordan, I regulary write emails in Nez Perce both to individuals and to my listserv.  The only drawback is how to use the ascii character set to represent NP.  I assume it would present the same problem in IM even when there is an even more restricted character set.  Nice idea...I will have to find somebody to text with and give it a try.  Phil Cash Cash UofA Quoting Jordan Lachler : > Here's an interesting article on the use of English in instant messaging... > > http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/01/22/im-language.html > > It made me curious about other folks' experiences with instant messaging and > other versions of online text-chatting in indigenous languages. I know > several of our younger Haida students text one another regularly in Haida, > or at least a mix of Haida and English. > > -- > Jordan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From donaghy at HAWAII.EDU Thu Jan 24 21:56:48 2008 From: donaghy at HAWAII.EDU (Keola Donaghy) Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:56:48 +1300 Subject: Indigenous languages and instant messaging In-Reply-To: <20080124145030.0faboqo00wcccww8@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: I've been doing UTF-8 in Hawaiian with friends and colleagues for a few years using a couple different Mac Clients - iChat, Yahoo and Adium with no problems. Haven't tested with anyone on the Win side, but would be happy to if someone would like to try. Have also been doing it in Twitter and Jaiku and people on the Win side they can see the Hawaiian as well. Keola On 25 Ian. 2008, at 10:50 AM, phil cash cash wrote: > I regulary write emails in Nez Perce both to individuals and to my > listserv. The only drawback is how to use the ascii > character set to represent NP. I assume it would present the same > problem in IM even when there is an even more restricted character > set. Nice idea...I will have to find somebody to text with and give > it a try. ======================================================================== Keola Donaghy Assistant Professor of Hawaiian Studies Ka Haka 'Ula O Ke'elikolani keola at leoki.uhh.hawaii.edu University of Hawai'i at Hilo http://www2.hawaii.edu/~donaghy/ "Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam." (Irish Gaelic saying) A country without its language is a country without its soul. ======================================================================== -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM Thu Jan 24 23:50:37 2008 From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:50:37 -0600 Subject: Indigenous languages and instant messaging In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Someone gave a nice talk at the LSA OLAC workshop on texting using a language in the DRC as an example. Leonora Adidi talked about it at the Australian Linguistic Society this year too, using KKY (Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Western Torres, Australia). Leonora talked about some of the abbreviations that kids were using. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rrlapier at AOL.COM Fri Jan 25 03:11:31 2008 From: rrlapier at AOL.COM (rrlapier at AOL.COM) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:11:31 -0500 Subject: Fwd: DEADLINES - PLEASE PASS THE WORD In-Reply-To: <59A2074C4F13924B9F262334AAE805C4A76FDC@MUMMAILVS2.gs.umt.edu> Message-ID: -----Original Message----- From: LaPlant, Patty To: Barb Henderson ; Morsette, Aaron ; Whiting-Sorrell, Anna ; Emily Salois ; McAuliffe, Denny ; Brown, Blakely ; Blank, Lisa ; Bob McAnally ; maylinn.smith at umontana.edu; julie cajune ; Stolle, Darrell ; Shanley, Kate W ; Thompson, Sally ; Ray Cross ; Saha, Robin K. ; VanDenPol, Rick ; ryanh at redcrowcollege.com; Kim Doane ; njblood at mac.com; Carol Murray ; Davies, Wade ; Wayne Stein ; Walter C. Fleming ; Swaney, Ellen ; Sean Chandler ; Evans, Roberta D. ; Eileen Iron Cloud ; norma at rangeweb.net; Juneau, Linda ; Jodi Rave ; rrlapier at aol.com; Gyda Swaney ; Grant, Denise ; Gordon Belcourt Cc: Zimmerman, Marilyn ; Morsette, Aaron ; Jepson, Stacia ; Kennedy, Sindie ; Frederikson, John ; Utzinger, Chris ; Iris Prett Paint ; Utzinger, Chris ; John, Laura ; Kennedy, Sindie ; patty_laplant at hotmail.com Sent: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 2:48 pm Subject: DEADLINES - PLEASE PASS THE WORD Intersecting Interests: Tribal Knowledge and Research Communities ·        FEBRUARY 1 – LAST DAY FOR EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION AT LOW RATE OF $125.00. ·        FEBRUARY 15 – DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS TO PRESENT   www.tribalknowledgegathering.org for registration and on-line proposal forms.   Please pass the word on to all your friends, colleagues and list-serves.  Thanks.  Patty ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: CALL_FOR_PRESENTERS.doc Type: application/msword Size: 38912 bytes Desc: not available URL: From lanz at RICE.EDU Sat Jan 26 12:02:51 2008 From: lanz at RICE.EDU (Linda Lanz) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:02:51 -0900 Subject: Iupiaq film at Sundance Message-ID: Hi folks, I know there's been a lot of talk about the linguist documentary at Sundance, but I just found out that there's an Iñupiaq short film being featured at Sundance this year, too. It's called Sikumi (On the Ice), by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, and it's shot entirely in the Iñupiaq language (northern Alaska). (The filmmaker is, incidentally, son of Edna Ahgeak MacLean, one of the foremost Native linguists and educators working on Iñupiaq revitalization - way to go, MacLean family!). Nice to see a film in an indigenous language featured in such a high- profile setting! If you'd like to check it out for yourself, you can watch it online at Sundance's site: http://www.sundance.org/festival/shorts/ I think this is set to work only for one day, so Sikumi will only be up on their website January 26 (North American time zones). Best, Linda L. ------------------------- Linda Lanz Dept. of Linguistics Rice University lanz at rice.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Sat Jan 26 14:13:55 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 07:13:55 -0700 Subject: I=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=F1upiaq?= film at Sundance In-Reply-To: <3F164085-54DB-4CF3-98BC-4F92B373E25F@rice.edu> Message-ID: I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at places like Sundance. A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound Films) included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend Sundance last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He had a great time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. He is a wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film was originally called) and got front page news in some of the local papers (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was there. He was most touched by some comments from the other native people who were attending and who made contact with him after his public interviews. I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages is important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way to reach a broader audience. Susan On Jan 26, 2008 5:02 AM, Linda Lanz wrote: > Hi folks, > I know there's been a lot of talk about the linguist documentary at > Sundance, but I just found out that there's an Iñupiaq short film being > featured at Sundance this year, too. It's called Sikumi (On the Ice), by > Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, and it's shot entirely in the Iñupiaq language > (northern Alaska). (The filmmaker is, incidentally, son of Edna Ahgeak > MacLean, one of the foremost Native linguists and educators working on > Iñupiaq revitalization - way to go, MacLean family!). > > Nice to see a film in an indigenous language featured in such a > high-profile setting! If you'd like to check it out for yourself, you can > watch it online at Sundance's site: > > http://www.sundance.org/festival/shorts/ > > I think this is set to work only for one day, so Sikumi will only be up on > their website January 26 (North American time zones). > > Best, > Linda L. > > ------------------------- > Linda Lanz > Dept. of Linguistics > Rice University > lanz at rice.edu > > > > -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 26 17:13:15 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:13:15 -0700 Subject: I speak Aboriginal every day (fwd link) Message-ID: I speak Aboriginal every day Kate Holden January 26, 2008 The origins and meanings of place names - from local streets to mountains - so familiar to Victorians are most often unknown but can tell so much about the Aboriginal heritage of this state, writes Kate Holden. Full article link below: http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/i-speak-aboriginal-every-day/2008/01/25/1201157630669.html From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 26 17:25:03 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:25:03 -0700 Subject: Ancient Indigenous Settlements Being Destroyed by Russian Seaport (fwd) Message-ID: Ancient Indigenous Settlements Being Destroyed by Russian Seaport Thursday, January 24 2008 @ 12:20 PM PST Contributed by: laplandian http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080124122036201 The government of Leningrad Oblast (Saint-Petersburg Region) is planning to expand the Ust-Luga Seaport, which is to become the largest seaport in Russia. According to the plan, all villages nearby the construction site are going to be demolished, and their population will be offered appartments in other areas. The villages Krakol'e and Luzhitsy, both located in the seaport area, are the only surviving compact settlement of the Votia nation. According to archeological data, the Votians are the most ancient indigenous nation of Ingria, who become practically extinct after Stalinist dispersion to Soviet provinces far away. Only about 30 of the Votians still remember their native language; most of them live in Krakol'e and Luzhitsy. Some activists are running language and culture classes in the local school and organize folklore festivals, trying to pass their culture to the next generation. Displacing the Votians from their homeland will almost certainly result in total assimilation on this ancient nation in the next 20-30 years. Though is no feasible way to stop the expansion of the Ust-Luga Seaport, which will also cause a great deal of environmental damage, it might be still possible to convince the government to preserve at least these two villages, and to declare some sort of "reservation", if enough people would protest against this terrible plan. According to the Russian Constitution, the Votians are considered an indigenous nations and have the right to continue living in their homeland. Links (in Russian): http://www.regrus.info/anounces/3/226.html http://www.cultradio.ru/doc.html?id=160232&cid=44 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 26 17:32:42 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:32:42 -0700 Subject: Keep the language alive (fwd link) Message-ID: Keep the language alive By Tim Damos Ho-Chunk tribe member Georgia Lonetree remembers teaching at an American Indian boarding school in Arizona years ago. She missed speaking her native language so much, she used to drive around looking for roadside objects she could name in Ho-Chunk. When she finally returned to Wisconsin, hearing the language again was overwhelming. "It sometimes brought tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat when I'd hear my elders pray," she said. Full article link below: http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/269434 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 26 17:35:55 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:35:55 -0700 Subject: Barrow film honored at Sundance festival (fwd link) Message-ID: Barrow film honored at Sundance festival Inupiaq-language drama can be viewed online today By SARAH HENNING shenning at adn.com | shenning at adn.com Published: January 26th, 2008 12:12 AM Last Modified: January 26th, 2008 04:40 AM Last April, Andrew Okpeaha MacLean and his film crew were shooting on location just outside Barrow, keeping a wary eye out for polar bears, stuffing theatrical blood down their pants to stop it from congealing. This week, MacLean is rubbing shoulders with filmmaking icons such as Quentin Tarantino at the career-making Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. MacLean's short feature film "Sikumi (On the Ice)," about an Inupiaq hunter who witnesses a murder, was one of 83 shorts chosen from a field of 5,000. It's his second film shown at Sundance. Full article linnk below: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/294554.html From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 26 18:11:26 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 11:11:26 -0700 Subject: spontaneous acquisition Message-ID: Greetings ILAT, I just wanted to share this quote found in a UK press article regarding the last speaker of Eyak. "I got that strong feeling right here that it's going to come back. God will send down Eyak to start all over again." Marie Smith Jones As an indigenous person, it feels good when I read words like this. Myself, I can say that I come from a strong spiritual family/community where words have power, believing has power, and acting in the way of an ancestral life has power. Basically, good things can happen from living a strong traditional life, so long as it can be imagined, modeled, taught, or acted upon. What I want to point out though is that there is a fairly unknown/undocumented element in language revitalization where community people can experience or otherwise cite instances of spontaneous language acquisition. Now the linguist in you is probably asking "how is that possible?" or "language is too variable and it would be virtually impossible to acquire the full encyclopedic vocabulary of a language," right? Our venerable speaker of Eyak believed in it. I believe it...because I have witnessed it and heard first-person accounts of spontaneous acquisition. To tell the truth, I am not sure how to describe it if asked but I know it happens. Just a thought for you all today... Phil Cash Cash (Cayuse/Nez Perce) UofA ~~~ In praise of ... the Eyak language Leader Friday January 25, 2008 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,2246576,00.html From lang.support at GMAIL.COM Sun Jan 27 03:27:27 2008 From: lang.support at GMAIL.COM (Andrew Cunningham) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:27:27 +1100 Subject: Indigenous languages and instant messaging In-Reply-To: <7f53d06c0801241550k43eeed0fsdc1d396f75c6a1c5@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Using IM should be relatively straight forward. Many of the IM clients i've used support Unicode. The key issues (assuming you have a Unicode based IM client) are: 1) the client allows you to select arbitrary fonts, so you can use an appropriate font for the language in question 2) the IM client uses and appropriate font rendering technology to display text We've successfully used a rage of languages using various protocols including IRC, Windows Live messenger, jabber servers, and YIM, using a range of clients. Andrew -- Andrew Cunningham From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM Sun Jan 27 04:39:55 2008 From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 22:39:55 -0600 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <39a679e20801260613r3846c7acj7342186420db4d45@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: does anyone know why the name of the film was changed? Claire Susan Penfield wrote: > I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at > places like Sundance. > > A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound Films) > included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr > (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend Sundance > last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He had a great > time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. He is a > wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film was > originally called) and got front page news in some of the local papers > (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was there. He was > most touched by some comments from the other native people who were > attending and who made contact with him after his public interviews. > > I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages is > important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of > 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way to > reach a broader audience. > > Susan > From aidan at USYD.EDU.AU Sun Jan 27 05:22:01 2008 From: aidan at USYD.EDU.AU (Aidan Wilson) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:22:01 +1100 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <479C0B1B.2020004@gmail.com> Message-ID: From the look of the short (I haven't seen it), I'd suggest that the newer title better reflected the focus of the film. -Aidan On 27/01/08 15:39, Claire Bowern said: > does anyone know why the name of the film was changed? > Claire > > Susan Penfield wrote: >> I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at >> places like Sundance. >> >> A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound >> Films) included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr >> (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend >> Sundance last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He >> had a great time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. >> He is a wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film >> was originally called) and got front page news in some of the local >> papers (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was >> there. He was most touched by some comments from the other native >> people who were attending and who made contact with him after his >> public interviews. >> >> I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages >> is important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of >> 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way >> to reach a broader audience. >> >> Susan >> From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Sun Jan 27 14:21:46 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 07:21:46 -0700 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <479C0B1B.2020004@gmail.com> Message-ID: Basically, I was told, that the most interesting segments (to the targeted PBS) involved David Harrison and Greg (whose last name I can't remember)....A decision was made to focus more on them and their adventures in identifying endangered languages -- a little 'Indiana Jones' -like. Linguists themselves might object to this image (I think I saw a mention of that on Jane Simpson's blog)...and most in the linguistics community still favor the title, "The Last Speakers" -- However, getting attention of the general public is a different thing -- and I do think we should all be grateful that awareness for endangered languages will no doubt be raised. It is also possible that the movie, "The Last Speakers" ...will still be produced for educational purposes -- a different venue than actual PBS productions. This version will be a more realistic and include additional footage with speakers. That is all I know at this point... S. On Jan 26, 2008 9:39 PM, Claire Bowern wrote: > does anyone know why the name of the film was changed? > Claire > > Susan Penfield wrote: > > I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at > > places like Sundance. > > > > A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound Films) > > included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr > > (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend Sundance > > last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He had a great > > time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. He is a > > wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film was > > originally called) and got front page news in some of the local papers > > (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was there. He was > > most touched by some comments from the other native people who were > > attending and who made contact with him after his public interviews. > > > > I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages is > > important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of > > 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way to > > reach a broader audience. > > > > Susan > > > -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Sun Jan 27 14:35:23 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 07:35:23 -0700 Subject: spontaneous acquisition In-Reply-To: <20080126111126.l0cxsyjvkkkkw4k0@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Thank you, Phil, This is an important perspective to share and one we should all think about and respect. S. On Jan 26, 2008 11:11 AM, phil cash cash wrote: > Greetings ILAT, > > I just wanted to share this quote found in a UK press article regarding > the last > speaker of Eyak. > > "I got that strong feeling right here that it's going to come back. God > will > send down Eyak to start all over again." Marie Smith Jones > > As an indigenous person, it feels good when I read words like this. > > Myself, I can say that I come from a strong spiritual family/community > where > words have power, believing has power, and acting in the way of an > ancestral > life has power. Basically, good things can happen from living a strong > traditional life, so long as it can be imagined, modeled, taught, or acted > upon. > > What I want to point out though is that there is a fairly > unknown/undocumented > element in language revitalization where community people can experience > or > otherwise cite instances of spontaneous language acquisition. Now the > linguist > in you is probably asking "how is that possible?" or "language is too > variable > and it would be virtually impossible to acquire the full encyclopedic > vocabulary of a language," right? > > Our venerable speaker of Eyak believed in it. I believe it...because I > have > witnessed it and heard first-person accounts of spontaneous acquisition. > To > tell the truth, I am not sure how to describe it if asked but I know it > happens. > > Just a thought for you all today... > > Phil Cash Cash (Cayuse/Nez Perce) > UofA > > ~~~ > > In praise of ... the Eyak language > Leader > Friday January 25, 2008 > The Guardian > http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,2246576,00.html > -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET Sun Jan 27 17:09:57 2008 From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 09:09:57 -0800 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <39a679e20801270621hf0ba205s9ae4e81bd93d3271@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hey Susan, Greg Anderson came out to Wyandotte OK recently to speak with tribal reps. who might want Living Tongues help save languages. I was gabbing in the office with tribal members i hadn't seen in awhile and i kept wondering when DR. Greg Anderson was going to arrive. Someone was on the phone in the office so i wandered in the hall to scan the parking lot and i walked past a young local guy sitting there . I went outside and this "local guy" walks up behind me and introduces himself as Greg Anderson! HA! so much for my sterotypes of DRs of linguistics! We had a great time sharing and his passion is genuine and his conversation over lunch kept drifting to villages in upper Siberia, where he spent an entire year...often....just staying alive. Scholars can snivel about these guys as Indiana Jones image types.....well, it might be a little over dramatic, but it ain't far off! Richard Zane Smith Wyandotte Oklahoma On 1/27/08 6:21 AM, "Susan Penfield" wrote: > Basically, I was told, that the most interesting segments (to the targeted > PBS) involved David Harrison and Greg (whose last name > I can't remember)....A decision was made to focus more on them and their > adventures in identifying endangered languages -- > a little 'Indiana Jones' -like. Linguists themselves might object to this > image (I think I saw a mention of that on Jane Simpson's blog)...and most in > the linguistics community still favor the title, "The Last Speakers" -- > However, getting attention of the general public is a different thing -- and I > do think we should all be grateful that awareness for endangered languages > will no doubt be raised. > > It is also possible that the movie, "The Last Speakers" ...will still be > produced for educational purposes -- a different venue than actual PBS > productions. This version will be a more realistic and include additional > footage with speakers. > > That is all I know at this point... > S. > > > > > On Jan 26, 2008 9:39 PM, Claire Bowern wrote: >> does anyone know why the name of the film was changed? >> Claire >> >> Susan Penfield wrote: >>> > I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at >>> > places like Sundance. >>> > >>> > A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound Films) >>> > included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr >>> > (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend Sundance >>> > last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He had a great >>> > time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. He is a >>> > wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film was >>> > originally called) and got front page news in some of the local papers >>> > (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was there. He was >>> > most touched by some comments from the other native people who were >>> > attending and who made contact with him after his public interviews. >>> > >>> > I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages is >>> > important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of >>> > 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way to >>> > reach a broader audience. >>> > >>> > Susan >>> > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Sun Jan 27 15:31:29 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:31:29 -0700 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Thanks for this...I know both Greg and David...and agree with you! Their energy is something we should all welcome! S. On Jan 27, 2008 10:09 AM, Richard Smith wrote: > Hey Susan, > Greg Anderson came out to Wyandotte OK recently to speak with tribal reps. > who might want Living Tongues help save languages. > > I was gabbing in the office with tribal members i hadn't seen in awhile > and i kept wondering when DR. Greg Anderson was going to arrive. > Someone was on the phone in the office so i wandered in the hall > to scan the parking lot and i walked past a young local guy sitting there > . > I went outside and this "local guy" walks up behind me and introduces > himself as Greg Anderson! > HA! so much for my sterotypes of DRs of linguistics! > We had a great time sharing and his passion is genuine and his > conversation > over lunch kept drifting to villages in upper Siberia, > where he spent an entire year...often....just staying alive. > > Scholars can snivel about these guys as Indiana Jones image > types.....well, it might be a little over dramatic, > but it ain't far off! > > Richard Zane Smith > Wyandotte Oklahoma > > > > > > > On 1/27/08 6:21 AM, "Susan Penfield" wrote: > > Basically, I was told, that the most interesting segments (to the > targeted PBS) involved David Harrison and Greg (whose last name > I can't remember)....A decision was made to focus more on them and their > adventures in identifying endangered languages -- > a little 'Indiana Jones' -like. Linguists themselves might object to this > image (I think I saw a mention of that on Jane Simpson's blog)...and most in > the linguistics community still favor the title, "The Last Speakers" -- > However, getting attention of the general public is a different thing -- and > I do think we should all be grateful that awareness for endangered languages > will no doubt be raised. > > It is also possible that the movie, "The Last Speakers" ...will still be > produced for educational purposes -- a different venue than actual PBS > productions. This version will be a more realistic and include additional > footage with speakers. > > That is all I know at this point... > S. > > > > > On Jan 26, 2008 9:39 PM, Claire Bowern wrote: > > does anyone know why the name of the film was changed? > Claire > > Susan Penfield wrote: > > I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at > > places like Sundance. > > > > A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound Films) > > included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr > > (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend Sundance > > last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He had a great > > time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. He is a > > wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film was > > originally called) and got front page news in some of the local papers > > (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was there. He was > > most touched by some comments from the other native people who were > > attending and who made contact with him after his public interviews. > > > > I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages is > > important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of > > 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way to > > reach a broader audience. > > > > Susan > > > > > > > -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM Mon Jan 28 00:04:14 2008 From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:04:14 -0600 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <39a679e20801270731j69f76c1ayad30fff157c68d4c@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: > Scholars can snivel about these guys as Indiana Jones image > types.....well, it might be a little over dramatic, > but it ain't far off! This was probably a jibe at me in part, since I was one of the main "snivellers" linked to from the ELAC blog. Let me explain a little why I have been less than enthusiastic about some aspects of "Living Tongues" and the media coverage that came from National Geographic. It's nothing to do with envy at the Indiana Jones image. If we want to play "my site's more dangerous than your site" or "Lara Croft: verb raider" I too can think of a multitude of horrible ways to die at my field site, from crocodiles to sarcophagic bacteria. Big deal. My problem with Living Tongues is not about this movie, it was about the portrayal of Greg and David coming in, "discovering" a bunch of languages, "saving" them, having the story be all about them but pretending it was about the language groups they were "saving". They didn't discover anything, they didn't save anything, and it wasn't about the people they were working with. Apologies for complaining if reporting adheres only to some idealised truth rather than reporting facts from the world we live in. None of that applies to the movie. If anything, I'm happier that it's clearly about them, and isn't trying to be seriously reporting. Claire From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET Mon Jan 28 02:53:43 2008 From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:53:43 -0800 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <479D1BFE.3010105@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi Claire, sorry I meant no disrespect to those critical of the film. I haven't even seen any clips from the film, just reporting my own impressions of my meeting with Greg. I am an artist volunteering in a public school and teaching basic Wyandot language to a few hundred children ( k-4th) Often i feel it is a miracle to be doing this...what an honor. and yet even as a tribal member, I am also isolated and often wonder if what i'm doing is even relevant. Joining this egroup and also meeting people on adventures makes me feel i'm on a worthwhile adventure myself knowing there are similar efforts all over the world....like i'm an invisible member of some valuable team. so... I hope the film really awakens alot of viewers to the incredible importance of saving our indigenous languages. If it can draw people in through some excitement and "discovery" ...well...who knows? (and i apologize for using the word "snivel".... that just wasn't nice) take care, and ....watch out for those crocodiles! Richard Zane Smith Wyandotte Oklahoma On 1/27/08 4:04 PM, "Claire Bowern" wrote: >> Scholars can snivel about these guys as Indiana Jones image >> types.....well, it might be a little over dramatic, >> but it ain't far off! > > This was probably a jibe at me in part, since I was one of the main > "snivellers" linked to from the ELAC blog. Let me explain a little why I > have been less than enthusiastic about some aspects of "Living Tongues" > and the media coverage that came from National Geographic. It's nothing > to do with envy at the Indiana Jones image. If we want to play "my > site's more dangerous than your site" or "Lara Croft: verb raider" I too > can think of a multitude of horrible ways to die at my field site, from > crocodiles to sarcophagic bacteria. Big deal. > > My problem with Living Tongues is not about this movie, it was about the > portrayal of Greg and David coming in, "discovering" a bunch of > languages, "saving" them, having the story be all about them but > pretending it was about the language groups they were "saving". They > didn't discover anything, they didn't save anything, and it wasn't about > the people they were working with. Apologies for complaining if > reporting adheres only to some idealised truth rather than reporting > facts from the world we live in. None of that applies to the movie. If > anything, I'm happier that it's clearly about them, and isn't trying to > be seriously reporting. > > Claire From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU Mon Jan 28 00:59:26 2008 From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:59:26 -0500 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: Message-ID: >.watch out for those crocodiles Crocodiles wouldn't bother me much, but I hear that in Australia they've got some very nasty spiders. Ick. Luckily where I am we just have grizzly bears. Bill From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM Mon Jan 28 03:44:04 2008 From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:44:04 -0600 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Hi Richard, Thanks for your email. I agree! I still can't quite believe even after all these years that I get employed to do this sort of work! Actually, your story is a good example of why I'm not a fan of Indiana Jones fieldwork. In many ways academic linguists have it really easy. We get to choose where we work and who to work with, someone pays us to go somewhere really neat to hang out with great people to learn really fantastically wonderful languages, and then we go back to our heated/airconditioned offices and think about it for a while... and if it doesn't work out we don't need to go back and we're usually not there for all that long so if it's tough it's at least finite, and we can usually get out fairly quickly if something goes wrong. But that won't 'save' a language: in the end the language will continue because of the work that you and your colleagues do, and that should get more publicity and support. I am uneasy about the rhetoric of the academic linguist going in to a community to 'save' a language, when the real people who save the language are the people who speak it with their kids. Claire From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM Mon Jan 28 03:47:32 2008 From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:47:32 -0600 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <20080128005926.5EDCBB2467@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu> Message-ID: spiders have more legs but fewer teeth. And it's hard to swat a crocodile with a newspaper! C William J Poser wrote: >> .watch out for those crocodiles > > Crocodiles wouldn't bother me much, but I hear that in Australia > they've got some very nasty spiders. Ick. Luckily where I am > we just have grizzly bears. > > Bill > From CMcMillan at WVC.EDU Mon Jan 28 21:04:49 2008 From: CMcMillan at WVC.EDU (McMillan, Carol) Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:04:49 -0800 Subject: spontaneous acquisition In-Reply-To: A<20080126111126.l0cxsyjvkkkkw4k0@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Thanks for writing that, Phil. I've had an increasing sense that, as more people began learning the languages, the languages' own spirit will grow stronger and begin taking over to bring them back. Those words don't really explain my feeling, but what you said helps to reinforce it. Thanks, Carol -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 10:11 AM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] spontaneous acquisition Greetings ILAT, I just wanted to share this quote found in a UK press article regarding the last speaker of Eyak. "I got that strong feeling right here that it's going to come back. God will send down Eyak to start all over again." Marie Smith Jones As an indigenous person, it feels good when I read words like this. Myself, I can say that I come from a strong spiritual family/community where words have power, believing has power, and acting in the way of an ancestral life has power. Basically, good things can happen from living a strong traditional life, so long as it can be imagined, modeled, taught, or acted upon. What I want to point out though is that there is a fairly unknown/undocumented element in language revitalization where community people can experience or otherwise cite instances of spontaneous language acquisition. Now the linguist in you is probably asking "how is that possible?" or "language is too variable and it would be virtually impossible to acquire the full encyclopedic vocabulary of a language," right? Our venerable speaker of Eyak believed in it. I believe it...because I have witnessed it and heard first-person accounts of spontaneous acquisition. To tell the truth, I am not sure how to describe it if asked but I know it happens. Just a thought for you all today... Phil Cash Cash (Cayuse/Nez Perce) UofA ~~~ In praise of ... the Eyak language Leader Friday January 25, 2008 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,2246576,00.html From lanz at RICE.EDU Mon Jan 28 22:35:15 2008 From: lanz at RICE.EDU (Linda Lanz) Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:35:15 -0900 Subject: spontaneous acquisition In-Reply-To: <20080126111126.l0cxsyjvkkkkw4k0@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hi Phil, I've heard the same sentiment from Iñupiaq speakers. One of them, an Iñupiaq teacher and fluent speaker in her 50s or 60s, told me that she didn't speak Iñupiaq until she was 20. She said she's not worried about the future of Iñupiaq because she knows that one day when they need it, Iñupiat children (by then grown into adults) will just start speaking it. Of course, the situation is different, because she was surrounded by adults speaking Iñupiaq, whereas these kids are surrounded by English, but she's certain that the language will be there when needed. There are also quite a few anecdotes about spontaneous acquisition in Australian communities. I'm out in the field at the moment, so I can't dig up the article names at the moment, but I recall reading several articles about spontaneous and/or rapid adult acquisition of various indigenous Australian languages. For example, elderly parents of non-speakers who weren't worried about their children learning their language because they themselves hadn't picked it up until they were middle-aged. In many cases, the idea that they'd teach their children "when they're ready for it" was strong. All of this was also intricately connected to issues of language ownership, especially in areas where it's normal for people to speak 4-5 languages and the "native" one might not be the first one a person learns. Regards, Linda L. ------------------------- Linda Lanz Dept. of Linguistics Rice University lanz at rice.edu On Jan 26, 2008, at 9:11 AM, phil cash cash wrote: > Greetings ILAT, > > I just wanted to share this quote found in a UK press article > regarding the last > speaker of Eyak. > > "I got that strong feeling right here that it's going to come back. > God will > send down Eyak to start all over again." Marie Smith Jones > > As an indigenous person, it feels good when I read words like this. > > Myself, I can say that I come from a strong spiritual family/ > community where > words have power, believing has power, and acting in the way of an > ancestral > life has power. Basically, good things can happen from living a > strong > traditional life, so long as it can be imagined, modeled, taught, > or acted > upon. > > What I want to point out though is that there is a fairly unknown/ > undocumented > element in language revitalization where community people can > experience or > otherwise cite instances of spontaneous language acquisition. Now > the linguist > in you is probably asking "how is that possible?" or "language is > too variable > and it would be virtually impossible to acquire the full encyclopedic > vocabulary of a language," right? > > Our venerable speaker of Eyak believed in it. I believe > it...because I have > witnessed it and heard first-person accounts of spontaneous > acquisition. To > tell the truth, I am not sure how to describe it if asked but I > know it > happens. > > Just a thought for you all today... > > Phil Cash Cash (Cayuse/Nez Perce) > UofA > > ~~~ > > In praise of ... the Eyak language > Leader > Friday January 25, 2008 > The Guardian > http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,2246576,00.html > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Mon Jan 28 23:10:02 2008 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:10:02 -0800 Subject: Fwd: Witchita Language Message-ID: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spe/2008/wichita/ Walter Lamar's memory: The link above takes you to a Dallas News story about my Aunt who is the last fluent speaker of the Wichita Language. She and my father were the youngest fluent speakers in the tribe - he died in 1989 leaving her as the youngest speaker. I used to love sitting at our dining room table listening to my aunties, uncles, grandmas and grandpas visiting with my father in the Wichita language, it was like a wonderful song that you can sit and listen to over and over. They would laugh so hard, and when I would ask what was so funny my Dad would just say it won't be so funny in English. It is not just a language but a special view of the world. One day my Dad had a quizzical look on his face and when I asked him what was up - he said he could not remember a word - when we got home he called my Grandmother and my Aunt and neither one of them could remember. I could see the deep sadness on his face that a Wichita word was forever gone... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From djcunlif at GLAM.AC.UK Tue Jan 29 12:59:03 2008 From: djcunlif at GLAM.AC.UK (Cunliffe D J (AT)) Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:59:03 -0000 Subject: FW: FEL Info: upcoming discussion on endangered languages 29i08 Message-ID: Hi All, Thought this might be of interest - sorry for short notice! Daniel. ________________________________ From: Nicholas Ostler [mailto:nicholas.ostler at googlemail.com] Sent: 29 Ionawr 2008 12:46 To: nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk Subject: FEL Info: upcoming discussion on endangered languages 29i08 Dear All You may be interested to know that there will be a discussion at 3 pm today (GMT) an BBC Radio5 LIve, which besides myself will feature Davyth Hicks of Eurolang (http://www.eurolang.net/), and Michael Fry (http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/michael_fry/profile.html) It looks like the programme will be strong on the Celtic side of things, though it was actually inspired by the recent elegiac news stories on Eyak (in Alaska), e.g. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2247922,00.html and Dura (in the Hiimalayas) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7189898.stm Details of podcast, interaction etc. can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/mayo.shtml Here's the BBC preview of what's in store: Simon and guests discuss whether we should be trying to preserve all languages, or is it a natural progression in our evolution that some of them die out? Should we be putting energy and money in to the languages that are flourishing and developing rather than trying to keep alive those that are diminishing? -- Nicholas Ostler Chairman, Foundation for Endangered Languages Registered Charity: England and Wales 1070616 172 Bailbrook Lane, Bath, BA1 7AA, England nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk http://www.ogmios.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 30 19:21:32 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:21:32 -0700 Subject: Maintaining culture a priority; Native language teacher for students (fwd link) Message-ID: Maintaining culture a priority; Native language teacher for students Posted By ANTHONY DIXON The Algonquins of Pikwakanagan are hoping to extend their partnership with both the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board and the Renfrew County District School Board. Over the past 10 years, the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, the Catholic board and the public school board, through a tuition agreement, have inconsistently employed a native language teacher. However, in the last couple of years, the elementary native language program at St. James Catholic School and Eganville and District Public School has been helping ensure that a new generation of aboriginal students know who they are, where they've come from and have an opportunity to retain their Algonquin language. The three partners want to see the program continue and are looking at doing just that. To access the full article, follow the link below: http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=880865 From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Wed Jan 30 21:33:40 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:33:40 -0700 Subject: Coushatta Project makes the news! Message-ID: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/naa/whatsnew2008_01.htm -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hsouter at GMAIL.COM Thu Jan 31 00:19:57 2008 From: hsouter at GMAIL.COM (Heather Souter) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:19:57 -0600 Subject: Second Chance to Listen to the Tuesday Jan. 29, 2008 BBC Broadcast on Endangered Languages! Message-ID: Taanshi! I contacted BBC about a podcast of the program. There isn't a downloadable podcast , but you can listen to the program on their site again by going to the following web address: http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/mayo.shtml Then, click on the Tuesday button in the Listen Again section at the top of the page. When the program comes up, go to the player at the top left and move the cursor to about 2:14:40. (about 2 hrs. and 15 mins. into the program). The program on endangered languages goes on for a total of 30 minutes. Well worth the listen! (BTW, I don't know how long the link will be active, so if you are interested I suggest you listen as soon as you can!) Eekoshi. Heather From rrlapier at AOL.COM Thu Jan 31 19:09:04 2008 From: rrlapier at AOL.COM (rrlapier at AOL.COM) Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:09:04 -0500 Subject: Common Sense English Act Message-ID: What do people know about HR 4464? The Common Sense English Act that will "require employees to speak English while engaged in work"? Rosalyn LaPier ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From melissa.pond at LLTC.EDU Thu Jan 31 19:11:35 2008 From: melissa.pond at LLTC.EDU (Melissa Pond) Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:11:35 -0600 Subject: Common Sense English Act In-Reply-To: A<8CA3253E1ABA7E8-A04-10E8@webmail-nc15.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: Information about it can be found here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-4464 * * * * * * * * Melissa Pond Director of Library Services Leech Lake Tribal College P. O. Box 180 6945 Little Wolf Rd. NW Cass Lake, MN 56633 218-335-4240 218-335-4282 (fax) melissa.pond at lltc.edu "I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." - Jorge Luis Borges ________________________________ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of rrlapier at AOL.COM Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 1:09 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Common Sense English Act What do people know about HR 4464? The Common Sense English Act that will "require employees to speak English while engaged in work"? Rosalyn LaPier ________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From aidan at USYD.EDU.AU Thu Jan 31 22:25:35 2008 From: aidan at USYD.EDU.AU (Aidan Wilson) Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 09:25:35 +1100 Subject: Common Sense English Act In-Reply-To: <5BD245DBDE344E48998F0501D6E276513FD640@waagosh.lltc.local> Message-ID: To be fair, the bill only makes it not unlawful for an employer to require their employees to speak English while on the job. But all the same, I reckon it bites. Especially given the reasons they cite: (1) throughout the history of the United States, English has been the common thread to unify the American people much as they are united under one flag; Isn't it the case that Spanish will be more populous that English in the US in about... 15 or so years? (2) Americans overwhelmingly believe that it is very important for people living in the United States to speak and understand English; It does not follow that other languages are unimportant, or somehow deleterious. (3) there is vast support among the American people to allow a company to require its employees to speak English while on the job; Really? I'd like to see that survey. In any case, we have elected representatives for a reason, if all policy was decided by referenda, we'd have zero taxes and no services. (4) in 2006, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), against the will of the American people, filed more than 200 lawsuits against employers who implemented `English in the Workplace' policies; So in effect, all this would be doing is protecting those 200 employers? On the converse, legalising language requirements might allow many times more such abuses of equal employment rights to occur. Also, I wonder how they qualify 'against the will of the American people'. (5) the EEOC has sued the Salvation Army for implementing an `English in the Workplace' policy which gives employees a year to learn English; English lessons for employees are good, but they are not synonymous with 'no other language allowed'. This sentence is a little ambiguous anyway and I can't tell what's being inferred. Was it the Salvation Army's policy of providing English lessons that constituted a breach of equal rights? I doubt it. In which case, if someone made a complaint on such grounds then it probably provides the best evidence for this bill; protecting people who do the right thing by their employees from stupid charges like this. But I expect the courts would be able to take care of this, rather than swiftly legalising any such linguistic rights abuses. (6) when a group of employees speaks a language other than English in the workplace, it may cause misunderstandings, create dangerous circumstances, and undermine morale. Not the problem of the other language or its speakers. If a group of employees chooses to exclude a monolingual English speaker from their own in-group, then they'd exclude them using any means at their disposal. It just so happens that language may be a particularly salient method, but it is not the cause of the circumstances or the morale. That's it, the entire bill. Suffice to say I'm less than convinced. Aidan Wilson Audio at Paradisec On 01/02/08 06:11, Melissa Pond said: > > Information about it can be found here: > http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-4464 > > > > > * * * * * * * * > > Melissa Pond > Director of Library Services > Leech Lake Tribal College > P. O. Box 180 > 6945 Little Wolf Rd. NW > Cass Lake, MN 56633 > 218-335-4240 > 218-335-4282 (fax) > melissa.pond at lltc.edu > > "I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." - > Jorge Luis Borges > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > *From:* Indigenous Languages and Technology > [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] *On Behalf Of *rrlapier at AOL.COM > *Sent:* Thursday, January 31, 2008 1:09 PM > *To:* ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > *Subject:* [ILAT] Common Sense English Act > > > > What do people know about HR 4464? The Common Sense English Act that > will "require employees to speak English while engaged in work"? > > Rosalyn LaPier > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail > ! > From aidan at USYD.EDU.AU Thu Jan 31 22:28:58 2008 From: aidan at USYD.EDU.AU (Aidan Wilson) Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 09:28:58 +1100 Subject: Common Sense English Act In-Reply-To: <8CA3253E1ABA7E8-A04-10E8@webmail-nc15.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: But also, what the hell's so 'commonsense' about it?! 'Commonsense' is a rationale for people who believe something they see as so basic, yet in arguing, can't articulate why, usually because it's plainly bigoted. Rgds, -Aid On 01/02/08 06:09, rrlapier at AOL.COM said: > What do people know about HR 4464? The Common Sense English Act that > will "require employees to speak English while engaged in work"? > > Rosalyn LaPier > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail > ! From hardman at UFL.EDU Thu Jan 31 22:30:20 2008 From: hardman at UFL.EDU (MJ Hardman) Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:30:20 -0500 Subject: Common Sense English Act In-Reply-To: <47A24ADF.3010400@usyd.edu.au> Message-ID: You are forgetting that for a very long time German/Dutch was a rival for English; there were many German/Dutch newspapers and all the rest. There are still many places in the US where German is the common language. Are they going to prohibit, e.g., the Amish, etc. from speaking German in the places where they sell their goods? MJ On 1/31/08 5:25 PM, "Aidan Wilson" wrote: > To be fair, the bill only makes it not unlawful for an employer to > require their employees to speak English while on the job. But all the > same, I reckon it bites. Especially given the reasons they cite: > > (1) throughout the history of the United States, English has been > the common thread to unify the American people much as they are > united under one flag; > > Isn't it the case that Spanish will be more populous that English in the > US in about... 15 or so years? > > (2) Americans overwhelmingly believe that it is very important for > people living in the United States to speak and understand English; > > It does not follow that other languages are unimportant, or somehow > deleterious. > > (3) there is vast support among the American people to allow a > company to require its employees to speak English while on the job; > > Really? I'd like to see that survey. In any case, we have elected > representatives for a reason, if all policy was decided by referenda, > we'd have zero taxes and no services. > > (4) in 2006, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), > against the will of the American people, filed more than 200 > lawsuits against employers who implemented `English in the > Workplace' policies; > > So in effect, all this would be doing is protecting those 200 employers? > On the converse, legalising language requirements might allow many times > more such abuses of equal employment rights to occur. Also, I wonder how > they qualify 'against the will of the American people'. > > (5) the EEOC has sued the Salvation Army for implementing an > `English in the Workplace' policy which gives employees a year to > learn English; > > English lessons for employees are good, but they are not synonymous with > 'no other language allowed'. This sentence is a little ambiguous anyway > and I can't tell what's being inferred. Was it the Salvation Army's > policy of providing English lessons that constituted a breach of equal > rights? I doubt it. In which case, if someone made a complaint on such > grounds then it probably provides the best evidence for this bill; > protecting people who do the right thing by their employees from stupid > charges like this. But I expect the courts would be able to take care of > this, rather than swiftly legalising any such linguistic rights abuses. > > (6) when a group of employees speaks a language other than English > in the workplace, it may cause misunderstandings, create dangerous > circumstances, and undermine morale. > > Not the problem of the other language or its speakers. If a group of > employees chooses to exclude a monolingual English speaker from their > own in-group, then they'd exclude them using any means at their > disposal. It just so happens that language may be a particularly salient > method, but it is not the cause of the circumstances or the morale. > > That's it, the entire bill. Suffice to say I'm less than convinced. > > Aidan Wilson > Audio at Paradisec > > On 01/02/08 06:11, Melissa Pond said: >> >> Information about it can be found here: >> http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-4464 >> >> >> >> >> * * * * * * * * >> >> Melissa Pond >> Director of Library Services >> Leech Lake Tribal College >> P. O. Box 180 >> 6945 Little Wolf Rd. NW >> Cass Lake, MN 56633 >> 218-335-4240 >> 218-335-4282 (fax) >> melissa.pond at lltc.edu >> >> "I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." - >> Jorge Luis Borges >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> *From:* Indigenous Languages and Technology >> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] *On Behalf Of *rrlapier at AOL.COM >> *Sent:* Thursday, January 31, 2008 1:09 PM >> *To:* ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >> *Subject:* [ILAT] Common Sense English Act >> >> >> >> What do people know about HR 4464? The Common Sense English Act that >> will "require employees to speak English while engaged in work"? >> >> Rosalyn LaPier From awebster at SIU.EDU Thu Jan 31 22:38:16 2008 From: awebster at SIU.EDU (awebster@siu.edu) Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:38:16 -0500 Subject: Common Sense English Act In-Reply-To: <47A24ADF.3010400@usyd.edu.au> Message-ID: Dear all, We should also remember the EEOC has filed lawsuits to protect Native American languages, such as Navajo in EEOC v. RD's Drive IN/Exxon. So it should be understood that this bill would target Native languages as well as Spanish. When I was working on the Navajo Nation in 2000, Prop 203 was being debated (English for the children), and it was stunning to realize that many people in Arizona did not realize the ramifications that such a bill would have on Native language programs. The target here is Spanish (as it was with Prop 203), which is wrong in my view in the first place. But more than that, there is also the complete disregard for Native American languages that such a bill exhibits. Just my thoughts. Best, akw Anthony K. Webster, Ph.D. Department of Anthropology & Native American Studies Minor Southern Illinois University Mail Code 4502 Carbondale, IL 62901-4502 618-453-5027 From harveyd at SOU.EDU Tue Jan 1 18:14:06 2008 From: harveyd at SOU.EDU (Dan Harvey) Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 10:14:06 -0800 Subject: ACORNS language revitalization software release 3.1 available Message-ID: The 3.1 release of ACORNS language revitalization software is now available at http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns. This software can be freely downloaded for non commercial use. Our hope is that many tribes will find it useful as they work to revitalize their language and culture. This release corrects some bugs that came up and adds new features. The download web page also contains an alternate install procedure to avoid the security issues that come up on some systems. We've greatly improved the on-line documentation and added an ACORNS user manual in pdf format. Among the new features are: 1) Recognition of all indigenous keyboards as long as they are properly installed on your system in ttf format. 2) An easier way to create web pages out of ACORNS lessons. 3) Automatic association of files with an '.lnx' extension with the ACORNS application. 4) Ability to launch ACORNS from a command line to open selected files. 4) Improved integration with MAC systems. We plan to release version 4.0 this coming summer. It will include, among other things, a talking dictionary, with the ability to import electronic formats created by linguists. It will also include a couple of games making use of the dictionary. Please let me know of any problems you might run into. We welcome your feedback (harvey at sou.edu). With respect, dan From rtroike at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 1 19:42:24 2008 From: rtroike at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Rudy Troike) Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 12:42:24 -0700 Subject: Developing technical terminology In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Happy New Year to Y'all! And thanks to Phil for his thoughtful reflections and suggestions, which I have passed along to another couple of lists. Re Mia's comments about the difficulty of constructing new native terms for new technical/conceptual phenomena, the lessons from the field of so- called 'language planning' can be instructive. Terminology evolves or is borrowed/adapted as users make use of the language to do so -- artificial efforts, unless institutionally enforced, are unlikely to take root or have effect. Some years ago I heard of a dictionary project in Nigeria which was organized by a group of academics who were trying to "modernize" some language for dealing with the technological culture beginning to affect them. The anecdote I heard involved their invention of a number of terms for parts of an automobile -- then someone subsequently visited auto repair shops in the city and found that self-trained mechanics (my grandfather was one such) had come up with their own terms, which they were, in the course of daily give-and- take, already beginning to standardize. Sometimes this involves borrowing and indigenization, as has happened with English over the centuries, and sometimes it involves extension of native elements and linguistic resources. Borrowing has the psycholinguistic value of facilitating processing transfer from another linguistic code -- witness the international use of much scientific, technical, and conceptual terminology (only in Germany was the use of "telephone" resisted and an artificial translated form "Fernsprecher" insisted upon). Even in linguistics it is easy to spot borrowed correspondences for "syntax", "phoneme", "morphology", even "linguistics". Though linguists are loath to admit it, word-learning involves (as capturable in Object-Oriented Programming) the acquisition of whole "packages" of information/knowledge, and it takes some practice to transfer this packaged information to another language, even one's native language. When one of my students from Italy, who had studied Chomsky's Government and Binding model with me, got hold of a new book setting forth this model in Italian, he reported to me that he had difficulty reading it, since he was used to thinking about the topic in English. The early culture contact between Navajo and Spanish speakers led to the borrowing of a small number of Spanish terms, which are now simply part of the native vocabulary (and terms such as "caballo" for 'horse' diffused widely between Native languages even in the absence of direct contact, while others modified the term for 'dog' one way or another). Such "organic" adaptation can be a productive way to import technological knowledge into the Native discourse, and thereby helping indigenize it, rather than treating the conceptual information as ineffable in the Native language because there is no certifiable Native way of referring to it. This can begin as simple code-switching, much the way Arab or Chinese speakers on campus pepper their conversation with English university-life related terms such as "semester", "final examination", etc., even though ways might be found (or exist) to label such concepts in their native languages. When people can begin to feel comfortable discussing new concepts in their native language, even using imported terminology (note that 80% of the vocabulary in most advanced texts in English is borrowed), they can begin to take ownership of it, and it can more readily become incorporated into the expanding and modernizing Native culture. Without that, the language becomes a museum piece, and the community eventually abandons it as no longer signficantly functional. Rudy From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Wed Jan 2 16:16:26 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 11:16:26 -0500 Subject: IYL '08: Moratorium on beating kids for speaking mother tongue? Message-ID: Happy New Year 2008, which is the "International Year of Languages"! * Whatever else might be accomplished during IYL, one modest proposal I would like to put forward is that during this Year, there be an absolute prohibition on beating, shaming or otherwise punishing children for speaking their mother tongue at home or at school. All the rest is commentary. Punishing children for speaking their mother tongue is not new - one can read a lot about this of this sort of thing in biographical accounts (formal and informal) from all over the world, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. What is surprising is that it still continues even in extreme forms. For example, I just received an email from someone in Tanzania who mentioned teachers threatening young students with a beating if they spoke their maternal language. Not long ago there was mention in an article of some parents in Uganda beating their kids for speaking something other than English at home. (Those are just two examples from one region.). Some people will justify some kind of punishment for whatever reason (curriculum, language learning, etc.). The kind of punishment is another issue (important but another issue). But the issue here is that if learning is the object in an obviously multilingual setting, there are better ways to achieve it than by condemning maternal languages as out of place and punishing students who use them in the process f learning. This is not to say that language in a multilingual classroom or community is not a complex issue, but that negative approaches to children's first languages - which in some places go all the way to corporal punishment - are negative approaches to learning and to various social factors in a child's life. Once the punishing of children for speaking their mother tongue stops, then maybe some good thinking can go into what are the best ways to promote learning overall, including in first and second languages. It should also become clear from a moratorium on punishing children for speaking their mother tongue for the duration of IYL (all of 2008) that the alternative to such punishment is not babel and ignorance. So can this practice be stopped, at least for just this one year? Don Osborn * see the UNESCO page at http://tinyurl.com/2u2ewd -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 2 16:55:42 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 09:55:42 -0700 Subject: ACORNS language revitalization software release 3.1 available In-Reply-To: <477A126E020000A20001455B@gwdom.sou.edu> Message-ID: Dan, thanks for the update.? phil Quoting Dan Harvey : > The 3.1 release of ACORNS language revitalization software is now > available at http://cs.sou.edu/~harveyd/acorns. This software can be > freely downloaded for non commercial use. Our hope is that many > tribes will find it useful as they work to revitalize their language > and culture. > > This release corrects some bugs that came up and adds new features. > The download web page also contains an alternate install procedure to > avoid the security issues that come up on some systems. We've greatly > improved the on-line documentation and added an ACORNS user manual in > pdf format. > > Among the new features are: > 1) Recognition of all indigenous keyboards as long as they are > properly installed on your system in ttf format. > 2) An easier way to create web pages out of ACORNS lessons. > 3) Automatic association of files with an '.lnx' extension with the > ACORNS application. > 4) Ability to launch ACORNS from a command line to open selected files. > 4) Improved integration with MAC systems. > > We plan to release version 4.0 this coming summer. It will include, > among other things, a talking dictionary, with the ability to import > electronic formats created by linguists. It will also include a > couple of games making use of the dictionary. > > Please let me know of any problems you might run into. We welcome > your feedback (harvey at sou.edu). > > With respect, dan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Wed Jan 2 17:08:08 2008 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2008 12:08:08 -0500 Subject: IYL '08: Moratorium on beating kids for speaking mother tongue? Message-ID: I propose we start beating the beaters. I don't think they'd otherwise get the message. Jess Tauber phonosemantics at earthlink.net From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 3 16:57:21 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 09:57:21 -0700 Subject: Digital workshops help train teachers of Native students (fwd link) Message-ID: Digital workshops help train teachers of Native students Posted: January 02, 2008 by: Bobbie Whitehead / Indian Country Today WASHINGTON - Teachers of American Indian and Alaska Native students can find free online workshops that will provide additional strategies for increasing student achievement. Available through the U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative's Web site, the Office of Indian Education and the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative collaborated to develop three digital workshops that provide strategies for teachers who may not be familiar with American Indians and Alaska Natives, and their cultures. To access full article, follow the link below: http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096416353 From iackerman at ROSETTASTONE.COM Thu Jan 3 20:04:55 2008 From: iackerman at ROSETTASTONE.COM (Ackerman, Ilse) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 15:04:55 -0500 Subject: internship opening -- please distribute! Message-ID: Dear ILAT, I'm writing to post an internship opening. Thanks for forwarding to potential candidates. We really appreciated the caliber of interns we found through ILAT forwards in the past! ~ ilse Ilse Ackerman Editor-in-chief Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program Student Internship The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program is offering a semester- or summer-long student internship at its Harrisonburg, VA offices. The intern will gain valuable hands-on experience in a successful language-learning software development company. Possible areas of specialization, according to the interests of the intern, include * program administration (website maintenance, resource development, research, communications), * audio editing and reviewing, * project management (materials development, planning), * photo editing, * software development (quality assurance, documentation), and * language learning (research, testing). To be eligible, students should be enrolled in and have completed at least one year in a degree-granting college or university, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and have a special interest in indigenous issues, languages and language revitalization. Knowledge of an indigenous language is also desirable. Housing and an hourly wage are provided. If interested, send resume and letter of interest to elpinternship at RosettaStone.com. The Rosetta Stone Endangered Language Program is committed to preserving language richness and diversity by working with indigenous communities to develop versions of Rosetta Stone software in their language for their exclusive use. Rosetta Stone is the world's largest language-learning software company. It offers programs in 30 different languages spoken by over 90% of the world's population. Marion Bittinger Manager, Endangered Language Program Rosetta Stone Harrisonburg, VA 22801 (800) 788-0822, ext. 5331 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: att4f538.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 2683 bytes Desc: att4f538.jpg URL: From leopold at SI.EDU Thu Jan 3 21:35:01 2008 From: leopold at SI.EDU (Robert Leopold) Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2008 14:35:01 -0700 Subject: POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: CURATOR, ANTHROPOLOGY (LINGUIST) Message-ID: Department of Anthropology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution The Department of Anthropology at the Smithsonian?s National Museum of Natural History is seeking a curator to develop and lead an endangered language program that will engage in research, documentation and preservation. Community engagement will be a major component of this position. In addition to conducting research, both in the field and drawing upon archival collections, the curator will develop strong interactions with communities faced with language loss while also addressing major research themes within linguistics and anthropology. This curator will join a large and diverse department, currently with 72 full-time staff members, including 17 curators. The Department is organized into three research divisions: archaeology, physical anthropology and ethnology, along with Collections Management, the National Anthropological Archives, the Human Studies Film Archives, and the Repatriation Office. There are a number of programs within the three research divisions, including the PaleoIndian Program, the Asian Cultural Heritage Program, the Archaeobiology Program and the Arctic Studies Center. Some of the current research in the Department centers on humankind?s earliest beginnings, the domestication of plants and animals, the rise of state-level societies, expressive culture in Africa and Polynesia, North American ethnohistory, circumpolar ethnology and the human dimensions of global climate change. Several staff hold teaching appointments as adjunct faculty with area universities. The Anthropology collections hold over 2.3 million archaeological objects and over 200,000 ethnology objects, more than 9,000 linear feet of archival documents and 8 million running feet of film and video. The Department?s webpage can be viewed at http://www.nmnh.si.edu/anthro/ The successful candidate will need to combine skills in field- and collections-based research, outreach and public programming, and experience securing external funding. This position will be offered as a four-year Federal term position, which may be converted to permanent. The four- year term position is comparable to tenure-track positions. U.S. citizenship is required. The official position announcment is available here: 08-NG-293573-DEU-NMNH Anthropologist (Linguist) GS-0190-12 DC http://www.sihr.si.edu/vac/08-NG-293573-DEU-NMNH.pdf From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 4 18:48:31 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 11:48:31 -0700 Subject: The Government of Canada Supports National Michif Language Conference (fwd) Message-ID: Jan 03, 2008 12:00 ET The Government of Canada Supports National Michif Language Conference http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=806974 SASKATOON, SASKATCHEWAN--(Marketwire - Jan. 3, 2008) - On behalf of the Honourable Josee Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages, the Honourable Carol Skelton, Member of Parliament (Saskatoon-Rosetown-Biggar), today announced funding for the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research. Funding of $60,000 will allow the organization to host the 7th National Michif Language Conference. The goals of the conference are to increase the number of Michif speakers, expand opportunities for speaking Michif, and ensure greater numbers of children and young people learn the language. "The Government of Canada supports the preservation and promotion of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis languages," said Minister Verner. "We are pleased to help preserve the Michif language, which is an important aspect of Metis culture." "Language is an integral part of a people's culture. To ensure that Metis communities in Canada thrive and that their culture survives, we must help protect the Michif language," said Ms. Skelton. "We are proud to support the Gabriel Dumont Institute's efforts in this regard." "The Gabriel Dumont Institute is pleased to receive funding to host the 7th Annual Michif Language Conference, March 14 and 15, 2008, in Saskatoon. This event will bring Michif speakers from across the Metis Homeland together for the renewal and retention of our languages and culture," said Geordy McCaffrey, Executive Director of the Gabriel Dumont Institute. The Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research is a not-for-profit organization that provides Metis people in Saskatchewan with the opportunity to obtain training and education. The Government of Canada will provide funding through the Department of Canadian Heritage and its Aboriginal Languages Initiative, which provides support to Aboriginal organizations and communities to maintain and revitalize Aboriginal languages for future generations by increasing the number of Aboriginal language speakers and by encouraging language transmission from generation to generation. The Aboriginal Languages Initiative provides $5 million per year to support the preservation and promotion of Aboriginal languages by encouraging the use of these languages in community and family settings. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 4 18:50:12 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 11:50:12 -0700 Subject: Feds fund Metis language conference (fwd link) Message-ID: Feds fund Metis language conference Saskatoon to host annual Michif event Matthew Kruchak, The StarPhoenix Published: Friday, January 04, 2008 With the death of every Michif-speaking Metis elder, the language which mixes Cree verbs with French nouns fades into obscurity. But like the infinity symbol on the Metis flag, there's hope that the dying language will continue forever. The Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research is making an effort to keep Michif a living language. The organization, which promotes the renewal and development of Metis culture, was awarded $60,000 by the federal government Thursday to host the seventh annual National Michif Language Conference. To access full article, just follow the link below: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/story.html?id=d13d0a09-b659-432a-a31b-4e32fe2feeff From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 4 19:01:47 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 12:01:47 -0700 Subject: Kickapoo Tribe has role in upcoming movie filmed in Kansas (fwd) Message-ID: Kickapoo Tribe has role in upcoming movie filmed in Kansas The Hays Daily News http://www.hdnews.net/wirestories/k1035_BC_KS_KickapooActing_01_03_0446 HORTON, Kan. (AP) -- Despite limited acting experience, Tammy Wahwassuck and about 20 members of the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas have small roles in the upcoming movie "The Only Good Indian." The movie was filmed in locations throughout Kansas and uses the Kickapoo language. Wahwassuck said her acting experience before this movie didn't extend much beyond childhood performances in the living room with her cousins. But now she's part of the film, starring American Indian actor Wes Studi. Producers got permission from the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas to use the Kickapoo language in the film. The movie is set in Kansas during the early 1900s and is about a young American Indian boy who flees from a school that assimilates Indians into the "white" world. Studi, who has appeared in "Dances with Wolves" and "The Last of the Mohicans," portrays an American Indian bounty hunter who intends to take the boy back to the school. Wahwassuck's played a crazy woman in a mental institution filmed in Topeka. In the scene, she pleads in the Kickapoo tongue for help from Studi's character. "It's hard to describe," she said of her experience. "It's an adrenaline rush." Steve Cadue, Kickapoo Tribal chairman, said it was important that the film portray American Indians accurately and without prejudice. He became acquainted with the writers and the producers before the Kickapoo Tribal government gave formal approval for the use of the language. "They gave us good assurances that it would be a positive type of film," said Cadue, who didn't volunteer as an extra, but watched from the sidelines. The reservation is hopeful that Studi will make good on their invitation to speak at the Kickapoo school. "I think he's a great individual," Cadue said. "I think he works hard and I think he tries to give back to the Native American community ... He is contributing to Indian education and correct historic accounts of native American people." The crew plans to attempt to sell the movie to a distributor once it is completed in mid-2008, said Scott Richardson, a producer. The film's director, Kevin Willmott, an assistant professor of film at The University of Kansas, was also the writer and director of "C.S.A.: Confederate States of America," a satire of what the United States would be like had the South won the Civil War. It was shown in the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Willmott also is writer, director and producer of "Bunker Hill," another film shot in Kansas. From hsouter at GMAIL.COM Sat Jan 5 03:09:47 2008 From: hsouter at GMAIL.COM (Heather Souter) Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 21:09:47 -0600 Subject: Michif Language Funding by Canadian Government, Michif Language Conferences, etc.... Message-ID: Taanshi kiyawaaw! (Hello to you all!) Just so people subscribing to ILAT do not get the impression that the Canadian Government has taken a renewed interest in the Michif (and other Aboriginal) languages in Canada, please know that all the recent funding announcements are not about "new" monies being committed. Actually, the previous government (Liberal) had promised much more funding to become available for language revitalization (172.5 million over 11 years starting 2002) but the present Conservative government reneged on the commitment. Millions of dollars of funding disappeared with a blink of an eye. Now the funding stands at 5 million annually for ten years. (12.5 million was already dispersed before the Conservative government made its funding cuts.) This means that in a best case scenario as things stand the largest amount of funding over 11 years would be 62.5 million dollars. A cut of 110 million dollars or 64%! This is in spite of the fact that the Federal government will provide more than 1 billion dollars of funding for French language education over the four year period between 2005 and 2009! On a different note, "Michif Language Conferences" have been held annually for at least five years now (all have been made possible through government funding) but nothing very concrete has come out of them as of yet.... No plans based on linguistically-informed community-based language planning have been produced or implemented thus far. However, the host of the upcoming conference, the Gabrielle Dumont Institute, has produced some fine publications and created the fantastic Virtual Museum of Metis History and Culture, so perhaps the March meeting will be a breath of fresh air. Let's hope it will be a catalyst for change in regard to Michif language issues! We shall see.... Now, if I could directly influence the political machinery of each of the Metis provincial governing bodies and our National Council, I would tell them the following: Since we are a "dispersed nation" living all over Western Canada with many of the "more traditional" people living in rural communities, for real gains in Michif language acquisition to happen a variety of distributed language acquisition/learning programs need to be considered. Multi-media recordings, ( pedagogically and linguistically sound ones!) freely available on dedicated websites and language learning sessions using video conferencing (Skype, MSN Voice, etc!) could be set up if all Metis provincial governments put their funding money together QUICKLY. In addition, since our people speak a variety of languages known as "Michif" (from a linguistic perspective, the mixed language (also known as the "Southern dialect") of Michif; and also the unique Metis dialects of Cree, Ojibwa and French!), it might be wise to consider a master-apprentice language learning program that allows for such diversity--such as that run by AICLS in California. A special emphasis could be put on learning Michif (the most endangered variety being the "mixed language" aka Southern dialect) while showing respect for the languages spoken by of ALL our Metis Elders. In this way we would be cultivating new speakers who could receive further training to help pass Michif on to future generations. Our Michif-speaking Elders won't be physically with us forever. And, although virtual interactions with them through multimedia recordings are/will be a wonderful mode of learning, if our language(s) are to live they must be ACTUALLY spoken--used in the real and not only virtual world! Our languages need to again be out in the air--everywhere but ESPECIALLY in the home--where they belong! Heather Souter Michif Language Activist and Community Linguist Camperville, MB Canada From linguist4 at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU Mon Jan 7 02:59:52 2008 From: linguist4 at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU (Eugenie Collyer) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 12:29:52 +0930 Subject: Fwd: Job vacancy: Linguist position at Ngukurr Language Centre Message-ID: Begin forwarded message: > From: DAC Coordinator > Date: 27 December 2007 4:09:17 PM > > Subject: Job vacancy: Linguist position at Ngukurr Language Centre > > Please find attached information about a linguist position > available at the > Ngukurr Language Centre (an annexe of Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal > Corporation, or Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre). The > position is an exciting opportunity to help Ngukurr and neighbouring > communities to continue some great work on endangered language > revitalisation. Feel free to pass through your networks. > Applications > close January 21st. > > For further information, including duty statement and selection > criteria, > contact the Katherine Language Centre on 08 8971 1233 or via email: > dacadmin at kathlangcentre.org.au > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------ > EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST > ROPER LINGUIST (Full-time) > > Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation (DAC) is an Aboriginal > Language > Centre responsible for the language activities of the Katherine > Region. The > current team of linguists at DAC totals four. > > DAC has one full-time linguist position available until 30 June 2008 > (position is ongoing pending renewed funding). The position is > based in the > community of Ngukurr in Southern Arnhem Land at DAC?s ?Ngukurr > Language > Centre? annexe. The Ngukurr Language Centre supports the endangered > languages of the Roper Region, including Alawa, Marra, Ngalakgan, > Ngandi, > Wagilak, Rembarrnga and Nunggubuyu. The successful applicant will > be based > at Ngukurr and will also be required to travel to neighbouring > communities > and Katherine town. > > Applicants should have tertiary qualifications in Linguistics, > including > study in Australian Aboriginal languages, good organisational skills, > including project management skills and have the ability to work > independently in a cross-cultural environment. > > ROPER LINGUIST > The position involves overseeing the operations of the Ngukurr > Language > Centre, including supporting a small team of local language > workers, and > providing support for Indigenous language documentation, education and > revitalisation programs in schools and communities of the Roper > region. The > successful applicant will be based at Ngukurr and will also be > required to > travel to neighbouring communities and Katherine town. > > Accommodation at Ngukurr is provided by DAC. Salary will be in the > range of > $AU37,000 to $AU44,000 per annum, depending on qualifications and > experience. Annual leave is five weeks per year, eligible for a > further > week special leave after each six months of continuous service. Some > relocation assistance is available. > > The position is available for an immediate start. The closing date > for job > applications is 14th January 2008. Applications should address > selection > criteria and include a current CV. Correspondence should be > addressed to > the Coordinator and can be sent via mail or email. > > Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation > PO Box 871, Katherine NT 0851 > E-mail: dacadmin at kathlangcentre.org.au > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > ------ > Kind Regards, > > Greg Dickson > Acting Coordinator > > Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation > (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) > PO Box 871 Katherine NT 0851 > P (08) 89 711233 > F (08) 89 710561 > ? Eugenie Collyer Town Linguist Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 Ph: (08) 89711233 Fax: (08) 8971 0561 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Expressions of interest.doc Type: application/msword Size: 164864 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 7 16:53:30 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 09:53:30 -0700 Subject: Saving a language, preserving a culture (fwd link) Message-ID: Saving a language, preserving a culture By Alysa Landry The Daily Times Article Launched: 01/06/2008 12:00:00 AM MST FARMINGTON ? Lorraine Manavi's second-floor office at San Juan College is an unlikely place to learn Farsi. The language professor is learning the Arabic dialect via the acclaimed Rosetta Stone software between classes and in spare moments. It's the same software Manavi is helping develop to teach her native language ? Navajo. "Navajo is very hard to learn," she said. "When people first come to my classes, they are intimidated." Manavi is part of a team of linguists, editors and native speakers launching a year-long project to develop the first Navajo language learning system accessible to anyone with a computer. The software will be owned by the Cornville, Ariz.?based organization Navajo Language Renaissance, and will be used to supplement Navajo language classes on and off the reservation. It will not be part of Rosetta Stone's commercial product line. To access full article, follow the link below: http://www.daily-times.com/ci_7893452?source=most_emailed From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 7 16:56:51 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 09:56:51 -0700 Subject: Navajo language-learning software to be introduced (fwd link) Message-ID: Navajo language-learning software to be introduced The Associated Press Article Launched: 01/06/2008 04:50:24 PM MST FARMINGTON, N.M.?A group of linguists, editors and native speakers are starting a yearlong project to develop the first software system to teach the Navajo language. To access full article, follow the link below: http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_7897918 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 7 16:58:44 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 09:58:44 -0700 Subject: Oneidas see benefits in public, tribal schools (fwd link) Message-ID: Posted January 4, 2008 Oneidas see benefits in public, tribal schools Whatever they choose, families keep culture in mind By Patti Zarling pzarling at greenbaypressgazette.com ONEIDA ? Garrett Miller is a member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians and chose to attend tribal schools because he wants to learn the Native American language and culture. To access the full article, just follow the link below: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080104/GPG0101/801040644/1206/GPGnews From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 7 17:01:44 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 10:01:44 -0700 Subject: School board faces Native language issue (fwd link) Message-ID: School board faces Native language issue December 27, 2007 at 2:00PM AKST THE FISHERMAN STAFF Next year may see the return of instruction in Unangam Tunuu ? the Native language spoken by the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands ? in the Unalaska City School District. That's the hope of Katherine McGlashan, an Unangan/Aleut herself, and an active group of Unalaska residents, including educators, former teachers, parents, the Museum of the Aleutians and Ounalashka Corp., the representative Alaska Native corporation. "We as indigenous people would like the opportunity to be able to pass on traditions, values and the Unangan culture and language," wrote McGlashan in a September letter to Superintendent John Conwell. To access full article, just folloow the link below: http://www.thedutchharborfisherman.com/news/show/1049 From jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU Mon Jan 7 22:55:37 2008 From: jgross at OREGONSTATE.EDU (Joan Gross) Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 14:55:37 -0800 Subject: Saving a language, preserving a culture (fwd link) In-Reply-To: <20080107095330.qcug4g000880w444@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Farsi isn't an Arabic dialect. It's Indo-European, not Semitic. On 1/7/08 8:53 AM, "phil cash cash" wrote: > Saving a language, preserving a culture > > By Alysa Landry The Daily Times > Article Launched: 01/06/2008 12:00:00 AM MST > > FARMINGTON ? Lorraine Manavi's second-floor office at San Juan College is an > unlikely place to learn Farsi. > > The language professor is learning the Arabic dialect via the acclaimed > Rosetta > Stone software between classes and in spare moments. It's the same software > Manavi is helping develop to teach her native language ? Navajo. > > "Navajo is very hard to learn," she said. "When people first come to my > classes, > they are intimidated." > > Manavi is part of a team of linguists, editors and native speakers launching a > year-long project to develop the first Navajo language learning system > accessible to anyone with a computer. > > The software will be owned by the Cornville, Ariz.?based organization Navajo > Language Renaissance, and will be used to supplement Navajo language classes > on > and off the reservation. It will not be part of Rosetta Stone's commercial > product line. > > To access full article, follow the link below: > http://www.daily-times.com/ci_7893452?source=most_emailed From linguist4 at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU Tue Jan 8 05:41:09 2008 From: linguist4 at KATHLANGCENTRE.ORG.AU (Eugenie Collyer) Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 15:11:09 +0930 Subject: Fwd: Job vacancy: Coordinator, Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) Message-ID: > Subject: Job vacancy: Coordinator, Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal > Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) > > Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional > Aboriginal > Language Centre) is currently seeking expressions of interest for > the vacant > Coordinator position. An overview of the position is provided > below. Duty > statement and selection criteria are available on request. > > Please pass this information to anyone you know who may be > interested. If > you have any queries or would like more info, feel free to contact > me on 08 > 8971 1233 or via email at dacadmin at kathlangcentre.org.au > > Kind regards, > > Greg Dickson > Acting Coordinator > > Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation > (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) > PO Box 871 Katherine NT 0851 > P (08) 89 711233 > F (08) 89 710561 > > -------------------------------------------------------- > > COORDINATOR > > Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation is an Aboriginal Language > Centre > established in 1992 to support Indigenous communities throughout the > Katherine region to maintain and revitalise their traditional > languages. DAC > currently has five full-time linguists and two full-time clerical > staff and > works casually with a number of remote community members who are > involved in > various language projects. > > Diwurruwurru-jaru Aboriginal Corporation (DAC) seeks applications from > suitably qualified persons for the position of Coordinator. The > position > will be based in Katherine, NT. The Coordinator will be responsible > to an > Indigenous Committee representing language groups throughout the > Katherine > Region. > > ROLE: > * Coordinate the activities of an Indigenous language centre, > including > financial management and staff management. > * Coordinate language projects and associated resources. > * Promote the activities of DAC and liaise with other agencies in > relation > to language activities. > * Implement policy and direction established by the Committee. > > Applicants should have strong administration and organisational > skills, > strong cross-cultural communication skills, experience with staff > supervision as well as experience with preparing and managing budgets. > > For enquiries, Selection Criteria and Duty Statement, contact Greg > Dickson > or Michelle Dawson on (08) 89711233 or e-mail > dacadmin at kathlangcentre.org.au > > CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: > Full-time (36hrs/wk) at $50,800 pa + Superannuation. Five weeks > annual > leave. > > Applications close January 28, 2008 > ? Eugenie Collyer Town Linguist Diwurruwurru-Jaru Aboriginal Corporation (Katherine Regional Aboriginal Language Centre) PO Box 871, Katherine 0851 Ph: (08) 89711233 Fax: (08) 8971 0561 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Coord's Advert updat#1A98D9.doc Type: application/applefile Size: 425 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Coord's Advert updat#1A98D9.doc Type: application/msword Size: 73728 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 8 17:07:59 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 10:07:59 -0700 Subject: Pupils mark Indigenous language milestone (fwd) Message-ID: Pupils mark Indigenous language milestone Posted Tue Jan 8, 2008 1:40pm AEDT http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/08/2134094.htm Aboriginal students in Alice Springs have completed Year 12 studies in an Indigenous language for the first time. Dominique Castle from the Alice Springs language centre says five Indigenous students received high NTCE scores in Arrernte language studies in 2007. Ms Castle says the students' success is a good sign for the future of the Arrernte language in the region. "It's very important to be teaching an Indigenous language and especially to have an Indigenous teacher who's also on the team teaching it, because students are getting the cultural and the language aspect of it and can keep the language alive," she said. Ms Castle says the students even went on a study tour of New Zealand to see how the Maori language is taught in schools. "Our students came back very, very enthusiastic to promote the Arrernte language and to keep it going because they realised that in New Zealand it's very, very strong," she said. "They're wanting the same thing to happen over here for Arrernte people." From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 8 17:09:47 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 10:09:47 -0700 Subject: "The Linguists," Documenting Vanishing Voices, Premieres at Sundance (fwd) Message-ID: Press Release 08-002 http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=110952&org=NSF&from=news "The Linguists," Documenting Vanishing Voices, Premieres at Sundance Film highlights endangered languages in Siberia, India and Bolivia [Photo shows indigenous Bolivian men being interviewed by linguists. Linguists Harrison and Anderson worked to document an endangered language in Bolivia.] January 8, 2008 In Siberia, fewer than 25 elderly people speak Chulym, a language spoken for generations by traditional hunter-gatherers and fishermen in small rural villages. In Bolivia, a language once spoken by healers to the Inca emperor is on the verge of extinction. In the Orissa state in the east of India, younger generations no longer speak Sora, a language of the region with a complex and expressive way of putting words together. These examples are brought vividly to life in "The Linguists," a documentary funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Producer-directors Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller and Jeremy Newberger of Ironbound Films accompanied scientists David Harrison of Swarthmore College and Gregory Anderson of the Living Tongues Institute on a journey to record these languages and understand the cultural and political pressures threatening their extinction. Scientists estimate that of 7,000 languages in the world, half will be gone by the end of this century. On average, one language disappears every two weeks. The human dimension of endangered languages is brought to light in "The Linguists," which premieres at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 18, 2008. The film dramatizes the kind of work involved in reaching indigenous communities and documenting their languages. "The most surprising discovery was just how interesting and dramatic it was to follow two seemingly no-nonsense linguists--David Harrison and Gregory Harrison--into the field," says Daniel Miller, the film's producer. "The linguists first had to penetrate bureaucracies, then gain trust within communities, and finally inspire speech from people often driven into not using their native tongue by decades of persecution and shame. These challenges required skills finely honed by the linguists and made the expeditions more like adventures." The adventures were not without risk. In India, extreme poverty in the region had sparked a violent Maoist insurgency. With its travel under strict government regulation, the group was urged by its Indian guides not to travel at night or stay in local villages, and to keep interactions with the populace to a minimum. Because the linguists' work demanded otherwise, the group was forced to take certain risks in the interest of recording endangered languages. "The resurgence of interest among linguists in smaller languages has happily coincided with an upsurge in activism on the part of the speaker communities," says Douglas H. Whalen, program director for NSF's Documenting Endangered Languages program. "This film provides a thought-provoking sample of cooperation between these groups in the urgent task of documenting endangered languages." In India, Siberia, and the United States, the group found confirmation of a recurring pattern: schools set up to "civilize" indigenous children had taught them the pointlessness of their native tongues and pushed them toward abandoning that language and the culture associated with it. "The Linguists" lets the communities involved speak for themselves in demonstrating the power of these forces. "We did not want to make a movie that looked at threatened ways of life with detached sentimentality," says Miller. "We sought to portray speakers of endangered languages, and the scientists who work with them, as regular people who share a sense of urgency about losing something vital. Their stories--at times sad, scary, even hilarious--reveal how the loss of a language affects us as human beings." "'The Linguists' is a compelling story about the causes of language loss and what scientists are doing to help maintain the languages and the cultures they support," says Valentine Kass, program director for NSF's Informal Science Education program. "We are thrilled that the quality of the production has led to its premiere at Sundance." For more information, and to see a trailer of the film, go to http://www.thelinguists.com/ From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 8 18:12:15 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 11:12:15 -0700 Subject: National Indian Education Association Revitalizing Native Language Research (fwd link) Message-ID: National Indian Education Association Revitalizing Native Language Research Scholarship ***DEADLINE EXTENDED*** http://www.niea.org/index.php The NIEA and Professor Lily Wong Fillmore solicits application for graduate student research on revitalizing Native language research. ($1,000 for one academic school year) Scholarship Criteria & Guidelines: ? Graduate student-researcher must be American Indian, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian ? Student must be engaged in the documentation or study of a language revitalization effort in an indigenous community or in a school serving indigenous students ? Enrolled full-time in an accredited college/university master?s or doctorate program that incorporates studying the revitalization of an indigenous language. ? Demonstrate leadership qualities ? Maintain high academic achievement ? Serve as a role model for other students ? Demonstrate creativity in commitments in the following areas: Promote an understanding and appreciation for native language revitalization Demonstrate positive, active student leadership within the school or indigenous community they are serving Demonstrate and/or encourage peer student and indigenous community involvement in revitalizing indigenous languages Application Process: ? Utilize existing application procedure/form for the Rouillard/Tonemah Scholarship. ? Find application at www.niea.org ? Applications due January 20, 2007 (NEW DEADLINE) -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 29.52.NIEARevitalizingNativeLanguageResearchAwardCriteria2.doc Type: application/msword Size: 135168 bytes Desc: not available URL: From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Wed Jan 9 19:13:08 2008 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 11:13:08 -0800 Subject: Credentialing Process Message-ID: Has anyone have any experience about alternative Credential requirements for Native Language teachers? From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Wed Jan 9 19:21:57 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 12:21:57 -0700 Subject: Credentialing Process In-Reply-To: Message-ID: We do. You can write to my boss, the VP of Academics & Student Affairs. If you want her email, send me an individual email, and I will give you her contact information. You should also talk to Joseph Suina from Cochiti Pueblo. They did credentialing for the K-12 public schools. He was at UNM last I heard. Mia -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Andre Cramblit Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 12:13 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Credentialing Process Has anyone have any experience about alternative Credential requirements for Native Language teachers? From saxon at UVIC.CA Wed Jan 9 19:21:08 2008 From: saxon at UVIC.CA (Leslie Saxon) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 11:21:08 -0800 Subject: Credentialing Process In-Reply-To: Message-ID: You might find information on this at the website of FNESC, First Nations Education Steering Committee of British Columbia, Canada, or through talking to people with that organization. http://www.fnesc.ca/ On 9 Jan 2008, at 11:13 AM, Andre Cramblit wrote: > Has anyone have any experience about alternative Credential > requirements for Native Language teachers? ************************************** Leslie Saxon Chair, Department of Linguistics University of Victoria Victoria, BC Canada V8W 3P4 Office (250) 721-7422 Fax (250) 721-7423 http://web.uvic.ca/ling/ Certificate in Aboriginal Language Revitalization http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/calr/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From HarveyD at SOU.EDU Wed Jan 9 19:34:50 2008 From: HarveyD at SOU.EDU (Dan Harvey) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 11:34:50 -0800 Subject: Credentialing Process In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Oregon has a program where the recognized tribes decide who is fluent to teach the language. The prospective fills out a form, the tribe authorizes it, and it is submitted to the state. Formal education is not a requirement. >>> Andre Cramblit 1/9/2008 11:13 AM >>> Has anyone have any experience about alternative Credential requirements for Native Language teachers? From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 9 21:52:26 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 14:52:26 -0700 Subject: Indigenous communities use cinema to redeem culture and traditions (fwd link) Message-ID: Indigenous communities use cinema to redeem culture and traditions December 2, 2007 - 07:52 pm Delcio Rocha http://www.ambienteemfoco.com.br/?p=6855 ~~~ Note: The above article is written in Portuguese. It gives a brief glimpse into a unique kind of ethnographic filmmaking done in the first person by indigenous Kuikuro of Brazil. You can learn more about this project--Video in the Villages--at the following link: Video in the Villages collection http://www.der.org/films/vitv-collection.html It also appeared as an article: The Video in the Villages Project: Videomaking with and by Brazilian Indians Patricia Aufderheide Visual Anthropology Review Fall 1995, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 83-93 From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU Wed Jan 9 23:31:50 2008 From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser) Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2008 18:31:50 -0500 Subject: IYL '08: Moratorium on beating kids for speaking mother tongue? In-Reply-To: <030a01c84d5a$d3b41910$7b1c4b30$@net> Message-ID: On the human rights aspects of minority language use I strongly recommend Tove Skutnabb-Kangas' book "Linguistic Genocide in Education or Worldwide Diversity and Human Rights?" (Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000), http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805834680/ref=ed_oe_p/103-7239221-8176636 Bill From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Thu Jan 10 17:07:27 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:07:27 -0500 Subject: IYL '08: Moratorium on beating kids for speaking mother tongue? In-Reply-To: <20080109233150.128D4B2478@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu> Message-ID: Thank you Bill. I have read some other of her materials and as it happens just finished a couple of recent articles she co-wrote. The larger context of rights is essential, I agree of course. My deliberately understated proposition - which I hope did not offend anyone - was in part the seeking of a tangible and immediate way to raise public awareness. Most people have no clue that kids are punished for speaking their maternal language or the policies that promote such. A few still think it's a good idea. Many probably are unaware of the histories of linguistic abuse and genocide. So, this proposition: That out of respect for the International Year of Languages, as declared by the UN for 2008, and for the entire duration of said year, beating, shaming or otherwise punishing children at school or at home for speaking their mother tongue - wherever it is in the world - will be halted, unconditionally. If such an approach could promote a fruitful discussion outside those of us concerned with language rights, then maybe it would be worth it. Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology > [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser > Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 6:32 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: Re: [ILAT] IYL '08: Moratorium on beating kids for speaking > mother tongue? > > On the human rights aspects of minority language use I strongly > recommend Tove Skutnabb-Kangas' book "Linguistic Genocide in > Education or Worldwide Diversity and Human Rights?" (Mahwah, > New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000), > http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805834680/ref=ed_oe_p/103- > 7239221-8176636 > > Bill From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 10 17:48:20 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:48:20 -0700 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) Message-ID: Greetings, This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique opportunities for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems (CMS) allow collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one possible scenario, collaborations between language communities and scholars. 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for language documentation/collaborative projects? 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance concerns of the CMS software you are using? Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements implicated by these questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open source software. Thanks is advance. Phil Cash Cash UofA From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Thu Jan 10 18:05:33 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:05:33 -0500 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: <20080110104820.eyp95lw8ggs44sgk@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hi Phil, There was a discussion about this in December on the PanAfrican Localisation lists - http://lists.kabissa.org/lists/archives/public/pal-en/ - though localization of the interface was the main topic. I've heard favorable things about Drupal, and that some who have used Joomla have since turned away from it. There are some links to comparisons and other info at http://www.panafril10n.org/PanAfrLoc/CMS Although a wiki software it can also be configured as a CMS - I'm currently experimenting with it for revamping the Bisharat.net site to have some sections function as a wiki and others more like CMS. (See http://www.pmwiki.org/ ) Hope this helps. Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology > [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash > Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 12:48 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: [ILAT] Content Management Systems (CMS) > > Greetings, > > This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique > opportunities > for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems > (CMS) allow > collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one possible > scenario, > collaborations between language communities and scholars. > > 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for > language > documentation/collaborative projects? > > 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance concerns > of the CMS > software you are using? > > Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements implicated > by these > questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open > source > software. > > Thanks is advance. > > Phil Cash Cash > UofA From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Thu Jan 10 18:09:40 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:09:40 -0500 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: <20080110104820.eyp95lw8ggs44sgk@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hi Phil, There was a discussion about this in December on the PanAfrican Localisation lists - http://lists.kabissa.org/lists/archives/public/pal-en/ - though localization of the interface was the main topic. I've heard favorable things about Drupal, and that some who have used Joomla have since turned away from it. There are some links to comparisons and other info at http://www.panafril10n.org/PanAfrLoc/CMS I currently use PmWiki for PanAfriL10n.org. Although a wiki software it can also be configured as a CMS - I'm currently experimenting with it for revamping the Bisharat.net site to have some sections function as a wiki and others more like CMS. (See http://www.pmwiki.org/ ) Hope this helps. Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology > [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash > Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 12:48 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: [ILAT] Content Management Systems (CMS) > > Greetings, > > This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique > opportunities > for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems > (CMS) allow > collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one possible > scenario, > collaborations between language communities and scholars. > > 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for > language > documentation/collaborative projects? > > 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance concerns > of the CMS > software you are using? > > Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements implicated > by these > questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open > source > software. > > Thanks is advance. > > Phil Cash Cash > UofA From oso at EL-OSO.NET Thu Jan 10 18:01:25 2008 From: oso at EL-OSO.NET (David Sasaki) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:01:25 -0500 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: <20080110104820.eyp95lw8ggs44sgk@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: We use a blogging CMS, WordPress, to coordinate multilingual translations of blog posts from around the developing world. While this isn't language research, it could provide some interesting opportunities for researchers. For example, we recently launched the world's first Aymara language weblog and all of those posts are also translated into English and Spanish: http://aymara.vocesbolivianas.org/ We also have many more multilingual translations using WordPress at http://lingua.globalvoicesonline.org Best, David ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David Sasaki | outreach at globalvoicesonline.org Director of Outreach, Global Voices http://globalvoicesonline.org gtalk: osopecoso | skype: elosopecoso US: +1.510.717.8377 | http://el-oso.net/blog Colombia: +57.312.785.9172 -------------------------------------------------- On Jan 10, 2008, at 12:48 PM, phil cash cash wrote: > Greetings, > > This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique > opportunities > for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems > (CMS) allow > collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one > possible scenario, > collaborations between language communities and scholars. > > 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for > language > documentation/collaborative projects? > > 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance > concerns of the CMS > software you are using? > > Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements > implicated by these > questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open > source > software. > > Thanks is advance. > > Phil Cash Cash > UofA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM Thu Jan 10 19:43:32 2008 From: jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM (Jordan Lachler) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 10:43:32 -0900 Subject: Online Haida Language Course, Spring 2008 Message-ID: ?*AKL 107-JD1: ELEMENTARY HAIDA I* 4 Credits Spring 2008 Instructor: Dr. Jordan Lachler This course is an introduction to the Haida language as spoken in Alaska. The course focuses on developing a core vocabulary of several hundred words, as well as an understanding of many of the basic grammatical patterns in the language. Students will learn how to make statements, ask and answer questions, give descriptions of people and things, and talk about activities in both the past and the present. This is a web-based course, meaning that all instruction will be carried out on the internet. All course materials, including written lessons, audio files, interactive language games, grammatical exercises and homework assignments will be available through the course website. Students will also be able to interact with each other and the instructor through discussion forums, email and other means throughout the semester. Students will not need any special computer equipment, aside from speakers, and all the software needed for the class is available free of charge. This is the first web-based course for any of our native languages in Southeast Alaska, and we are very excited about the possibilities that this new technology presents for helping us to reach more and more students interested in learning the Haida language, especially those living outside of Southeast. The course begins the week of January 14th, and continues though May 2nd. For information on registering, call the UAS-Juneau campus at *1-877-465-4827 ext 6163.* For further information on the course itself, email: * jordan.lachler at sealaska.com* H?w'aa, dal?ng 'w?adluwaan an Hl k?l 'l?agang. Jordan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM Thu Jan 10 20:44:13 2008 From: jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM (Jordan Lachler) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:44:13 -0900 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: Message-ID: We've been using Drupal for our fledgling "e-documentation" project for Oroha. http://www.orohalanguage.org/ I've found it quite easy to work with, especially with a team that is spread out across the globe. The software has many many features that we're not even exploiting yet, but the interface is quite intuitive, allowing us to spend more of our time on writing up the documentation, and less time on fighting with the software. So far, I haven't experienced any drawbacks with it, but it would be interesting to hear if more experienced Drupal users have encountered any that we should be watching out for. Best wishes, Jordan On Jan 10, 2008 9:01 AM, David Sasaki wrote: > We use a blogging CMS, WordPress, to coordinate multilingual translations > of blog posts from around the developing world. While this isn't language > research, it could provide some interesting opportunities for researchers. > For example, we recently launched the world's first Aymara language weblog > and all of those posts are also translated into English and Spanish: > > http://aymara.vocesbolivianas.org/ > > We also have many more multilingual translations using WordPress at > http://lingua.globalvoicesonline.org > > Best, > > David > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > David Sasaki | outreach at globalvoicesonline.org > Director of Outreach, Global Voices > http://globalvoicesonline.org > gtalk: osopecoso | skype: elosopecoso > US: +1.510.717.8377 | http://el-oso.net/blog > Colombia: +57.312.785.9172 > -------------------------------------------------- > > On Jan 10, 2008, at 12:48 PM, phil cash cash wrote: > > Greetings, > > This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique > opportunities > for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems (CMS) > allow > collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one possible > scenario, > collaborations between language communities and scholars. > > 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for language > documentation/collaborative projects? > > 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance concerns of > the CMS > software you are using? > > Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements implicated by > these > questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open source > software. > > Thanks is advance. > > Phil Cash Cash > UofA > > > -- Jordan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Thu Jan 10 20:53:33 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:53:33 -0700 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: <3966a24c0801101244g31a10ec9raf5e5509d0420082@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi, We have been using WebStudy at the College. We don't use it 'specifically' for revitalization, but, we selected it because we can use it for Navajo because of the font support. We have had to fall back to deciding about how to localize the fonts, because the Unicode implementation doesn't work perfectly for us (as I knew it wouldn't, but the Committee had to see if fail before they believed). Anyway. WebStudy is much bigger than just a CMS; we also use it for general Distance Education. However, Jan Tucker, who should be around this list somewhere, has had pretty good success with Moodle. Mia _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jordan Lachler Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 1:44 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Content Management Systems (CMS) We've been using Drupal for our fledgling "e-documentation" project for Oroha. http://www.orohalanguage.org/ I've found it quite easy to work with, especially with a team that is spread out across the globe. The software has many many features that we're not even exploiting yet, but the interface is quite intuitive, allowing us to spend more of our time on writing up the documentation, and less time on fighting with the software. So far, I haven't experienced any drawbacks with it, but it would be interesting to hear if more experienced Drupal users have encountered any that we should be watching out for. Best wishes, Jordan On Jan 10, 2008 9:01 AM, David Sasaki wrote: We use a blogging CMS, WordPress, to coordinate multilingual translations of blog posts from around the developing world. While this isn't language research, it could provide some interesting opportunities for researchers. For example, we recently launched the world's first Aymara language weblog and all of those posts are also translated into English and Spanish: http://aymara.vocesbolivianas.org/ We also have many more multilingual translations using WordPress at http://lingua.globalvoicesonline.org Best, David ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David Sasaki | outreach at globalvoicesonline.org Director of Outreach, Global Voices http://globalvoicesonline.org gtalk: osopecoso | skype: elosopecoso US: +1.510.717.8377 | http://el-oso.net/blog Colombia: +57.312.785.9172 -------------------------------------------------- On Jan 10, 2008, at 12:48 PM, phil cash cash wrote: Greetings, This is a two part question. The Web 2.0 is providing some unique opportunities for project collaboration. For example, Content Management Systems (CMS) allow collaborative project possibilities between users, or in one possible scenario, collaborations between language communities and scholars. 1) Is anybody utilizing a Content Management System (or Wiki) for language documentation/collaborative projects? 2) If so, what are the strengths/weaknesses and maintainance concerns of the CMS software you are using? Feel free to elaborate or introduce other essential elements implicated by these questions and your project. Please note if your CMS is a an open source software. Thanks is advance. Phil Cash Cash UofA -- Jordan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU Thu Jan 10 21:22:07 2008 From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:22:07 -0500 Subject: content management Message-ID: I have worked for the Linguistic Data Consortium, which produces data and other materials for industrial and intelligence computational linguistic projects. The LDC makes fairly extensive use of a wiki. The software used is MediaWiki (http://www.mediawiki.org). This is free software, the same software that underlies Wikipedia. You can see some of the LDC pages by starting at: http://projects.ldc.upenn.edu/LCTL/ (There are also restricted pages for internal use only.) The wiki is used for two main purposes. First, to record progress as a project progresses, including notes on the resources found/created and urls of where they are located. Second, for web harvest sessions, where a bunch of people all search the web for resources for a particular language. In this case, each section usually has one team member in charge. If somebody else happens to encounter a resource outside his or her assigned area, he or she will email the person in charge of that section. After the harvest sesssion, someone will clean up the whole thing, neatening it up and eliminating redundancies. I'm not aware of any problems with this software - it seems to work quite well and is used for projects of some complexity. My only caveat would be that the people using it are generally sophisticated computer users - it is possible that unsophisticated users might find it more difficult, though no particular problems come to mind. Bill From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Thu Jan 10 22:39:59 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:39:59 -0700 Subject: Developing technical terminology In-Reply-To: <20080101124224.yeuha8kkwk0wkw0o@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: I've been wanting to add to this for D-a-y-z-e, but have been in one with the beginning of the semester. In Israel in 1947-48, people needed a very large number of words to be able to make Hebrew the national language, with the restrictions that all business be done in it, so they had all the Rabbis convene minions and they literally made up words for things. Of course, Israel wasn't very big at the time. It still isn't, population-wise, really. They wrote all the words down - consonants only, of course - and distributed the dictionaries for people to use. The differences between Rudy's reflection and the Israeli experience is both the population density, and the ratio of people involved in the task to total population. (The same kinds of ratio statistics are needed for evaluation desirability of immersion programs, I might add.) Another major factor was the ratio of Total Language at Point A, when the need for a dictionary was determined, and Number of Words Defined at Point B, when the dictionary was released. In Israel, the ratio was whole numbers, many orders of magnitude greater than for the Nigerian and Spanish projects. But, I have what I think is an interesting and amazing experience to share. My friend Yolanda downloaded a Spanish-text version of a popular recording-to-text program. Then she called me up and said, Okay, what do I do (she was new to this particular technology.) We couldn't figure out what to do. Her interpretation of the Spanish didn't match our joint understandings of what the program should be offering us as options. I was stunned. I thought that this would be transparent. Actually, it was like running into a brick wall, and I have to admit, I kind of enjoyed it, because I don't get to experience things this dramatic very often. Not only could we not intuit the meaning, but not being able to do so was totally outside my ken of what would and would not be possible. It was a fun day. Then we got serious, and Yolanda downloaded the English version. All was well, and she was able to create the text for the many, many hours of her research interviews. In reflection, I wondered what dialect of Spanish the program had used. This idea arose partly because some of the children in her research had been "subjected" to a teacher from Spain in their bilingual classes. I looked on the web and found this: Today, the term "Castilian" is used in other ways too. Sometimes it is used to distinguish the north-central standard of Spanish from regional variations such as Andalusian (used in southern Spain). Sometimes it is used, not altogether accurately, to distinguish the Spanish of Spain from that of Latin America. And sometimes it is used simply as a synonym for Spanish, especially when referring to the "pure" Spanish promulgated by the Royal Spanish Academy (which itself preferred the term castellano in its dictionaries until the 1920s). For those interested, there is more at: http://spanish.about.com/od/historyofspanish/a/castilian.htm One of the nice things about learning things is that the more you learn, the more you have to think about, and the more sculpted the object of study becomes. It's like the little omega we look at to measure sensitivity of our quantitative experiences: How subtle is the effect you are trying to lure out. Mia -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Rudy Troike Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 12:42 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Developing technical terminology Happy New Year to Y'all! And thanks to Phil for his thoughtful reflections and suggestions, which I have passed along to another couple of lists. Re Mia's comments about the difficulty of constructing new native terms for new technical/conceptual phenomena, the lessons from the field of so- called 'language planning' can be instructive. Terminology evolves or is borrowed/adapted as users make use of the language to do so -- artificial efforts, unless institutionally enforced, are unlikely to take root or have effect. Some years ago I heard of a dictionary project in Nigeria which was organized by a group of academics who were trying to "modernize" some language for dealing with the technological culture beginning to affect them. The anecdote I heard involved their invention of a number of terms for parts of an automobile -- then someone subsequently visited auto repair shops in the city and found that self-trained mechanics (my grandfather was one such) had come up with their own terms, which they were, in the course of daily give-and- take, already beginning to standardize. Sometimes this involves borrowing and indigenization, as has happened with English over the centuries, and sometimes it involves extension of native elements and linguistic resources. Borrowing has the psycholinguistic value of facilitating processing transfer from another linguistic code -- witness the international use of much scientific, technical, and conceptual terminology (only in Germany was the use of "telephone" resisted and an artificial translated form "Fernsprecher" insisted upon). Even in linguistics it is easy to spot borrowed correspondences for "syntax", "phoneme", "morphology", even "linguistics". Though linguists are loath to admit it, word-learning involves (as capturable in Object-Oriented Programming) the acquisition of whole "packages" of information/knowledge, and it takes some practice to transfer this packaged information to another language, even one's native language. When one of my students from Italy, who had studied Chomsky's Government and Binding model with me, got hold of a new book setting forth this model in Italian, he reported to me that he had difficulty reading it, since he was used to thinking about the topic in English. The early culture contact between Navajo and Spanish speakers led to the borrowing of a small number of Spanish terms, which are now simply part of the native vocabulary (and terms such as "caballo" for 'horse' diffused widely between Native languages even in the absence of direct contact, while others modified the term for 'dog' one way or another). Such "organic" adaptation can be a productive way to import technological knowledge into the Native discourse, and thereby helping indigenize it, rather than treating the conceptual information as ineffable in the Native language because there is no certifiable Native way of referring to it. This can begin as simple code-switching, much the way Arab or Chinese speakers on campus pepper their conversation with English university-life related terms such as "semester", "final examination", etc., even though ways might be found (or exist) to label such concepts in their native languages. When people can begin to feel comfortable discussing new concepts in their native language, even using imported terminology (note that 80% of the vocabulary in most advanced texts in English is borrowed), they can begin to take ownership of it, and it can more readily become incorporated into the expanding and modernizing Native culture. Without that, the language becomes a museum piece, and the community eventually abandons it as no longer signficantly functional. Rudy From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU Thu Jan 10 22:53:58 2008 From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:53:58 -0500 Subject: Developing technical terminology In-Reply-To: <007f01c853d9$c1cd8760$e7c07b80@LFPMIA> Message-ID: A nit with regard to the modernization of the Hebrew vocabulary. The addition of modern terms to the Hebrew vocabulary began long before Independence in 1948. It actually began in the 19th century with the creation of Hebrew-language newspapers and the publication of novels in Hebrew, and continued with the development of the Zionist movement and increasing settlement in Palestine and the development of Hebrew-language collectives in Eastern Europe. The most important single figure in the modernization of Hebrew was Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who died in 1922. His son Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda was the first native speaker of modern Hebrew. From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Thu Jan 10 23:01:25 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:01:25 -0700 Subject: Developing technical terminology In-Reply-To: <20080110225358.2349DB245D@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu> Message-ID: 'Z'not a "nit": Is a very nice addition :-) thanks -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of William J Poser Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 3:54 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Developing technical terminology A nit with regard to the modernization of the Hebrew vocabulary. The addition of modern terms to the Hebrew vocabulary began long before Independence in 1948. It actually began in the 19th century with the creation of Hebrew-language newspapers and the publication of novels in Hebrew, and continued with the development of the Zionist movement and increasing settlement in Palestine and the development of Hebrew-language collectives in Eastern Europe. The most important single figure in the modernization of Hebrew was Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, who died in 1922. His son Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda was the first native speaker of modern Hebrew. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 11 19:47:15 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:47:15 -0700 Subject: Pair breathe life into dead language (fwd link) Message-ID: Pair breathe life into dead language Takelma are thought to be the earliest residents of Southern Oregon By Paris Achen Mail Tribune January 11, 2008 In 1933, anthropologist John Peabody Harrington chauffeured the last known fluent Takelma speaker, Frances Johnson, from the Siletz Reservation near Newport to the Rogue River Valley to capture some of the phrases and stories of the dying indigenous language. During the trip, Harrington took about 1,200 pages of field notes on the language, now extinct, said storyteller Thomas Doty. Johnson died the following year. Seventy-five years later, Doty and author John Michael Greer hope to revive the Takelma language by writing its first handbook. To access the full article, follow the link below: http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080111/NEWS/801110323 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 11 19:49:37 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:49:37 -0700 Subject: He hopes film is the talk of Sundance (fwd link) Message-ID: Posted on Fri, Jan. 11, 2008 The Philadelphia Inquirer He hopes film is the talk of Sundance Premiere will costar a Phila. expert on vanishing languages. By Kathy Boccella Inquirer Staff Writer Linguist K. David Harrison is comfortable speaking five languages and has studied dozens of others, but next week he will need to learn the singular vernacular of Hollywood as costar of a film premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. "I have a conference call today with the filmmakers just to talk about the publicity stuff," Harrison said from his Center City home, sounding mystified. The Linguists follows Harrison and his colleague Greg Anderson around the world as they document the last whispers of endangered languages and try to understand the forces threatening their extinction. To access full article, follow the link below: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20080111_He_hopes_film_is_the_talk_of_Sundance.html From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 11 19:51:30 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:51:30 -0700 Subject: Indigenous play highlights 'language genocide' (fwd) Message-ID: Indigenous play highlights 'language genocide' Posted Fri Jan 11, 2008 4:13pm AEDT http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/11/2136812.htm?section=entertainment A production kicking off at the Sydney Festival tonight is seeking to highlight the dire status of Indigenous languages. Ngapartji Ngapartji, which opens tonight at the Belvoir Street Threatre in Surry Hills, is based on the forced removal of people from their traditional land in the Central Desert for British atomic weapons testing during the Cold War. The work is conducted in English and Pitjantjatjara and audience members are encouraged to visit a website and learn some of the language before seeing the show. Director Scott Rankin says Australia is at risk of losing its Indigenous languages if the Commonwealth does not instigate a national policy. "If I said, 'How do you say 'hello' in the language of Uluru,' Australians generally don't know that," he said. "That is language genocide and our generation now is responsible. "Interestingly, Mr [Kevin] Rudd, fascinated with languages, can speak Mandarin. He would know how to say hello at the Great Wall of China but would he know how to say hello at the foot of Uluru?" Mr Rankin says it is a question of moral will on behalf of the Federal Government to address the issue. "The Coalition of Australian Governments (COAG) haven't looked at Indigenous language policy with a national agenda," he said. "The New South Wales Government is the most advanced in the country and has the most developed policy. "We're prepared to spend as a country, I think it's $29 million, making sure Indonesian can be taught in schools but we're only prepared to spend about $4 million on all indigenous languages." From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 11 19:58:22 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:58:22 -0700 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Message-ID: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American place names and words in the Mongolian language. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could be Mongolian. "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be Mongolian," he said. The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. From dpwiese at AOL.COM Fri Jan 11 21:32:43 2008 From: dpwiese at AOL.COM (Dr. Dorene Wiese) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:32:43 -0500 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) In-Reply-To: <20080111125822.80y3k0ooccsgkcws@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Dear ILAT LISTSERV. The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we visited there with the first American Indian group? in l980, they had never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were.? George Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. Dorene -----Original Message----- From: phil cash cash To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Mongolians first to discover America claims professor 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American place names and words in the Mongolian language. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could be Mongolian. "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be Mongolian," he said. The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM Fri Jan 11 22:29:06 2008 From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM (Bernadette Santamaria) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) In-Reply-To: <8CA22B0A289EF66-16D8-14AC@webmail-de11.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: Dear ILAT: I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does anyone know if there was something like that in the past several years? I believe it also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding the Bering Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been comparisons done. Bernadette A. Santamaria On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: > > Dear ILAT LISTSERV. > > The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we > visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they had > never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we > took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you > could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George > Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous > trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. > Dorene > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: phil cash cash > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm > Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor > (fwd) > > Mongolians first to discover America claims professor > > > 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 > http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html > > > BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said > > America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is > > popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. > > > Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian > > capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American > > place names and words in the Mongolian language. > > > "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian > > Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. > > > The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could > > be Mongolian. > > > "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be > > Mongolian," he said. > > > The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and > > Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. > > > Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians > > and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the > > Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. > > ------------------------------ > More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail > ! > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From johndillinger43 at HOTMAIL.COM Sat Jan 12 00:01:29 2008 From: johndillinger43 at HOTMAIL.COM (Ryan Denzer-King) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:01:29 -0700 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) In-Reply-To: Message-ID: >From what I know about the Bering Strait theory, the crossings occurred at far too great a time depth for any significant (at least superficial) linguistic evidence to be present. It's my understanding that any divergences great than 10,000 years are essentially impossible to prove, since the divergence will be great enough that similarities in the languages due to common genetic origin will not be statistically significantly greater than those due to chance. Ryan Denzer-King Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COMSubject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd)To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Dear ILAT: I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does anyone know if there was something like that in the past several years? I believe it also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding the Bering Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been comparisons done. Bernadette A. Santamaria On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: Dear ILAT LISTSERV.The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they hadnever heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. Dorene -----Original Message-----From: phil cash cash To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDUSent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pmSubject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Mongolians first to discover America claims professor 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American place names and words in the Mongolian language. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could be Mongolian. "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be Mongolian," he said. The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail! _________________________________________________________________ Make distant family not so distant with Windows Vista? + Windows Live?. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/digitallife/keepintouch.mspx?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_CPC_VideoChat_distantfamily_012008 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From delancey at UOREGON.EDU Sat Jan 12 00:39:48 2008 From: delancey at UOREGON.EDU (Scott DeLancey) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:39:48 -0800 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) In-Reply-To: Message-ID: On Fri, 11 Jan 2008, Bernadette Santamaria wrote: > Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is > the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, > in any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the > issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been > comparisons done. Fairly recently a Danish linguist, Michael Fortescu, presented some good evidence that the Eskimo-Aleut languages of Alaska and the Chukchee-Koryak languages of far eastern Siberia (just across the Bering Strait, there's even a Yupik language spoken there) are related. Even more recently, Ed Vadja has found evidence that the Na-Dene languages (Tlingit, Eyak, and Athabaskan) are related to the Yeniseian languages (Ket and a few close relatives) in central Siberia. This is an old idea, and a Russian linguist, Sergei Starostin, and some others did find some evidence, but not enough to convince most linguists. Vajda has a stronger case now. Neither of these is sufficiently proven yet, but I suspect they're right. Otherwise, you're right--there's no respectable evidence to suggest that any New World language is related to any Old World language. That's not proof of anything, though--the old Bering Strait hypothesis had people coming across no earlier than about 12,000 years ago, but I don't think anybody (or at least anybody under the age of 50) believes that anymore-- it would more likely be 15-20,000 or more. We (meaning linguists) have no concept at all of how to identify relationships that old, or what evidence for a relationship that old would look like, so not finding it isn't surprising no matter what you believe about the origins of Native people. Anyway, to bring this back to the original topic, my professional opinion (admitting that I don't know much about Mongolian, or most of the 1,000 or so New World languages) is that the idea of finding obvious evidence of relationship between Mongolian and any American language is impossible. If you just take a map of North America and take all the place names that come from Native languages--which sounds like what this fellow did--some of them will probably sound sorta like words in whatever language you happen to speak. It doesn't prove anything. Sorry, I just went into lecture mode ... Scott DeLancey Department of Linguistics 1290 University of Oregon Eugene, OR 97403-1290, USA delancey at uoregon.edu http://www.uoregon.edu/~delancey/prohp.html From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET Sat Jan 12 03:01:37 2008 From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 19:01:37 -0800 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In-Reply-To: Message-ID: In discussion with Greg Anderson of Living Tongues,he found similarities in siberian and some athabaskan languages but he presented the possibility that populations of migrating americans could just as well have settled parts of Siberia and languages could have been spread this way as well. The Bering Strait might not have been The One Way Road we see on high school school maps I guess Athabaskans could claim to have discovered Russia? Richard Zane Smith Wyandotte, Oklahoma On 1/11/08 4:01 PM, "Ryan Denzer-King" wrote: > From what I know about the Bering Strait theory, the crossings occurred at far > too great a time depth for any significant (at least superficial) linguistic > evidence to be present. It's my understanding that any divergences great than > 10,000 years are essentially impossible to prove, since the divergence will be > great enough that similarities in the languages due to common genetic origin > will not be statistically significantly greater than those due to chance. > > Ryan Denzer-King > > >> >> Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700 >> From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM >> Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor >> (fwd) >> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >> >> Dear ILAT: >> I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been >> DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does >> anyone know if there was something like that in the past several years? I >> believe it also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding >> the Bering Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine >> Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is >> the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in >> any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the >> issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been >> comparisons done. >> >> Bernadette A. Santamaria >> >> >> On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: >>> Dear ILAT LISTSERV. >>> >>> The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we >>> visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they had >>> never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we >>> took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you >>> could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George >>> Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous >>> trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. >>> Dorene >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: phil cash cash >>> To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >>> Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm >>> Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) >>> >>> Mongolians first to discover America claims professor >>> >>> >>> >>> 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 >>> >>> http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html >>> >>> >>> >>> BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has >>> said >>> >>> America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is >>> >>> popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. >>> >>> >>> >>> Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the >>> Mongolian >>> >>> capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between >>> American >>> >>> place names and words in the Mongolian language. >>> >>> >>> >>> "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the >>> Aleutian >>> >>> Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. >>> >>> >>> >>> The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands >>> could >>> >>> be Mongolian. >>> >>> >>> >>> "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to >>> be >>> >>> Mongolian," he said. >>> >>> >>> >>> The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language >>> and >>> >>> Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. >>> >>> >>> >>> Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the >>> Mongolians >>> >>> and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the >>> >>> Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of >>> Mongolia. >>> >>> >>> More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail >>> >> lcmp00050000000003> ! >>> >> > > > Make distant family not so distant with Windows Vista? + Windows Live?. Start > now! > CPC_VideoChat_distantfamily_012008> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET Sat Jan 12 06:56:41 2008 From: phonosemantics at EARTHLINK.NET (jess tauber) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 01:56:41 -0500 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Message-ID: I thought Jambaldorj believed in staying out of Muggle linguistic affairs.... Jess Tauber wvle:wa wi:amana:nashin phonosemantics at earthlink.net From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Sat Jan 12 16:46:54 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:46:54 -0700 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In-Reply-To: Message-ID: I like the options that the Athapascan people could have discovered Russia! I wish I had thought of that. However, the possibility is closer to being substantial than might be implied by my opening. I discovered research at U. Manitoba a few years ago. I summarized here: http://www.learningforpeople.us/Lipan/AlaskanMigration.htm Actually it's a whole web environment, but it is pretty, and incorporates related research on New Mexico evidence. Says that the Athapascans were living on the southeast corner of Glacial Lake Agassiz during the last ice age. When the ice started to melt, Agassiz water went East, to the great lakes, where Athapascan speakers were encountered in the 1800's, North, to Alaska, to the land of the midnight sun, and South. Arrow heads indicate that they went all over the south. We know there are still Lipan people in Mexico. :-) Enjoy. Mia PS: For music buffs, what famous song, _______ River Valley, was about the modern day Lake Agassiz water? (Maybe that's too much of a clue :-) ). _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Richard Smith Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 8:02 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In discussion with Greg Anderson of Living Tongues,he found similarities in siberian and some athabaskan languages but he presented the possibility that populations of migrating americans could just as well have settled parts of Siberia and languages could have been spread this way as well. The Bering Strait might not have been The One Way Road we see on high school school maps I guess Athabaskans could claim to have discovered Russia? Richard Zane Smith Wyandotte, Oklahoma On 1/11/08 4:01 PM, "Ryan Denzer-King" wrote: >From what I know about the Bering Strait theory, the crossings occurred at far too great a time depth for any significant (at least superficial) linguistic evidence to be present. It's my understanding that any divergences great than 10,000 years are essentially impossible to prove, since the divergence will be great enough that similarities in the languages due to common genetic origin will not be statistically significantly greater than those due to chance. Ryan Denzer-King _____ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700 From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Dear ILAT: I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does anyone know if there was something like that in the past several years? I believe it also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding the Bering Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been comparisons done. Bernadette A. Santamaria On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: Dear ILAT LISTSERV. The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they had never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. Dorene -----Original Message----- From: phil cash cash To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Mongolians first to discover America claims professor 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American place names and words in the Mongolian language. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could be Mongolian. "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be Mongolian," he said. The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. _____ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! _____ Make distant family not so distant with Windows VistaR + Windows LiveT. Start now! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Sat Jan 12 16:49:47 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:49:47 -0700 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In-Reply-To: Message-ID: This page has the Manitoba links http://www.learningforpeople.us/Lipan/Taltheilei.htm _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Richard Smith Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 8:02 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In discussion with Greg Anderson of Living Tongues,he found similarities in siberian and some athabaskan languages but he presented the possibility that populations of migrating americans could just as well have settled parts of Siberia and languages could have been spread this way as well. The Bering Strait might not have been The One Way Road we see on high school school maps I guess Athabaskans could claim to have discovered Russia? Richard Zane Smith Wyandotte, Oklahoma On 1/11/08 4:01 PM, "Ryan Denzer-King" wrote: >From what I know about the Bering Strait theory, the crossings occurred at far too great a time depth for any significant (at least superficial) linguistic evidence to be present. It's my understanding that any divergences great than 10,000 years are essentially impossible to prove, since the divergence will be great enough that similarities in the languages due to common genetic origin will not be statistically significantly greater than those due to chance. Ryan Denzer-King _____ Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700 From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Dear ILAT: I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does anyone know if there was something like that in the past several years? I believe it also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding the Bering Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine Deloria, it is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is the linguistic evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in any way, similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the issue of parallels in language has not been proven although there have been comparisons done. Bernadette A. Santamaria On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: Dear ILAT LISTSERV. The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they had never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. Dorene -----Original Message----- From: phil cash cash To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) Mongolians first to discover America claims professor 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American place names and words in the Mongolian language. "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the Aleutian Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands could be Mongolian. "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to be Mongolian," he said. The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language and Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the Mongolians and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. _____ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! _____ Make distant family not so distant with Windows VistaR + Windows LiveT. Start now! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM Sat Jan 12 18:42:46 2008 From: jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM (Jordan Lachler) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 09:42:46 -0900 Subject: Content Management Systems (CMS) In-Reply-To: <006301c853ca$dd715370$e7c07b80@LFPMIA> Message-ID: Group in Spain unveils Wikipedia-style site for fine-tuning Spanish language around the world DANIEL WOOLLS Associated Press Writer MADRID, Spain ? A new Wikipedia-style online tool designed to help the world's nearly 400 million Spanish speakers consult on proper use of their language launched officially on Thursday. Spoken in more than 20 countries, Spanish poses a daunting and fluid challenge to academics trying to track variations in grammar and vocabulary; there can be many ways to say a simple word such as car or pen. The Web site, called Wikilengua, in testing since August, works like the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, where Internet users can modify the entries they consult. But Wikilengua contributors must register in order to edit entries, and supervisors check contributions and filter out those they deem inaccurate or inappropriate. Thursday's official unveiling was at Casa de America, a cultural center that aims to symbolize and enhance Spain's strong ties with Latin America ? and their common use of the world's third-most-spoken language, after Chinese and English. "The first cyberspace forum that is open and dedicated to bringing together honestly all knowledge about the Spanish language was born today," said Alex Grijelmo, president of the Spanish national news agency Efe, part of the foundation that created the Web site. "Wikilengua aims to serve as a place for reflection on language, the grand instrument of human intelligence," Grijelmo said at the presentation. The site gets about 1,000 visits a day, and the number is rising steadily, said Javier Bezos, coordinator of the Web site. It is the brainchild of Fundeu BBVA, a foundation created by Efe and BBVA, Spain's No. 2 bank, to monitor and offer advice on correct use of Spanish, especially in the news media. The plan is to enlist the expertise of the Spanish Royal Academy, the official watchdog of the language, and 20-odd affiliated academies in Latin America, the United States and the Philippines. "What we are doing with Wikilengua is open an immense network of highways granting access to the ... work of the academies," said Victor Garcia de la Concha, director of the Spanish Royal Academy. "Now we (have) a space for exchanging opinions, studies and suggestions." ??? On the Net: http://www.wikilengua.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET Sun Jan 13 02:42:10 2008 From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith) Date: Sat, 12 Jan 2008 18:42:10 -0800 Subject: Mongolians first to discover America claims professor In-Reply-To: <002001c8553a$bd0896e0$1200a8c0@LFPMIA> Message-ID: interesting pages Mia, thanks for sharing the link! awww...no plans for scuba archaeology in the Bering Strait? Rzs On 1/12/08 8:46 AM, "Mia Kalish" wrote: > I like the options that the Athapascan people could have discovered Russia! I > wish I had thought of that. > > However, the possibility is closer to being substantial than might be implied > by my opening. > I discovered research at U. Manitoba a few years ago. I summarized here: > http://www.learningforpeople.us/Lipan/AlaskanMigration.htm > > Actually it?s a whole web environment, but it is pretty, and incorporates > related research on New Mexico evidence. > Says that the Athapascans were living on the southeast corner of Glacial Lake > Agassiz during the last ice age. When the ice started to melt, Agassiz water > went East, to the great lakes, where Athapascan speakers were encountered in > the 1800?s, North, to Alaska, to the land of the midnight sun, and South. > Arrow heads indicate that they went all over the south. We know there are > still Lipan people in Mexico. J > > Enjoy. > Mia > > PS: For music buffs, what famous song, _______ River Valley, was about the > modern day Lake Agassiz water? (Maybe that?s too much of a clue J ). > > > > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] > On Behalf Of Richard Smith > Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 8:02 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor > > In discussion with Greg Anderson of Living Tongues,he found > similarities in siberian and some athabaskan languages > but he presented the possibility that > populations of migrating americans could just as well have settled > parts of Siberia and languages could have been spread this way as well. > The Bering Strait might not have been The One Way Road > we see on high school school maps > > I guess Athabaskans could claim to have discovered Russia? > > Richard Zane Smith > Wyandotte, Oklahoma > > > > On 1/11/08 4:01 PM, "Ryan Denzer-King" wrote: > From what I know about the Bering Strait theory, the crossings occurred at far > too great a time depth for any significant (at least superficial) linguistic > evidence to be present. It's my understanding that any divergences great than > 10,000 years are essentially impossible to prove, since the divergence will be > great enough that similarities in the languages due to common genetic origin > will not be statistically significantly greater than those due to chance. > > Ryan Denzer-King > > > Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:29:06 -0700 > From: bernisantamaria at GMAIL.COM > Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor > (fwd) > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > > Dear ILAT: > I find this topic interesting too since I read somewhere that there had been > DNA comparisons done on American Indian and Mongolians or Asians? Does anyone > know if there was something like that in the past several years? I believe it > also stated that there were very little similarities. Regarding the Bering > Strait theory--that's all it is according to the late Prof. Vine Deloria, it > is not proven scientific fact that it occurred. Also, where is the linguistic > evidence that any Indigenous languages of the Americas are, in any way, > similar to Asian or Mongolian languages? It would seem that the issue of > parallels in language has not been proven although there have been comparisons > done. > > Bernadette A. Santamaria > > > On 1/11/08, Dr. Dorene Wiese wrote: > Dear ILAT LISTSERV. > > The article on the Mongolians is very interesting, considering, when we > visited there with the first American Indian group in l980, they had > never heard of the Bering Strait theory. It is true, however, that when we > took our group picture, some of us on Mongolian horses, in Ulan Batar,you > could not tell who the Indians were and who the Mongolians were. George > Bordeaux has great film coverage of that historic event. It was a tremendous > trip. I call that time, China before McDonalds. > Dorene > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: phil cash cash > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Sent: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 1:58 pm > Subject: [ILAT] Mongolians first to discover America claims professor (fwd) > > Mongolians first to discover America claims professor > > > > 12:01 | 11/ 01/ 2008 > > http://en.rian.ru/world/20080111/96196977.html > > > > BEIJING, January 11 (RIA Novosti) - A Mongolian professor of history has said > > America was discovered by the Mongolians and not Christopher Columbus, as is > > popularly believed, the Xinhua news agency reported late on Thursday. > > > > Professor Sumiya Jambaldorj from the Genghis Khan University in the Mongolian > > capital, UIan Bator, performed a study proving the similarity between American > > place names and words in the Mongolian language. > > > > "About 8,000 to 25,000 years ago, Mongols with stone tools crossed the > Aleutian > > Islands and arrived in America," Jambaldorj was reported as saying. > > > > The academic said that over 20 place names in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands > could > > be Mongolian. > > > > "Many names of places and rivers in the U.S. state of Alaska are believed to > be > > Mongolian," he said. > > > > The news agency said there were similar words in a Native American language > and > > Mongolian, e.g. "hagaan," which means "ancestor" in Mongolian. > > > > Jambaldorj said there was much in common between the ancestors of the > Mongolians > > and the Native Americans, adding that some types of stone tools found in the > > Aleutian Islands had also been discovered in the Gobi desert area of Mongolia. > > > More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail > mp00050000000003> ! > > > > > > Make distant family not so distant with Windows Vista? + Windows Live?. Start > now! > CPC_VideoChat_distantfamily_012008> > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 14 01:22:35 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2008 18:22:35 -0700 Subject: Language of the elders (fwd link) Message-ID: Language of the elders Preserving the sounds and identity of their American Indian culture By Flynn Espe The East Oregonian As in any typical high school classroom, the level of engagement varied from student to student Tuesday morning in the Umatilla language class at Nixy?awii Community School. In reviewing Umatilla vocabulary for articles of clothing, teacher Tawtaliksh (English name Fred Hill, Sr.) told several amusing stories behind the meaning of the words, being careful to clarify the language's precise sounds. With the slightest of change in vowel pronunciation, he demonstrated, the word for sleep would turn into the word for drink. To access the full article, just follow the link below: http://www.eastoregonian.info/main.asp?SectionID=13&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=71753 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 14 16:19:57 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:19:57 -0700 Subject: Nepal to document 8 endangered languages (fwd link) Message-ID: Nepal to document 8 endangered languages www.chinaview.cn 2008-01-14 13:36:35 KATHMANDU, Jan. 14 (Xinhua) -- Eight different endangered indigenous languages are to be documented with grammar sketches and dictionaries, local newspaper The Kathmandu Post reported Monday. The research will be conducted by Central Department of Linguistics of Tribhuvan University with support from the National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN). The endangered languages are Raji, Bankariya, Dumi, Thakali, Danuwar, Kishan, Santhali and Kou. To access full article, follow the link below: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-01/14/content_7419086.htm From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 14 16:24:35 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:24:35 -0700 Subject: Dead linguist's work reviving dead languages (fwd link) Message-ID: Jan. 12, 2008, 10:59PM Dead linguist's work reviving dead languages Eccentric traveled California talking to native speakers in the early 1900s By LISA KRIEGER San Jose Mercury News SAN JOSE, CALIF. ? Bringing voices from the grave, volunteers at the University of California-Davis are working to decipher nearly a million pages of notes from conversations with long-gone Californians, reviving more than 100 languages from the distant past. To access full article, just follow the link below: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5448796.html From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Mon Jan 14 22:43:52 2008 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:43:52 -0800 Subject: A Link To Creation Message-ID: Language of the elders Preserving the sounds and identity of their American Indian culture By Flynn Espe The East Oregonian As in any typical high school classroom, the level of engagement varied from student to student Tuesday morning in the Umatilla language class at Nixy?awii Community School. In reviewing Umatilla vocabulary for articles of clothing, teacher Tawtaliksh (English name Fred Hill, Sr.) told several amusing stories behind the meaning of the words, being careful to clarify the language's precise sounds. With the slightest of change in vowel pronunciation, he demonstrated, the word for sleep would turn into the word for drink. While some peers chatted away in various corners of the room, senior Randy Robinson, now in his third year of learning the language, sat front and center taking down notes. "I kind of try to focus on myself," Robinson said. "I'm starting to understand more of what Fred says when he starts speaking." In another classroom on campus, a different group of students reviewed the answers to a test on the Walla Walla tribal language, while a third classroom of students spent the morning studying pronouns of the Nez Perce language. Sitting in on the latter session, two elder Nez Perce speakers listened to make sure their apprentice teacher taught the proper annunciation. A new effort While the three American Indian dialects once flourished across the region as a backbone of native culture, very few fluent speakers - who learned the languages orally, often through grandparents - remain living. Beginning in 1996, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation adopted an ambitious language program to preserve the old tongues from becoming extinct. Each weekday, a small selection of tribal elders representing all three languages gathers informally to socialize and help one another re-extract the old words and phrases from their memories. While the group started with about nine elders, two have since died. With the help of descriptive linguist Noel Rude, Ph.D., the tribes have begun to amass a collection of recorded and phonetically written texts of the native dialects, transcribed interviews with the present tribal elders. From those, Rude has continued to expand the dictionaries and figure out the language grammars. While that work continues, the tribes have begun to build curriculum to teach the languages, now foreign, to the newest generation. At Nixy?awii, often depending on their blood lineage, students choose to study either Umatilla, Walla Walla or what the tribes refer to as Cayuse-Nez Perce, a slightly modified version of the Nez Perce language the Cayuse people began to speak after being nearly wiped out from war and disease in the 1800s. As the true Cayuse language no longer exists, tribal members attached the name to the Nez Perce as an identifier of the people who lived on through intermarriage. Reclaiming what was lost "When the Catholic priests came and they started the boarding schools, they punished the young people for speaking Indian. And also the United States government schools punished the youngsters severely," said elder Shaw' shw?inan' may (Kathleen Gordon), who helps pass on the Cayuse-Nez Perce language. "It was beaten out of us really. So our grandmas and our parents feared for us being punished and beaten." For many, such painful history contributed to long-lasting feelings of suspicion. "There was a lot of resistance at one time to have the language written down," said Kakiinash (Thomas MorningOwl), original language program director, explaining the old sentiment of some elders. " 'Why do you write down the language? The white man has stolen our identity. They've stolen our land.' " It's a viewpoint MorningOwl said has begun to fall by the wayside. "If I have the language, as I do, and I don't do anything to pass it on to my kids and leave a legacy of the written word behind, and I go to my grave ... I steal it from everybody," MorningOwl said. As the program now operates, a handful of elders from each language work independently to teach one or two adult apprentices, who in turn pass on the language to the high school students. Students study the languages twice a week. The tribes also work the language into their HeadStart program and teach a group of students weekly at Pendleton's Washington Elementary. Language barriers It is by no means an easy task. Aside from the different grammar and vocabulary, each of the three native tongues incorporates phonetic sounds not used in the English language. "English is kind of the upper limit for vowel sounds, huge numbers of vowels," Rude said. "And these (American Indian) languages are really rich in consonant sounds." Those sounds can incorporate everything from subtle pops at the front of the mouth to guttural throat pronunciations. "One of the things that always comes to my mind is, 'Are the people here really ready to start pronouncing the words how they're supposed to be pronounced?' " program supervisor T?syawak (Mildred Quaempts) said. "If they really want this language to go out, they have to be patient, and they have to be willing and committed." A link to creation For Hill, it also is a matter of immersing the young people in storytelling, an important teaching vehicle by which past generations learned to imitate the sounds of language not easily captured on paper. "There were life lessons, and as the stories were told you learned to become a listener. And one of those ways you indicated you were listening was by begetting sounds as you listened," he said, demonstrating a few vowel hums. "There are sounds that are evoked by the spirit of the story." And many tribal members believe those sounds have roots as deep as creation, a message Gordon imparts to all of her students. "These were sacred gifts to us from our creator that we were to speak for a lifetime. But they were taken from us and we need to revive them, because it is our true identity," Gordon said. "Like every bird has a song, their own unique song and sound - the dogs, the cats - everything has their own sound and this is our unique sound the creator gave to us." In an increasingly English-saturated world, local languages like the Umatilla, Walla Walla and Nez Perce, may never again exist in the same pure capacity as the past. "It's very hard to maintain a minority language in the world anywhere today," Rude said. "That's what we're trying to do here." Nevertheless, teachers at Nixy?awii may find encouragement from students like Robinson, who are making more noticeable efforts to listen. "I'm hoping to come back next year as an apprentice," he said. "I would like to keep up with the language, so I don't lose it over time." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 19:28:21 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:28:21 -0700 Subject: Most of Canada's 61 aboriginal languages continue decades-long slide (fwd link) Message-ID: Most of Canada's 61 aboriginal languages continue decades-long slide The Canadian Press INUVIK, N.W.T. - The lively five-year-olds in Sandra Ipana's language class chant through the calendar in Inuvialuktun. On the floor, elder Emma Dick plays word games with two shy little twin sisters. The posters on the wall are bright and there are plenty of colourful books on the shelves. But even here, where the effort to revive the language of the Inuvialuit is strongest, Ipana says the chances of her young pupils speaking their ancestral tongue in their everyday lives are modest. Article link: http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5i4n957oDs3QFjQyZ0sT7I2DXGC3g From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 19:30:32 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:30:32 -0700 Subject: Aboriginal language shows gains and losses (fwd link) Message-ID: Aboriginal language shows gains and losses Meagan Fitzpatrick, Canwest News Service Published: Tuesday, January 15, 2008 OTTAWA -- The growth in Canada's aboriginal population hasn't necessarily translated into more people speaking an aboriginal language, the 2006 census reveals. Knowledge and regular use of an aboriginal language rests largely with the older generations and while some languages gained speakers over the last decade, others lost, according to data contained in the Statistics Canada report released Tuesday on the country's aboriginal population. Article link: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=239370 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 19:32:09 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:32:09 -0700 Subject: Aboriginal diversity spans language, culture (fwd link) Message-ID: Aboriginal diversity spans language, culture Jan 15, 2008 08:45 AM Bob Weber THE CANADIAN PRESS INUVIK, N.W.T ? Their steady murmur was the soundtrack to the recently completed hearings on a proposed Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline, as they are to virtually any important public event in the Northwest Territories. The presence of ? and need for ? aboriginal translators belie the too-often-held view in mainstream Canada that all First Nations are similar. Article link: http://www.thestar.com/News/article/294108 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 19:34:56 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:34:56 -0700 Subject: The last of Nepal's Dura speakers (fwd link) Message-ID: The last of Nepal's Dura speakers By Charles Haviland BBC News, Kathmandu Plans are being made to extend medical help to an octogenarian woman in Nepal who is the last known speaker of a minority language. None of the rest of Soma Devi Dura's family speak Dura, despite being from the same ethnic group. The only other person who could speak the language died last August. Now Soma Devi Dura's health is ailing at her home in the hills of western Nepal, and she has severely impaired sight and hearing. Article link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7189898.stm From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 19:40:35 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 12:40:35 -0700 Subject: Odawa language course makes its way into Harbor Springs’ curriculum (fwd link) Message-ID: Odawa language course makes its way into Harbor Springs? curriculum By Christina Rohn News-Review Staff Writer Tuesday, January 15, 2008 11:59 AM EST A groundbreaking new course is being offered at Harbor Springs High School ? Anishinaabemowin, the native language of Odawa Indians. The class, which is a collaboration between the Little Traverse Bay Bands (LTBB) of Odawa Indians and Harbor Springs Public Schools, began in September 2007 ? the beginning of the current school year. According to officials from the Michigan Department of Education, no other public school system in the state is currently offering a ?Native American? language course for credit toward graduation. Article link: http://www.petoskeynews.com/articles/2008/01/15/news/doc478ce2d409651389481741.txt Article has a really nice though short video segment worth viewing! From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 15 20:37:23 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 13:37:23 -0700 Subject: All Roads Seed Grants (fwd link) Message-ID: All Roads Seed Grants (National Geographic) http://www.nationalgeographic.com/allroads/seed-grants.html The All Roads Seed Grant Program funds film projects by and about indigenous and underrepresented minority-culture filmmakers year-round and from all reaches of the globe. The program seeks filmmakers who bring their lives and communities to light through first-person storytelling. Submission deadlines are quarterly on the 15th of each March, June, September, and December. Award notifications are made approximately six weeks after each of these dates. From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Wed Jan 16 15:01:27 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 08:01:27 -0700 Subject: Summer Institute: InField Message-ID: *** Apologies for cross-postings *** CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Linguists, Students of Linguistics, Language Activists INSTITUTE ON FIELD LINGUISTICS AND LANGUAGE DOCUMENTATION UC Santa Barbara http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/infield/ Workshops: June 23rd - July 3, 2008 Field Training: July 7-August 1st, 2008 Application Deadline: February 29, 2008 The Institute on Field Linguistics and Language Documentation is designed for field linguists, graduate students, and language activists to receive training in current techniques and issues in language documentation, language maintenance, and language revitalization. WORKSHOPS Steps in language documentation Models of language documentation and revitalization Language activism Introduction to linguistics for language activists Language resources and the community Grant writing for language activists or linguists Web and WIKIs for language documentation Audio recording Video recording Lexicography Orthography Discourse Transcription Principles of archiving, metadata, media, file formats Principles of database design Toolbox Field phonetics Life in the field Problematizing the field experience Intellectual property rights FIELD TRAINING (Intensive field methods) Patricia Shaw University of British Columbia Language: Kwakwala Tucker Childs Portland State University Language: Mende Carol Genetti UC Santa Barbara Language: TBA FOR APPLICATION AND COMPLETE INFORMATION, POINT YOUR BROWSER TO: http://www.linguistics.ucsb.edu/faculty/infield/ SPONSORS U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities: Documenting Endangered Languages Program University of California, Santa Barbara: Division of Humanities and Fine Arts, the Interdisciplinary Humanities Center, and the Department of Linguistics -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 16 17:58:52 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:58:52 -0700 Subject: Aboriginal films from around the world hosted on new website (fwd link) Message-ID: Aboriginal films from around the world hosted on new website Inuit filmmaker Zach Kunuk and his co-producer Norman Cohn grabbed worldwide attention for their film "Atanarjuat" when it won a medal at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, but neither expected the accolades and attention to trickle down to others telling aboriginal stories. That's why the two have started a new service allowing such filmmakers from around the world to share and show their work on a website that could become the YouTube of aboriginal cinema. Full article link: http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5jOXpLKjKFtGKXYT0J2qOLJM7zCOA From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 16 18:01:12 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:01:12 -0700 Subject: Language crusaders revitalize dying tongues (fwd link) Message-ID: Language crusaders revitalize dying tongues As Canada's native dialects slide toward obsolescence, aboriginal groups are finding resourceful ways to ensure linguistic posterity PATRICK WHITE >From Wednesday's Globe and Mail January 16, 2008 at 4:36 AM EST For a brief time when he was 6, Chief Robert Joseph's schoolteachers rendered him mute. If he dared speak Kwak'wala, his only tongue, even to complain of t'sit'saxsisala (sore feet) or t'ixwa ( a cough), the missionaries at St. Michael's Residential School in Alert Bay, B.C., would strike. And if Mr. Joseph's friends mustered the audacity to ask him yalkawa'mas ? did you get hurt? ? they risked a smack themselves. "I certainly saw my share of rulers, straps and cuffs on the ear," Mr. Joseph says in perfect English, the language forced upon him 62 years ago. "You had to pick up English or not communicate at all." Others students had it worse. One common punishment involved a sewing needle through the tongue. The last native residential schools closed in 1996, but the silencing of native tongues continues. Tuesday, Statistics Canada released data showing nearly all of Canada's native languages sliding toward obsolescence as fluent elders die and young aboriginals grow up speaking only English or French. Link to full article below: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080115.Lcensuslanguages0116/BNStory/lifeMain/home From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 17 18:41:57 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:41:57 -0700 Subject: Census numbers portray 'crisis' among Inuit: Simon (fwd link) Message-ID: Census numbers portray 'crisis' among Inuit: Simon Last Updated: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 | 9:15 AM CT CBC News A Canadian Inuit leader said she's worried about new statistics that show poor conditions among Canada's Inuit, from crowded houses to fewer people using traditional languages. Full article link below: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2008/01/16/inuit-census.html From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Thu Jan 17 20:53:44 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:53:44 -0500 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico Message-ID: FYI (link seen on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19666430768 ) Publica DOF el Cat?logo de Lenguas Ind?genas Notimex / La Jornada On Line http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2008/01/14/publica-dof-el-catalogo-de-len guas-indigenas M?xico. El Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Ind?genas (Inali) public? este lunes en el Diario Oficial de la Federaci?n el Cat?logo de las Lenguas Ind?genas Nacionales que contiene 300 variantes ling??sticas que se hablan en el pa?s. . . . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US Fri Jan 18 01:25:29 2008 From: MiaKalish at LEARNINGFORPEOPLE.US (Mia Kalish) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:25:29 -0700 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico In-Reply-To: <035901c8594b$0d4787b0$27d69710$@net> Message-ID: This page requires a log in. . . . _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Don Osborn Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:54 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico FYI (link seen on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19666430768 ) Publica DOF el Cat?logo de Lenguas Ind?genas Notimex / La Jornada On Line http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2008/01/14/publica-dof-el-catalogo-de-len guas-indigenas M?xico. El Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Ind?genas (Inali) public? este lunes en el Diario Oficial de la Federaci?n el Cat?logo de las Lenguas Ind?genas Nacionales que contiene 300 variantes ling??sticas que se hablan en el pa?s. . . . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fmarmole at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 18 04:17:55 2008 From: fmarmole at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Francisco Marmolejo) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 21:17:55 -0700 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico In-Reply-To: <011f01c85971$03d8de60$8b0214ac@LFPMIA> Message-ID: Dear colleagues: An interactive version of the catalog can be consulted directly at: http://www.inali.gob.mx/catalogo2007/mapa.html The full Catalog in text can be downloaded from: http://www.inali.gob.mx/pdf/CLIN_completo.pdf Regards, Francisco Marmolejo Executive Director Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration CONAHEC - University of Arizona PO Box 210300 220 W. Sixth Street Tucson, AZ 85721-0300 USA Tel. (520) 621-9080 / 621-7761 Fax (520) 626-2675 Email: fmarmole at email.arizona.edu http://conahec.org cid:image001.jpg at 01C7AF30.82AF8360 Francisco Marmolejo Assistant Vice President for Western Hemispheric Programs University of Arizona PO Box 210158 888 N. Euclid Ave. / University Services Bldg. Tucson, AZ 85721 USA Tel. (520) 626-4258 Fax (520) 621-6011 Email: fmarmole at email.arizona.edu http://www.whp.arizona.edu cid:image002.gif at 01C7AF30.82AF8360 From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Mia Kalish Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 6:25 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico This page requires a log in. . . . _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Don Osborn Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:54 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico FYI (link seen on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19666430768 ) Publica DOF el Cat?logo de Lenguas Ind?genas Notimex / La Jornada On Line http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2008/01/14/publica-dof-el-catalogo-de-len guas-indigenas M?xico. El Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Ind?genas (Inali) public? este lunes en el Diario Oficial de la Federaci?n el Cat?logo de las Lenguas Ind?genas Nacionales que contiene 300 variantes ling??sticas que se hablan en el pa?s. . . . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 2535 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 3042 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Fri Jan 18 04:37:52 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 23:37:52 -0500 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico In-Reply-To: <011f01c85971$03d8de60$8b0214ac@LFPMIA> Message-ID: Hi Mia, Yes the first URL requires a login (Facebook; sorry for not making that clear) but that is not critical - it's just where I saw the reference to the second URL, for the article. Of course Francisco Marmolejo's pointers are the substance of the matter. How many countries have done what Mexico has in one form or another? In many cases, and for various reasons, it has been foreign linguists and agencies like SIL which have done much of the work. While such outside-initiated efforts are vital, especially when there is nothing else, it doesn't seem to substitute for national initiative and data gathering, and can't take the place of policy to do something with the results. Don From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Mia Kalish Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 8:25 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: Re: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico This page requires a log in. . . . _____ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of Don Osborn Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:54 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico FYI (link seen on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19666430768 ) Publica DOF el Cat?logo de Lenguas Ind?genas Notimex / La Jornada On Line http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2008/01/14/publica-dof-el-catalogo-de-len guas-indigenas M?xico. El Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Ind?genas (Inali) public? este lunes en el Diario Oficial de la Federaci?n el Cat?logo de las Lenguas Ind?genas Nacionales que contiene 300 variantes ling??sticas que se hablan en el pa?s. . . . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From candaceg at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Fri Jan 18 19:59:46 2008 From: candaceg at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (Candace K. Galla) Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:59:46 -0700 Subject: American Indian Language Development Institute 2008 Message-ID: ** Announcing the 29th Annual American Indian Language Development Institute June 4 - July 2, 2008 University of Arizona *Creating Spaces for Indigenous Languages in Everyday Life* ** The University of Arizona and Department of Language, Reading & Culture invite you to the 29th American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI). AILDI 2008 will have a special focus on Native teachers in the classroom and language. Special topics will include NCLB & Native students, language immersion methods in the classroom, Native children's literature & writing and schooling in Native American communities. Our theme, *Creating Spaces for Indigenous Languages in Everyday Life *reflects this emphasis and will be highlighted with guest speakers, presentations, activities, projects, and fieldtrips. AILDI provides a unique educational experience for teachers of Native children. The AILDI format offers Native and non-Native teachers the opportunity to become researchers, practitioners, bilingual/bicultural curriculum specialists, and especially effective language teachers. The common concern of language loss, revitalization and maintenance brings educators, parents, tribal leaders and community members to this university setting to study methods for teaching Native languages and cultures and to develop materials. AILDI offers six graduate credits or undergraduate credit hours during four weeks of intensive study. Courses can be applied toward regular degree programs and teacher endorsements. Please visit our website at http://www.u.arizona.edu/~aildi for more information. Best, Candace K. Galla Ph.D Student, LRC Graduate Assistant American Indian Language Development Institute Department of Language, Reading & Culture College of Education, Room 517 P.O. Box 210069 Tucson, AZ 85721-0069 (520) 621-1068, Fax (520)621-8174 www.u.arizona.edu/~aildi candaceg at email.arizona.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2008%20Brochure.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 2228542 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dmark916 at AOL.COM Sat Jan 19 00:31:54 2008 From: dmark916 at AOL.COM (Dorothy Martinez) Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:31:54 -0700 Subject: Dorothy sent you a friend request on Tagged :) Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From aidan at USYD.EDU.AU Sat Jan 19 02:08:33 2008 From: aidan at USYD.EDU.AU (Aidan Wilson) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 13:08:33 +1100 Subject: Dorothy sent you a friend request on Tagged :) In-Reply-To: <20080119003155.0288D6216@listserv.arizona.edu> Message-ID: What is this? Is 'tagged' another social networking site or did a chunk of spam make its way onto the list? -Aidan (a human) Dorothy Martinez wrote: > If you can't see this email please click here > > Dorothy Martinez > Dorothy Martinez has added you as a friend > Is Dorothy your friend? > > > > Click Yes if Dorothy is your friend, otherwise click No. > But you have to click! > > Please respond or Dorothy may think you said no :( > Click here > > to block all emails from Tagged, P.O. Box 193152 San Francisco, CA > 94119-3152 > From Dmark916 at AOL.COM Sat Jan 19 05:04:06 2008 From: Dmark916 at AOL.COM (Dmark916 at AOL.COM) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:04:06 EST Subject: Dorothy sent you a friend request on Tagged :) Message-ID: Sorry, I was trying to delete the message I had received! Dorothy **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Dmark916 at AOL.COM Sat Jan 19 05:04:58 2008 From: Dmark916 at AOL.COM (Dmark916 at AOL.COM) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 00:04:58 EST Subject: Dorothy sent you a friend request on Tagged :) Message-ID: Sorry, ILAT: I was trying to delete a message I had received!! Dorothy **************Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape. http://body.aol.com/fitness/winter-exercise?NCID=aolcmp00300000002489 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From langendt at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 19 19:10:28 2008 From: langendt at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (D. Terence Langendoen) Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 14:10:28 -0500 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico In-Reply-To: <039401c8598b$e393f570$aabbe050$@net> Message-ID: Don, I agree; in fact a transnational global effort is called for. Terry -- Terry Langendoen Prof Emeritus, Dept of Linguistics, Univ of Arizona, and Program Officer, Linguistics Program, Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences, and Office of Cyberinfrastructure National Science Foundation, Arlington VA 22230, USA Phone: +1 (703) 292-5088 Fax: +1 (703) 292-9068 Email: dlangend at nsf.gov Quoting Don Osborn : [first paragraph omitted] > Of course Francisco Marmolejo's pointers are the substance of the matter. > How many countries have done what Mexico has in one form or another? In many > cases, and for various reasons, it has been foreign linguists and agencies > like SIL which have done much of the work. While such outside-initiated > efforts are vital, especially when there is nothing else, it doesn't seem to > substitute for national initiative and data gathering, and can't take the > place of policy to do something with the results. > > > Don > > > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] > On Behalf Of Don Osborn > Sent: Thursday, January 17, 2008 1:54 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico > > > FYI (link seen on http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=19666430768 ) > > Publica DOF el Cat?logo de Lenguas Ind?genas > > Notimex / La Jornada On Line > > http://www.jornada.unam.mx/ultimas/2008/01/14/publica-dof-el-catalogo-de-len > guas-indigenas > > > > M?xico. El Instituto Nacional de Lenguas Ind?genas (Inali) public? este > lunes en el Diario Oficial de la Federaci?n el Cat?logo de las Lenguas > Ind?genas Nacionales que contiene 300 variantes ling??sticas que se hablan > en el pa?s. > > > > . . . From dzo at BISHARAT.NET Sun Jan 20 08:05:48 2008 From: dzo at BISHARAT.NET (Don Osborn) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 03:05:48 -0500 Subject: Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico In-Reply-To: <20080119141028.icoess0g8oc0o08k@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hi Terry, What is needed to start such a thing? I'm thinking that this being the International Year of Languages makes it natural & acceptable to bring up such issues at whatever level. (And in fact that there are a lot of language-related issues to get on a clearer agenda internationally this year.) Don > -----Original Message----- > From: Indigenous Languages and Technology > [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of D. Terence Langendoen > Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 2:10 PM > To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > Subject: Re: [ILAT] Catalog of indigenous languages in Mexico > > Don, I agree; in fact a transnational global effort is called for. > Terry > -- > Terry Langendoen > Prof Emeritus, Dept of Linguistics, Univ of Arizona, and > Program Officer, Linguistics Program, Division of Behavioral and > Cognitive > Sciences, and Office of Cyberinfrastructure > National Science Foundation, Arlington VA 22230, USA > Phone: +1 (703) 292-5088 Fax: +1 (703) 292-9068 Email: > dlangend at nsf.gov > > > Quoting Don Osborn : > > [first paragraph omitted] > > Of course Francisco Marmolejo's pointers are the substance of the > matter. > > How many countries have done what Mexico has in one form or another? > In many > > cases, and for various reasons, it has been foreign linguists and > agencies > > like SIL which have done much of the work. While such outside- > initiated > > efforts are vital, especially when there is nothing else, it doesn't > seem to > > substitute for national initiative and data gathering, and can't take > the > > place of policy to do something with the results. > > > > > > Don > > . . . From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 20 14:10:23 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:10:23 -0700 Subject: Pioneering research shows ‘Google Generation’ is a myth (fwd link) Message-ID: Pioneering research shows ?Google Generation? is a myth 16 January 2008 * All age groups revealed to share so-called ?Google Generation' traits * New study argues that libraries will have to adapt to the digital mindset * Young people seemingly lacking in information skills; strong message to the government and society at large A new study overturns the common assumption that the ?Google Generation' ? youngsters born or brought up in the Internet age ? is the most web-literate. The first ever virtual longitudinal study carried out by the CIBER research team at University College London claims that, although young people demonstrate an apparent ease and familiarity with computers, they rely heavily on search engines, view rather than read and do not possess the critical and analytical skills to assess the information that they find on the web. Full article at link below: http://www.bl.uk/news/2008/pressrelease20080116.html From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 20 14:15:39 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:15:39 -0700 Subject: People of Nunavut fight to save Inuktitut language (fwd link) Message-ID: People of Nunavut fight to save Inuktitut language Sara Minogue, For Canwest News Service Published: Sunday, January 20, 2008 IQALUIT, Nunavut -- The Ecole des Trois Soleils sits atop a large hill with a commanding view of Frobisher Bay. The red and yellow striped building opened in 2001. About 50 young francophones between the ages of 5 and 14 come to classes here to be educated in their mother tongue, in spacious classrooms of about 15 students each. That the school exists in a community of 6,000, in a territory where fewer than 450 people have French as their first language, is remarkable. "And it's only there because of the fact that there's legislation. It would be ideal if we were in that situation," says Terry Audla. As executive director of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, representing Inuit in the Baffin region, Audla is hoping that new language legislation will give Nunavut the power to establish Inuktitut-language education throughout the territory. Full article link below: http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=dc1439a0-da5e-403f-ac94-e45a18a4d804&k=86097 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 20 14:26:53 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:26:53 -0700 Subject: Last fluent speaker of Wichita tribal language preserves what's left (fwd link) Message-ID: Last fluent speaker of Wichita tribal language preserves what's left In the end, one woman passes on what's left 12:00 AM CST on Sunday, January 20, 2008 By PAUL MEYER / The Dallas Morning News pmeyer at dallasnews.com ANADARKO, Okla. ? The silence can't be far off now, Doris knows. She'll die and an old Indian language will die and the world will move on slightly smaller than before. No, she never expected to be the last one, the fair-skinned illegitimate daughter of a Wichita woman and white father. But everyone just kept disappearing: her mom, Mae, and brother, Newton, and tribal elders like Bertha Provost and then Vivian McCurdy five Decembers ago. Now it's just her, Doris Jean Lamar McLemore, the 80-year-old last fluent speaker of the Wichita language, driving alone through the dense fog of an early November morning to preserve what's left. Like most Fridays of late, she left her small house behind a budget motel before 8 a.m., rattling in a white Ford Escort wagon down a two-lane highway to the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes complex. Full article link below: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-wichita_20met.ART0.State.Edition2.383793f.html From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 20 14:44:35 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:44:35 -0700 Subject: "The Linguists" Message-ID: Greetings, You can view some clips from the film "The Linguists" now showing at the Sundance Film Festival. I suspect that there may be clips found elsewhere on the internet but this is what came up in my keyword search today. The Linguists http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=video l8ter, Phil Cash Cash UofA ilat From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sun Jan 20 14:47:47 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 07:47:47 -0700 Subject: Remaining Oneida elders want language to live on (fwd link) Message-ID: Posted January 18, 2008 Remaining Oneida elders want language to live on ONEIDA ? She remembers speaking Oneida as a child, in the days when she could still use it to converse in living rooms and corner stores across the reservation. Almost a century later, Maria Hinton is running out of people to talk to. "There is nobody to speak with," the 97-year-old great-grandmother says in exasperation. "I'm just walking around my house speaking to myself." Full article link below: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080118/GPG0101/801180700/1207/GPGnews From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 21 17:16:50 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:16:50 -0700 Subject: Siberian Nations Abandon Their Written Languages (fwd link) Message-ID: Siberian Nations Abandon Their Written Languages 21.01.2008 Despite numerous attempts to save languages of Siberian indigenous people, dialects are dying one after another. Full article link below: http://www.russia-ic.com/news/show/5598/ From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Mon Jan 21 17:20:08 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:20:08 -0700 Subject: "Linguists" the talk of the town at Sundance (fwd link) Message-ID: "Linguists" the talk of the town at Sundance Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:29am EST By Kirk Honeycutt PARK CITY, Utah (Hollywood Reporter) - Indiana Jones' spirit certainly infects the intrepid heroes of "The Linguists." These are bold academics who plunge into the jungles and backwater villages of the world to rescue living tongues about to go extinct. There are more than 7,000 languages spoken in the world. Yet we lose a language every two weeks thanks to colonialization, globalization and indifference. To access full article, just follow the link below: http://www.reuters.com/article/reviewsNews/idUSN2135148520080121?sp=true From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Tue Jan 22 17:22:15 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:22:15 -0700 Subject: Course to help break the language barrier in the Labrador justice system (fwd link) Message-ID: Last updated at 2:54 PM on 21/01/08 Course to help break the language barrier in the Labrador justice system The Telegram A course intended to get Innu and Inuit people involved in the justice system in Labrador began today in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Students from Innu and Inuit communities who complete the Aboriginal Legal Interpreters Course will be eligible for employment in the justice system as legal interpreters. Justice Minister Jerome Kennedy said the hope is that the course will foster increased understanding of the justice system as more people are able to participate using their own language. Full article link below: http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?sid=100139&sc=79 From lanz at RICE.EDU Tue Jan 22 22:16:06 2008 From: lanz at RICE.EDU (Linda Lanz) Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:16:06 -0900 Subject: Last native Eyak speaker dead at 89 Message-ID: http://www.adn.com/189/story/290580.html Last native Eyak speaker dead at 89 By DEBRA McKINNEY ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS January 22nd, 2008 Chief Marie Smith Jones, 89, the last full-blooded Eyak and last native speaker of the Eyak language, died of natural causes on Monday at her home in Anchorage, according to her family. Services will begin at 1 p.m. Friday at St. Innocent Russian Orthodox Cathedral, 401 Turpin St. Viewing will begin at 11 a.m. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM Wed Jan 23 06:00:56 2008 From: jordanlachler at GMAIL.COM (Jordan Lachler) Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:00:56 -0900 Subject: Indigenous languages and instant messaging Message-ID: Here's an interesting article on the use of English in instant messaging... http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/01/22/im-language.html It made me curious about other folks' experiences with instant messaging and other versions of online text-chatting in indigenous languages. I know several of our younger Haida students text one another regularly in Haida, or at least a mix of Haida and English. -- Jordan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 23 14:34:53 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:34:53 -0700 Subject: Linguist Explains Why He Documents Disappearing Bantu Languages (fwd) Message-ID: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 News Release Linguist Explains Why He Documents Disappearing Bantu Languages He calls them a rich source of information about our own potential and our BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Much research addresses how and why many of the earth's thousands of languages are disappearing. The question still arises, however, as to why it should matter to the rest of us if, say, Pite Sami, a language spoken by fewer than 20 inhabitants of Norway and Sweden, should vanish from the face of the Earth. Jeff Good, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Linguistics in the University at Buffalo College of Arts and Sciences, says that we should attend to these losses because even seldom-used languages can tell us a great deal about the methods of categorization of the natural and mental world and because they can serve as vital links between the present and the prehistoric past. Good is the recipient of a recent grant and a fellowship from the National Science Foundation and National Endowment for the Humanities' Documenting Endangered Languages Program, a new, multi-year effort to preserve records of key languages before they become extinct. He says, "As the numbers of languages decline, we lose rich and distinct cultural variations from which we can learn a great deal in fields as far ranging as anthropology, agriculture, linguistics, philosophy, geography and prehistory." His current research involves six languages spoken in a cluster of villages in the northwest highlands of Cameroon, a country in which more than 200 different languages are spoken, from Aghem to Zulgo. Good says that from a scientific standpoint, the work of linguists today is like that of early botanical and zoological explorers and collectors who went into the field to document the diversity of living things in the world, with no idea of what they might find. "Of course there is a human dimension to linguistics study," he says, "since linguists also work to preserve for the speakers themselves, their descendants and posterity information about cultures that find themselves marginalized by the modern world. Good says, "Although in principle, cultural knowledge can be transmitted apart from language -- as the Irish, for instance, can attest -- in practice, the political and economic forces that cause people to give up their languages also cause them to lose cultural knowledge," he says. He notes that very often, the last speakers also are among the last who remember traditional stories, songs and histories. "The languages of concern to me," he says, "are in the Bantu language family, which itself includes 500 or 600 distinct languages. The languages I study remain alive in part because the hilly terrain of this area seems to foster language variety and isolates the region commercially and politically. "In fact, people living in one village may speak an entirely different language than that spoken in the next village," Good says, noting that people in such circumstances are multilingual by necessity. In addition to speaking their own languages and those of nearby villages, many also speak the official languages of Cameroon, which are English and French. "When these villagers move to a new place," he says, "they add new languages to their repertoire, rather than replacing one language with another. Even in large cities they maintain their native languages by attending regular 'country meetings' with their fellow villagers." Social groups like 'country meetings' are important, Good says, because as the speakers of a minor language disappear or die, those who are left are often absorbed -- along with the special aspects of their culture -- into larger social and language groups. This is less likely to occur, he says, if speakers of a minority language (even those fluent in the lingua franca) are able to retain the use of their original tongue, if not in all spheres of life, at least within the home. The NEH grants will fund Good's documentary and descriptive work on two groups of under-described languages, the endangered Western Beboid languages and the moribund languages of the Furu Awa subdivision and will produce the first comprehensive descriptive materials on the grammar and lexicon of these languages. Although much work in the classification of the 500-plus Bantu languages (including Swahili and Zulu) spoken throughout southern Africa remains to be done, Good says it is generally believed that the ancestors of the 240 million modern-day Bantu language speakers migrated in prehistoric times from the borderland area in Cameroon where he works. When his study is complete, Good will have produced primary documentation resources of the endangered languages studied and descriptive materials on the languages in the form of annotated recordings and initial descriptions of the languages' grammars. He also will construct a comparative database of grammatical information on Western Beboid and closely related languages and produce recommendations for tool design for field linguistics, including structured annotations of grammatical data containing links to linguistic ontologies. Good has conducted fieldwork on other African languages and worked on the Comparative Bantu Online Dictionary and a lexical database for the Turkish Electronic Living Lexicon project. He also is technical director of the Rosetta Project, for which he oversees the development of standards and tool for accessioning data into the Rosetta data management system. Good has published a score of articles in linguistic journals, with three additional articles forthcoming and two under review. Also forthcoming from Oxford University Press is his edited volume, "Linguistic Universals and Language Change." The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, the largest and most comprehensive campus in the State University of New York. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities. From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 23 14:36:12 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:36:12 -0700 Subject: Linguist Explains Why He Documents Disappearing Bantu Languages (fwd) In-Reply-To: <20080123073453.w0g484o4w008084k@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: oops... Here is the full article link below: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/9096 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 23 14:39:32 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:39:32 -0700 Subject: The Fighting Eyak (fwd link) Message-ID: The Anchorage Daily News The Fighting Eyak By Marilee Enge Published: January 22nd, 2008 05:08 PM Last Modified: January 22nd, 2008 05:12 PM Editor's Note:This story was originally published August 22, 1993. Marie Smith Jones, 75, holds hands with John Johnson, the Eyak historian, during a ceremony marking the bones repatriation.On the eve of the ceremony marking the repatriation of Eyak bones, Marie Smith Jones waits nervously in a Cordova home. The bones had been held at the Smithsonian Institution for more than 60 years. he day they were to bury the bones again on the shores of Eyak Lake, the sky was gray and clouds hung low on the dark green forested mountains that ring Cordova. The last Native speaker of the Eyak Indian language dressed herself in her beaded dance vest and headdress and waited nervously in a little borrowed house not far from where she'd spent her childhood. Full article link below: http://www.adn.com/189/story/290818.html From daryn at ARWARBUKARL.COM.AU Thu Jan 24 04:41:31 2008 From: daryn at ARWARBUKARL.COM.AU (Daryn McKenny) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 15:41:31 +1100 Subject: Miromaa 3 Sneak preview - Language database computer software Message-ID: This story appears on our BLOG Site Miromaa 3 Sneak Preview Posted in January 24th, 2008 | Edit by Daryn in General , Puliima Online , Information Technology , Miromaa Hi Everyone, You may or may not have heard about the computer program "Miromaa" that we have developed. For those that have not here is a quick brief: Miromaa is a computer program which is aimed at empowering Indigenous people to enable us to best utilise technology in the task of researching, recording, reclaiming and disseminating our traditional languages. It enables us to be hands on in the preservation and revitalisation of our languages. Well, we are proud to now give you all a sneak preview of Miromaa 3, this is our major revised version developed on the .Net platform. The program still has all of the great features of before but now with a new fresher layout to make using Miromaa even easier. The program enforces good archive practise and helps you gather any and all evidences of language including, text, audio, images and video. You can also use it to store your digitised documents for example pdf and Word documents, Excel spreadsheets plus more. It has a secure environment which can only be accessed by username and password, it can help you work on multiple languages or dialects and it also has a learning area where you can begin learning immediately. The program can run on either a stand-alone desktop or on a network and you are not just limited to using Miromaa only as the program has the ability to export its data in various forms including SIL Shoebox/Toolbox text file format, Lexique Pro text file format, Microsoft Word, tables and more. Please add your thoughts to the BLOG as we would love to hear them. So, to get on with it here is the link to the preview site: http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/miromaa/Preview/Preview.html You will need a broadband connection to view the Shockwave video For further information about Miromaa 2 please visit here: http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=153 For further information about Arwarbukarl CRA visit here: http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/ Regards Daryn McKenny Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association Inc. Read our Indigenous Language BLOG at http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/blog/ P | 02 4954 6899 F | 02 4954 3899 E | daryn at arwarbukarl.com.au W | www.arwarbukarl.com.au Please note that we have recently moved to our new location at Cardiff. 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. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 24 16:32:37 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:32:37 -0700 Subject: Miromaa 3 Sneak preview - Language database computer software In-Reply-To: Message-ID: This is great news, Daryn, thanks! Phil Cash Cash UofA Quoting Daryn McKenny : > This story appears on our BLOG Site > > > > Miromaa 3 Sneak Preview Posted in January 24th, 2008 | Edit > 9> > > by Daryn in General > , Puliima Online > , Information Technology > , Miromaa > > > Hi Everyone, > > You may or may not have heard about the computer program "Miromaa" that > we have developed. For those that have not here is a quick brief: > > Miromaa is a computer program which is aimed at empowering Indigenous > people to enable us to best utilise technology in the task of > researching, recording, reclaiming and disseminating our traditional > languages. It enables us to be hands on in the preservation and > revitalisation of our languages. > > Well, we are proud to now give you all a sneak preview of Miromaa 3, > this is our major revised version developed on the .Net platform. The > program still has all of the great features of before but now with a new > fresher layout to make using Miromaa even easier. > > The program enforces good archive practise and helps you gather any and > all evidences of language including, text, audio, images and video. You > can also use it to store your digitised documents for example pdf and > Word documents, Excel spreadsheets plus more. > > It has a secure environment which can only be accessed by username and > password, it can help you work on multiple languages or dialects and it > also has a learning area where you can begin learning immediately. > > The program can run on either a stand-alone desktop or on a network and > you are not just limited to using Miromaa only as the program has the > ability to export its data in various forms including SIL > Shoebox/Toolbox text file format, Lexique Pro text file format, > Microsoft Word, tables and more. > > Please add your thoughts to the BLOG > as we would love to hear > them. > > So, to get on with it here is the link to the preview site: > > http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/miromaa/Preview/Preview.html > > You will need a broadband connection to view the Shockwave video > > For further information about Miromaa 2 please visit here: > > http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/default.aspx?id=153 > > For further information about Arwarbukarl CRA visit here: > http://www.arwarbukarl.com.au/ > > > > > > Regards > > > > Daryn McKenny > > > > Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association Inc. > > > > Read our Indigenous Language BLOG at http://www.arwarbukarl.net.au/blog/ > > > > > P | 02 4954 6899 F | 02 4954 3899 E | daryn at arwarbukarl.com.au > W | www.arwarbukarl.com.au > > > > Please note that we have recently moved to our new location at Cardiff. > > > > 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. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 24 16:41:26 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:41:26 -0700 Subject: Last Alaska language speaker dies (fwd link) Message-ID: BBC NEWS Last Alaska language speaker dies A woman believed to be the last native speaker of the Eyak language in the north-western US state of Alaska has died at the age of 89. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/americas/7206411.stm Published: 2008/01/24 10:56:02 GMT From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Thu Jan 24 21:50:30 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:50:30 -0700 Subject: Indigenous languages and instant messaging In-Reply-To: <3966a24c0801222200n32956624rfce468cf5db9ab94@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Jordan, I regulary write emails in Nez Perce both to individuals and to my listserv.? The only drawback is how to use the ascii character set to represent NP.? I assume it would present the same problem in IM even when there is an even more restricted character set.? Nice idea...I will have to find somebody to text with and give it a try.? Phil Cash Cash UofA Quoting Jordan Lachler : > Here's an interesting article on the use of English in instant messaging... > > http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/01/22/im-language.html > > It made me curious about other folks' experiences with instant messaging and > other versions of online text-chatting in indigenous languages. I know > several of our younger Haida students text one another regularly in Haida, > or at least a mix of Haida and English. > > -- > Jordan -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From donaghy at HAWAII.EDU Thu Jan 24 21:56:48 2008 From: donaghy at HAWAII.EDU (Keola Donaghy) Date: Fri, 25 Jan 2008 10:56:48 +1300 Subject: Indigenous languages and instant messaging In-Reply-To: <20080124145030.0faboqo00wcccww8@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: I've been doing UTF-8 in Hawaiian with friends and colleagues for a few years using a couple different Mac Clients - iChat, Yahoo and Adium with no problems. Haven't tested with anyone on the Win side, but would be happy to if someone would like to try. Have also been doing it in Twitter and Jaiku and people on the Win side they can see the Hawaiian as well. Keola On 25 Ian. 2008, at 10:50 AM, phil cash cash wrote: > I regulary write emails in Nez Perce both to individuals and to my > listserv. The only drawback is how to use the ascii > character set to represent NP. I assume it would present the same > problem in IM even when there is an even more restricted character > set. Nice idea...I will have to find somebody to text with and give > it a try. ======================================================================== Keola Donaghy Assistant Professor of Hawaiian Studies Ka Haka 'Ula O Ke'elikolani keola at leoki.uhh.hawaii.edu University of Hawai'i at Hilo http://www2.hawaii.edu/~donaghy/ "T?r gan teanga, t?r gan anam." (Irish Gaelic saying) A country without its language is a country without its soul. ======================================================================== -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM Thu Jan 24 23:50:37 2008 From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:50:37 -0600 Subject: Indigenous languages and instant messaging In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Someone gave a nice talk at the LSA OLAC workshop on texting using a language in the DRC as an example. Leonora Adidi talked about it at the Australian Linguistic Society this year too, using KKY (Kalaw Kawaw Ya, Western Torres, Australia). Leonora talked about some of the abbreviations that kids were using. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rrlapier at AOL.COM Fri Jan 25 03:11:31 2008 From: rrlapier at AOL.COM (rrlapier at AOL.COM) Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:11:31 -0500 Subject: Fwd: DEADLINES - PLEASE PASS THE WORD In-Reply-To: <59A2074C4F13924B9F262334AAE805C4A76FDC@MUMMAILVS2.gs.umt.edu> Message-ID: -----Original Message----- From: LaPlant, Patty To: Barb Henderson ; Morsette, Aaron ; Whiting-Sorrell, Anna ; Emily Salois ; McAuliffe, Denny ; Brown, Blakely ; Blank, Lisa ; Bob McAnally ; maylinn.smith at umontana.edu; julie cajune ; Stolle, Darrell ; Shanley, Kate W ; Thompson, Sally ; Ray Cross ; Saha, Robin K. ; VanDenPol, Rick ; ryanh at redcrowcollege.com; Kim Doane ; njblood at mac.com; Carol Murray ; Davies, Wade ; Wayne Stein ; Walter C. Fleming ; Swaney, Ellen ; Sean Chandler ; Evans, Roberta D. ; Eileen Iron Cloud ; norma at rangeweb.net; Juneau, Linda ; Jodi Rave ; rrlapier at aol.com; Gyda Swaney ; Grant, Denise ; Gordon Belcourt Cc: Zimmerman, Marilyn ; Morsette, Aaron ; Jepson, Stacia ; Kennedy, Sindie ; Frederikson, John ; Utzinger, Chris ; Iris Prett Paint ; Utzinger, Chris ; John, Laura ; Kennedy, Sindie ; patty_laplant at hotmail.com Sent: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 2:48 pm Subject: DEADLINES - PLEASE PASS THE WORD Intersecting Interests: Tribal Knowledge and Research Communities ???????? FEBRUARY 1 ? LAST DAY FOR EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION AT LOW RATE OF $125.00. ???????? FEBRUARY 15 ? DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS TO PRESENT ? www.tribalknowledgegathering.org for registration and on-line proposal forms. ? Please pass the word on to all your friends, colleagues and list-serves.? Thanks.? Patty ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: CALL_FOR_PRESENTERS.doc Type: application/msword Size: 38912 bytes Desc: not available URL: From lanz at RICE.EDU Sat Jan 26 12:02:51 2008 From: lanz at RICE.EDU (Linda Lanz) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 03:02:51 -0900 Subject: Iupiaq film at Sundance Message-ID: Hi folks, I know there's been a lot of talk about the linguist documentary at Sundance, but I just found out that there's an I?upiaq short film being featured at Sundance this year, too. It's called Sikumi (On the Ice), by Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, and it's shot entirely in the I?upiaq language (northern Alaska). (The filmmaker is, incidentally, son of Edna Ahgeak MacLean, one of the foremost Native linguists and educators working on I?upiaq revitalization - way to go, MacLean family!). Nice to see a film in an indigenous language featured in such a high- profile setting! If you'd like to check it out for yourself, you can watch it online at Sundance's site: http://www.sundance.org/festival/shorts/ I think this is set to work only for one day, so Sikumi will only be up on their website January 26 (North American time zones). Best, Linda L. ------------------------- Linda Lanz Dept. of Linguistics Rice University lanz at rice.edu -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Sat Jan 26 14:13:55 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 07:13:55 -0700 Subject: I=?ISO-8859-1?Q?=F1upiaq?= film at Sundance In-Reply-To: <3F164085-54DB-4CF3-98BC-4F92B373E25F@rice.edu> Message-ID: I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at places like Sundance. A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound Films) included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend Sundance last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He had a great time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. He is a wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film was originally called) and got front page news in some of the local papers (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was there. He was most touched by some comments from the other native people who were attending and who made contact with him after his public interviews. I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages is important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way to reach a broader audience. Susan On Jan 26, 2008 5:02 AM, Linda Lanz wrote: > Hi folks, > I know there's been a lot of talk about the linguist documentary at > Sundance, but I just found out that there's an I?upiaq short film being > featured at Sundance this year, too. It's called Sikumi (On the Ice), by > Andrew Okpeaha MacLean, and it's shot entirely in the I?upiaq language > (northern Alaska). (The filmmaker is, incidentally, son of Edna Ahgeak > MacLean, one of the foremost Native linguists and educators working on > I?upiaq revitalization - way to go, MacLean family!). > > Nice to see a film in an indigenous language featured in such a > high-profile setting! If you'd like to check it out for yourself, you can > watch it online at Sundance's site: > > http://www.sundance.org/festival/shorts/ > > I think this is set to work only for one day, so Sikumi will only be up on > their website January 26 (North American time zones). > > Best, > Linda L. > > ------------------------- > Linda Lanz > Dept. of Linguistics > Rice University > lanz at rice.edu > > > > -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 26 17:13:15 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:13:15 -0700 Subject: I speak Aboriginal every day (fwd link) Message-ID: I speak Aboriginal every day Kate Holden January 26, 2008 The origins and meanings of place names - from local streets to mountains - so familiar to Victorians are most often unknown but can tell so much about the Aboriginal heritage of this state, writes Kate Holden. Full article link below: http://www.theage.com.au/news/opinion/i-speak-aboriginal-every-day/2008/01/25/1201157630669.html From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 26 17:25:03 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:25:03 -0700 Subject: Ancient Indigenous Settlements Being Destroyed by Russian Seaport (fwd) Message-ID: Ancient Indigenous Settlements Being Destroyed by Russian Seaport Thursday, January 24 2008 @ 12:20 PM PST Contributed by: laplandian http://www.infoshop.org/inews/article.php?story=20080124122036201 The government of Leningrad Oblast (Saint-Petersburg Region) is planning to expand the Ust-Luga Seaport, which is to become the largest seaport in Russia. According to the plan, all villages nearby the construction site are going to be demolished, and their population will be offered appartments in other areas. The villages Krakol'e and Luzhitsy, both located in the seaport area, are the only surviving compact settlement of the Votia nation. According to archeological data, the Votians are the most ancient indigenous nation of Ingria, who become practically extinct after Stalinist dispersion to Soviet provinces far away. Only about 30 of the Votians still remember their native language; most of them live in Krakol'e and Luzhitsy. Some activists are running language and culture classes in the local school and organize folklore festivals, trying to pass their culture to the next generation. Displacing the Votians from their homeland will almost certainly result in total assimilation on this ancient nation in the next 20-30 years. Though is no feasible way to stop the expansion of the Ust-Luga Seaport, which will also cause a great deal of environmental damage, it might be still possible to convince the government to preserve at least these two villages, and to declare some sort of "reservation", if enough people would protest against this terrible plan. According to the Russian Constitution, the Votians are considered an indigenous nations and have the right to continue living in their homeland. Links (in Russian): http://www.regrus.info/anounces/3/226.html http://www.cultradio.ru/doc.html?id=160232&cid=44 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 26 17:32:42 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:32:42 -0700 Subject: Keep the language alive (fwd link) Message-ID: Keep the language alive By Tim Damos Ho-Chunk tribe member Georgia Lonetree remembers teaching at an American Indian boarding school in Arizona years ago. She missed speaking her native language so much, she used to drive around looking for roadside objects she could name in Ho-Chunk. When she finally returned to Wisconsin, hearing the language again was overwhelming. "It sometimes brought tears to my eyes and a lump to my throat when I'd hear my elders pray," she said. Full article link below: http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/269434 From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 26 17:35:55 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 10:35:55 -0700 Subject: Barrow film honored at Sundance festival (fwd link) Message-ID: Barrow film honored at Sundance festival Inupiaq-language drama can be viewed online today By SARAH HENNING shenning at adn.com | shenning at adn.com Published: January 26th, 2008 12:12 AM Last Modified: January 26th, 2008 04:40 AM Last April, Andrew Okpeaha MacLean and his film crew were shooting on location just outside Barrow, keeping a wary eye out for polar bears, stuffing theatrical blood down their pants to stop it from congealing. This week, MacLean is rubbing shoulders with filmmaking icons such as Quentin Tarantino at the career-making Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. MacLean's short feature film "Sikumi (On the Ice)," about an Inupiaq hunter who witnesses a murder, was one of 83 shorts chosen from a field of 5,000. It's his second film shown at Sundance. Full article linnk below: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/294554.html From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Sat Jan 26 18:11:26 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 11:11:26 -0700 Subject: spontaneous acquisition Message-ID: Greetings ILAT, I just wanted to share this quote found in a UK press article regarding the last speaker of Eyak. "I got that strong feeling right here that it's going to come back. God will send down Eyak to start all over again." Marie Smith Jones As an indigenous person, it feels good when I read words like this. Myself, I can say that I come from a strong spiritual family/community where words have power, believing has power, and acting in the way of an ancestral life has power. Basically, good things can happen from living a strong traditional life, so long as it can be imagined, modeled, taught, or acted upon. What I want to point out though is that there is a fairly unknown/undocumented element in language revitalization where community people can experience or otherwise cite instances of spontaneous language acquisition. Now the linguist in you is probably asking "how is that possible?" or "language is too variable and it would be virtually impossible to acquire the full encyclopedic vocabulary of a language," right? Our venerable speaker of Eyak believed in it. I believe it...because I have witnessed it and heard first-person accounts of spontaneous acquisition. To tell the truth, I am not sure how to describe it if asked but I know it happens. Just a thought for you all today... Phil Cash Cash (Cayuse/Nez Perce) UofA ~~~ In praise of ... the Eyak language Leader Friday January 25, 2008 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,2246576,00.html From lang.support at GMAIL.COM Sun Jan 27 03:27:27 2008 From: lang.support at GMAIL.COM (Andrew Cunningham) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 14:27:27 +1100 Subject: Indigenous languages and instant messaging In-Reply-To: <7f53d06c0801241550k43eeed0fsdc1d396f75c6a1c5@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Using IM should be relatively straight forward. Many of the IM clients i've used support Unicode. The key issues (assuming you have a Unicode based IM client) are: 1) the client allows you to select arbitrary fonts, so you can use an appropriate font for the language in question 2) the IM client uses and appropriate font rendering technology to display text We've successfully used a rage of languages using various protocols including IRC, Windows Live messenger, jabber servers, and YIM, using a range of clients. Andrew -- Andrew Cunningham From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM Sun Jan 27 04:39:55 2008 From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern) Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2008 22:39:55 -0600 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <39a679e20801260613r3846c7acj7342186420db4d45@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: does anyone know why the name of the film was changed? Claire Susan Penfield wrote: > I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at > places like Sundance. > > A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound Films) > included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr > (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend Sundance > last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He had a great > time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. He is a > wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film was > originally called) and got front page news in some of the local papers > (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was there. He was > most touched by some comments from the other native people who were > attending and who made contact with him after his public interviews. > > I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages is > important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of > 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way to > reach a broader audience. > > Susan > From aidan at USYD.EDU.AU Sun Jan 27 05:22:01 2008 From: aidan at USYD.EDU.AU (Aidan Wilson) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 16:22:01 +1100 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <479C0B1B.2020004@gmail.com> Message-ID: From the look of the short (I haven't seen it), I'd suggest that the newer title better reflected the focus of the film. -Aidan On 27/01/08 15:39, Claire Bowern said: > does anyone know why the name of the film was changed? > Claire > > Susan Penfield wrote: >> I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at >> places like Sundance. >> >> A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound >> Films) included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr >> (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend >> Sundance last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He >> had a great time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. >> He is a wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film >> was originally called) and got front page news in some of the local >> papers (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was >> there. He was most touched by some comments from the other native >> people who were attending and who made contact with him after his >> public interviews. >> >> I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages >> is important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of >> 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way >> to reach a broader audience. >> >> Susan >> From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Sun Jan 27 14:21:46 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 07:21:46 -0700 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <479C0B1B.2020004@gmail.com> Message-ID: Basically, I was told, that the most interesting segments (to the targeted PBS) involved David Harrison and Greg (whose last name I can't remember)....A decision was made to focus more on them and their adventures in identifying endangered languages -- a little 'Indiana Jones' -like. Linguists themselves might object to this image (I think I saw a mention of that on Jane Simpson's blog)...and most in the linguistics community still favor the title, "The Last Speakers" -- However, getting attention of the general public is a different thing -- and I do think we should all be grateful that awareness for endangered languages will no doubt be raised. It is also possible that the movie, "The Last Speakers" ...will still be produced for educational purposes -- a different venue than actual PBS productions. This version will be a more realistic and include additional footage with speakers. That is all I know at this point... S. On Jan 26, 2008 9:39 PM, Claire Bowern wrote: > does anyone know why the name of the film was changed? > Claire > > Susan Penfield wrote: > > I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at > > places like Sundance. > > > > A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound Films) > > included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr > > (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend Sundance > > last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He had a great > > time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. He is a > > wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film was > > originally called) and got front page news in some of the local papers > > (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was there. He was > > most touched by some comments from the other native people who were > > attending and who made contact with him after his public interviews. > > > > I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages is > > important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of > > 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way to > > reach a broader audience. > > > > Susan > > > -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Sun Jan 27 14:35:23 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 07:35:23 -0700 Subject: spontaneous acquisition In-Reply-To: <20080126111126.l0cxsyjvkkkkw4k0@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Thank you, Phil, This is an important perspective to share and one we should all think about and respect. S. On Jan 26, 2008 11:11 AM, phil cash cash wrote: > Greetings ILAT, > > I just wanted to share this quote found in a UK press article regarding > the last > speaker of Eyak. > > "I got that strong feeling right here that it's going to come back. God > will > send down Eyak to start all over again." Marie Smith Jones > > As an indigenous person, it feels good when I read words like this. > > Myself, I can say that I come from a strong spiritual family/community > where > words have power, believing has power, and acting in the way of an > ancestral > life has power. Basically, good things can happen from living a strong > traditional life, so long as it can be imagined, modeled, taught, or acted > upon. > > What I want to point out though is that there is a fairly > unknown/undocumented > element in language revitalization where community people can experience > or > otherwise cite instances of spontaneous language acquisition. Now the > linguist > in you is probably asking "how is that possible?" or "language is too > variable > and it would be virtually impossible to acquire the full encyclopedic > vocabulary of a language," right? > > Our venerable speaker of Eyak believed in it. I believe it...because I > have > witnessed it and heard first-person accounts of spontaneous acquisition. > To > tell the truth, I am not sure how to describe it if asked but I know it > happens. > > Just a thought for you all today... > > Phil Cash Cash (Cayuse/Nez Perce) > UofA > > ~~~ > > In praise of ... the Eyak language > Leader > Friday January 25, 2008 > The Guardian > http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,2246576,00.html > -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET Sun Jan 27 17:09:57 2008 From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 09:09:57 -0800 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <39a679e20801270621hf0ba205s9ae4e81bd93d3271@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: Hey Susan, Greg Anderson came out to Wyandotte OK recently to speak with tribal reps. who might want Living Tongues help save languages. I was gabbing in the office with tribal members i hadn't seen in awhile and i kept wondering when DR. Greg Anderson was going to arrive. Someone was on the phone in the office so i wandered in the hall to scan the parking lot and i walked past a young local guy sitting there . I went outside and this "local guy" walks up behind me and introduces himself as Greg Anderson! HA! so much for my sterotypes of DRs of linguistics! We had a great time sharing and his passion is genuine and his conversation over lunch kept drifting to villages in upper Siberia, where he spent an entire year...often....just staying alive. Scholars can snivel about these guys as Indiana Jones image types.....well, it might be a little over dramatic, but it ain't far off! Richard Zane Smith Wyandotte Oklahoma On 1/27/08 6:21 AM, "Susan Penfield" wrote: > Basically, I was told, that the most interesting segments (to the targeted > PBS) involved David Harrison and Greg (whose last name > I can't remember)....A decision was made to focus more on them and their > adventures in identifying endangered languages -- > a little 'Indiana Jones' -like. Linguists themselves might object to this > image (I think I saw a mention of that on Jane Simpson's blog)...and most in > the linguistics community still favor the title, "The Last Speakers" -- > However, getting attention of the general public is a different thing -- and I > do think we should all be grateful that awareness for endangered languages > will no doubt be raised. > > It is also possible that the movie, "The Last Speakers" ...will still be > produced for educational purposes -- a different venue than actual PBS > productions. This version will be a more realistic and include additional > footage with speakers. > > That is all I know at this point... > S. > > > > > On Jan 26, 2008 9:39 PM, Claire Bowern wrote: >> does anyone know why the name of the film was changed? >> Claire >> >> Susan Penfield wrote: >>> > I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at >>> > places like Sundance. >>> > >>> > A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound Films) >>> > included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr >>> > (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend Sundance >>> > last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He had a great >>> > time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. He is a >>> > wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film was >>> > originally called) and got front page news in some of the local papers >>> > (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was there. He was >>> > most touched by some comments from the other native people who were >>> > attending and who made contact with him after his public interviews. >>> > >>> > I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages is >>> > important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of >>> > 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way to >>> > reach a broader audience. >>> > >>> > Susan >>> > > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Sun Jan 27 15:31:29 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 08:31:29 -0700 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Thanks for this...I know both Greg and David...and agree with you! Their energy is something we should all welcome! S. On Jan 27, 2008 10:09 AM, Richard Smith wrote: > Hey Susan, > Greg Anderson came out to Wyandotte OK recently to speak with tribal reps. > who might want Living Tongues help save languages. > > I was gabbing in the office with tribal members i hadn't seen in awhile > and i kept wondering when DR. Greg Anderson was going to arrive. > Someone was on the phone in the office so i wandered in the hall > to scan the parking lot and i walked past a young local guy sitting there > . > I went outside and this "local guy" walks up behind me and introduces > himself as Greg Anderson! > HA! so much for my sterotypes of DRs of linguistics! > We had a great time sharing and his passion is genuine and his > conversation > over lunch kept drifting to villages in upper Siberia, > where he spent an entire year...often....just staying alive. > > Scholars can snivel about these guys as Indiana Jones image > types.....well, it might be a little over dramatic, > but it ain't far off! > > Richard Zane Smith > Wyandotte Oklahoma > > > > > > > On 1/27/08 6:21 AM, "Susan Penfield" wrote: > > Basically, I was told, that the most interesting segments (to the > targeted PBS) involved David Harrison and Greg (whose last name > I can't remember)....A decision was made to focus more on them and their > adventures in identifying endangered languages -- > a little 'Indiana Jones' -like. Linguists themselves might object to this > image (I think I saw a mention of that on Jane Simpson's blog)...and most in > the linguistics community still favor the title, "The Last Speakers" -- > However, getting attention of the general public is a different thing -- and > I do think we should all be grateful that awareness for endangered languages > will no doubt be raised. > > It is also possible that the movie, "The Last Speakers" ...will still be > produced for educational purposes -- a different venue than actual PBS > productions. This version will be a more realistic and include additional > footage with speakers. > > That is all I know at this point... > S. > > > > > On Jan 26, 2008 9:39 PM, Claire Bowern wrote: > > does anyone know why the name of the film was changed? > Claire > > Susan Penfield wrote: > > I agree...Let's hope more of these types of films start to surface at > > places like Sundance. > > > > A footnote about 'The Linguists': -- the film makers (Ironbound Films) > > included a wonderful section in the film with Johnny Hill, Jr > > (Chemehuevi from Parker, Arizona) and paid for Johnny to attend Sundance > > last week. I just got a call from Johnny about it all -- He had a great > > time and really welcomed all the press attention he got. He is a > > wonderful ambassador for many 'last speakers' (as the film was > > originally called) and got front page news in some of the local papers > > (at Sundance)...as well as radio interviews while he was there. He was > > most touched by some comments from the other native people who were > > attending and who made contact with him after his public interviews. > > > > I think all public attention for the plight of endangered languages is > > important as raising awareness is part of the much needed work of > > 'language activists' ====and film is a bold and very expressive way to > > reach a broader audience. > > > > Susan > > > > > > > -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM Mon Jan 28 00:04:14 2008 From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:04:14 -0600 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <39a679e20801270731j69f76c1ayad30fff157c68d4c@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: > Scholars can snivel about these guys as Indiana Jones image > types.....well, it might be a little over dramatic, > but it ain't far off! This was probably a jibe at me in part, since I was one of the main "snivellers" linked to from the ELAC blog. Let me explain a little why I have been less than enthusiastic about some aspects of "Living Tongues" and the media coverage that came from National Geographic. It's nothing to do with envy at the Indiana Jones image. If we want to play "my site's more dangerous than your site" or "Lara Croft: verb raider" I too can think of a multitude of horrible ways to die at my field site, from crocodiles to sarcophagic bacteria. Big deal. My problem with Living Tongues is not about this movie, it was about the portrayal of Greg and David coming in, "discovering" a bunch of languages, "saving" them, having the story be all about them but pretending it was about the language groups they were "saving". They didn't discover anything, they didn't save anything, and it wasn't about the people they were working with. Apologies for complaining if reporting adheres only to some idealised truth rather than reporting facts from the world we live in. None of that applies to the movie. If anything, I'm happier that it's clearly about them, and isn't trying to be seriously reporting. Claire From rzs at WILDBLUE.NET Mon Jan 28 02:53:43 2008 From: rzs at WILDBLUE.NET (Richard Smith) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 18:53:43 -0800 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <479D1BFE.3010105@gmail.com> Message-ID: Hi Claire, sorry I meant no disrespect to those critical of the film. I haven't even seen any clips from the film, just reporting my own impressions of my meeting with Greg. I am an artist volunteering in a public school and teaching basic Wyandot language to a few hundred children ( k-4th) Often i feel it is a miracle to be doing this...what an honor. and yet even as a tribal member, I am also isolated and often wonder if what i'm doing is even relevant. Joining this egroup and also meeting people on adventures makes me feel i'm on a worthwhile adventure myself knowing there are similar efforts all over the world....like i'm an invisible member of some valuable team. so... I hope the film really awakens alot of viewers to the incredible importance of saving our indigenous languages. If it can draw people in through some excitement and "discovery" ...well...who knows? (and i apologize for using the word "snivel".... that just wasn't nice) take care, and ....watch out for those crocodiles! Richard Zane Smith Wyandotte Oklahoma On 1/27/08 4:04 PM, "Claire Bowern" wrote: >> Scholars can snivel about these guys as Indiana Jones image >> types.....well, it might be a little over dramatic, >> but it ain't far off! > > This was probably a jibe at me in part, since I was one of the main > "snivellers" linked to from the ELAC blog. Let me explain a little why I > have been less than enthusiastic about some aspects of "Living Tongues" > and the media coverage that came from National Geographic. It's nothing > to do with envy at the Indiana Jones image. If we want to play "my > site's more dangerous than your site" or "Lara Croft: verb raider" I too > can think of a multitude of horrible ways to die at my field site, from > crocodiles to sarcophagic bacteria. Big deal. > > My problem with Living Tongues is not about this movie, it was about the > portrayal of Greg and David coming in, "discovering" a bunch of > languages, "saving" them, having the story be all about them but > pretending it was about the language groups they were "saving". They > didn't discover anything, they didn't save anything, and it wasn't about > the people they were working with. Apologies for complaining if > reporting adheres only to some idealised truth rather than reporting > facts from the world we live in. None of that applies to the movie. If > anything, I'm happier that it's clearly about them, and isn't trying to > be seriously reporting. > > Claire From wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU Mon Jan 28 00:59:26 2008 From: wjposer at LDC.UPENN.EDU (William J Poser) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:59:26 -0500 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: Message-ID: >.watch out for those crocodiles Crocodiles wouldn't bother me much, but I hear that in Australia they've got some very nasty spiders. Ick. Luckily where I am we just have grizzly bears. Bill From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM Mon Jan 28 03:44:04 2008 From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:44:04 -0600 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: Message-ID: Hi Richard, Thanks for your email. I agree! I still can't quite believe even after all these years that I get employed to do this sort of work! Actually, your story is a good example of why I'm not a fan of Indiana Jones fieldwork. In many ways academic linguists have it really easy. We get to choose where we work and who to work with, someone pays us to go somewhere really neat to hang out with great people to learn really fantastically wonderful languages, and then we go back to our heated/airconditioned offices and think about it for a while... and if it doesn't work out we don't need to go back and we're usually not there for all that long so if it's tough it's at least finite, and we can usually get out fairly quickly if something goes wrong. But that won't 'save' a language: in the end the language will continue because of the work that you and your colleagues do, and that should get more publicity and support. I am uneasy about the rhetoric of the academic linguist going in to a community to 'save' a language, when the real people who save the language are the people who speak it with their kids. Claire From anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM Mon Jan 28 03:47:32 2008 From: anggarrgoon at GMAIL.COM (Claire Bowern) Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 21:47:32 -0600 Subject: 'the linguists' In-Reply-To: <20080128005926.5EDCBB2467@lorax.ldc.upenn.edu> Message-ID: spiders have more legs but fewer teeth. And it's hard to swat a crocodile with a newspaper! C William J Poser wrote: >> .watch out for those crocodiles > > Crocodiles wouldn't bother me much, but I hear that in Australia > they've got some very nasty spiders. Ick. Luckily where I am > we just have grizzly bears. > > Bill > From CMcMillan at WVC.EDU Mon Jan 28 21:04:49 2008 From: CMcMillan at WVC.EDU (McMillan, Carol) Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:04:49 -0800 Subject: spontaneous acquisition In-Reply-To: A<20080126111126.l0cxsyjvkkkkw4k0@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Thanks for writing that, Phil. I've had an increasing sense that, as more people began learning the languages, the languages' own spirit will grow stronger and begin taking over to bring them back. Those words don't really explain my feeling, but what you said helps to reinforce it. Thanks, Carol -----Original Message----- From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of phil cash cash Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 10:11 AM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] spontaneous acquisition Greetings ILAT, I just wanted to share this quote found in a UK press article regarding the last speaker of Eyak. "I got that strong feeling right here that it's going to come back. God will send down Eyak to start all over again." Marie Smith Jones As an indigenous person, it feels good when I read words like this. Myself, I can say that I come from a strong spiritual family/community where words have power, believing has power, and acting in the way of an ancestral life has power. Basically, good things can happen from living a strong traditional life, so long as it can be imagined, modeled, taught, or acted upon. What I want to point out though is that there is a fairly unknown/undocumented element in language revitalization where community people can experience or otherwise cite instances of spontaneous language acquisition. Now the linguist in you is probably asking "how is that possible?" or "language is too variable and it would be virtually impossible to acquire the full encyclopedic vocabulary of a language," right? Our venerable speaker of Eyak believed in it. I believe it...because I have witnessed it and heard first-person accounts of spontaneous acquisition. To tell the truth, I am not sure how to describe it if asked but I know it happens. Just a thought for you all today... Phil Cash Cash (Cayuse/Nez Perce) UofA ~~~ In praise of ... the Eyak language Leader Friday January 25, 2008 The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,2246576,00.html From lanz at RICE.EDU Mon Jan 28 22:35:15 2008 From: lanz at RICE.EDU (Linda Lanz) Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:35:15 -0900 Subject: spontaneous acquisition In-Reply-To: <20080126111126.l0cxsyjvkkkkw4k0@www.email.arizona.edu> Message-ID: Hi Phil, I've heard the same sentiment from I?upiaq speakers. One of them, an I?upiaq teacher and fluent speaker in her 50s or 60s, told me that she didn't speak I?upiaq until she was 20. She said she's not worried about the future of I?upiaq because she knows that one day when they need it, I?upiat children (by then grown into adults) will just start speaking it. Of course, the situation is different, because she was surrounded by adults speaking I?upiaq, whereas these kids are surrounded by English, but she's certain that the language will be there when needed. There are also quite a few anecdotes about spontaneous acquisition in Australian communities. I'm out in the field at the moment, so I can't dig up the article names at the moment, but I recall reading several articles about spontaneous and/or rapid adult acquisition of various indigenous Australian languages. For example, elderly parents of non-speakers who weren't worried about their children learning their language because they themselves hadn't picked it up until they were middle-aged. In many cases, the idea that they'd teach their children "when they're ready for it" was strong. All of this was also intricately connected to issues of language ownership, especially in areas where it's normal for people to speak 4-5 languages and the "native" one might not be the first one a person learns. Regards, Linda L. ------------------------- Linda Lanz Dept. of Linguistics Rice University lanz at rice.edu On Jan 26, 2008, at 9:11 AM, phil cash cash wrote: > Greetings ILAT, > > I just wanted to share this quote found in a UK press article > regarding the last > speaker of Eyak. > > "I got that strong feeling right here that it's going to come back. > God will > send down Eyak to start all over again." Marie Smith Jones > > As an indigenous person, it feels good when I read words like this. > > Myself, I can say that I come from a strong spiritual family/ > community where > words have power, believing has power, and acting in the way of an > ancestral > life has power. Basically, good things can happen from living a > strong > traditional life, so long as it can be imagined, modeled, taught, > or acted > upon. > > What I want to point out though is that there is a fairly unknown/ > undocumented > element in language revitalization where community people can > experience or > otherwise cite instances of spontaneous language acquisition. Now > the linguist > in you is probably asking "how is that possible?" or "language is > too variable > and it would be virtually impossible to acquire the full encyclopedic > vocabulary of a language," right? > > Our venerable speaker of Eyak believed in it. I believe > it...because I have > witnessed it and heard first-person accounts of spontaneous > acquisition. To > tell the truth, I am not sure how to describe it if asked but I > know it > happens. > > Just a thought for you all today... > > Phil Cash Cash (Cayuse/Nez Perce) > UofA > > ~~~ > > In praise of ... the Eyak language > Leader > Friday January 25, 2008 > The Guardian > http://www.guardian.co.uk/leaders/story/0,,2246576,00.html > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From andrekar at NCIDC.ORG Mon Jan 28 23:10:02 2008 From: andrekar at NCIDC.ORG (Andre Cramblit) Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:10:02 -0800 Subject: Fwd: Witchita Language Message-ID: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spe/2008/wichita/ Walter Lamar's memory: The link above takes you to a Dallas News story about my Aunt who is the last fluent speaker of the Wichita Language. She and my father were the youngest fluent speakers in the tribe - he died in 1989 leaving her as the youngest speaker. I used to love sitting at our dining room table listening to my aunties, uncles, grandmas and grandpas visiting with my father in the Wichita language, it was like a wonderful song that you can sit and listen to over and over. They would laugh so hard, and when I would ask what was so funny my Dad would just say it won't be so funny in English. It is not just a language but a special view of the world. One day my Dad had a quizzical look on his face and when I asked him what was up - he said he could not remember a word - when we got home he called my Grandmother and my Aunt and neither one of them could remember. I could see the deep sadness on his face that a Wichita word was forever gone... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From djcunlif at GLAM.AC.UK Tue Jan 29 12:59:03 2008 From: djcunlif at GLAM.AC.UK (Cunliffe D J (AT)) Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:59:03 -0000 Subject: FW: FEL Info: upcoming discussion on endangered languages 29i08 Message-ID: Hi All, Thought this might be of interest - sorry for short notice! Daniel. ________________________________ From: Nicholas Ostler [mailto:nicholas.ostler at googlemail.com] Sent: 29 Ionawr 2008 12:46 To: nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk Subject: FEL Info: upcoming discussion on endangered languages 29i08 Dear All You may be interested to know that there will be a discussion at 3 pm today (GMT) an BBC Radio5 LIve, which besides myself will feature Davyth Hicks of Eurolang (http://www.eurolang.net/), and Michael Fry (http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/michael_fry/profile.html) It looks like the programme will be strong on the Celtic side of things, though it was actually inspired by the recent elegiac news stories on Eyak (in Alaska), e.g. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2247922,00.html and Dura (in the Hiimalayas) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7189898.stm Details of podcast, interaction etc. can be found at http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/mayo.shtml Here's the BBC preview of what's in store: Simon and guests discuss whether we should be trying to preserve all languages, or is it a natural progression in our evolution that some of them die out? Should we be putting energy and money in to the languages that are flourishing and developing rather than trying to keep alive those that are diminishing? -- Nicholas Ostler Chairman, Foundation for Endangered Languages Registered Charity: England and Wales 1070616 172 Bailbrook Lane, Bath, BA1 7AA, England nostler at chibcha.demon.co.uk http://www.ogmios.org -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU Wed Jan 30 19:21:32 2008 From: cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU (phil cash cash) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:21:32 -0700 Subject: Maintaining culture a priority; Native language teacher for students (fwd link) Message-ID: Maintaining culture a priority; Native language teacher for students Posted By ANTHONY DIXON The Algonquins of Pikwakanagan are hoping to extend their partnership with both the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board and the Renfrew County District School Board. Over the past 10 years, the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, the Catholic board and the public school board, through a tuition agreement, have inconsistently employed a native language teacher. However, in the last couple of years, the elementary native language program at St. James Catholic School and Eganville and District Public School has been helping ensure that a new generation of aboriginal students know who they are, where they've come from and have an opportunity to retain their Algonquin language. The three partners want to see the program continue and are looking at doing just that. To access the full article, follow the link below: http://www.thedailyobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=880865 From susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM Wed Jan 30 21:33:40 2008 From: susan.penfield at GMAIL.COM (Susan Penfield) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:33:40 -0700 Subject: Coushatta Project makes the news! Message-ID: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/naa/whatsnew2008_01.htm -- ____________________________________________________________ Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D. 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 -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From hsouter at GMAIL.COM Thu Jan 31 00:19:57 2008 From: hsouter at GMAIL.COM (Heather Souter) Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:19:57 -0600 Subject: Second Chance to Listen to the Tuesday Jan. 29, 2008 BBC Broadcast on Endangered Languages! Message-ID: Taanshi! I contacted BBC about a podcast of the program. There isn't a downloadable podcast , but you can listen to the program on their site again by going to the following web address: http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/programmes/mayo.shtml Then, click on the Tuesday button in the Listen Again section at the top of the page. When the program comes up, go to the player at the top left and move the cursor to about 2:14:40. (about 2 hrs. and 15 mins. into the program). The program on endangered languages goes on for a total of 30 minutes. Well worth the listen! (BTW, I don't know how long the link will be active, so if you are interested I suggest you listen as soon as you can!) Eekoshi. Heather From rrlapier at AOL.COM Thu Jan 31 19:09:04 2008 From: rrlapier at AOL.COM (rrlapier at AOL.COM) Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:09:04 -0500 Subject: Common Sense English Act Message-ID: What do people know about HR 4464? The Common Sense English Act that will "require employees to speak English while engaged in work"? Rosalyn LaPier ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From melissa.pond at LLTC.EDU Thu Jan 31 19:11:35 2008 From: melissa.pond at LLTC.EDU (Melissa Pond) Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:11:35 -0600 Subject: Common Sense English Act In-Reply-To: A<8CA3253E1ABA7E8-A04-10E8@webmail-nc15.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: Information about it can be found here: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-4464 * * * * * * * * Melissa Pond Director of Library Services Leech Lake Tribal College P. O. Box 180 6945 Little Wolf Rd. NW Cass Lake, MN 56633 218-335-4240 218-335-4282 (fax) melissa.pond at lltc.edu "I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." - Jorge Luis Borges ________________________________ From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] On Behalf Of rrlapier at AOL.COM Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 1:09 PM To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU Subject: [ILAT] Common Sense English Act What do people know about HR 4464? The Common Sense English Act that will "require employees to speak English while engaged in work"? Rosalyn LaPier ________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From aidan at USYD.EDU.AU Thu Jan 31 22:25:35 2008 From: aidan at USYD.EDU.AU (Aidan Wilson) Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 09:25:35 +1100 Subject: Common Sense English Act In-Reply-To: <5BD245DBDE344E48998F0501D6E276513FD640@waagosh.lltc.local> Message-ID: To be fair, the bill only makes it not unlawful for an employer to require their employees to speak English while on the job. But all the same, I reckon it bites. Especially given the reasons they cite: (1) throughout the history of the United States, English has been the common thread to unify the American people much as they are united under one flag; Isn't it the case that Spanish will be more populous that English in the US in about... 15 or so years? (2) Americans overwhelmingly believe that it is very important for people living in the United States to speak and understand English; It does not follow that other languages are unimportant, or somehow deleterious. (3) there is vast support among the American people to allow a company to require its employees to speak English while on the job; Really? I'd like to see that survey. In any case, we have elected representatives for a reason, if all policy was decided by referenda, we'd have zero taxes and no services. (4) in 2006, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), against the will of the American people, filed more than 200 lawsuits against employers who implemented `English in the Workplace' policies; So in effect, all this would be doing is protecting those 200 employers? On the converse, legalising language requirements might allow many times more such abuses of equal employment rights to occur. Also, I wonder how they qualify 'against the will of the American people'. (5) the EEOC has sued the Salvation Army for implementing an `English in the Workplace' policy which gives employees a year to learn English; English lessons for employees are good, but they are not synonymous with 'no other language allowed'. This sentence is a little ambiguous anyway and I can't tell what's being inferred. Was it the Salvation Army's policy of providing English lessons that constituted a breach of equal rights? I doubt it. In which case, if someone made a complaint on such grounds then it probably provides the best evidence for this bill; protecting people who do the right thing by their employees from stupid charges like this. But I expect the courts would be able to take care of this, rather than swiftly legalising any such linguistic rights abuses. (6) when a group of employees speaks a language other than English in the workplace, it may cause misunderstandings, create dangerous circumstances, and undermine morale. Not the problem of the other language or its speakers. If a group of employees chooses to exclude a monolingual English speaker from their own in-group, then they'd exclude them using any means at their disposal. It just so happens that language may be a particularly salient method, but it is not the cause of the circumstances or the morale. That's it, the entire bill. Suffice to say I'm less than convinced. Aidan Wilson Audio at Paradisec On 01/02/08 06:11, Melissa Pond said: > > Information about it can be found here: > http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-4464 > > > > > * * * * * * * * > > Melissa Pond > Director of Library Services > Leech Lake Tribal College > P. O. Box 180 > 6945 Little Wolf Rd. NW > Cass Lake, MN 56633 > 218-335-4240 > 218-335-4282 (fax) > melissa.pond at lltc.edu > > "I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." - > Jorge Luis Borges > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > *From:* Indigenous Languages and Technology > [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] *On Behalf Of *rrlapier at AOL.COM > *Sent:* Thursday, January 31, 2008 1:09 PM > *To:* ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU > *Subject:* [ILAT] Common Sense English Act > > > > What do people know about HR 4464? The Common Sense English Act that > will "require employees to speak English while engaged in work"? > > Rosalyn LaPier > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail > ! > From aidan at USYD.EDU.AU Thu Jan 31 22:28:58 2008 From: aidan at USYD.EDU.AU (Aidan Wilson) Date: Fri, 1 Feb 2008 09:28:58 +1100 Subject: Common Sense English Act In-Reply-To: <8CA3253E1ABA7E8-A04-10E8@webmail-nc15.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: But also, what the hell's so 'commonsense' about it?! 'Commonsense' is a rationale for people who believe something they see as so basic, yet in arguing, can't articulate why, usually because it's plainly bigoted. Rgds, -Aid On 01/02/08 06:09, rrlapier at AOL.COM said: > What do people know about HR 4464? The Common Sense English Act that > will "require employees to speak English while engaged in work"? > > Rosalyn LaPier > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail > ! From hardman at UFL.EDU Thu Jan 31 22:30:20 2008 From: hardman at UFL.EDU (MJ Hardman) Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:30:20 -0500 Subject: Common Sense English Act In-Reply-To: <47A24ADF.3010400@usyd.edu.au> Message-ID: You are forgetting that for a very long time German/Dutch was a rival for English; there were many German/Dutch newspapers and all the rest. There are still many places in the US where German is the common language. Are they going to prohibit, e.g., the Amish, etc. from speaking German in the places where they sell their goods? MJ On 1/31/08 5:25 PM, "Aidan Wilson" wrote: > To be fair, the bill only makes it not unlawful for an employer to > require their employees to speak English while on the job. But all the > same, I reckon it bites. Especially given the reasons they cite: > > (1) throughout the history of the United States, English has been > the common thread to unify the American people much as they are > united under one flag; > > Isn't it the case that Spanish will be more populous that English in the > US in about... 15 or so years? > > (2) Americans overwhelmingly believe that it is very important for > people living in the United States to speak and understand English; > > It does not follow that other languages are unimportant, or somehow > deleterious. > > (3) there is vast support among the American people to allow a > company to require its employees to speak English while on the job; > > Really? I'd like to see that survey. In any case, we have elected > representatives for a reason, if all policy was decided by referenda, > we'd have zero taxes and no services. > > (4) in 2006, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), > against the will of the American people, filed more than 200 > lawsuits against employers who implemented `English in the > Workplace' policies; > > So in effect, all this would be doing is protecting those 200 employers? > On the converse, legalising language requirements might allow many times > more such abuses of equal employment rights to occur. Also, I wonder how > they qualify 'against the will of the American people'. > > (5) the EEOC has sued the Salvation Army for implementing an > `English in the Workplace' policy which gives employees a year to > learn English; > > English lessons for employees are good, but they are not synonymous with > 'no other language allowed'. This sentence is a little ambiguous anyway > and I can't tell what's being inferred. Was it the Salvation Army's > policy of providing English lessons that constituted a breach of equal > rights? I doubt it. In which case, if someone made a complaint on such > grounds then it probably provides the best evidence for this bill; > protecting people who do the right thing by their employees from stupid > charges like this. But I expect the courts would be able to take care of > this, rather than swiftly legalising any such linguistic rights abuses. > > (6) when a group of employees speaks a language other than English > in the workplace, it may cause misunderstandings, create dangerous > circumstances, and undermine morale. > > Not the problem of the other language or its speakers. If a group of > employees chooses to exclude a monolingual English speaker from their > own in-group, then they'd exclude them using any means at their > disposal. It just so happens that language may be a particularly salient > method, but it is not the cause of the circumstances or the morale. > > That's it, the entire bill. Suffice to say I'm less than convinced. > > Aidan Wilson > Audio at Paradisec > > On 01/02/08 06:11, Melissa Pond said: >> >> Information about it can be found here: >> http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-4464 >> >> >> >> >> * * * * * * * * >> >> Melissa Pond >> Director of Library Services >> Leech Lake Tribal College >> P. O. Box 180 >> 6945 Little Wolf Rd. NW >> Cass Lake, MN 56633 >> 218-335-4240 >> 218-335-4282 (fax) >> melissa.pond at lltc.edu >> >> "I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library." - >> Jorge Luis Borges >> >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> >> *From:* Indigenous Languages and Technology >> [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] *On Behalf Of *rrlapier at AOL.COM >> *Sent:* Thursday, January 31, 2008 1:09 PM >> *To:* ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU >> *Subject:* [ILAT] Common Sense English Act >> >> >> >> What do people know about HR 4464? The Common Sense English Act that >> will "require employees to speak English while engaged in work"? >> >> Rosalyn LaPier From awebster at SIU.EDU Thu Jan 31 22:38:16 2008 From: awebster at SIU.EDU (awebster@siu.edu) Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:38:16 -0500 Subject: Common Sense English Act In-Reply-To: <47A24ADF.3010400@usyd.edu.au> Message-ID: Dear all, We should also remember the EEOC has filed lawsuits to protect Native American languages, such as Navajo in EEOC v. RD's Drive IN/Exxon. So it should be understood that this bill would target Native languages as well as Spanish. When I was working on the Navajo Nation in 2000, Prop 203 was being debated (English for the children), and it was stunning to realize that many people in Arizona did not realize the ramifications that such a bill would have on Native language programs. The target here is Spanish (as it was with Prop 203), which is wrong in my view in the first place. But more than that, there is also the complete disregard for Native American languages that such a bill exhibits. Just my thoughts. Best, akw Anthony K. Webster, Ph.D. Department of Anthropology & Native American Studies Minor Southern Illinois University Mail Code 4502 Carbondale, IL 62901-4502 618-453-5027