Court rules against Yup ’'ik as an historically written language ...

[Linda Lanz]

Hi Bill,

Yes, we do have the same long-winded propositions and ballot measures  
written in cryptic legalese in Alaska that everyone else seems to  
have. Here's a look at the ones coming up in the next election for  
anyone curious about the English version:

http://www.elections.alaska.gov/petitions/status.php

Younger Yup'ik speakers are literate, but it's really the elders (many  
of whom are monolingual) that have trouble with voting because most of  
the elders can't read Yup'ik. If the state provided printed Yup'ik  
ballots, it wouldn't help much unless someone could read it aloud for  
the elders (and as Bill pointed out, secret ballots are not secret if  
someone's in the voting booth with you). Having a CD with audio  
translations of the ballot that people can listen to in advance  
(including on the radio in Yup'ik-speaking areas) seems more effective  
in terms of the number of speakers it would reach. It sounds like  
there's some likelihood that the judge will decide that an audio  
version of the ballot should be produced. Let's hope so!

Regards,
Linda Lanz



On Jul 24, 2008, at 11:23 PM, William J Poser wrote:

> If, on the other hand, they have
> to vote on propositions like in California, where they have to  
> understand
> the proposition itself plus arguments for and against, the literacy
> skills needed would be considerably greater. Supposing that Yup'ik
> people had to deal with California-style elections (and I have no idea
> what they vote on in Yup'ik-land), if what literacy meant was that
> some fraction of the speakers could follow the hymnal in Yup'ik,
> then even though there might in some sense be a long-standing  
> tradition
> of Yup'ik literacy, it wouldn't be the kind of tradition that would  
> support
> written only voting assistance.
>
> Bill
>