Language and Church Again

[Jon Reyhner]

Dear Friends of Indigenous Languages:

I thought the quote from G. McKay (1996), The land 
still speaks (Commissioned Report No. 14). 
Canberra, Australia: Australian Government 
Publishing Service (GPO Box 84, Canberra ACT 
26011, Australia) might interest some of you.

"While most people . . . tended to see the term 
'language maintenance activities' as including 
only formally organized language programs and 
activities, Saibai Island Council, in its 
response, made explicit what other communities 
assume: that traditional ceremonies and other 
traditional activities (they mention dancing, 
singing and story-telling -- others would include 
hunting) are an important means of keeping the 
traditional language strong. At the same time, the 
people of Saibai include church services and 
tombstone unveiling in this arena, showing that 
Christianity and other post-contact developments 
have been firmly adopted by members of the 
community in the ongoing development of their 
indigenous culture and life. The church has become 
part of their heritage . . . but not the school . 
. .  (p. 110)."

Jon Reyhner, Professor of Bilingual Multicultural
Education
Northern Arizona University
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar