Mohawk language goes country (fwd link)

Tue May 27 21:29:23 UTC 2008

Greetings Heather: Thank you.  Earl Otchingwanigan
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Heather Souter<mailto:hsouter at GMAIL.COM> 
  To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU<mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU> 
  Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 3:13 PM
  Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mohawk language goes country (fwd link)

  Taanshi, Earl and Richard,

  I am excited to hear how you are using music to express and teach your languages!  I have a friend speaks Cree and teaches the language--Laura Burnof.  She sings and has made a recording of songs for children in Cree.  

  Also, since you have heard of Kashtin, I wonder if you have heard of Carl Quinn?  He is a Cree man from the Saddle Lake Reserve in Alberta Canada.   Quite an artist and visionary!  Not everyone may like his music, but he sings in Cree and is a talented musician.  Take a listen and read more about him at
  http://cdbaby.com/cd/carlquinn<http://cdbaby.com/cd/carlquinn>

  By the way, I am teaching myself how to play guitar (country?!) and am starting to sing in Michif, my langauge.  You guys are an inspiration to me!

  Eekoshi pitamaa. That's all for now!
  Heather

  2008/5/27 Earl Otchingwanigan <wiigwaas at msn.com<mailto:wiigwaas at msn.com>>:

    Greetings Richard:  Appreciate your confirming comments and extending the point as to what others have contributed to the music side of learning and revitalizing/retaining language ---- I'm sure there are many other unsung [pardon the pun], native peoples out there contributing to this almost under-rated way of learning; kudos to them all.  Cheers, Earl Otchingwanigan 
      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Richard Smith<mailto:rzs at WILDBLUE.NET> 
      To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU<mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU> 
      Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 3:24 PM
      Subject: Re: [ILAT] Mohawk language goes country (fwd link)

      tižamęh Earl

      i agree totally 
      "Kashtin" is one of my favorite groups,(not sure they are still together,though.)
       blending contemporary instruments/universal themes yet expressed in indigenous language.

      Using music to teach kids language just can't be underemphasized either.
      I have a bag full of fun and silly songs I've composed in the Wyandot language
      that i use for teaching pronunciation, grammar, numbers, animals, etc...
      all original tunes but sung with traditional waterdrum and handshakers.

      Songs enter and somehow bi-pass alot of "dangerous intersections" of the mind
      Wish more teachers understood this...it would have helped me alot as a youth

      -Richard 
      Wyandotte, Oklahoma

      On 5/27/08 10:57 AM, "Earl Otchingwanigan" <wiigwaas at MSN.COM<mailto:wiigwaas at MSN.COM>> wrote:

        Appreciate the good post ----a great and exciting idea as it may help inspire young people to further invest interest in their language using music whether traditional or via loan music and non-traditional instruments, besides it's just plain fun stuff to do ---- but it should be noted though, various native people have been doing this very same thing for sometime, including myself ---- I have for some 25 or 30 years now, been using my native language in jazz and pop genre performing with a non-traditional musical instrument.  Cheers, Earl Otchingwanigan

          ----- Original Message ----- 

          From: phil cash cash <mailto:cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU><mailto:cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU>  

          To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU<mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU> 

          Sent: Tuesday, May 27, 2008 10:50 AM

          Subject: [ILAT] Mohawk language goes  country (fwd link)

          Mohawk language goes country

          Ontario, CA
          Posted By  Michael Peeling

          The Mohawk language is making its mark on country  music.

          Margaret Peters, a language curriculum specialist with the  Ahkwesahsne Mohawk
          Board of Education, has taken her efforts to keep the  Mohawk language alive to
          another level by directing her students through  the process of creating a music
          video.

          The choice of song, "Jackson"  by Johnny and June Carter-Cash, was inspired by
          Teddy Peters', Margaret's  husband, and his hobby of translating country songs
          into  Mohawk.

          Access full article below:
          http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1045097<http://www.standard-freeholder.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1045097>

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