Coeur d'Alene Tribe trying to save language (fwd link)

[phil cash cash]

Coeur d'Alene Tribe trying to save language

Posted: Oct 16, 2008 08:45 PM

PLUMMER, Idaho -- The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is in danger of losing its most
valuable asset: its voice.

There are only three people left in the world who can fluently speak the Coeur
d'Alene language.  But the tribe recently passed a policy to change that.

The idea is to encourage tribal members to learn and speak the Coeur d'Alene
language before its gone forever.  It's a language the tribe began to go away
over a century ago.

His voice is everything.  At 85, Felix Aripa is one of the last speakers of his
language.

Access full article below:
http://www.kxly.com/Global/story.asp?S=9193188