Request for info from/about indigenous groups that have/have had good relationship with linguists

[Dave Pearson]

Geoffrey Pullum's obituary for Des Derbyshire is also a moving story:
http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/19/19-1.html 

Des "...wrote movingly of having lived among Brazilian Indians and having
valued them as friends and teachers and learned a great deal from them". In
addition, the anecdote about Booby Kennedy is a surprising aside!

Dave Pearson

-----Original Message-----
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Damien Hall
Sent: 28 April 2009 10:22
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: [ILAT] Request for info from/about indigenous groups that have/have
had good relationship with linguists

The best such example I can think of off the top of my head is the 
extremely good relationship that R.M.W. (Bob) Dixon has with the many 
Australian Aboriginal communities on whose languages he has worked. He 
feels (and I agree with him!) that linguistic / anthropological work can 
only / most successfully be carried out if the researcher has a deep, 
respectful, personal relationship with informants. In his case I remember 
that this led in at least one instance to his being made a member of the 
people whose language he was studying, and to considerable grief on his 
part when he was informed of the death of one of his principal informants 
and good friends but was unable to get to Australia in time for her 
funeral.

This is the Wikipedia page about him:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._M._W._Dixon

It is short, but may be adequate for what you need. In particular, on 
respectful and linguistically-fruitful relationships with studied 
populations, I would recommend you look at his personal memoir _Searching 
for Aboriginal Languages_ (1983), which is an account of the more human 
aspects of his fieldwork up to then. It is a convincing demonstration that 
the people whose languages he was studying overcame considerable initial 
reluctance to become personal friends, in many instances, and enthusiastic 
informants, once they were convinced of the value of his work and of the 
fact that they weren't just going to be exploited.

Hope that helps!

Damien Hall

-- 
Damien Hall

University of York
Department of Language and Linguistic Science
Heslington
YORK
YO10 5DD
UK

Tel. (office) +44 (0)1904 432665
     (mobile) +44 (0)771 853 5634
Fax  +44 (0)1904 432673

http://www.york.ac.uk/res/aiseb/
http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/lang/people/pages/hall.htm