NW tribes strive to save disappearing languages (fwd link)

[Phillip E Cash Cash]

NW tribes strive to save disappearing languages

By Crystal Price
KVAL News Published: Mar 2, 2012 at 10:08 PM PST

EUGENE, Ore. - Virginia Beavert grew up in a little village just down the
road from Yakima, Wash.

Beavert did not go to government school. However, the Yakama native did
learned to speak several different languages while growing up.

"My first language was Nez Perce," Beavert said. "My father was from
Umatilla, and I learned his language. My mother spoke Yakama, so I learned
that, too."

But now some of those languages she's learned have disappeared altogether.

"Klickitat is no longer spoken," Beavert said. "I can read the language,
but I'm the only one."

According to the Northwest Indian Language Institute (NILI), only 5 out of
the 26 original Native American languages in Oregon are still spoken.

Access full article below:
http://www.kval.com/news/local/NW-tribes--to-save-disappearing-languages-141255843.html
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