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<TITLE>Re: [ILAT] traditions of assimilation...</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'>Hi David,<BR>
<BR>
I think you raise an important topic towards revitalization.<BR>
Unfortunately people are easily made defensive about their own beliefs<BR>
This makes it difficult to discuss errors and offer possible solutions. <BR>
I personally don't know one Native American who "hates" Christ.<BR>
But its the multitude forms of _ianity we have had so much difficulty with.<BR>
<BR>
One I have found so damaging are forms of "Replacement Theology"<BR>
Which is basicly an attempt to reshape people by presenting<BR>
as "The Truth" a different foreign paradigm , from creation to afterlife.<BR>
We cannot automaticly doubt the sincerity of such proselytizers<BR>
because often they themselves are "the converted" and go to extraordinary<BR>
lengths and sacrifice to bring what they have been taught is "the gospel"<BR>
<BR>
I confess i didn't read the entire book.But i glimpsed through an account of<BR>
early Christian missionaries first encountering Hawaiians and I learned something. <BR>
These European Christians had just sailed completely around S. America, were<BR>
suffering from scurvy, and food poisoning,and basicly were dying of malnutrition.<BR>
When they finally encountered the people of the island joyfully welcoming<BR>
them from their dugouts and on the beaches,the missionaries burst into tears<BR>
from the deck of the ship. Why were they weeping?<BR>
Because the islanders were "naked" and unaware their "sinful" condition.<BR>
<BR>
We may be tempted to snicker today, but this isn't the point at all.<BR>
I think we should recognize this as what happens when two <BR>
extremely different paradigms collide.Problems happen when one group <BR>
comes with a belief that it must completely CHANGE the other group.<BR>
New creation stories, new values, new parables, new ideologies. <BR>
Islanders must now be taught about sheep,and of course ,camels,<BR>
or they will never understand the Good Shepherd or understand<BR>
how hard it is to put a camel through the Eye of the Needle.<BR>
<BR>
When a societies paradigms expand, its simply healthy education. <BR>
Language expands and new ideas are added to what already exists.<BR>
I don't know of any indigenous people wishing to return to a stone age.<BR>
But when paradigms replace other paradigms,as in culture and theologies<BR>
Language itself begins to change from the inside out.<BR>
<BR>
just some thoughts to toss out there....<BR>
Richard Zane Smith<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
On 2/16/08 2:03 PM, "David Lewis" <David.Lewis@GRANDRONDE.ORG> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14.0px'>I for one appreciate more dialogue about how Christians and other sects have contributed to the assimilation of Native peoples, which in turn has contributed to the extinction or near-extinction of many native languages. I too will use this in my classes.<BR>
<BR>
David G. Lewis<BR>
Manager, Cultural Resources Department<BR>
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
-----Original Message-----<BR>
From: Indigenous Languages and Technology on behalf of Mark Sicoli<BR>
Sent: Sat 2/16/2008 12:49 PM<BR>
To: ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU<BR>
Subject: Re: [ILAT] traditions of assimilation...<BR>
<BR>
Thank you Phil, well said. The nationalist myth is based on a pervasive<BR>
ideology where a single language is taken (or given) as the symbol of a<BR>
singular identity. The one language=one nation association goes back to<BR>
nation-state building in Europe and the practices of linguistic<BR>
unifications, like in Spain, France, and Italy, and other such places<BR>
where vernacular languages were ideologically "erased" in the formation of<BR>
national unities. These served as models for nation building in the<BR>
Americas and the ideology is real prominent in Mexico where I work, and<BR>
where language shifts from indigenous languages to Spanish are currently<BR>
occurring at unprecedented rates. The same basic ideology is at work<BR>
equating one language with one individual, which serves to work against<BR>
bilingualism and bilingual education, thus facilitating language<BR>
abandonment rather than bilingual maintenance. For these reasons I agree<BR>
that this is a worthwhile discussion for this list.<BR>
<BR>
Mark<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
On Sat, February 16, 2008 9:02 pm, phil cash cash said:<BR>
> For the language advocates (LA) it might be worthwhile to point out these<BR>
> "assimilationist" agendas are all founded on a nationalist myth. In<BR>
> today's<BR>
> contemporary context, this nationalist myth states that our societies are<BR>
> or<BR>
> can become linguistically, culturally homogenous. When in reality, this<BR>
> may<BR>
> be impossible.Â<BR>
> And as Richard points out so well, the nationalist myth (in what ever<BR>
> manifestation it may take) supports other agendas as well.Â<BR>
> Phil<BR>
> UofA<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
<BR>
<BR>
--<BR>
Mark Sicoli Ph.D.<BR>
Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics<BR>
Postbus 310<BR>
6500 AH Nijmegen<BR>
The Netherlands<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
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