<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:p="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:powerpoint" xmlns:oa="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:activation" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<title>Re: [ILAT] traditions of assimilation...</title>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Athabascan Naaki";
panose-1:2 11 5 2 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Book Antiqua";
panose-1:2 4 6 2 5 3 5 3 3 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Bernie;
panose-1:2 11 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
h1
{margin-top:12.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
page-break-before:always;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:16.0pt;
font-family:Arial;}
h2
{margin-top:12.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:3.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Athabascan Naaki";
font-style:italic;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.BlockQuote, li.BlockQuote, div.BlockQuote
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
punctuation-wrap:simple;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua";}
p.BulletsNumbering, li.BulletsNumbering, div.BulletsNumbering
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.BlockParagraph, li.BlockParagraph, div.BlockParagraph
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:.5in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.Heading4, li.Heading4, div.Heading4
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-style:italic;}
p.IndentedParagraph, li.IndentedParagraph, div.IndentedParagraph
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-indent:.5in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.BlockParagraph0, li.BlockParagraph0, div.BlockParagraph0
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
p.VitaDates, li.VitaDates, div.VitaDates
{margin-top:12.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:1.6in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-indent:-1.6in;
punctuation-wrap:simple;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua";}
p.VitaHeadings, li.VitaHeadings, div.VitaHeadings
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;
page-break-after:avoid;
punctuation-wrap:simple;
text-autospace:none;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Book Antiqua";
color:black;
font-weight:bold;}
span.EmailStyle25
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:Arial;
color:navy;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:-2;
mso-list-type:simple;
mso-list-template-ids:-1216709526;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-start-at:0;
mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:*;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
margin-left:0in;
text-indent:0in;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:1154950907;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-343928786 798125090 -1284864802 -1209636544 788566900 1163138634 -1674010664 -1438982650 918845216 -1510284950;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-style-link:Bullets&Numbering;
mso-level-text:\2022;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Bernie;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-start-at:184;
mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\2013;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Bernie;}
@list l0:level1 lfo2
{mso-level-numbering:continue;
mso-level-text:\2022;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
mso-level-legacy:yes;
mso-level-legacy-indent:0in;
mso-level-legacy-space:0in;
margin-left:0in;
text-indent:0in;
mso-ansi-font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Arial;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Hi, Everyone, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>I just finished reading a strange
combination of texts, one a book called The Analogical Mind, and details on
Emergent Grounded Theory, and some political pieces on qualitative research. (I
say this to give you an idea of how to fix what I am about to say.) <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Anyway, we don’t really have “A
Truth.” “Truths” are from the old (an now reasonably
well-discredited) Positivist point of view that said that “Truth was Out
There and we just had to ‘discover’ it.” We do have a kind
of truth, a relational, cultural kind of truth, that comes from thinking and
believing the same way about things. We could call these “positions”
if we had to call them something. But they are really the stories that create
cultural fabrics, the things we represent in our symbols, rituals, songs and
stories. I mention all these things because these are the ways we recall them
to mind, recall them to the collective mind and create ways for people to
participate in them. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>My friend Yolanda just defended her
dissertation research. She wondered why so many monolingual Spanish children of
Mexican descent seemed to be ending up – to their eventual detriment –
in English immersion classes. She found that it was the parents who were moving
their children from bilingual to English immersion, for two primary reasons: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=4 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>•</span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'> Educacion is about deportment, not about disciplinary knowledge;
and,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in;text-indent:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=4 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>•</span></span></font><![endif]><font
size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:navy'> Parents see English proficiency as a ticket to the big house, the
good job, and freedom from struggle. They do NOT understand disciplinary
knowledge because they have no experience with it. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Our next research is going to be together,
and it is going to be about how to create environments where parents can learn
more both about what Education is about here, and about the different
disciplines. We have some ideas, using technology (of course. . </span></font><font
size=2 color=navy face=Wingdings><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Wingdings;color:navy'>J</span></font><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> )<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> But an interesting thing happened in the
defense, about the point she was talking about new research. One of the
committee members asked, Do you see parents’ information as deficient?
Yolanda said no, and then the committee member said, But you are implying that
it is deficient when you say you want to change it. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>She was kind of stymied, because she
wanted simultaneously to be able to say that the parents were “okay”
in that kind of 60’s-70s “I’m okay, You’re okay”
sense. On the other hand, she knew parents really needed new information, new
tools, and new discourses and conversations. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Fortunately, the committee member saved
her. He said, As minority faculty, we do not have the luxury of not taking a
stand. We have to be willing to say that some things are just not right, and
then we can work to improve them. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>We are going to write a book about this,
combining our dissertation researches, and maybe some new work. We are also
thinking about a second book, which we were going to call “Whiteness”
that would be based on people’s impressions of language, education, and
the hegemonies of language and skin color. But based on what I read in this
email, I’m thinking a better title would be, “Whiteness”:
Brown Courage to Change. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>What do you all think? <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Did I ever mention how much I love being
on this list? You all just add so much to what makes life rich!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>My book chapter on visualization is
turning out to be amazing! And it’s almost done, so the little leaky
comments that derive from the freedom of Yolanda finally being done (I edited
her dissertation, and coached her, making sure she didn’t quite at all
those hard places where because of her parent’s critical illnesses made
getting this done a near impossible feat.) are sure to increase. Who knows, I
might even write something of substance!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Thanks, Richard! You are terrific as
always. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Mia <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> Indigenous
Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Richard Smith<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Thursday, February 21, 2008
9:42 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> ILAT@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [ILAT] traditions of
assimilation...</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Verdana'>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:</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Verdana'>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>
</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>