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<div class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><font face="Calibri">The Arctic Athabaskan Council and the Ket People of Siberian Russia Renew Historic Contacts and Agree to Work Together<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></span></b></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><font face="Calibri">Whitehorse, Yukon, April 20, 2010</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><font face="Calibri">Danny Cresswell, Deputy Chief of the Carcross and Tagish First Nation speaking on behalf of the Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC), announced today an historic meeting in Moscow of representatives of AAC and the Kets of Siberian Russia. The languages spoken by the Ket and Athabaskan peoples share striking similarities. Linguists are currently researching the possibility that the languages are related.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Absolute proof of language links would raise profound anthropological and genetic questions about the ancient links and ties between Eurasia and North America. </font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><font face="Calibri">The Ket people, numbering fewer than 2,000 according to official figures, reside in settlements in the middle Yenisei river basin. Approximately 200 Kets still speak their ancient language. AAC’s delegation spent a day and a half with Ket representatives Zoya Maksunova, Olya Peshkina and Galina Nikolayeva. AAC’s delegation included Doug Hitch, a linguist in the Yukon Native Language Centre, Cindy Dickson, AAC Executive Director, Colleen Henry, AAC Projects Coordinator and Terry Fenge, AAC Advisor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><font face="Calibri">Ms. Dickson, a member of the Gwich’in Nation in northern Yukon, said “The Kets told us this was the first time they had met representatives of North American Athabaskan peoples. They are very excited about the possibilities of working with us and want to organize cultural exchanges. They also want to promote research on the linguistic and other connections between us.” She added, “They are very concerned for their survival as a people and asked us to help improve the diet and health of the 54 Ket children resident in their villages. They want us to send multivitamins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Of course we will respond”.</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><font face="Calibri">Doug Hitch recommended as a matter of urgency further linguistic work to firmly establish the Athabaskan-Ket connection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He made a promising start in recording Ket language material with Zoya Maksunova, a fluent speaker and teacher, who showed great enthusiasm in developing teaching and learning materials for her language similar to those already available for Yukon languages. Mr. Hitch noted that the sound files would eventually be posted on the web site of the Yukon Native Language Centre. He concluded, “It would be wonderful to continue collaboration on this beautiful language”.</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><font face="Calibri">Edward Vajda of Western Washington University in the United States has undertaken extensive research into these linguistic connections. Insightfully he has written:</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>Who would have imagined the ancient words Native American and Siberian <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </span>boarding-school children were punished for speaking a few decades ago <span style="mso-tab-count: 1"></span>could wield a power vast enough to reunite entire continents?</font></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 115%"><font face="Calibri">Noting the growing interest worldwide in the circumpolar Arctic, Mr. Cresswell said “the connection between the Ket and Athabaskan peoples is hugely important. Upon this base we can build cultural, economic and perhaps political links.”</font></span></p>
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<br>-- <br>**********************************************************************************************<br>Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.<br>(Currently on leave to the National Science Foundation.<br>E-mail: <a href="mailto:spenfiel@nsf.gov">spenfiel@nsf.gov</a><br>
Phone at NSF: 703-292-4535)<br><br><br>Department of English (Primary)<br>Faculty affiliate in Linguistics, Language, Reading and Culture, <br>Second Language Acquisition and Teaching (SLAT), <br>American Indian Language Development Institute (AILDI)<br>
The Southwest Center<br>University of Arizona,<br>Tucson, Arizona 85721<br><br><br>
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