<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Re: [ILAT] indigenous language survival</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'>Yes, you are right. I heard this same thing from the director of the college on the Navajo reservation; he was trying to keep the college from splitting up what was NOT split up in Navajo culture, like, art-music-medicine was not three things. For this reason I am trying to turn all of my old materials into ‘literature’ for the young ones — or they will translate from Spanish — something we have had severe problems convincing the Ministry, who want only <B>new</B> materials — exactly as you describe below, while we are saying, OK, but, at least only those written originally in Jaqaru, but NO TRANSLATIONS. I tell my Field Methods students that no sentence from translation can be used for grammatical discovery: it tells you about the original sentence not language. It happened in class this week. English demands subjects. The students didn’t get a translation. I foolishly ‘helped’ them by telling them the subject (excuse: I’m not well) and right there the consultant added in a subject — sentence ruined. I apologized and the sentence went back to the proper way, and it was a serendipitous lesson for the students, but, as always, Richard, you are so right. MJ<BR>
<BR>
On 10/21/10 12:39 PM, "Richard Zane Smith" <<a href="rzs@WILDBLUE.NET">rzs@WILDBLUE.NET</a>> wrote:<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'>Kweh all,<BR>
just some thoughts....<BR>
I know linguists can't hep but be linguists, as artists can't help but be artists.<BR>
but when i read about the threat of EVEN the Maori language extinction,<BR>
it really got me thinking.<BR>
Many are busy creating indigenous words for NON-indigenous<I> thought paradigms</I>.<BR>
At an immersion school in Aotearoa I visited, students science classes were being taught<BR>
with a myriad of NEW designed Maori words to describe atoms,particles etc...<BR>
in other words "things" that many of our indigenous cultures never <I>broke down<BR>
</I>in a traditional context other than perhaps stories about "how things are all connected"<BR>
<BR>
Might this forced and continual translation of noun based colonized terms into indigenous terms<BR>
be actually turning our languages into "<B>codes</B>" to basicly think <B><I>the same thoughts<BR>
</I></B>but to represent them as indigenous characters and sounds?<BR>
Are we paradigm shifting basic-thought pattern of OUR languages when we do this?<BR>
<BR>
Ok, now we will all have gadgets to text message in Cherokee,Swahili,Chinese, English,Mohawk<BR>
but what if the whole IDEA of text messaging isn't weighed "culturally" and every NEW gadget is now "NDignized" just like we have Nammy Awards instead of Grammy Awards, Native RAP version of Ghetto RAP, An NDN version of every WHITE thing the dominant (even parasitical) culture comes up with. What are we doing? Are we thinking about what we are doing?<BR>
Aren't we the people who are supposed to lead the way to LIFE sustainability?<BR>
The dominant system of conquest is still marching, and its cancerous to our planet.<BR>
<BR>
We KNOW in our minds that a language survives/thrives only in <I>context</I> of its own healthy culture.But unless children grow up imbedded in Wyandot culture(life/ways), <BR>
going to school and learning to speak Wyandot does not a Wyandot make. <BR>
They are only speaking Wyandot code .<B><I> the new code talkers?<BR>
</I></B>If this is true, dying languages are only PART or symptomatic of a bigger problem.<BR>
Our minds are changing, our children's minds are changing, and if we want them to be strong in their languages they are going to need <B>a whole lot more</B> than Wyandot language classes.<BR>
or free gadgets to do Wyandot texting. <BR>
<BR>
The reason the languages are dying is because there is a <B>replacement </B>of thinking.<BR>
Its EASIER ,maybe even more appropriate? to use English when students are dissecting <BR>
a frog because its the nature of that kind of thinking to dissect things and solve problems by taking things apart. Is that OUR way? <BR>
When we Wyandotized the process of dissecting a frog, we lose Wyandot paradigm.<BR>
If you dissect a frog and learn science that can cure cancer thats wonderful,<BR>
Kids should learn that ALSO.<BR>
but I'm just wondering the benefit of mixing.blending thinking paradigms.<BR>
<BR>
Traditionalist always tell me - ceremony has to stay OUT of politics<BR>
for that very reason...the various "thinkings" don't mix well.<BR>
<BR>
I heard just at ONLA from a Cherokee language teacher in Talequah <BR>
that a modern childs attention span is now <B>9 seconds .<BR>
why? Its the average time it takes to send a text message.<BR>
</B>what are we doing folks? Are we simply getting on board this Titantic<BR>
because OUR language needs to be on the ship??<BR>
Maybe we need to strengthen our cultural roots/languages/arts/communities<BR>
and be VERY selective/careful about introducing all these new shiny toys?<BR>
Shall we talk about the addiction of<B><I> "the new"</I></B> ? <BR>
uuuh ...some other time...<BR>
<BR>
just some thoughts, i don't know the answers <BR>
I'm someone who still plays in the mud ....for a living!<BR>
<BR>
Richard Zane Smith <BR>
Wyandotte Oklahoma<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE>
</BODY>
</HTML>