Taanshi, Richard,<br><br>I continue to be both encouraged and impressed by your commitment. I was wondering if you happened to know about the Miami language and the work of Darrel Baldwin and others to revitalize it? The language "went silent" in the 1960's and Darryl, a tribal member, taught himself to speak what he calls a "functional form" of the language. Then, he went on to teach his children. They became the first "first language" speakers in decades. <br>
<br>It is an amazing story and the kind of which I hope becomes much more common place. I hope you draw strength from it....<br><br><a href="http://www.endangered-languages.com/miami.php">http://www.endangered-languages.com/miami.php</a><br>
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4418jOBgpI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4418jOBgpI</a><br><a href="http://www.myaamiaproject.org/staff.html">http://www.myaamiaproject.org/staff.html</a><br><br>Eekoshi pitamaa.<br>
Heather<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 2:12 PM, Richard Zane Smith <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rzs@wildblue.net">rzs@wildblue.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
<font size="2">kweh Beth,</font><div><font size="2">I don't remember if i responded to your nice note...? so tizhamëh (thanks!)<br></font><br></div><div>It's a really interesting time in Wyandot tribal history.</div>
<div>If we're represented as a spiraling ...we're wound down to the very center,</div><div>just about couldn't collapse any further(assimilated) if we tried.<br><div class="gmail_quote">Presently there is a slight flexing at the center and an "effort" at "bending back" </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">to possibly reverse bend TOWARDS revitalization(unwinding the spiral),but its only a flexing</div><div class="gmail_quote">creating an amazing amount of friction and tension on the downward curve.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">Teachers and administrators for the Wyandotte Preschool have little interest in learning the language.</div><div class="gmail_quote">There are a couple teachers who sit and "learn/participate" with the kids...but thats it.</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">No (LOCAL) tribal member seems to be aware of the IMMENSE VALUE of their own language.</div><div class="gmail_quote">Most of the encouragements i receive come from people like yourself .</div><div class="gmail_quote">
and i so appreciate it, because i know YOU KNOW how important these efforts can be.</div><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">The TPR techniques are going great and we all get a full body exercise performing</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">all kinds of imperatives and folding them in with the songs.</div><div class="gmail_quote">we're gonna start singing these imperatives soon I can just tell. </div><div class="gmail_quote"><br>
</div><div class="gmail_quote">try to say tsa-tah-ma-wah ... tsa-tah-ma-wah .. (turn around) without singing it!</div><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote"> One teacher just sits emotionless, head staring down scribbling at her desk,</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"> like : "this guy has got to be insane" </div><div class="gmail_quote">when we're all down on the floor on our backs jabbing one leg in the air! HA!</div><div class="gmail_quote">
<br>
</div><div class="gmail_quote">but the Teachers ALL help out when we get the kids organized for performance social dances</div><div class="gmail_quote">for the Turtle Tot "pow-wow" event in the spring. HUNDREDS of kinfolk show up!</div>
<div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">thanks again for all the support and encouragement</div><div class="gmail_quote">one day i'll get the TPR book... wonder if the tribal admin. MIGHT even pay for it?</div>
<div class="gmail_quote">naaah, probably not.</div><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">ske:noh</div><div class="gmail_quote">Richard</div><div><div></div><div class="h5"><div class="gmail_quote"><br>
</div><div class="gmail_quote">
<br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 4:56 PM, Beth Brown <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:brow0857@umn.edu" target="_blank">brow0857@umn.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">Hi Richard,<br>
<br>
I'm not sure that I have any advice to offer, but I wanted to wish you well and
commend you on your efforts. I was a Dakota language immersion
preschool teacher within the Minneapolis Public Schools for several
years and my experience was very similar to what you're describing. The classroom teacher and prep teachers in our Dakota IMMERSION room would come in and use English, despite our objections and justifications. We too did not have regular meetings between language speakers and teachers, so communication was stymied. Furthermore, our knowledge of language acquisition was considered sub-par, since the majority of our speakers are not licensed teachers. I still work at the school, but in a different capacity and I've found allies in the school who DO value our knowledge as speakers and who DO want our input. It seems like sometimes it's just about finding the right people to stand behind us. <br>
<br>Do the teachers have to be in your classroom? We had to have licensed teachers in the room because we were not licensed, but I'm not sure if that's the case for you. Also, do the teachers know or are they learning some of the language? Maybe someone had suggested it already, but doing a TPR demonstration with the teachers in a language they DON'T know can be pretty convincing! Or, sometimes it helps for them to see research data that supports the effectiveness of immersion. That said, there are some who seem as if they will never understand or don't want to, no matter what evidence you present them with. I've worked with those people and it's very challenging on many levels, but what brought me through was the support and encouragement of other language activists, which is why I wanted to write to you. The work you're doing -as a volunteer, no less!- seems very admirable and I'm sure it's making a difference for those kids far beyond what you can even see now.<br>
<br>Best wishes to you,<br><br>Beth Brown<br><br>Program Associate, Dakota Language<br>American Indian Studies<br>University of Minnesota<div><div></div><div><br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 12:04 PM, Richard Zane Smith <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rzs@wildblue.net" target="_blank">rzs@wildblue.net</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><font size="2">I'm working with preschool kids </font><div><font size="2">introducing the Wyandot language...which is great..but</font></div>
<div><font size="2">its not ideal.</font>I can only volunteer so much time as its not a funded position.</div>
<div>So far the tribal council hasn't considered our Language as essential...(another topic!)</div><div><br></div><div>Relationships are good with teachers BUT</div><div>I'm finding I'm having conflict when I'm using ONLY "wandat"</div>
<div>and teachers keep "helping" -- interpreting into english for the students!!!</div><div><br></div><div>they don't seem to understand that KIDS DON'T NEED ENGLISH INTERPRETATION</div><div>and if something isn't working, its MY problem and i'll try using</div>
<div>the "new" words in a different context...</div><div>maybe stressing the new words less, and wrapping it with familiar words.</div><div><br></div><div>But what can i tell these teachers!?! I don't want to offend them</div>
<div>by correcting them in class...though , in a couple classes i shook my head</div><div>smiling saying "no interpreting!" but they looked offended.</div><div>I requested a meeting,that isn't happening...</div>
<div><br></div><div>Is there some "easy to comprehend" instruction about this kind of problem?</div><div>ske:noh</div><div>Richard</div><div><br>-- <br><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 19px; border-collapse: collapse;"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px 10px 0px; font-style: italic;">
"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."<span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 19px; border-collapse: collapse;"></span></i></span></p>
<i><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 10px 10px; text-align: right; display: inline ! important;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">- Frederick Douglass</span></p>
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</div></div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br></div></div>-- <br><i><div class="im"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 19px; border-collapse: collapse;"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px 10px 0px; font-style: italic;">
<span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 19px; border-collapse: collapse;"></span></i></span></p>
<i><span style="font-style: normal;"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px 10px 0px; font-style: italic;">Bread for myself is a material question. Bread for my neighbor is a spiritual one."<span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; line-height: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-style: normal; line-height: 19px; border-collapse: collapse;"><i><span style="font-style: normal;"></span></i></span></i></span></p>
<i><i><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px 10px 10px; text-align: right; display: inline ! important;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">- Nicholas Berdyaev</span></p>
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</p><div><i><i><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px 10px 0px; font-style: italic; display: inline ! important;"><br></p></i></i></div><div class="im">
"its easier to build strong children than repair broken men" <span style="font-size: x-small;">Frederick Douglas</span><p></p></div></i><i><p></p></i><i></i><p></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px 10px 0px; font-style: italic;">
<i></i></p><i><p></p></i><i></i><p></p><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px 10px 0px; font-style: italic;"><span style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 19px; border-collapse: collapse;"></span></i></span></p>
<i><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 10px 10px 0px; font-style: italic; display: inline ! important;"><br><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br>
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