<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.17097" name=GENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>
<DIV>
<H1 class=title><SPAN class=storylabel></SPAN>KBWG Brings Blackfoot Language
Lessons to the Airwaves</H1>
<H3 class=author ?>By <A href="http://www.kfbb.com/aboutus/ourteam/newsteam/69662272.html"><FONT color=#777777>Stephanie Tyrpak</FONT></A><BR></H3>
<DIV class=storyinfo>
<P><SPAN class=createdate>Story Created: Apr 14, 2011 at 7:42 PM MDT </SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN class=moddate>Story Updated: Apr 14, 2011 at 7:42 PM MDT
</SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV class=storybody>When a small radio station in Browning took to the airwaves
over six years ago, the idea was to add programming that would be meaningful to
the community. And in the past two weeks, 107.5 FM has launched a language class
that airs four days a week.<BR><BR>In a one room radio station, Darrell Kipp
leads a one hour Blackfoot language broadcast that could one day play around the
world.<BR><BR>"I was a little apprehensive at first, but the language is
important to our tribe, and we want to do anything possible to revitalize it,"
said Kipp.<BR><BR>KBWG Radio has expanded since the station received its license
back in 2004, adding new DJs and formats, and providing a language show was a
plan from the beginning.<BR><BR>"We want the radio to be something positive in
the community that brings back who the Blackfeet people were and who they are,"
said KBWG manager Lona Burns.<BR><BR>Like many tribal languages, Blackfoot has
struggled to survive with fewer children becoming fluent, and many people not
seeing that the language can be used in day-to-day life.<BR><BR>"A native
American language, ours the Pikuni or the Blackfeet language, is part of modern
day," said Kipp.<BR><BR>To teach Blackfoot to a broad radio audience, Kipp
relies on old recordings and simple instruction. And because 60 minutes is not
enough time to pick up a language, a short booklet is being handed out for free
to help listeners learn the grammar on their own.<BR><BR>“As we know in English,
first, second, and third – I, you, and you guys – Blackfeet also has fourth and
fifth,” said Kipp. “It has timeless verbs, it has very unique
qualities.”<BR><BR>With hopes of streaming KBWG online in the near future, the
radio course could someday connect families in Glacier County and soldiers in
Afghanistan to the language and heritage of the Blackfeet Tribe.<BR><BR>"It’s a
community radio station, so anybody’s that from here that maybe don’t live here
anymore, they’re still part of community and that they want to be a part of the
radio,” said Burns.<BR><BR>During the week, the show airs on Monday and Tuesday
at noon. For the two weekend shows, the broadcasts are dedicated to longer
Blackfoot recordings, with the Bible being played on
Sundays.<BR></DIV></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>