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<TITLE>Re: [ILAT] First Nations working to keep indigenous languages alive among youth (fwd link)</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'>Indeed. Thus it is almost everywhere. The authority on Jaqaru is now 94, still active and writing and working on the dictionary, trying so hard to leave the fullness of his heritage, but that is never sufficient by it’s very nature. Language is interactive. And for the children — it is rapidly becoming a ‘heritage language’, not a native tongue. Yes, scary. MJ<BR>
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On 11/7/12 11:00 AM, "Tammy DeCoteau" <<a href="tdc.aaia@VERIZON.NET">tdc.aaia@VERIZON.NET</a>> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'>Great analogy Richard. What you say is exactly true. At my tribe, we have close to 100 speakers which is both a blessing and a terrible situation. Because we do have speakers, it is hard for us to help our members to understand what a critical situation it is. Most of our sister tribes who speak our language have only a handful of speakers and understand the situation.<BR>
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Our average age of first language speakers goes up of course, each year; and those speakers who it seems like only yesterday were a vital 65 year old are now a frail 75 year old. We are also faced with the knowledge that the number of speakers who leave us will only increase exponentially each year as they age. It is scary to me.<BR>
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Tammy DeCoteau<BR>
AAIA Native Language Program<BR>
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On Nov 7, 2012, <B>Richard Zane Smith</B> <<a href="rzs@WILDBLUE.NET">rzs@WILDBLUE.NET</a>> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'>Languages dry up like rain puddles on black top under a hot sun.<BR>
Small puddles vanish first, the bigger ones shrinking fast.<BR>
The biggest puddles seem enduring - but only by comparison.<BR>
What worries me is that so many of our own indigenous speakers<BR>
just get busy with life without a care in the world <BR>
because back home grandma still speaks the language.<BR>
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-Richard<BR>
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On Tue, Nov 6, 2012 at 11:13 PM, Phillip E Cash Cash <<a href="cashcash@email.arizona.edu">cashcash@email.arizona.edu</a> <"<a href="http://mailto:cashcash@email.arizona.edu"">http://mailto:cashcash@email.arizona.edu"</a>> > wrote:<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'><B>First Nations working to keep indigenous languages alive among youth<BR>
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Created on Tuesday, 06 November 2012 14:43<BR>
Amy MacKenzie<BR>
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PICTOU LANDING – A recent report says that aboriginal languages are dying. But Sarah Francis, an elder in Pictou Landing First Nation, said the Mi’kmaq language is prevalent there with the most of the seniors and middle-aged residents in the area speaking it fluently. She said for many, like herself, Mi’kmaq is their first language.<BR>
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But she added she worries that the younger generation isn’t as familiar with the language.<BR>
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“It seems to be (dying) in the younger crowd,” she said. “People middle aged and up are OK with it. It’s still their first language.”<BR>
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Access full article below: <BR>
<a href="http://www.firstperspective.ca/news/2324-first-nations-working-to-keep-indigenous-languages-alive-among-youth">http://www.firstperspective.ca/news/2324-first-nations-working-to-keep-indigenous-languages-alive-among-youth</a><BR>
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</SPAN></FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'><BR>
Dr. MJ Hardman<BR>
Professor Emeritus<BR>
Linguistics and Latin American Studies<BR>
Doctora Honoris Causa UNMSM, Lima, Perú <BR>
website: <a href="http://clas.ufl.edu/users/hardman/">http://clas.ufl.edu/users/hardman/</a> <BR>
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