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<TITLE>Re: [ilat] Cherokee class preserves native NC language (fwd link)</TITLE>
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<FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'>This is good news. If it counts as a ‘foreign language’ then it has full academic status and students from any discipline can take the course. Misnomer, yes, but where English is considered ‘native’ the place is loaded with misnomers. We were the first — back in 1969 — to offer an indigenous language of the Americas (Aymara) as a regular academic course, equal to all of the other ‘foreign’ language courses. We offered it for 21 years and now I am enormously pleased to see so many languages offered in so many places. Many things can come out of the course — all the things mentioned in the article and as well, some of the students might be inspired to study the language as linguists or from theperspective of other disciplines. Very good news. May the walk be smooth for all those involved. MJ<BR>
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On 8/30/13 5:37 PM, "Phil Cash Cash" <<a href="weyiiletpu@gmail.com">weyiiletpu@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<BR>
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</SPAN></FONT><BLOCKQUOTE><FONT SIZE="4"><FONT FACE="Georgia, Times New Roman"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:18pt'>Cherokee class preserves native NC language<BR>
</SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'>By Andy Willard <<a href="http://www.dailytarheel.com/staff/andy-willard">http://www.dailytarheel.com/staff/andy-willard</a>> | The Daily Tar Heel<BR>
<I>Updated:</I> 08/29/13 1:06am<BR>
</SPAN></FONT><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'><FONT FACE="Georgia, Times New Roman">UNC’s foreign language requirement is a misnomer for students taking Cherokee classes — they are studying the only language offered by the University that is native to North America.<BR>
Tom Belt, a visiting instructor of Cherokee at Western Carolina University, said the classes were first offered at UNC in the fall of 2009 in an effort to revitalize the language because it is close to dying out — there are only a few hundred speakers in North Carolina.<BR>
“We would be here, still be Cherokees, but the central core of our culture would be gone,” he said.<BR>
</FONT><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial">Access full article below: <BR>
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<a href="http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/08/cherokee-0829">http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2013/08/cherokee-0829</a><BR>
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</FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN STYLE='font-size:14pt'><FONT FACE="Verdana, Helvetica, Arial"><BR>
Dr. MJ Hardman<BR>
Professor Emeritus<BR>
Linguistics, Anthropology and Latin American Studies<BR>
University of Florida<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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