[Athapbasckan-L] Dene Languages Conference 2016, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

[Alessandro Jaker]

******First Call For Papers*******General Conference Description*

The Dene Languages Conference is the world's most important annual
conference for the study of Dene (Athabascan) languages, bringing together
linguists, educators, language learners, and language activists from all
parts of Denendeh and beyond.  The theme for this year’s conference is
“Language and History”.  There will also be a special session on
“Standardization and Variation”.  This year's conference is co-organized by
Alex Jaker and Gary Holton (Alaska Native Language Center) and Mary Rose
Sundberg (Goyatıkǫ̀ Language Society), and hosted by the Yellowknives Dene
First Nation.  The conference is sponsored by Canadian North Airlines and
the Government of the Northwest Territories, Department of Education,
Culture and Employment.

*Conference Dates and Location*

The conference will be held on June 6th and 7th 2016, at the Explorer
Hotel, downtown Yellowknife.  Meetings will take place in the Katamavik
room, with concurrent sessions in Katamavik A and B, and posters and
promotional displays in Katamavik C.  We will be reserving a block of rooms
for the conference, more details will be available in future announcements;
interested parties may periodically check the conference website,
http://www.uaf.edu/alc/ for updates.


*Invited Speakers*
Keren Rice (University of Toronto)

Leslie Saxon (University of Victoria)

Michael Krauss (Alaska Native Language Center)

James Kari (Alaska Native Language Center)


*Keynote speaker:*

Fred Sangris (Yellowknives Dene First Nation)

*Conference Theme:  "Language and History"*
Language is in many ways a product of history.  Language changes over time,
and the languages we speak today are the result of many changes accumulated
over thousands of years.  At the same time, Dene languages are known to be
remarkably conservative, particularly in their verb system, where many
seemingly irregular or fossilized patterns provide a direct window into the
linguistic past.  Finally, learning one’s traditional language creates, for
many people, a sense of connection with history, with one’s ancestors, and
with one’s traditional lands.  In this context, we invite presentations on
any of the following topics:

·    *Historical linguistics and linguistic reconstruction. * What can we
infer about how Dene languages sounded long ago, using historical
linguistic methods?
·   * Subgrouping.*  It has previously been argued to be impossible to
construct a ‘family tree’ of Dene languages, due to extensive contact and
borrowing (Krauss 1964), although new methods in linguistics may make it
possible to address questions thought to be unanswerable before.  We
welcome presentations using different methods of subgrouping (sound change,
morphophonemics, lexicostatistics, etc.) as well as arguments both for and
against subgrouping.
·    *Use of historical or archival materials.*  How were Dene languages
written in early missionary, explorer, and fur trading records, and what
does this tell us about how languages have changed from that time to today?
·    *Reconnecting with history through language.*  Presentations relating
positive experiences of heritage language learners reconnecting spiritually
with their ancestors, community, and traditional culture by re-learning
their heritage language; language learning as a healing process.
·   * Learning language through history. * Using elders’ stories about the
old days as part of language teaching.
·    *Linguistic change in progress. * Is the language changing right now?
Is this good or bad?  Should we write the language the way it’s used right
now, or try to bring back “old language”?  All viewpoints on this topic are
welcome, provided they are supported with examples and evidence.

*Special Session: “Standardization and Variation”*
Dene languages, with their many complex symbols and diacritical markings,
can be quite challenging to write just by ear, and many language workers
have expressed a desire for some form of standardized spelling, which
learners can just memorize.  At the same time, there is a great deal of
variation within each language—in forms used in different villages, by
different families, by different generations of speakers, and in formal and
informal situations.  In this context, standardization also runs the risk
of suppressing or marginalizing any dialects other than the ‘standard’.
Given this context, we invite presentations which address any of the
following questions:
·    Are standardization and variation mutually exclusive?  That is, can we
accommodate variation within a standardized spelling system?
·    Should standardization apply to some areas of language but not others?
·    Does standardization need to apply to entire ‘languages’, or can there
be different standards for different villages / communities?
·    Does standardization help with 2nd language acquisition, or with the
acquisition of Dene literacy?
·    Are certain resources necessary as a pre-requisite to
standardization—for example, a grammar and a dictionary in the language?
·    Can there be more than one writing system (i.e. roman script and
syllabics)?

We welcome all viewpoints relating to this topic, both for and against
standardization, especially from language workers and language teachers,
relating their own experiences with literacy and the role of
standardization.  This special session will consist of 3-4 formal
presentations, followed by a panel discussion, followed by open discussion.


*Abstract Submission Information*
Proposers should submit an abstract of no longer than 2 pages (including
all pictures, references, graphs, and examples) to Dr. Alex Jaker,
amjaker at gmail.com.  Abstracts should be anonymous (sent as an attachment),
but please include the names of all presenters, title of your presentation,
and contact information in the email accompanying the abstract.  Abstracts
will be reviewed by a committee, both for quality and relevance to this
year’s conference theme or special session topic.  While presentations on
any aspect of Dene language, culture, and history are welcome, priority
will be given to those presentations which fit this year’s themes.


Oral presentations will be 20 minutes plus 10 minutes for questions and
discussion; we will also have a small number of spaces available for poster
presentations.  Please indicate on your abstract whether you prefer to give
an oral presentation, present a poster, or can do either one.


The abstract submission deadline is *Marth 14th, 2016*, and notification of
acceptance will be sent out by *April 4th, 2016*.

*Travel information*
Canadian North Airlines has generously agreed to offer discounted airfare
between Edmonton and Yellowknife for conference participants; please check
the conference website over the coming weeks for details on how to purchase
discounted tickets.
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