US: Tribes aim to revive language: Summit planned at Barona reservation

[Francis Hult]

Sign On San Diego

 

Tribes aim to revive language

 

Summit planned at Barona reservation

 

Pat Curo grew up on the Barona Indian reservation in the 1950s, when the tribe's native language was heard outside church and at funerals, parties and tribal gatherings. 

 

"We grew up speaking English," Curo said. "We didn't speak much Indian in the house." 

 

But Curo's grandparents lived 300 yards away, and they spoke it at home. 

 

One time, an uncle who was there "told me something in Indian," Curo recalled. He couldn't answer. 

 

Embarrassed, he asked his grandparents to speak to him in their native language so he could learn. 

 

Now, Curo - who doesn't consider himself fluent - is doing the same, teaching others and helping update the Barona Indian band's dictionary, so words spoken here for thousands of years won't disappear. 

 

Full story:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20080429-9999-1m29yuman.html

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