No subject
Henry Szymonik
heszy at jetcity.com
Wed Sep 29 01:56:36 UTC 1999
<4.0.1.19990928170212.0108a490 at 192.168.1.1> <37F10084.64E41CA7 at loxinfo.co.th>
Subject: Re: terrorist statements (was Re: ELL: new name)
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From: "Henry Szymonik" <heszy at jetcity.com>
To: <endangered-languages-l at carmen.murdoch.edu.au>
Subject: Re: terrorist statements (was Re: ELL: new name)
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 18:56:36 -0700
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> Then you have described what is the exact racial difference
about what
white
> people find it is just ok to do to people.
Your continued use of blanket generalizations about "white
people" is racist
and
highly offensive. Please stick to the specific people and
organizations
with whom
you have direct dealings in your criticisms. You recent
multiple racist
comments
against whites makes you look as bad as the missionaries you
are
criticizing.
Henry Szymonik
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Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 18:56:21 -0700
From: "Henry Szymonik" <heszy at jetcity.com>
To: <endangered-languages-l at carmen.murdoch.edu.au>
References: <9909221404.AA48454 at acd.ufrj.br>
<199909221705.TAA15128 at CarlCox.iway.fr>
<37EFA883.15A58FEB at loxinfo.co.th>
Subject: ELL: Culture vis a vis Language
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From: "Henry Szymonik" <heszy at jetcity.com>
To: <endangered-languages-l at carmen.murdoch.edu.au>
Subject: ELL: Culture vis a vis Language
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 18:56:21 -0700
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I would take some of Matthew McDaniel's comments [listed at
the end of this
email] and use them to bring up the issue of the relationship
between
culture
and language, and move away from the debate about the sinister
connections
between the SIL, the CIA, and perhaps Queen Elizabeth.
I would like to look specifically at religion and its affect
on language.
An interesting example is examined in Lisa Valentine's book,
"Making It
Their Own:
Severn Ojibwe Communicative Practices." In this book, the
author examines
the
community of Lynx Lake in northern Ontario, Canada. The
community of 300 is
in which "every Native member of the community uses Severn
Ojibwe within the
home, and that most use in all daily transactions." (p.30)
Ms. Valentine
notes that
it has one of the most viable Native language situations in
Canada.
The community is, however, overwhelmingly Anglican. As
Ms. Valentine, who
spent a long period of time living in Lynx Lake, describes how
the changes
brought
about by contact with the Western world have not diminished
Native identity:
In
her exploration of how the community perceives itself, she
believes that the
people
of Lynx Lake feel no less Native because they are belong to
the Anglican
Church.
"While Anglicanism is Lynx Lake is, as any religious
system would be,
locally constructed,
the locality may not be immediately apparent to the
reader who wishes to
construe some
external agenda. ... I feel compelled to make a strong
statement for the
rights of Native
people to make choices which may or may not reflect
continuous Native
traditions. This
marks a deviation from tendencies of some anthropologists
working in Native
North
America, who, professing to speak for the people, insist
that the only
legitimate expressions
of Native religion are those of indigenous origin. This
view has resulted
in studies which
downplay, ignore, or even denigrate any non-Native
influences."(p.17)
"Often they accept outside influences, occasionally
they reject them
outright, but the choice
is always their own. In the midst of enormous changes,
there is no
indication that they
feel they are losing their Native identity or even that
they necessarily
have or need to produce
a 'Native' identity; rather, they are actively
incorporating change into
their lives. Contact
with other people has increased the number of genres in
Severn Ojibwe, in a
sense
strengthening the language while allowing for new
genres."(p.18)
We have here an example of how a people's shift in
religion has
apparently not harmed a
community's native language. It has in fact been
strengthened, most notably
by bringing
almost 100% literacy in Ojibwe to the adult
population.
Another example that comes to mind is Niihau,
the Hawaiian island where
Hawaiian is
still the language of most of the inhabitants.
I admit that my knowledge of
Niihau is much more
limited, but my understanding is that the
inhabitants are all Christian and
follow are rather
conservative, traditional Christian lifestyle,
while at the same time
retaining Hawaiian as their
language. I would appreciate details from
anyone who is more familiar with
Niihau's status.
When does a major shift in culture also
damage the language? These
examples show how
this does not always happen. Michael's
frequent descriptions of the
situation with the Akha
show how active anti-language policies can
do great harm to language. He
also links the
religious conversion activities of the
missionaries he has dealt with as
being anti-language.
But taken by itself, I don't see how
religious conversion is anti-language.
As we see in Lynx
Lake, becoming Christian does not
necessitate losing your language. The
Lynx Lake
community can read an Ojibwe bible, and
listen to sermons in Ojibwe. Their
indigenous
religion has been lost, but not their
language.
Henry Szymonik
> I would find it very odd that SIL's effect
on the endangering of languages
> and cultures is not discussed on this
list unless it is a chosen blind
spot.
> It is the opinion of some people that
SIL is involved in endangering
> languages or supporting those who do.
> To me it is just proof of how foul
things might really be in all this
mission
> activity.
> It could be determined by more and
more people on this list and in
language
> work that these missionaries are
damaging language in the name of
their
own
> arrogance toward native peoples.
> Then it might be determined that
in many cases these organizations
are not
> helping languages but
contributing to their destruction.
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Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 09:55:11 +0200
To: <endangered-languages-l at carmen.murdoch.edu.au>
From: Jeff ALLEN <jeff at elda.fr>
Subject: ELL: unsubscribing from list
In-Reply-To: <37F10084.64E41CA7 at loxinfo.co.th>
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From: Jeff ALLEN <jeff at elda.fr>
Subject: ELL: unsubscribing from list
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FYI, I am unsubscribing from the ELL list that allows for, and thus
condones, terrorist discussions that I have no desire hearing or being
associated with any further. If anyone wants to contact me regarding my
message sent this past evening, it will now have to be done directly cuz I
won't see it posted to a list that I am no longer subscribed to.
Best wishes to you all in your future discussions.
Jeff
=================================================
Jeff ALLEN - Technical Manager/Directeur Technique
European Language Resources Association (ELRA) &
European Language resources - Distribution Agency (ELDA)
(Agence Europe'enne de Distribution des Ressources Linguistiques)
55, rue Brillat-Savarin
75013 Paris FRANCE
Tel: (+33) 1.43.13.33.33 - Fax: (+33) 1.43.13.33.30
mailto:jeff at elda.fr
http://www.icp.grenet.fr/ELRA/home.html
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