Report: Eighth Annual Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium, June 2001

[Scott McGinnis]

Eighth Annual Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium

 The Eighth Annual Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium "Merging
Tradition and Technology to Revitalize Indigenous Languages" was held at
Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Arizona, on June 14-16,
2001, with about 400 indigenous language educators and activists in
attendance. The symposium provided them an opportunity through panels,
workshops, papers, and informal discussions to share ideas and materials for
revitalizing the indigenous languages of the world.
 This sharing included 60 separate sessions, ranging from Choctaw Internet
Courses in Oklahoma to Planning a Summer Language Immersion Camp. General
sessions included Oscar Kawagley of the University of Alaska speaking on "A
Yupiaq Worldview: A Pathway to Ecology and Spirit," readings by Navajo poets
Luci Tapahonso and Laura Tohe, and language activist Gary Owens speaking on
"Curriculum Development and Language Learning: Breathing Outside the Box." A
published selection of papers from the conference is planned to be issued in
the spring of 2002.
 The ninth annual conference is planned for 2002 in Montana with the date
and place still to be determined. Updated information will be posted on the
Teaching Indigenous Languages (TIL) web site at
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jar/TIL.html as soon as it is available or to be put
on an e-mail list to receive information, sent your e-mail address to
Jon.Reyhner at nau.edu. Published proceedings of the 1994, 1995, 1997, and 1998
conferences can be accessed from the TIL web site.
 New material on the TIL web site includes the full text of Learn in Beauty:
Indigenous Education for a New Century, including papers on Navajo attitudes
towards teaching their language in schools, a model Navajo/English dual
language program, and western influences on teaching indigenous languages.
Among new links posted on the TIL web site is a link to the full text of the
summer 2001 special issue of Cultural Survival Quarterly titled "Endangered
Languages, Endangered Lives" and a link to the 2001 Alaskan "Guidelines for
Strengthening Indigenous Languages."


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