Restoring the Oneida language (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Restoring the Oneida language
Tribe approaches language education from new angle
http://www.gogreenbay.com/page.html?article=125214

[photo inset - Signage incorporates Oneida language and English at the
Lee McLester II Elder Complex (photo by H. Marc Larson).]

By Anna Krejci
News-Chronicle

There are few things more important or dear to a culture than its
language. To that end, the Oneida Nation is taking steps to preserve
its language. On Wednesday, leaders of the Oneida Tribe of Indians will
sign a charter outlining a broad language immersion strategy.

The charter, developed by the Oneida Language Charter Team, is a plan to
help language members become fluent in the Oneida language, according
to Dr. Carol Cornelius, area manager of the Oneida Cultural Heritage
Department. The team consists of 13 members, two of which are serving
on the Oneida Language Revitalization Program and others from the
nation's human resources, gaming, education and administrative
branches.

As called for by the charter, the Oneida Nation has hired a linguist
fluent in the Oneida and Mohawk languages who can assist tribal members
in learning the Oneida language.

Oneida culture outlines a formula for remembering history while making
decisions for the future.

"We have to look back seven generations to see what our people did,"
Cornelius said. She added that today's decisions are made with an eye
toward the interests of tribal members seven generations from now.

The charter's objective, in accord with Oneida culture, states that in
seven generations the Oneida people and the Oneida organization will
speak the Oneida language, Cornelius said.

To begin to realize that plan, the Oneida Nation will form a teacher
certification program and the Oneida Business Committee will send
communications to 3,000 government employees informing them the Oneida
language is the tribe's official language.

While short-term plans for language immersion are coming together,
long-range objectives to get the nation's 15,000 members scattered
across the globe to speak fluent Oneida are on the horizon, according
to Brian A. Doxtator, charter team member and member of the Oneida
Business Committee. Members of the Oneida tribe living on or near the
reservation number 5,000.

The charter team is a tool to expand bilingual learning, an objective
that was present in the establishment of the Oneida Language
Revitalization Program in 1995. Under the program, elders fluent in the
Oneida language teach the language to younger adults.

The program was initiated after a survey found only 25-30 elders who
learned the Oneida language as their first language were alive.

Lavinia Webster, the first elder in the program, recently died,
Cornelius said. Now, two of the teachers, at the ages of 82 and 85, are
working 20 hours a week with the program, Cornelius said.

The revitalization program's Web site contains the image of a faceless
corn husk doll carrying a basket; the basket carried by the doll
symbolizes the teaching of the Oneida language from generation to
generation.

Cornelius recounted the story of the corn husk doll. The doll became so
preoccupied with her beauty that she forgot to care for the children
for whom she was responsible. As a consequence, the creator took away
her face so she would not forget her responsibilities.

Cornelius said it is the Oneida tribal members' responsibility to learn
the Oneida language from the elders and transfer it to following
generations.

"Even if you only know one word, use it," she said.

Doxtator said he is studying to become fluent - fluent meaning he will
be able to speak the language as seamlessly as the water flows when it
is being poured, he said.

The Oneida Nation is faced with expanding the vocabulary of the Oneida
language. About 10 years ago, fluent speakers of the language traveled
from Canada and New York to the reservation to work with Oneida tribal
members in developing new words. There was a time, Doxtator said, when
things such as a floor, hot dog, french fries or computer could not be
expressed in the Oneida language.

Traces of the Oneida language program can be seen on the reservation,
Doxtator said. A grocery store on the reservation sells food labeled in
English and Oneida. Part of the charter team's task will be to decide
how to change street names and building signs to accommodate usage of
the two tongues.

"Our language defines our culture and it's important we remember our
language and our culture," Doxtator said.