Cherokees agree the preservation of language, culture are critical for tribe (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Friday, April 15, 2005

Cherokees agree the preservation of language, culture are critical for
tribe

By APRIL STONE,Press Staff Writer
http://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/articles/2005/04/15/news/top_stories/aaalanguage.txt

The Cherokee language is dying, and a move to preserve it is at the top
of the tribe's agenda.

The most recent advances in that preservation project headlined the
address by the keynote speaker for Wednesday's opening ceremonies of
the 33rd annual Symposium on the American Indian. Harry Oosahwee,
supervisor at the Cherokee Language Immersion class at the Child
Development Center, spoke about the progress of teaching the Cherokee
language to more tribal members, and the importance of preserving the
language.

"Our language is a huge part of our culture, and we are almost at the
end of the line for the Cherokee language," said Oosahwee. "That's why
I'm so adamant about Cherokee language and teaching it to our young
people."

Oosahwee remembers growing up as a young Cherokee boy who could speak
the language. He wasn't discouraged by the teasing he got from other
kids who weren't Cherokee.

"I remember being called names because I was speaking Cherokee, but it
only made me stronger and made me who I am today," said Oosahwee, who
added that others weren't as strong-willed as he was.

"A lot of people stopped speaking in Cherokee because of the teasing and
taunting, and many of them lost the language that way."

Oosahwee first began studying the differences between English and
Cherokee - and wrote a paper for class - in 1968, when he attended
Bacone College in Muskogee. This was the first time he researched the
Cherokee language, and had no idea that, at that same time, other
Cherokees were working on similar projects.

"Little did I know that Durbin Feeling was writing a Cherokee dictionary
at that time, and later I ended up working with him," said Oosahwee.
"The Cherokee Nation itself began to teach the Cherokee language in the
1960s. That's how long they have been trying to preserve the language,
but the program hasn't been too successful until the past two years."

It took some time, but Oosahwee and a few others sat down with the
curriculum that was used to teach Cherokee to adults. He said that made
it easier to teach to every age group. By removing the emphasis on
writing and reading the language, and just focusing on teaching people
to speak Cherokee, they made real progress.

"We have 3- and 4-year-olds in our immersion class at the CDC, which I
supervise, and these kids are learning the language. They speak
Cherokee in class as the universal language; when they want directions,
when they want something to snack on, when they are sick, they ask in
Cherokee," said Oosahwee. "It's hard for them to get used to most of
the time, but they catch on, and it is working."

Parents of children enrolled in the Cherokee immersion class meet every
Wednesday to catch up with what their children have learned each week.
Oosahwee said they have 100 percent participation in the program.

A survey of Cherokee citizens residing in the 14-county jurisdictional
boundaries of the tribe showed Oosawhee the need to perservere.

"Most of the fluent Cherokee speakers were either full-blood or
three-quarters Cherokee, and most had either a high school education or
their GED, but nothing higher," said Oosahwee. "Most Cherokees who have
a college degree do not know how to speak Cherokee. One thing we are
trying to do there is incorporate Cherokee language into the college
curriculum, but that is difficult, since we must have teachers who are
qualified to teach at the college level."

The survey conducted in 2002 found that 64 percent of those surveyed
could not speak Cherokee, and of the small percent of people who could,
10 percent are highly fluent, 3 percent can hold a conversation in
Cherokee, and 1 percent are masters of the language - meaning they can
speak, read and write the language.

Oosahwee hopes that by teaching the young children the language, the
tribe's goal to bring it back will be easier to reach.

"As time goes on, I can see a multitude of language going on. One
hundred years from now, I can see a multitude of young people talking
the language, and 30 years from now, I can see employees at the tribal
complex conversing and doing business in the Cherokee language," said
Oosahwee, who encouraged teachers in his audience to visit the
immersion class and observe.

"We can't let it die; if we do, we have failed our people."