Endangered languages of our ancestors can flourish again

[David Lewis]

And Interesting article. What is most interesting is the perspective of 
the author. Who is the proverbial "we" who is apparently ignoring the 
truths of language loss? I don't think this perspective is taking into 
account the fact that tribes/individuals/universities across the 
Americas are engaged in efforts to save native languages and are well 
aware of the cultural issues pointed out in the article.
David

Andre Cramblit wrote:

> Endangered languages of our ancestors can flourish again
>        
> By Richard B. Williams   
>     
>
>         Endangered languages of our ancestors can flourish again - By  
> Richard B. Williams <http://www.denverpost.comnull/ci_4242689? 
> source=email>
>
>         Indian Country faces a historically unparalleled affront to 
> our  cultural survival. Of the 300 Native languages spoken at the time 
> of  European contact, it is estimated only 20 of these languages will  
> still be viable in 2050. View Full Story <http:// 
> www.denverpost.comnull/ci_4242689?source=email>
>
> Indian Country faces a historically unparalleled affront to our  
> cultural survival. Of the 300 Native languages spoken at the time of  
> European contact, it is estimated only 20 of these languages will  
> still be viable in 2050. The rest will be irrevocably lost, and with  
> them will go the traditional knowledge that has sustained our people  
> since time immemorial.
>
> The impact will not be limited to Indian Country alone. The loss of  
> cultural, spiritual, medicinal and historical indigenous knowledge  
> has ramifications for all.
>
> If we continue to ignore these truths, this loss will come to pass  
> just as certainly as the sun continues to rise and set in the sky.  
> Yet, just as an eclipse shows us that sometimes the inevitable  
> patterns of nature can be altered, so do we have the ability to  
> change our future when it comes to saving our languages. But we  
> cannot wait.
>
> Fortunately, we are blessed to have the solution to language recovery  
> in our hands. Offered to us by our indigenous brothers and sisters  
> from around the globe, the language-immersion education programs  
> developed by the Maori of New Zealand and Native Hawaiians have shown  
> us that we can reverse the rapid loss of our languages.
>
> From them, we know that it is possible for our languages to flourish  
> again.
>
> Not that long ago, the Maori and Native Hawaiians faced exactly the  
> same scenario that we now face. Fluent speakers had dwindled to only  
> a mere handful of elders. Children not only struggled to grasp their  
> cultural identity, but they also struggled to find success or meaning  
> in education.
>
> But then, a small group of dedicated parents started gathering to  
> teach their children the languages that they were unwilling to let  
> die. They gathered in living rooms, garages, backyards or wherever  
> they could find space. As people began to notice the children  
> speaking their languages, more parents flocked to these "language  
> nests." With time, the living rooms became classrooms and the nests  
> became fully developed immersion education systems.
>
> Today, Maori and Hawaiian speakers number in the thousands. Children  
> are no longer lost in the educational system. They are unafraid to  
> succeed and thrive. As one Maori educator told me when I visited New  
> Zealand in 2004, they are "fiercely Maori."
>  <http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/std/clear.gif>    
>
> I dream of a day when we will have "fiercely Native" children  
> succeeding at every level of education, speaking their languages and  
> knowing who they are and from where they came. I believe in my heart  
> that immersion education is the path that will lead us there.
>
> Language immersion education is the only effective method to produce  
> large numbers fluent speakers. Additionally, contrary to some  
> people's fears, language immersion education actually improves Native  
> students' academic achievement, rather than hinders it. The  
> combination of mental acuity developed by becoming bilingual and the  
> academic confidence engendered when Indian culture is embraced in the  
> classroom has proven remarkably successful for Indian children.
>
> Congress is currently considering Senate Bill 2674, which, if  
> enacted, will promote language immersion education and provide much- 
> needed funding for these programs. We must stand united to support  
> this bill. Still, my experience with the Maori demonstrated to me  
> that we cannot wait for Congress to sanction what we already know we  
> must do.
>
> We must follow the lead of the Piegan Institute in Montana and the  
> Akwesasne Immersion School in New York state, which have already  
> begun critical immersion work. We must support the fledgling  
> immersion programs at Colville, Gros Ventre and others to build their  
> own language nests and create new generations of Native leaders that  
> will bring us out of poverty and despair.
>
> And we must all recognize that Native languages not only connect us  
> with our ancestors and our traditional ways, but also with each other.
>
> They provide a window to the rich cultural heritage of Native people,  
> a heritage that is woven throughout the beautiful tapestry that is  
> this society as a whole.
>