Recognition of community efforts

[Mia Kalish]

I went to this page: http://www.lakhota.org/ALPHABET/alphabet.htm

 

The graphics are gorgeous. But I do WISH people would STOP doing things
like, "h, like the x in Mexican". What if you don't know Mexican Spanish, or
Northern French? People used to do this all the time in linguistic materials
as if people could just pull the sounds of Russian, French, Italian,
Norwegian, etc., etc., etc., etc., out of their head and figure out how the
language sounded. 

 

Also, the way the little letters come together in the words, the sound
patterns change. The letter doesn't always sound "like X in Y-language". It
sounds how it sounds with the rhythms of what came before and what's coming
after. (Tidbits from Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive Linguistics). 

 

This is one of my soapboxy items! 

 

Mia

 

  _____  

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Susan Penfield
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2006 9:21 AM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] Recognition of community efforts

 

This is certainly a well deserved prize! The materials being produced are
not only supportive of language revitalization, community-based, and widely
implemented, -- they are also beautifully and creatively done...
Congratualtions to all involved! 
Susan

On 1/19/06, Scott DeLancey <delancey at uoregon.edu> wrote:

>From the latest SSILA Bulletin:
(SSILA = Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the
Americas, an organization of linguists)
=======================================================

* Lakota Consortium awarded Ken Hale Prize 
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
SSILA's Ken Hale Prize, which honors those who strive to link the academic
and community spheres in the spirit of Ken Hale, was awarded this year to
the non-profit Lakota Language Consortium (LLC), a nonprofit organization 
dedicated to rescuing the Lakota Sioux language.  The prize and cash award
were presented in recognition of the organization's outstanding community
language work and deep commitment to the documentation, maintenance, 
promotion, and revitalization of the Lakota language, one of the country's
largest remaining Native American languages.

Pam Bunte, chair of the 2005 Ken Hale Prize selection committee, described
the factors that led to the decision. "We were really impressed.  The 
Lakota Language Consortium has done a great job with their documentation.
Their materials have made it easier for community members to teach the
language. They work closely with many people throughout the community and 
the praise of their efforts was truly amazing."  The committee also
included Nora England, Michael Krauss, and Roberto Zavala Maldonado.

Wilhelm K. Meya, Executive Director of the organization, received the 
prize on behalf of the Board of Directors.  The Lakota Language Consortium
is made up of numerous committed community members and linguists (see
the LLC website, http://www.lakhota.org)  <http://www.lakhota.org)> .  As
one of the largest language
revitalization organizations in the country, its materials are used by
over twenty-two school systems and expose over 4000 children to the Lakota
language.  In addition to Meya, the LLC's Board of Directors includes 
Jan Ulrich, who leads the organization's materials development work, and
Leonard Little Finger, who directs the Lakota Language Studies program at
Loneman School in Oglala, South Dakota.




-- 
Susan D. Penfield, Ph.D.

Department of English
Affiliate faculty: Department of Linguistics 
and the Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Program
American Indian Language Development Institute 
Phone for messages: (520) 621-1836 

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