Language preservation focus of meeting (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Published on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 3:53 PM MST

Language preservation focus of meeting
http://www.silverbelt.com/articles/2006/05/23/apache_moccasin/apache01.txt

The San Carlos Apache Administration of Native American (ANA) Language
Preservation Office will be holding a public meeting to inform the
public of the ANA grant awarded to the San Carlos Apache Tribe for
language preservation last year.  The meeting will be held in the
education conference room on Tuesday, May 30, at 10 a.m.

The overall goal of the project is to assess the status of the Apache
language on the San Carlos Apache Reservation.  The San Carlos Planning
Department established a Language Preservation Office upon receiving
word on the grant approval.  Joyce Johnson was hired as the language
coordinator in April and will continue to work to design a formal
assessment tool that captures the information identified during the
design of the language project program, conduct an actual assessment of
the community, collect and analyze the information generated.

An overall concern, identified throughout the reservation includes the
general agreement that the San Carlos Apache people are rapidly losing
the ability to understand and speak the Apache language.  In the grant
application, the planning department states,  “It is felt that
this is a critical problem as language is a key component of one's
culture and one's identityŠ.there is a tremendous need to formally
assess and determine the actual status of the Apache language.”

The language coordinator will be involved with the Elder's Cultural
Advisory Council and the support of a Project Evaluation Team.  A
language committee will also be established as a part of the grant. 
Community members who are interested in providing input into the
assessment tool, conducting surveys, and helping in the development of
the long term language goals are strongly encouraged to participate.

For more information regarding the Language Preservation Program, please
contact Joyce Johnson at 475-2331.