Salish language conference held (fwd)

[phil cash cash]

Salish language conference held

Posted: July 04, 2007
by: Jack McNeel / Indian Country Today
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415304

[Photo by Jack McNeel -- Stephen Small Salmon quizzed two of his students
from the Flathead Reservation in Montana. Miss Kalispel Salish Fair Aspen
Smith, 14, and Lil Miss Honor Our Youth Nicole Perry, 8, were questioned in
the Salish language and their responses also had to be in Salish.]

WELLPINIT, Wash. - The Spokane Tribe recently hosted its first ''Honor the
Salish Language'' conference at Wellpinit High School. Organizers hope it
becomes an annual event dedicated to preserving the Salish language and
exchanging ideas on ways of teaching it.

Spokane elder Joe Flett, who served as the conference's master of
ceremonies, recognized tribal elder Ann McCrea for her idea for such a day.

''Language is important to Indian people, for without the language we lose
our identity, our culture. Language and culture are one and the same,'' he
said.

The idea was to bring people together to exchange ideas and see what other
tribes are doing to preserve the language and teach it to the young and the
community in general.

Various speakers throughout the day from several tribes reflected on the
loss of people who are fluent in the Salish language and how it's seldom
spoken in homes anymore, thus preventing children from learning it at a
young age. Pat Moses, Spokane, questioned how long there would even be
speakers fluent in the language, as the few that still speak are rapidly
passing on.

Merle Andrew Sr., Spokane, has been teaching language classes to third- to
sixth-grade students here since 2004. He explained how the kids seem to
have a great appreciation for the language and spoke of their improvement
during the year, ''almost bringing tears to my eyes.'' He teaches the
cultural activities of the various seasons.

''They seem to absorb those things pretty well because they are involved in
those activities throughout the year,'' Andrew said. He stressed listening,
making it fun and giving the students respect so they aren't made to feel
incompetent.

Bill Matt, Spokane, was raised in a traditional family.

''You don't wake up and have tradition; you are raised that way from
childhood,'' he said.

He spoke of his mother before her death and how she desired to speak to
those fluent in Salish so she didn't have to use a ''borrowed language'' to
express her thoughts.

''Stories are more true in the Salish language than when told in English,''
he said. Another person commented, ''Jokes seem to be funnier in Indian.''

Tony Incashola, Pend d'Oreille, is from the Flathead Reservation. He spoke
about how Native peoples had survived a lot including wars, termination and
smallpox.

''We have much to be thankful for today and I think it is our language that
has kept us together, that has helped us survive. It is language that has
kept us Indian people and we continue to survive because of our language.
Our culture is in our language. To survive in the future we have to hold on
to our language,'' Incashola said.

''Our ceremonies, our prayers, our stories - everything that's important to
us is in our language. Without it we are not different, we are not
special,'' he added.

He spoke of those who pushed to keep the language alive and who have now
passed.

''Today it is on our shoulders. It's up to us to show our children how
important language is.''

Incashola has been collecting information for the past 33 years from elders.
They now have over 1,200 audio tapes of interviews and stories. They are
assembling the information so children will learn and understand the
history, culture and language. Time is becoming urgent while those elders
are still alive. He said it inspires him to continue when he sees groups of
people striving to keep the language and culture alive as this conference is
doing.

Stephen Small Salmon, Pend d'Oreille, also from the Flathead Reservation,
brought two students with him to help illustrate their language program.
Aspen Smith, 14, and Nicole Perry, 8, both spoke in Salish and demonstrated
their knowledge by responding in Salish to questions asked by Small Salmon
in Salish and identifying photos of animals as he pointed to them. They are
two of 33 students taking language classes. Smith is the oldest in the class
and indicates an interest in eventually becoming a Salish language teacher
herself.

Numerous people spoke throughout the day. Felix Aripa, an elder from the
Coeur d'Alene Tribe, mentioned how expressions change the meaning of words.
He noticed, even in the 1930s, that the language was fading but added,
''It's good to see our language sticking its head up like the sun coming
up,'' and said how good a feeling he got in hearing young people like Smith
and Perry speak the language.