Fwd: Witchita Language

[Andre Cramblit]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spe/2008/wichita/



Walter Lamar's memory:


The link above takes you to a Dallas News story about my Aunt who is the
last fluent speaker of the Wichita Language. She and my father were the
youngest fluent speakers in the tribe - he died in 1989 leaving her as
the youngest speaker. I used to love sitting at our dining room table
listening to my aunties, uncles, grandmas and grandpas visiting with my
father in the Wichita language, it was like a wonderful song that you
can sit and listen to over and over. They would laugh so hard, and when
I would ask what was so funny my Dad would just say it won't be so funny
in English. It is not just a language but a special view of the world.
One day my Dad had a quizzical look on his face and when I asked him
what was up - he said he could not remember a word - when we got home he
called my Grandmother and my Aunt and neither one of them could
remember. I could see the deep sadness on his face that a Wichita word
was forever gone...
  
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