Languages spoken in Oklahoma

[Richard Smith]

Wyandottes have no fluency inside or outside of Oklahoma
while Cayuga's here are fortunate to have 6-nation speakers
who visit and offer language aide.
A good Cayuga brother of mine told an Onondaga elder
he was sad that certain parts of language and culture were lost
She corrected him: 
             "they are not lost ...only forgotten"

--RZS--


On 7/16/08 9:59 AM, "phil cash cash" <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:

> The 2007 Cultural Survival issue is devoted entirely to language endangerement
> & revitalization (though old news by now), so it is a good read and well worth
> the effort to find a copy. 
> 
> It is mentioned that Seneca and Wyandotte have fluent speakers "outside" of
> Oklahoma but not in...(but now we all know otherwise).
> 
> You are right in that spoken language in ceremonial settings seems to fly
> under the radar when considering language acquisition, maintainance, or
> revitalization.  Certainly, a good case can be made for language acquisition
> in ritual/religious settings.  In many instances, this area of language use
> may be the ONLY  place where a current endangered language is spoken. 
> 
> l8ter, 
> Phil Cash Cash
> 
> Quoting Richard Smith <rzs at wildblue.net>:
> 
>> > Phil,
>> > "-still spoken-" hmmm
>> > I think this list below may refer only to fluent speakers.
>> > I attend and participate in traditional ceremonies and prayers of Wyandot
>> > and Seneca/Cayuga where the language is spoken.
>> > During ceremony one might actually be immersed in hours of
>> > our Iroquoian languages "still spoken"
>> > Ceremonies themselves have preserved language, dance, and song
>> > Not even to mention our annual Wyandotte language classes where children
>> > are speaking and singing the language in the public school
>> >
>> > (yet neither Wyandot(te) nor Seneca/Cayuga are on the list)
>> >
>> > I know Ardina Moore  and she is the last fluent speaker of Quapaw
>> > She may be the only Osage speaker on that list as well (a sister language)
>> > but she has MANY students who are Quapaw tribal members.
>> >
>> > "still spoken"
>> > to me those kind of lists start sounding like   "how many Indians are
>> left?"
>> >
>> > Richard Zane Smith
>> > Wyandotte Oklahoma
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On 7/15/08 11:15 PM, "phil cash cash" <cashcash at EMAIL.ARIZONA.EDU> wrote:
>> >
>>> >> Hey, did you know that there are 23 languages still spoken in Oklahoma?
At
>>> >> least 14 additional languages are longer spoken.
>>> >>
>>> >> Language (Lang. Family), Max. No. of Speakers
>>> >>
>>> >> Caddo (Caddoan), 20
>>> >> Cherokee (Iroquoian), 9,000
>>> >> Cheyenne (Algonkian), 400
>>> >> Chickasaw (Muskogean), 600
>>> >> Chiricahua Apache (Na-Dene), 1
>>> >> Choctaw (Muskogean), 4,000
>>> >> Comanche (Uto-Aztecan), 100
>>> >> Yuchi (Isolate), 7
>>> >> Iowa (Siouan), 30
>>> >> Kickapoo (Algonkian), 400
>>> >> Kiowa (Tanoan), 400
>>> >> Muskogee: Creek and Seminole (Muskogean), 6,000
>>> >> Osage (Siouan), 1
>>> >> Otoe (Siouan), 3
>>> >> Ottawa (Algonkian), 3
>>> >> Pawnee (Caddoan), 7
>>> >> Plains Apache (Na-Dene), 3
>>> >> Ponca (Siouan), 33
>>> >> Potawatomi (Algonkian), 20
>>> >> Quapaw (Siouan), 1
>>> >> Sauk (Algonkian), 7
>>> >> Shawnee (Algonkian), 200
>>> >> Wichita (Caddoan), 5
>>> >>
>>> >> Source: Cultural Survival 2007, Vol. 31:2 (citing Wordpath 2006
>>> >> est.).  If you
>>> >> know speaker numbers and current conditions please let us know!
>>> >>
>>> >> Phil Cash Cash
>>> >> UofA
> 
> 


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