sovereign language

[Richard LaFortune]

what the court decision uses for an unspoken framework
of thought is the assimilationist (genocidal)
imperative and logic of inevitability that Yupik will
no longer be a viable language in the post modern
future.
This is a faulty, racist and unhelpful model of
thought for all humans.

Our model of language regeneration presumes that we
(Yupiit, or any other populations of heritage language
speakers) will be using our languages at our
discretion and pleasure for whatever purposes we
determine (colonial voting included) into a time
horizon in the future that equals or exceeds the spans
of millennia from which we have emerged.  Our cultures
and our languages are to be the domain and decision of
OUR people, not a culturally biased and ignorant
federal judge who not only does not understand
linguistics or culture, but has an assimilationist axe
to grind in behalf of the colonists.

Our languages are NOT here to be documented in their
entirety until Jesus returns, they are NOT here to
have an arbitrary and summary pillow placed over them
until all evidence of life has ceased, they are NOT
here as interesting and expensive digital museum
archive projects.  They are here as expressions that
our creator/creatrix has gifted to us in evidence of
our sovereign and ancient intellectual and spiritual
traditions.
Anguksuar!

--- Linda Lanz <lanz at RICE.EDU> wrote:

> Hi Bill,
> 
> Yes, we do have the same long-winded propositions
> and ballot measures  
> written in cryptic legalese in Alaska that everyone
> else seems to  
> have. Here's a look at the ones coming up in the
> next election for  
> anyone curious about the English version:
> 
> http://www.elections.alaska.gov/petitions/status.php
> 
> Younger Yup'ik speakers are literate, but it's
> really the elders (many  
> of whom are monolingual) that have trouble with
> voting because most of  
> the elders can't read Yup'ik. If the state provided
> printed Yup'ik  
> ballots, it wouldn't help much unless someone could
> read it aloud for  
> the elders (and as Bill pointed out, secret ballots
> are not secret if  
> someone's in the voting booth with you). Having a CD
> with audio  
> translations of the ballot that people can listen to
> in advance  
> (including on the radio in Yup'ik-speaking areas)
> seems more effective  
> in terms of the number of speakers it would reach.
> It sounds like  
> there's some likelihood that the judge will decide
> that an audio  
> version of the ballot should be produced. Let's hope
> so!
> 
> Regards,
> Linda Lanz
> 
> 
> 
> On Jul 24, 2008, at 11:23 PM, William J Poser wrote:
> 
> > If, on the other hand, they have
> > to vote on propositions like in California, where
> they have to  
> > understand
> > the proposition itself plus arguments for and
> against, the literacy
> > skills needed would be considerably greater.
> Supposing that Yup'ik
> > people had to deal with California-style elections
> (and I have no idea
> > what they vote on in Yup'ik-land), if what
> literacy meant was that
> > some fraction of the speakers could follow the
> hymnal in Yup'ik,
> > then even though there might in some sense be a
> long-standing  
> > tradition
> > of Yup'ik literacy, it wouldn't be the kind of
> tradition that would  
> > support
> > written only voting assistance.
> >
> > Bill
> >
>