article

[Richard Smith]

 Rosalyn,
you said it so well.......
 I think for many of us, we've been thinking in a colonizers tongue so long
we've begun to see our own native languages as just more stuff to pile on
our lives.
a non-essential, a seasoning, a bit of color, a sweetener...but thats about
it.
People are already stressing at their limits just keeping up with their
bills.

Sure, colonization might have brought "jobs" but it has been disruptive
deep within our minds and hearts,probably in ways still undetermined.
When I remember what has happened to my own tribal members minds,
it helps keep me from becoming discouraged by the sheer weight of this work.

So sad to hear about the passing of your elder and mentor.
Here to, every year at ceremonies we see we are losing more and more.
Its like a piece of our backbone slowly being ripped out

-Richard
Wyandotte, Oklahoma


On 10/7/08 10:22 AM, "Rrlapier at AOL.COM" <Rrlapier at AOL.COM> wrote:

> The key is to put "status" back into the language. This article discusses how
> Latin has new status in the education community and among kids.
>  
> If a tribal language has no status, no one cares and people want to know the
> language that carries status with it -- English.
>  
> Rosalyn LaPier 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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