article

[Mia Kalish]

This morning, one of my students from the Summer Research Enhancement
Program (SREP) left on a plane for Seattle, Washington, carrying a CD that
contained some Flash animations that she designed, composed and narrated.
These animations were for children, especially young girls, and talked about
the benefits and dangers of the Gardasil shot series. One of her friends,
also a SREP participant, created for her a second set of animations by
saying her message, but in Navajo. 

 

My part in all of this, besides developing the first version of the cancer
movies as materials for the workshop, was to encourage them, and to help
them with the technology. Their part was the creativity, the dedication, the
courage, the determination, and then just taking one step after another to
make it happen. 

 

What was interesting was that they didn't say, Oh, it has to be perfect. We
need a linguist to approve this/an elder to say this/someone to tell us it's
okay or give us money. They just did it. I am so proud of them. 

 

So today, in a time when so many languages are facing so many challenges,
the very first talking, bilingual HPV cells, polysorbate 80 molecules and
salt crystals took a ride to spread the message that science, technology,
math, medicine, and contemporary issues can be addressed in the language of
the people. 

 

And I am SO PROUD of them. 

 

Of me too, I guess, for carving a path for them to walk, and then being
there to help when they needed it. I went to bed at 3:45 this morning,
because it took that long to get everything ready. I was up again by 7:10
when the phone started ringing, and handed my student her CD at 7:50. Was it
painful, all this with no sleep? Yep. Was it worth it? You-betchie. 

 

J 

Mia 

 

PS: The technology isn't hard. It's just that the project was complex and
needed that many people. Kind of like teepee poles. 

 

From: Indigenous Languages and Technology [mailto:ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU]
On Behalf Of Richard Smith
Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 1:46 PM
To: ILAT at LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
Subject: Re: [ILAT] article

 

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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