suggestions anyone?

Thu Dec 9 23:29:24 UTC 2010

Taanshi, Richard,

Sigh....  I didn't mean to rouse any guilt!  You are inspiring!  It take a
lot of guts and passion to continue to bring language into the lives of
children in spite of the lack of support and other challenges you face!

By the way, one of our greatest Metis heroes, the great Louis Riel is
thought to have said something to the effect that it would be the artists
among us that would be the catalysts for cultural revival....  You are a
wonderful artist (yes, I have seen some of your work), have a good sense of
fun and a commitment to your culture and identity.  You are a living example
of those who make change happen.  Don't let the"guilt bug" bite!  You have
gifts to share that no one else is sharing/can share.  Just continue on in
the most sustainable way you can and don't give up!  The fruits of your work
will grow....

Eekoshi pitamaa.
Heather

On Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 5:07 PM, Richard Zane Smith <rzs at wildblue.net> wrote:

> kweh Heather,
> yes I've met Darryl,actually in Ohio when some of us "Ohio Indians" were
> invited to present our
> own version of Ohio Native history/culture lessons at a summer conference
> for teachers.
> I know Darryl's story and its a pretty good one...wonderful that he and his
> wife created a "nest" at home
> where his kids grew up speaking myami.
>
> Darryl's story is also a real deep guilt-rouser for me.
> "If you were really dedicated,see what you could have been doing by now?"
>
> But I'm who i am, an unschooled "linguist",and a full time artist and
> well...my wife isn't THAT interested,
> (she's non-native) doesn't enjoy linguistics, and so our prep time for
> classroom is usually... ....short.
> I'm not complaining... shes my biggest supporter!
> She sacrificed an established life in Santa Fe NM. to support me here in
> one of the most impoverished (In many ways) areas of Oklahoma for these past
> 6 years.
>
> Yeah the Myaamia project is a reminder of how far away we are from an
> active living language culture.
> and how much more INTENSE sacrifice its going to take to even get close.
>
> ske:noh
> Richard
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 3:20 PM, Heather Souter <hsouter at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Taanshi, Richard,
>>
>> I continue to be both encouraged and impressed by your commitment.  I was
>> wondering if you happened to know about the Miami language and the work of
>> Darrel Baldwin and others to revitalize it?  The language "went silent" in
>> the 1960's and Darryl, a tribal member, taught himself to speak what he
>> calls a "functional form" of the language.  Then, he went on to teach his
>> children.  They became the first "first language" speakers in decades.
>>
>> It is an amazing story and the kind of which I hope becomes much more
>> common place.  I hope you draw strength from it....
>>
>> http://www.endangered-languages.com/miami.php
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4418jOBgpI
>> http://www.myaamiaproject.org/staff.html
>>
>> Eekoshi pitamaa.
>> Heather
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 2:12 PM, Richard Zane Smith <rzs at wildblue.net>wrote:
>>
>>> kweh Beth,
>>> I don't remember if i responded to your nice note...?   so tizhamëh
>>> (thanks!)
>>>
>>> It's a really interesting time in Wyandot tribal history.
>>> If we're represented as a spiraling ...we're wound down to the very
>>> center,
>>> just about couldn't collapse any further(assimilated) if we tried.
>>> Presently there is a slight flexing at the center and an "effort" at
>>> "bending back"
>>> to possibly reverse bend TOWARDS revitalization(unwinding the spiral),but
>>> its only a flexing
>>> creating an amazing amount of friction and tension on the downward curve.
>>>
>>> Teachers and administrators for the Wyandotte Preschool have little
>>> interest in learning the language.
>>> There are a couple teachers who sit and "learn/participate" with the
>>> kids...but thats it.
>>> No (LOCAL) tribal member seems to be aware of the IMMENSE VALUE of their
>>> own language.
>>> Most of the encouragements i receive come from people like yourself .
>>> and i so appreciate it, because i know YOU KNOW how important these
>>> efforts can be.
>>>
>>> The TPR techniques are going great and we all get a full body exercise
>>> performing
>>> all kinds of imperatives and folding them in with the songs.
>>> we're gonna start singing these imperatives soon I can just tell.
>>>
>>> try to say   tsa-tah-ma-wah ... tsa-tah-ma-wah .. (turn around)   without
>>> singing it!
>>>
>>>  One teacher just sits emotionless, head staring down scribbling at her
>>> desk,
>>>  like :  "this guy has got to be insane"
>>> when we're all down on the floor on our backs jabbing one leg in the air!
>>>  HA!
>>>
>>> but the Teachers ALL help out when we get the kids organized for
>>> performance social dances
>>> for the Turtle Tot "pow-wow" event in the spring. HUNDREDS of kinfolk
>>> show up!
>>>
>>> thanks again for all the support and encouragement
>>> one day i'll get the TPR book... wonder if the tribal admin. MIGHT even
>>> pay for it?
>>> naaah, probably not.
>>>
>>> ske:noh
>>> Richard
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Nov 30, 2010 at 4:56 PM, Beth Brown <brow0857 at umn.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Richard,
>>>>
>>>> I'm not sure that I have any advice to offer, but I wanted to wish you
>>>> well and commend you on your efforts. I was a Dakota language immersion
>>>> preschool teacher within the Minneapolis Public Schools for several years
>>>> and my experience was very similar to what you're describing. The classroom
>>>> teacher and prep teachers in our Dakota IMMERSION room would come in and use
>>>> English, despite our objections and justifications. We too did not have
>>>> regular meetings between language speakers and teachers, so communication
>>>> was stymied. Furthermore, our knowledge of language acquisition was
>>>> considered sub-par, since the majority of our speakers are not licensed
>>>> teachers. I still work at the school, but in a different capacity and I've
>>>> found allies in the school who DO value our knowledge as speakers and who DO
>>>> want our input. It seems like sometimes it's just about finding the right
>>>> people to stand behind us.
>>>>
>>>> Do the teachers have to be in your classroom? We had to have licensed
>>>> teachers in the room because we were not licensed, but I'm not sure if
>>>> that's the case for you. Also, do the teachers know or are they learning
>>>> some of the language? Maybe someone had suggested it already, but doing a
>>>> TPR demonstration with the teachers in a language they DON'T know can be
>>>> pretty convincing! Or, sometimes it helps for them to see research data that
>>>> supports the effectiveness of immersion. That said, there are some who seem
>>>> as if they will never understand or don't want to, no matter what evidence
>>>> you present them with. I've worked with those people and it's very
>>>> challenging on many levels, but what brought me through was the support and
>>>> encouragement of other language activists, which is why I wanted to write to
>>>> you. The work you're doing -as a volunteer, no less!- seems very admirable
>>>> and I'm sure it's making a difference for those kids far beyond what you can
>>>> even see now.
>>>>
>>>> Best wishes to you,
>>>>
>>>> Beth Brown
>>>>
>>>> Program Associate, Dakota Language
>>>> American Indian Studies
>>>> University of Minnesota
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 12:04 PM, Richard Zane Smith <rzs at wildblue.net>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I'm working with preschool kids
>>>>> introducing the Wyandot language...which is great..but
>>>>> its not ideal.I can only volunteer so much time as its not a funded
>>>>> position.
>>>>> So far the tribal council hasn't considered our Language as
>>>>> essential...(another topic!)
>>>>>
>>>>> Relationships are good with teachers BUT
>>>>> I'm finding I'm having conflict when I'm using ONLY "wandat"
>>>>> and teachers keep "helping" -- interpreting into english for the
>>>>> students!!!
>>>>>
>>>>> they don't seem to understand that KIDS DON'T NEED ENGLISH
>>>>> INTERPRETATION
>>>>> and if something isn't working, its MY problem and i'll try using
>>>>> the "new" words in a different context...
>>>>> maybe stressing the new words less, and wrapping it with familiar
>>>>> words.
>>>>>
>>>>> But what can i tell these teachers!?! I don't want to offend them
>>>>> by correcting them in class...though , in a couple classes i shook my
>>>>> head
>>>>> smiling saying "no interpreting!" but they looked offended.
>>>>> I requested a meeting,that isn't happening...
>>>>>
>>>>> Is there some "easy to comprehend" instruction about this kind of
>>>>> problem?
>>>>> ske:noh
>>>>> Richard
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> *
>>>>>
>>>>> "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."
>>>>>
>>>>> - Frederick Douglass
>>>>>
>>>>> *
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> *
>>>
>>>  Bread for myself is a material question. Bread for my neighbor is a
>>> spiritual one."
>>>
>>> - Nicholas Berdyaev
>>>
>>>
>>> "its easier to build strong children than repair broken men" Frederick
>>> Douglas
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> *
>
>  Bread for myself is a material question. Bread for my neighbor is a
> spiritual one."
>
> - Nicholas Berdyaev
>
>
> "its easier to build strong children than repair broken men" Frederick
> Douglas
>
>
>
> *
>
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