Virginia Beavert keeping Sahaptin language alive (fwd link)

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POSTED ON Saturday, February 20, 2010 AT 10:17PM

Virginia Beavert keeping Sahaptin language alive

BY PAT MUIR
YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC
USA

YAKIMA, Wash. -- There are only about 200 or so remaining Sahaptin
speakers, and there may never be another as fluent as 88-year-old
Virginia Beavert.

But Sahaptin, a general term for the language that includes the Yakama
dialect, will live on.

Beavert herself has assured that with the Ichishkiin Sinwit
Yakama/Yakima Sahaptin Dictionary, which will be released next month
by the University of Washington Press.

The translation dictionary, which she co-wrote with University of
Washington linguistics professor Sharon Hargus, comes with a CD of
Beavert pronouncing 9,830 Sahaptin words and phrases.

Access full article below:
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/02/20/virginia-beavert-keeping-sahaptin-language-alive