Extinct Alaska Native language draws French student's interest (fwd link)

[Phillip E Cash Cash]

Extinct Alaska Native language draws French student's interest

EXTINCT: Last Native speaker died; now French youth picks up the word.

By KYLE HOPKINS
khopkins at adn.com
Published: June 28th, 2010 02:47 PM

When the last Alaska Native who could speak the Eyak language fluently died
in 2008, Fairbanks linguist Michael Krauss became the only person who could
still hold a conversation in it.

He just didn't have anyone to talk to. Until now.

Even as the 75-year-old Krauss worked to preserve the language, a shy French
teenager was sitting in his bedroom thousands of miles away, trying to teach
himself Eyak.

Now Guillaume Leduey is here in Alaska, studying with Krauss, learning how
the language works by analyzing traditional Eyak tales word by word and
deciding if he wants to be the torchbearer for the effort to resurrect the
language. No pressure.



Read more:
http://www.adn.com/2010/06/27/1343777/unlikely-passion-may-save-eyak.html#ixzz0sDX41WNq
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