Berenstain Bears now speaking endangered language (fwd link)

[Donovan Pete]

I think a lot of times, we need a will to push us to want to innovate
ourselves.  With the all the items you listed, it can be done, we just need
to find a way to focus that desire and distributing the need to push our
cultures.  I am Navajo and I have had this idea to shot a short film, I want
the dialogue entirely in Navajo and a bit of a love story but focusing on
the Navajo culture.

I think the reason that many are replicating mainstream/popular songs is
that its easy to do and you can easily incorporate respective languages.  It
would be great to see artists step up and do original works but
unfortunately we have that mind set of what benefits us, it use to be that
we can easily share but everyone wants credit for the work.  I think once we
begin to realize the endless potential to utilize our voices and use it
well, we can do so much and have so much power onto ourselves.

I would like to think the Berenstain Bears using an indigenous language is a
bit of a wake up call for all of us to teach the younger generation and show
the importance of our respective cultures, education is key and we are
lifelong learners, no matter if we are done with the formal, we still have
much to learn on our own.

Just my two cents.

Donovan

On Thu, Sep 15, 2011 at 8:55 AM, Richard Zane Smith <rzs at wildblue.net>wrote:

> I'm going to be raw here....
>
> this borrowing from outsider cultural icons is ...ok...if its only a
> kickstart.
> but I think Native people can do ALOT better than borrowing Bernstain Bears
> or little kitty or whatever
>
> Three Blind Mice sung in Hopi might be cute...but its not Hopi doesn't
> convey Hopi thought.
> Amazing Grace sung in Wyandot might be beautiful...but its not
> representative of Wyandot thought.
>
> We have our OWN artists,
> Where are our OWN writers? with our OWN songs? our own icons? based in our
> OWN cultural perspectives?
> Is reviving language and culture simply coming up with our own "copycat"
> version of pop. society icons?
>
> THEY have a cool teeshirt...now WE have a cool NDN version of the tee
> shirt.
> THEY have a cool gang-banger cap...now we have a cool NDN version of the
> same.
> THEY have a cool award ceremonies...now WE have our version, an NDN award
> ceremonies.
>
> If the nations are looking to Indigenous people to be leaders towards a
> sustainable future
> why (with all the creative people we have) are we slipping into being
> imitators and *followers* ?
>
> sorry, i have heard alot of reasons given...just haven't heard many good
> ones
> to explain why WE aren't cutting edge ourselves.
> just had to get that out..hope i didn't make anyone TOO mad.
>
> -Richard
> Wyandotte Oklahoma
>
>
>
> On Wed, Sep 14, 2011 at 9:14 PM, Phillip E Cash Cash <
> cashcash at email.arizona.edu> wrote:
>
>> Berenstain Bears now speaking endangered language
>>
>> By JAMES MacPHERSON, Associated Press
>> Wednesday, September 14, 2011
>>
>> Papa Bear, Mama Bear and their cubs have helped children curb
>> junk-food addictions and organize messy rooms for half a century. Now,
>> from their tree house in idyllic Bear Country, the beloved Berenstain
>> Bears are helping revive an endangered American Indian language.
>>
>> Access full article below:
>>
>> http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/09/14/national/a003045D95.DTL
>>
>
>
>
> --
> *"this language of mine,of yours,is who we are and who we have been.It is
> where we find our stories,our lives,our ancestors;and it should be where we
> find our future too"   Simon Anaviapik ... Inuit*
>
> richardzanesmith.wordpress.com
>
>


-- 
Donovan Pete
Graduate Candidate, Information Resources & Library Science
Portfolio: http://donovanpete.com
SIRLS Portfolio: http://u.arizona.edu/~dpete
505.979.0459
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