Remembering Darrell Kipp

[Doug Whalen]

  Darrell Kipp was an inspiration to us all, and I wanted to recall some of the ways that he inspired me in particular.
  Darrel's Piegan Institute got one of the earliest grants from the Endangered Language Fund (ELF).  It was a small grant, but it was clear that it was going to an amazing project.  Darrell went on to raise much more significant funds, but it is a continuing satisfaction that ELF helped a little bit too.
  Before I even met him, Darrell inspired me.  The book that was published by the Grotto Foundation in 2000 was a manifesto for language activism, and it was a source of hope and optimism that repaid repeated visits.  "Don't ask for permission."  Every time I thought that the task of language documentation and revitalization was too big, I began to think I was asking permission to do what I wanted.  Just do it!  I know that many others have found this small book to be one of the most valuable in their collections.
  When the Lewis & Clark Expedition Bicentennial Commission was looking for ways to spend out the last of its money (obtained from the sale of the commemorative nickels), Darrell was instrumental in making sure that language was one of the two projects that eventually got endowed.  When ELF won the right to manage the language endowment, Darrell graciously agreed to be both on the Native Voices Endowment Advisory Board and also on the main ELF Board of Directors.  He served in that capacity from 2007 to 2012.  His advice continued to shape that program into the success it is today.
  Even though Darrell was already stepping back from public service during the past year or so, it is hard to imagine our public discussions of language revitalization without his forceful, convincing and timely comments--along with their frequent dollops of humor.  All of us at ELF will miss him.
  Doug Whalen DhW
President, Endangered Language Fund
www.endangeredlanguagefund.org
www.endangeredlanguagefund.org/native_voices.php