Volkswagen acquires the Hochank language

[Henning Garvin]

Well, well, well.  Seems a hornet's nest has been stirred up.  I feel a need
to add to this discussion but I have to say one thing first.  My initial
email in this discussion was written in the morning.  I am a person who gets
4-5 hours of sleep on a normal night, but my daughter and I have been
nursing wicked colds and the night before I emailed was particularly
horrendous.  Add to that the fact that I am very...surly, before I have a
big cup of black coffee and it could explain why my message may have seemed
a bit combative or defensive (which it was).  If I offended anybody I would
like to apologize.   I will never do email again until after coffee time:)

Alot of issues have been raised and I wanted to share my perspective.

On the issue of speaking a language that is being studied.  I agree with the
fact that Linguists can do work without learning the target language.
However, I also agree that work of any import will be done by those that
have learned the language.  I don't think anyone is arguing to the contrary.
  Our field methods course, and the professor who remains my mentor in all
things Linguistic, stressed this fact.  Languages deserve to be described on
their own terms, from the inside out rather than from the outside in.  A
study or description of true value will try to capture the language as it
is, not its relation to linguistic theory.  The last thing you need to know
about a language on the verge of extinction is how it is the same as a host
of other languages. We need to know what makes Hocank unique, how is it
different.

I agree that it would take several lifetimes to really get a good handle on
a language (linguistically speaking).  I whole heartedly agree with Michael
Krauss's statement that 100 linguists could work on a single language for
100 years and never get to the bottom of it.  There is simply too much there
to only devote part time, or a half hearted effort. SO of course there needs
to be a significant effort and desire on the part of the researcher to
provide anything of real value.  Part of that effort needs to be learning
the language so the material produced will be as good as it can possibly be.
It has to become a lifelong endeavor, which will never truly end.

Given this enormous effort I feel needs to be put forth, I do want to say
the following.  I don't believe Linguistics will ever save a language from
extinction.  I don't believe a Linguist will ever be able to accomplish such
a feat.  I doubt there is anyone who does believe such an absurd thing.

If a tribe asked my advice about starting a language program, the last thing
I would recommend would be to hire a linguist(in certain situations).  The
speakers and the children of a community will ensure the continuity of a
language.  Not linguists.  I agree there need to be more initiatives working
at bringing speakers and children together so the learning will take place
in a smooth natural manner.  (If anyone knows of such grants, by all means
please let us know because we are searching for a funding opportunity for
just such a program.  If not, will anyone march to Washington with me and
lobby the BIA and the ANA to create such a funding program?)  I agree at the
very least tribal headstart programs and preschool programs should be
conducted in the language of the community.  Anything that can be done to
get the language to the youngest generation should be a top priority.  And
this obviously does not need the work of a linguist.

So I think I established that I don't believe a Linguist is necessary to
save a language.  But can a Linguist and the work he/she does help?
Absolutely.  Will it hurt?  Most likely not.  So why would we turn down an
opportunity, or lift our noses, at the possiblity of strengthening ONE area
of our revitalization efforts.  If we can more effectively teach our adults
who can then more effectively transmit the language to our youth, then I am
all for it.

As to the motivations of academics?

I have met academics that would use Hocank as a trophy to place next to
their PhD.  But the vast majority that I have encountered are men and women
who come to their office in the morning with bags under their eyes, holding
a cup of strong coffee because they stay up late working on their projects.
I have seen them sacrifice time with their families, friends, and it seems
sometimes their sanity for what they are doing because they truly believe
they will make a difference.  These people I am referencing are fully
tenured, so they are not subject to the vicious rigors of that track.  One
was actually the chair of our department.  I respect them, because they
respect the people they work with.  As a matter of fact, they consider
themselves working for people rather than with.  Yet they are Linguists,
they are passionate about language, and of course they will couch what they
discover in linguistic terms and theory.  If you work with a linguist what
else would you expect?  The difference is whether or not what they produce
is of value to the community.  And that is up to the community itself to
decide, no one else.

Our tribe has less than 250 native speakers of our language.  Recently, in
the course three days, we lost three of them.  All of them were devoted to
their people, and were working in some way to pass on their language and the
culture they knew.  It was a devastating loss, first because they were our
relatives, but also because of all that they took with them.

This is MY reality.  Everyday I live and work under a shadow that we as a
people are going to completely lose ourselves.  That the only thing left
identifying us as HoChunk will be our looks and our CDIB identification
cards.  We don't have alot of time to mess around.  THe Volkswagen Grant is
not providing money to bring our children and speakers together.  That is a
shame.  But it is providing an opportunity in another area, and we are going
to exploit this opportunity for all that it is worth. Our community has
already decided that.  If other opportunities come along, then  we will do
the same.  If they don't, we are resourceful enough to create our own
opportunities.    We survived this long by being able to fend off the
genocidal tendencies of the dominant culture around us, albeit with many
losses.  Hopefully we will be able to continue.


Henning Garvin
Linguistic research
Ho-Chunk Nation Language Division

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