The Experience of Northern Secwepeme Losing and Relearning Their Language
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The Experience Of Northern Secwepeme Losing And Relearning Their Language Amy Sandy BSW, University of Regina, 1994 Thesis Submitted In Partial Fulfillment Of The Requirements For The Degree Of Master Of Social Work The University Of Northern British Columbia November 2005 Amy Sandy, 2005 Library and Bibliothèque et 1^1 Archives Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de l'édition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-28368-4 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 978-0-494-28368-4 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library permettant à la Bibliothèque et Archives and Archives Canada to reproduce,Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve,sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par télécommunication ou par l'Internet, prêter, telecommunication or on the Internet,distribuer et vendre des thèses partout dans loan, distribute and sell theses le monde, à des fins commerciales ou autres, worldwide, for commercial or non sur support microforme, papier, électronique commercial purposes, in microform,et/ou autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriété du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in et des droits moraux qui protège cette thèse. this thesis. Neither the thesis Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de nor substantial extracts from it celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés ou autrement may be printed or otherwise reproduits sans son autorisation. reproduced without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformément à la loi canadienne Privacy Act some supporting sur la protection de la vie privée, forms may have been removed quelques formulaires secondaires from this thesis. ont été enlevés de cette thèse. While these forms may be includedBien que ces formulaires in the document page count, aient inclus dans la pagination, their removal does not represent il n'y aura aucun contenu manquant. any loss of content from the thesis. Canada Abstract By 1991, the Northern Secwepeme had lost approximately 80% of their capacity to speak their language,Secwpemctsm. For 110 years, the Canadian government successfully silenced Secwepemctsin in the community of T ’exelc hy instilling feelings of shame and fear for speaking Secwepemctsin at the St. Joseph’s Mission and Sugar Cane Indian Day School. This study used a qualitative exploratory and descriptive research approach to capture the experience of the Northern Secwepeme, specifically, the St’exelcemc in losing their language, how those experiences affect the process of relearning the language, and specific strategies for relearning the language. Three research questions guided the process. I interviewed four St’exelcemc, Group 1 (63 and 65 years of age) and Group 2 (47 and 52 years of age) who experienced losing their language and were in the process of relearning it. I used qualitative content analysis to analyze my results and develop them into themes. The participants’ experiences were found to he similar to those described hy Haig-Brown (1988), Chrisjohn (1991), Ignace, Hinkson, and Jules (1998), and Kirkness (1998). Two significant findings emerged: punishment, instilling fear, and shaming, has the power to silence language; and there is a willingness and need to go hack to traditional Secwepeme methods of teaching language which are more successful for Indian people. Therefore, social workers must recognize and address the trauma that suppressed the language; Educators must recognize the “keepers of the language and culture” method to relearn language and incorporate it into the academic system; Secwepeme leaders must confront the marginalization of their community members hy taking the information gathered here and address the severe limitations imposed on Secwepemctsin hy current Indian language education policies and funding. Table of Contents Abstract....................................................................................................................................ji Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables.........................................................................................................................vil Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................viii Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................1 The Need for Research into the Loss and Relearning of Secwepemctsin ........................2 T ’exelc .......................................................................................................................................3 The Research Questions ......................................................................................................... 5 Epistemology Underlying the Research Design ..................................................................5 Indian Knowing ......................................................................................................... .6 My Theoretical Stance ................................................................................................7 Restoring Secwepeme Dignity and Linguistic Integrity .....................................................9 Chapter 2; Literature Review ............................................................................................... 10 Language Acquisition............................................................................................................10 Language Shift/Loss..............................................................................................................12 Secwepemctsin and Language Shift .....................................................................................14 Language Shift under the Repressive Rule of the Department of Indian Affairs ............................................................................................................ 17 Language Shift and the Residential Schools .........................................................19 Language Shift and International Language Policies Adopted in Canada. 29 Language Shift and Child Welfare Apprehensions ............................................. 30 Acquisition, Retention, and Loss .........................................................................................34 IV Secwepemctsin and Linguistics .......................................................................................... 36 Socially Constructing Indian Language Loss as a Social Problem ..............................,41 Secwepemctsin Revitalization Efforts ...............................................................................,43 Standard Approaches to Language Teaching in Canada ................................. ,44 Leading Indian Language Renewal Strategies ................................................... 46 Summary............................................................................................................................. .48 Chapter 3: Researeh Design............................................................................................... ,49 Methodology........................................................................................................................ .49 Loeating the Research in a Descriptive Qualitative Paradigm, ..................................... ,50 Sample................................................................................................................................... 51 Sample Selection and Size .................................................................................... 52 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................... 54 Data Analysis ........................................................................................................................58 Data Representation ................................................................................................59 Ethical Considerations .........................................................................................................60 Safety and Well-being of Participants .................................................................,60 Dissemination and Evaluation ............................................................................................ 61 Special Consideration .............................................................................................61 Methodological Integrity.................................................................................................... ,62 Credibility ................................................................................................................62 Fittingness ................................................................................................................ 63 Auditability ..............................................................................................................63 Confirmability ......................................................................................................... 64 Limitations of the Research .................................................................................................64