From Babine to Yakima: Academic Libraries and Endangered Language Preservation

Home , Endangered language, Language preservation, Language revitalization

Gabriella Reznowski

Introduction teristics. Within the twelve genetic language units of In his book, When Languages Die: the Extinction of the the Pacific Northwest, there are fifty-four languages, World’s Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowl- alphabetically from Babine to Yakima, spoken in the edge, linguist K. David Harrison states the following: region.3 In addition to these twelve units, there are “You do not need to go to Amazonia or Siberia to also nine identified extinct genetic units, meaning observe language death; it is going on all around us.”1 that the languages have no known living speakers. For librarians working in the Northwest Pacific Coast The Pacific Northwest therefore represents an area of and Western Plateau, this statement rings especially high linguistic diversity; however it also represents an true. The area has been identified as a region of high area of extreme language endangerment. The current language endangerment, where “Every language in situation is the equivalent of a linguistic crisis; but the American part of the hotspot is either endan- aside from the occasional newspaper article, the lan- gered or moribund.”2 Linguists Harrison and Ander- guages of this region are disappearing quietly into the son have identified twelve genetic units in the area, night. Harrison estimates that a last speaker dies ev- referring to the twelve distinct language families pres- ery ten days, and this scenario is expected to continue ent in the region. We can understand a genetic unit “for the foreseeable future.”4 A paper on endangered as a group of languages belonging to the same lan- languages and libraries written thirty years from now guage family, having developed from an earlier com- will therefore be describing a situation that is dras- mon language. For example Romance languages, such tically different from the current one. As Harrison as French, Italian and Spanish, all having developed states, “Languages in our own backyard and in remote from Latin, belong to a different genetic unit than corners of the globe vanish apace.”5 do Russian, Ukrainian and Czech, all belonging to For languages to survive, linguists agree that they the Balto-Slavic language family. Languages belong- need to be passed down to a new generation of speak- ing to the same genetic unit, or language family are ers. In order to foster language revitalization, linguists closely related to each other and share similar charac- and endangered language communities recognize

Gabriella Reznowski is Librarian for Foreign Languages and Cultures, Washington State University, e-mail: [email protected] 55 56 Gabriella Reznowski

that collaborative relationships must be forged, and mere warehousing of recorded language materials. In libraries have been occasionally referred to in the lin- order for a language to survive, new speakers must be guistics literature. Harrison refers briefly to “library recruited and their skills fostered. Within this role, knowledge” as knowledge that is “catalogued, indexed, school based language programs can make significant orderly, and it can be searched.”6 Harrison makes a contributions to revitalization efforts. McCarty con- distinction between the knowledge collected in li- cedes that while the role of schools is important, they braries, and “traditional knowledge”, which he states will have little impact without collaborative efforts. seems “much more diffuse, folksy, messy, and prone to If one were to similarly ponder the role of academic being forgotten.”7 Because much of the body of tra- libraries in saving endangered languages, it is likely ditional knowledge that exists in the world today has that they would feel that such institutions are on the yet to be written down, we might be inclined to view periphery of revitalization efforts. However, commu- the relationship between libraries and endangered nity, immersion, after school, summer, academic and languages as mutually exclusive. However, as levels school-based language programs, when coupled with of language endangerment become more severe, the the work of linguists, Elders, and anthropologists, role of the library becomes increasingly important. can have a significant impact. The most successful Libraries should strive to meet a two-fold responsi- language revitalization programs appear to be col- bility: that of building endangered language collec- laborative efforts that engage expertise from a variety tions that will support the learning goals of speakers of disciplines and foster full community involvement. and revitalization efforts, and that of assisting in the Therefore, libraries should not underestimate their preservation of a vanishing cultural record for future role in supporting endangered language programs. generations. As institutions that have been charged with protecting, preserving and making accessible the Fostering Collaborative Environments for cultural record, libraries should feel an intimate re- Language Revitalization lationship with communities seeking to preserve the While many archives hold Native American language knowledge embedded in their languages. As Harrison materials, many of the collections within these reposi- reminds us, “Language disappearance is an erosion or tories may not necessarily be known to the language extinction of ideas, of ways of knowing, and of ways community they serve. To provide further guidance in of talking about the world and human experience.”8 managing language materials, the Administration for While libraries are seldom mentioned as collaborative Native Americans (ANA) has developed a guide to partners in language preservation efforts, language re- assist tribal administrators. According to Native Lan- vitalization advocates have occasionally referred to the guage Preservation: a Reference Guide for Establishing role of the library. As Ida Bear, a professor and devel- Archives and Repositories, “even those who are fluent oper of instructional materials for the Cree language heritage language speakers and those who are actively states: “There are still some oral traditionalists in the engaged in language preservation efforts”11 may not communities who have the knowledge and exper- be aware that certain collections exist. To help bring tise in acimowina and acanohkana (oral history and these collections to light, the University of Washing- myths) who should be recorded, and their collections ton has held two workshops modeled on conferences should be in all major university libraries for students developed at UC Berkeley involving the collabora- to use in their studies.”9 tion of linguists, language communities, and campus If we define language preservation as the collect- libraries. Both the University of Washington and the ing of linguistic materials for posterity, it is possible to UC Berkeley “Breath of Life” workshops incorporate argue that libraries have been involved in endangered the use of library and archival collections in develop- language preservation for many years. McCarty how- ing language revitalization materials. Linguists, Le- ever makes a distinction between ‘preserving’ and ‘sav- anne Hinton of the University of California Berkeley, ing’ endangered languages.10 Just as linguists engaged and Alice Taff of the University of Washington, both in language preservation record grammars, lexicons active in revitalization efforts, coordinated the work- and typologies, archivists and librarians collect and shops at their respective institutions. Held every two provide safe storage for these materials. According to years, the UC Berkeley workshops incorporate the McCarty, saving a language involves more than the use of archival collections which include field notes,

ACRL Fourteenth National Conference Academic Libraries and Endangered Language Preservation 57 journals and sound recordings.12 The workshops pro- Native communities have policies to address the col- vide an excellent collaborative model for libraries and lecting and housing of language materials, and it is archives seeking to play a supportive role in revitaliza- the responsibility of librarians and researchers to edu- tion efforts. cate themselves on such policies. With regards to the Organized by holding institution, the ANA language materials made available online as a result of Guide was developed to identify and describe sig- their research, linguists Harrison and Anderson ex- nificant Native language collections available at aca- plicitly state the following: “Community ownership demic, federal, private and international repositories. of intellectual property is a primary consideration. The guide provides descriptions of significant collec- Digital recordings remain under the auspices of the tions of Native American language materials; how- endangered language community itself, which grants ever there is currently not one single resource to iden- permission (individually and collectively) for their tify research institutions with significant collections, scholarly use and dissemination.”13 Many materials organized by language. Currently, such information found within archives and repositories may likewise does not exist on a single website, nor is there one be governed by a similar statement. Libraries should guidebook that lists archives, libraries and museums work with their local tribal governments to ensure in the Pacific Northwest with endangered language that the materials are being used appropriately, and materials, organized according to each endangered according to the wishes of the people whom they rep- language. The Yinka Déné Language Institute and resent. the University of British Columbia have developed A Native nation may in fact hold the cultural an excellent report entitled The Status of Documenta- rights to the language materials, and their express tion for British Columbia Native Languages, providing consent should be obtained if the institution is con- information organized by language family. The report sidering uploading language materials to the Internet. includes information on the scope and depth of docu- Tribal scholars have written extensively on the issue mentation for each language, the names of linguists of tribal stewardship with regards to cultural materi- who have worked on a given language, and a list of als. The wisdom of linguist Phil Cash Cash is applica- published language materials. The guide recognizes ble to the collaboration between libraries and tribes in that grammars, dictionaries, and textbooks written at managing language resources, as he advocates collab- the university level are central to ensuring the ongo- oration with the Native Community through “active ing health of a language. Such collaborative efforts consultation, mutual decision-making, and the adop- between academic institutions and tribal language tion of cooperative agreements for the promotion of programs are excellent; however more such projects long-term resource protection strategies.”14 are needed. Collaboration between linguists and aca- To provide further guidance in managing lan- demic libraries in the region would facilitate a broader guage materials, the ANA Guide states that tribal report, to include all of the languages of the hotspot. governments may develop a “procedure whereby materials are submitted to the Native nation for endorse- Cultural Ownership of Language Materials ment or approval. Such approval or the lack of it may Many libraries and archives contain language materi- be communicated to publishers, libraries, professional als that were recorded during an earlier era and may associations and other purchasers of materials.”15 The therefore not be accompanied by formal tribal docu- Guide also encourages Native groups to develop a li- mentation governing their use. As language materials censing program for granting permission to research- migrate to the online environment, it is particularly ers who wish to develop materials that incorporate an important for libraries to ensure that tribal permis- aspect of their culture. Licensing may include an or- sions are obtained and respected. Each tribe may have dinance to “provide for registration, payment of a fee their own philosophy and protocols for the migration to the tribe and that a copy of the final product is de- of tribal materials to an online environment. As ma- livered to the tribe or a tribal program before publica- terials migrate out of the archives and into an online tion and after publication.”16 The use of materials re- environment, language communities should be con- corded or written in Native American languages may sulted in determining whether the Internet is an ap- likewise be governed by formal declarations regard- propriate venue for certain cultural materials. Many ing the rights of a particular group over the materials,

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which may present complex issues for libraries with Each language community is distinct and may endangered language collections. Where materials have a different set of developed protocols regarding are considered to be of central importance to a par- the use of their language materials. It is therefore im- ticular Native nation, individual tribal members may perative that librarians educate themselves on the in- not have the right to grant permission for their public dividual policies of the communities that are linked to use.17 The ANA Guide cites a recent court decision in their library collections. The ANA Guide encourages which the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians “won active communication between collecting institutions such a case against a person who recorded ceremonies and tribal administration, as demonstrated in the fol- with the approval of a member, but without Tribal ap- lowing statement: proval.”18 It is likely that many libraries and archives with When materials are received, all relevant trib- endangered language materials may not have explicit al governments (other than the one that sent agreements and collaborative relationships with trib- the material, if applicable) should be notified al governments to facilitate the management of lan- of the receipt of material on their language. guage materials in their collections. A series of eth- At the discretion of the director, such a notice nomusicological recordings produced in the 1970s may also be sent to an organization involved at Washington State University in accompanied in teaching or preserving that language or to by the following statement: “The music within this a tribal government agency.”21 collection is used with permission of certain Native American, Canadian and Alaskan people, and it is The Guide contains examples of forms to as- not to be duplicated without their express consent.”19 sist Native groups in ensuring that tribal rights are At the time this statement was written, it may have protected with regard to language materials. Sam- been sufficient in guiding archivists and librarians in ple documentation, such as the Consent to the Use the appropriate use and dissemination of the materi- of Language Information and the Consent to Restric- als therein. However, with preservation and dissemi- tions both protect tribal rights, and guide libraries nation possibilities presented by digital media, such in the appropriate use of language materials. The statements may no longer provide adequate guid- Guide identifies the American Library Association ance. As language revitalization programs develop as an organization which can assist Native commu- and become more robust, librarians and archivists nities in protesting the unauthorized publication may receive requests from students and instructors of culturally sensitive materials.22 Libraries, there- for copies of language materials, including video and fore, should be proactive in engaging collaborative audio recordings. When an item is not accompanied dialog with tribal governments. There are significant by formal documentation, librarians should consult advantages to working with Native groups having the tribe connected to, or represented within the ma- cultural ownership of language materials in pro- terials. Regarding cultural property rights, the ANA viding a rich and well-informed environment for Guide states the following: their dissemination. Outsiders, acting on their own, run the risk of incorporating their own values and To protect its rights to this cultural property, perspectives in devising an environment for online the Native government should declare that it materials, rather than reflecting the knowledge and is the rightful owner of the songs, dances, cer- philosophy of the tribe.23 In informing a “broader emonies or other activities that it believes the definition of the concept”24 of cultural resources, Tribe or Nation has ownership of. The Native tribal perspectives can be invaluable. The Native government should issue a formal declaration American definition of cultural resources is defined of cultural property, asserting rights over a broadly as a “system of knowledge, skills, abilities single cultural property or many or all cultural and practices, and the landscape with which they properties. The declaration should assert that are interconnected.”25 The interconnectedness of the claimed rights are prior and paramount the land, language, ceremonies, foodways, and tra- rights extending from a time certain, if the ditional knowledge reflects a common philosophy date is known, or from time immemorial.20 among Native communities.

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Collections at Academic Institutions in the Some of the most progressive and innovative Pacific Northwest language revitalization materials are produced by the In searching OCLC for endangered language materi- language communities themselves. It is common for als, several challenges present themselves. Language individual speakers to produce dual language books names that are used in ethnographic and linguistic lit- and teaching materials through small press ventures. erature are not often the “names used in or preferred In many cases, the producers of these materials may by the communities in question.”26 For this reason, not have considered a wider distribution other then materials published using an alternate language name their own immediate language communities. It is un- may be missed in an OCLC search. While materials likely that collections librarians will find practical re- published through academic outlets are not likely to vitalization materials through traditional outlets, such be overlooked, small press ventures and materials pub- as YBP Library Services. Materials that can be used in lished by language communities may easily be missed classroom settings and by beginning learners are not due to alternate language names and spellings. likely to be published by the academic press, and may The names of linguists and native speakers who include self-produced materials. Revitalization mate- have contributed materials related to a particular rials are often published in small distribution, and yet language tend to become readily recognizable. In the they represent linguistic gold to the language com- case of most endangered languages, persons conduct- munity. A search in OCLC reveals several small in- ing extensive research on any one language are still dependent publishers, such as Lushootseed Press and relatively few.27 For example, in the case of the Lush- the Yinka Déné Language Institute, that have been ootseed language, Thom Hess (linguist), Vi Hilbert expressly created for the purpose of publishing, pro- (scholar, teacher and native speaker), are commonly moting and disseminating language materials. There mentioned. For librarians and endangered language are many cases in which only one institution owns activists in the Pacific Northwest, Vi Hilbert is truly a particular guidebook, sound recording, dictionary, a hero within our midst. She has worked tirelessly to textbook or thesis, making digitization of these ma- transcribe language materials and engage communi- terials even more urgent. Collaborative efforts among ties; her legacy is the perfect response to the ques- librarians are needed to ensure a wider dissemination tion, “What can one person do to save a language?” of endangered language materials. Given that there Grammars and dictionaries could not be produced are many languages on the brink of extinction in the without the willing assistance of speakers, such as hotspot, it would be ideal if each academic library in Vi Hilbert, who provide guidance, insight, encour- the region committed to developing collections relat- agement, time and inspiration to linguists.28 Endan- ed to one, or more, endangered languages. Dialog and gered language revitalization is a community effort, collaboration among librarians and language commu- and given that time is of the essence, collaborative nities is needed to facilitate this goal. relationships should be developed and forged. Li- In general, the endangered language materials braries may choose to participate in an active way, available through academic libraries in the region ap- by developing a dialogue with linguists and tribal pear in the following genres: authorities, or in a passive way, through the mere Grammars, dictionaries and endangered lan- purchasing of the grammars and dictionaries that guage texts: Often the result of formal linguistics re- are produced. search and published through academic presses, but may Academic institutions in the Pacific Northwest include locally produced materials. Those published by with significant collections include Evergreen State university and academic presses enjoy the widest dis- College, the University of Washington, the University tribution among libraries. Linguists who have made of British Columbia and the University of Oregon. A significant contributions in the region include Melville comprehensive report detailing the depth and scope Jacobs, Pliny Earle Goddard, and Sharon Hargus. of endangered language collections, organized by Storybooks, textbooks and materials for use in each language of the Pacific Northwest Coast is still language learning: These include items produced needed in order to foster collaboration among librar- through tribal revitalization efforts, materials created ians in ensuring that our collections serve the needs of by individual speakers and textbooks published by Native language communities. both academic and small press publishers.

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Sound recordings of Elders: Researchers, includ- produced texts that teachers of endangered languages ing Leon Metcalf, and storytellers, such as Johnny so heavily depend on. Such collections often represent Moses, have recorded hours of materials document- a language learner’s link to both traditional knowledge ing language, folktales, and oral traditions. and the oral tradition. Students studying the language Sound recording produced expressly for lan- at the university level may be isolated from authen- guage learning: The intervention of linguists and tic opportunities to practice the language with native tribal members has contributed to a body of talking speakers and advanced learners. In many cases, audio dictionaries, oral storytelling, translations of com- recordings in archival collections are the truest surviv- monly known English language stories, but also in- ing representation of the correct accent, cadence, and cludes traditional stories, myths and legends personality of the language. Librarians and archivists, Ethnomusicology collections: Significant col- therefore, should not underestimate the value of these lections, such as the Melville Jacobs Collection at the collections to language learners. As archaic as some of University of Washington and the Loran Olsen Col- these sound recordings may be, depending on whether lection at Washington State University, provide both more recently produced materials for language learn- audio and visual materials which incorporate language ing are available, they may be the equivalent of an en- through ceremonies and music. dangered language student’s “Berlitz®”, or “Rosetta Religious materials: Missionary organizations, Stone®” program. Furthermore, sound recordings of both past and present have produced hymnals, trans- Native speakers may incorporate storytelling and oral lations of the books of the Gospel, and prayer books. histories, representing the culture and traditions of the Examples include works produced by such groups as language. In referring to recordings of the Lushootseed the Jesuit Society of Jesus, the United Bible Societies, language, Vi Hilbert writes: “To each of the elders who and the American Bible Society. allowed themselves to be tape-recorded that future generations might benefit from their knowledge” and Supporting Language Learners thanks those who have “provided safe storage space for Learning an endangered language poses unique chal- the archival treasures of Lushootseed Research.”30 lenges to the students as they operate in a language The Nez Perce language is taught at Washing- learning scenario that is distinctly different from ton State University, however classes are currently more commonly taught languages. Conventional lan- delivered at Lewis and Clark State College through guage learning materials may not be available, and video conferencing and enrollment at WSU has been new methods for practicing the language may not be traditionally low. This scenario presents significant accessible to endangered language students. Modern challenges to language students, including a sense of methods for incorporating language into daily life, isolation and the lack of opportunities for language such as ICT, the Internet, and audio books,29 may not use. Washington State University’s current manage- be available or feasible to students studying an endan- ment of the Nez Perce language program privileges gered language. While there are guides to advise stu- more commonly taught languages, and places Nez dents on incorporating real life experiences into their Perce on the periphery. In the Spring 2009 semester, language learning, using “the world as a classroom,” WSU Nez Perce language students will participate in many of the methods used in commonly taught lan- the Lewis and Clark State College based class using guage learning scenarios may not be applicable. In iChat software. Due to low enrollment figures, pay- the case of some endangered languages there are few ment of the video conferencing fee to the host in- written materials and even fewer, if any, sound re- stitution is not economically feasible, especially in cordings. Therefore, many of the strategies employed light of looming budget woes. While university ad- by mainstream language students in developing lan- ministrations depend heavily on enrollment figures guage skills and creating an environment of language in judging the importance of an academic program, immersion cannot be employed. the significance of even a single student in an endan- For the student of an endangered language, sound gered language course should not be underestimated. recordings housed in library archives may represent Librarians should respond to the information needs their only link to the audible language. Audio collec- of these students and seek ways to support language tions give life to the grammars, dictionaries and locally learners through the promotion and provision of revi-

ACRL Fourteenth National Conference Academic Libraries and Endangered Language Preservation 61 talization materials, including grammars, dictionaries, segments in the weekend-morning ‘ethnic ghettos’ sound recordings and texts. Some institutions, such as of American broadcasting.”35 As with other language the University of Washington, have made significant communities in the United States struggling to pre- gains in the migration of such materials to an online serve and maintain their heritage languages, Native environment, while others are still in the process of American language groups face the obstacle of over- planning how to provide for wider dissemination. Li- coming constant exposure to an Anglophone media brarians and archivists need to come to grips with the that “thus constantly reinforces the message of the fact that only the most dedicated language student is prestige and dominance of English, to which young likely to regularly visit an archival collection, don cot- people are particularly susceptible.”36 ton research gloves and examine a delicate dictionary produced over one hundred years ago. As endangered Thinking inside the Maple Leaf: Our language materials represent unique and important Neighbors to the North collections to language students, academic institutions In general, Canada has been a leader in supporting should consider migrating sound recordings to an on- progressive revitalization programs, developing re- line environment, if tribal permission is granted. sources and fostering collaborations. Canada’s success Native communities face significant obstacles in in developing and promoting endangered language envisioning revitalization programs, as “Indigenous programs may in part be due to the country’s predis- language publishing is limited almost entirely to pri- posed orientation toward linguistic diversity. At the mary school textbooks.”31 The library literature has government level, the Task Force on Aboriginal Lan- discussed the challenges and controversies inherent guages and Cultures was developed and is mandated in supporting heritage language communities, for ex- to make recommendations to the Minister on Cana- ample Spanish language communities in the United dian Heritage regarding the preservation, revitaliza- States.32 Like Hispanic communities attempting to tion, and promotion of Canada’s native languages. The maintain their heritage language, Native American Task Force includes linguists, technical experts, Elders, communities are often “overwhelmed by a strong First Nations government officials, advisors, cultural majority culture.”33 However, obstacles faced by Na- and heritage center administrators, and an impressive tive American communities are even greater, as these array of experts in First Nation language revitalization communities have access to a much narrower range and preservation. This represents an impressive exam- of print language materials, and virtually no media ple of collaboration across languages and disciplines materials. While it is possible for Spanish language in envisioning revitalization and preservation efforts. learners to access authentic language materials, such In line with the ANA Guide, the Task Force report as songs, films, websites, and even Facebook settings, calls for “cultural awareness guidelines for research- such materials often do not exist for endangered lan- ers and program officers.”37 Librarians and archivists guage learners. While some companies, such as Ro- need to be aware of these guidelines, and where they setta Stone®,34 have partnered with language com- do not exist, actively pursue their development. The munities to produce contemporary learning materials, Task Force also advocates “lifestyles that foster lan- such projects are few, not widely disseminated, and guage retention”38 and an infrastructure to preserve limited to a handful of language groups. Endangered and strengthen languages. language students must have a high level of commit- The Xwi7xwa (pronounced whei-wha) Library, a ment, and the role of a supportive community is there- branch of the University of British Columbia Library, fore paramount. Without opportunities to listen to is an example of an academic library actively engaged the language through common media, including the in revitalization efforts. Progressive concepts driven Internet, radio, television, film, and mp3s, endangered by the library include the application of the Brian language students are faced with challenges that set Deer Classification system, which was developed in their learning experience back to a different era. With the 1970s by Kahnawahke Librarian, Brian Deer, and regard to the availability of modern media, Zepeda incorporates Aboriginal subject headings. The library states the following: “Among indigenous languages, has also developed a First Nations House of Learn- only Navajo and Yupik are regularly broadcast; other ing Indigenous Thesaurus, authorized by the Library languages, if heard at all, are restricted to half-hour of Congress. As described on the Library’s Home

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Page, the Xwi7xwa Library also uses the subject head- Cultural Institute’s annual conference where Elders and ing “First Nations” in place of the Library of Congress translators meet to develop “Inuktitut words to describe standard, “Indians of North America,” to reflect the the new world that has grown up around them.”40 preferred term for describing the Aboriginal people of Canada. In addition, the library maintains a First Travelling in a Different Canoe Nations authority list which employs the tribal names Due to the fact that time is of the essence, it is im- preferred by the respective First Nations communities. portant that libraries and archives engage in collab- The Library has maximized collaborative opportuni- orative efforts to promote, disseminate and, where ties, as Friends of the Library include First Nations culturally acceptable, digitize endangered language Elders, tribal members, and academic departments, materials. When Susie Sampson Peter, a speaker of including the Department of Maori Studies at the Lushootseed, was introduced to recording technolo- University of Aukland. The Library’s First Nations gies, she referred to them as a “different canoe” that Language collections are impressive, covering oral tra- would carry the language and traditions forward ditions, revitalization materials, grammars, dictionar- into the future. As Vi Hilbert relates: “These elders ies, workbooks, and materials for First Nations teacher quickly realized the special gift that the recorder pro- education programs in First Nations language and cul- vided for themselves and their treasured knowledge, ture. First Nations Language teacher education present placing on tape much of this information, knowing a progressive step in ensuring that schools have access it could continue to be passed on in this new for- to highly trained endangered language professionals. mat.”41 Today, the canoe has taken on another form; Other Canadian institutions having First Nations lan- from analog sound recordings housed in archival guage programs include the University of Northern collections on wax cylinders, to digital media avail- British Columbia and the University of Victoria. able across the Internet. Digital materials have many Several academic institutions within Canada have advantages, including preservation, availability, and taken and active role in supporting language commu- accessibility. nities. For example, the University of Alberta and the Language communities are working “against Miyo Wahkohtowin Community Education Author- enormous odds”42 to preserve, revitalize and maintain ity are collaborating to develop a web-based inter- their languages. With limited opportunity for authen- active First Nations language portal that includes a tic language interaction, collaborative efforts are vital dictionary and curriculum-based resources to support to supporting language learners. Academic libraries the maintenance of the Cree language in Canada. The can play an active, supportive role, while keeping in project includes the ability to download Cree keyboard mind that “The ideal role of the academic is one of settings, and the dictionary allows for the incorpora- consultant and facilitator, as determined by the com- tion of regional dialects. The portal promotes community and its needs.”43 Since current state and fed- munity involvement, as it includes a link for speakers eral preservation laws “do more to promote the norms to propose words that may not yet be included in the and values of the dominant society than they of in- Cree dictionary. The website also provides users with digenous culture,”44 librarians should actively pursue the ability to download language flashcards, learning collaborative dialogs with tribal governments in plan- games, and lesson plans.39 Professor Arok Wolvengrey ning for the dissemination of endangered language of the University of Alberta granted permission for materials. Academic libraries in the Pacific Northwest the data from his two volume Cree-English bilingual have impressive collections of dictionaries, grammars dictionary to be used in the project. and texts written by linguists who have been recording Canada’s language revitalization programs have Native languages in the region for decades. However, been documented in Mushkeg Media’s Finding Our when these materials are merely collected in librar- Talk series. The company is in production of its third ies and preserved in archives, our institutions run the season of documentaries that examine revitalization ef- risk of becoming mausoleums for extinct languages. forts, which currently includes 26 episodes. The series As Harrison cautions: demystifies language revitalization programs, and provides a rich and varied view of current efforts. The epi- An extinct dodo bird can be stuffed by taxi- sode on the Inuktitut language documents the Avataq dermists and displayed in a museum after all

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its kind are dead and gone. But a stuffed dodo 4. Harrison, 5. is no substitute for a thriving dodo popula- 5. Ibid. tion. Languages, too, have adapted over time 6. Ibid., 24. to serve the needs of a particular population 7. Ibid. in their environment. They have been shaped 8. Ibid., 7. by people to serve as repositories for cultural 9. Ida Bear, Gary Merasty, Rudy Okemaw and Mary knowledge, efficiently packaged and readily Richard, “Acimowina…Tales of Bush Experiences,” in Is- transmittable across generations. Like dodo sues in the North vol. 1, eds. Jill Oakes and Roderick Riewe, birds in museums, languages may be preserved (Edmonton: Canadian Circumpolar Institute, 1996), 65. in dictionaries and books after they are no lon- 10. Theresa L. McCarty, “Commentary from a Native ger spoken. But a grammar book or dictionary American and International Perspective” in Can School Save is but a dim reflection of the richness of a spo- Indigenous Languages: Policy and Practice on Four Continents, ken tongue in its native social setting.45 ed. Nancy Hornberger (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008). Wider involvement among academic libraries is 11. Administration for Native Americans, Native Lan- needed to ensure that, collaboratively, our collections guage Preservation: A Reference Guide for Establishing include both academic and community revitalization Archives and Repositories (Washington, D.C.: U.S. De- materials to reflect each of the languages in the hot- partment of Health and Human Services), 156. spot. Libraries should remain responsive to the needs 12. Kathleen Maclay, “Breath of Life for California’s and challenges inherent in language revitalization Native Languages.” Press Release, (Berkeley: UC Berke- efforts through endeavors that engage scholars and ley, June 6, 2008), http://berkeley.edu/news/media/releas- communities, such as the “Breath of Life” workshops. es/2008/06/06_breath.shtml The Task Force on Aboriginal Languages and Cul- 13. K. David Harrison and Gregory Anderson, Living tures emphasizes the fact that while recordings and Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages, http://www. grammars are important components of language re- livingtongues.org/ vitalization, they alone are not adequate, as “languages 14. Phillip E. Cash Cash, “It is Good that you are Lis- must be kept alive by daily use.”46 Through collabo- tening: The Dynamics of Native American Cultural Re- ration within the library profession, with language source Management,” in It’s about Time, It’s about Them, It’s communities and across university departments, aca- aboutUs: Híiwes Wuyéewts’etki, Paamilayk’ay, Naamiláyk’sy, demic libraries can be active supporters of endangered a Decade of Papers, 1988-1998, eds. Michael S. Burney and language revitalization. Jeff Van Pelt (Moscow, Idaho: Journal of Northwest An- thropology, 2002), 120. Acknowledgements 15. Administration for Native Americans, Native Lan- In writing this paper, I am indebted to Dr. Ronald Pond guage Preservation: A Reference Guide for Establishing and Norma Joseph, both of Washington State University, Archives and Repositories (Washington, D.C.: U.S. De- in furthering my understanding and appreciation of is- partment of Health and Human Services), 77. sues related to Native languages. 16. Ibid. 17. Ibid. Notes 18. Ibid. 1. K. David Harrison, When Languages Die: the Ex- 19. Washington State University Music Department, tinction of the World’s Languages and the Erosion of Human Native Music of the Northwest (Pullman: Washington State Knowledge, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007), 5. University, 1979). 2. Gregory Anderson and K. David Harrison, “What 20. Administration for Native Americans, 77. are Language Hotspots, The Northwest Pacific Plateau,” 21. Ibid., 84. Global Language Hotspots, http://www.swarthmore.edu/ 22. Ibid., 77. SocSci/langhotspots/hotspots/NPP/index.html 23. Leena Huss, “Revitalization through Indigenous 3. Gregory Anderson and K. David Harrison, “What Education: a Forlorn Hope?,” in Can School Save Indigenous are Language Hotspots,” Global Language Hotspots, http:// Languages: Policy and Practice on Four Continents, ed. Nancy www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/langhotspots/features.html Hornberger (New York: Palgrave Macmillan 2008), 131.

March 12–15, 2009, Seattle, Washington 64 Gabriella Reznowski

24. Cash Cash, 119 Lushootseed Press, 1995), viii. 25. Michael S. Burney “The Participatory Role of the 42. Zepeda and Hill, 150. Imatalamlama, Weyiletpuu, and Waluulapam of Northeast- 43. Lenore A. Grenoble and Lindsay J. Whaley, Saving ern Oregon: Co-Partners in the Management of Cultural Languages: an Introduction to Language Revitalization (New Resources on Reservation and Ceded Lands,” in It’s about York: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 193. Time, It’s about Them, It’s about Us: Híiwes Wuyéewts’etki, 44. Cash Cash, 118. Paamilayk’ay, Naamiláyk’sy, a Decade of Papers, 1988-1998, 45. Harrison, 7. eds. Michael S. Burney and Jeff Van Pelt (Moscow, Idaho: 46. Task Force on Aboriginal Languages and Cultures, Journal of Northwest Anthropology, 2002), 34. iii. 26. Paul D. Kroeber, The Salish Language Family: Re- constructing Syntax (Bloomington: University of Nebraska Press, 1999), xvii. 27. William J. Poser, The Status of Documentation for British Columbia Native Languages (Vanderhoof, BC: Yin- ka Dene Language Institute, 2000), 2. 28. Vi Hilbert’s (1918-2008) efforts have been documented in the film Huchoosedah: Traditions of the Heart, VHS, directed by Katie Jennings (1995; KCTS Televi- sion). 29. Success with Languages, ed. Stella Hurd and Linda Murphy (New York: Routledge, 2005). 30. Vi Hilbert, acknowledgements to Aunt Susie Samp- son Peter: The Wisdom of a Skagit Elder, by Susie Sampson Peter, Vi Hilbert, Jay Miller and Leon Metcalf (Seattle: Lushootseed Press, 1995), vii. 31. Ofelia Zepeda and Jane H. Hill, “The Condition of Native American Languages in the United States” in En- dangered Languages, eds. Robert Henry Robins and E.M. Uhlenbeck (New York: Berg Publishers Limited, 1991), 140. 32. See Todd Douglas Quesada’s “Spanish Spoken Here” and Julia Stephens’ “English Spoken Here” in the November 2007 issue of American Libraries. 33. Huss, 128. 34. Rosetta Stone, “Endangered Language Program,” http://www.rosettastone.com/global/endangered/ 35. Zepeda and Hill, 140. 36. Ibid. 37. Task Force on Aboriginal Languages and Cultures, Towards a New Beginning: a Foundational Report for a Strat- egy to Revitalize First Nation, Inuit, and Metis Languages and Cultures (Ottawa: Department of Canadian Heritage, 2005), iv. 38. Ibid. 39. For more information see www.creedictionary.com 40. The Power of Words: Inuktitut, DVD, directed by Paul Rickard (2001; Montreal: Mushkeg Media, 2006). 41. Ruth Sehome Shelton,Vi Hilbert, and Jay Miller, Ruth Sehome Shelton: The Wisdom of a Tulalip Elder (Seattle:

ACRL Fourteenth National Conference