February 2018 Issue 64 The newsletter of The Foundation for Endangered Languages

Syuba community members getting involved in video recording for linguistic fi eldwork – see page 4.

In this issue:  Focus on Faroese  Recirculating songs in Australia  Interview with Lauren Gawne  la causa dei popoli February 2018

Contents

Development of the Foundation Editorial 1

FEL as a campaigning organization 2

Endangered languages in the news FEL as a campaigning Lauren Gawne on working with Syuba communities 4 organisation – see page 2

Aboriginal singing practices and culture 7

Focus on Faroese 8

Faroe volunteers run online translation service 9

Bilingual Faroese-English publication has home at its heart 9

Italian-language minority culture journal launches most recent issue 10

Fall School on Documentary Linguistics in the MENA region 10

Around the web... Front page Story Lost language: how Macau gambled away its past 11 Tibeto-Burman language Keep Talking: the Healing Power of Language 11 research – see page 4

‘A special place for ’ 12

Newfound Pride in Guaraní, a Language Long Disdained in Paraguay 12

Elfdalian language gets double coverage 13

Exploring the Tensions Between Tradition and Innovation 13

Thousands spoke his language in the Amazon. Now, he’ the only one 14

New Zealand broadcasters refuse to stop using Maori words 14

Singing practices in Australia – February 2018 Issue 64 see page 7

Ogmios is published three times each year by The Foundation for Endangered Languages Editor: Hayley Ferguson [email protected] Telephone: +447566206316

The Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL) is a non-profit organization, founded in 1996. FEL is registered as Charity number 1070616 in England and Wales. FEL is registered in the USA as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization (501(c)3). Email: Nicholas Ostler [email protected] Post: 129 High Street, Hungerford, Berkshire, RG17 0DL, UK Focus on Faroese – see page 8

http://www.ogmios.org February 2018 – 1

The Editor

If you’ve got this far, you’ be names in the fi eld in subsequent a backseat in the publication of awfully unobservant to have missed issues, and it is my promise to you, Ogmios, this is because his role at that Ogmios is sporting an exciting the readership, that we will seek to the Foundation for Endangered new design. publish as many unique opinions Languages is taking a new direction As a freshly sworn-in editor, it’s about language revitalisation and that will allow us to increase our no secret that one’s fi rst port of call documentation as is possible. worldwide impact as a charitable is often a visual overhaul. But a new You’ll also notice that some organisation. look is not all we’ve achieved over of our regular sections have been Having been fortunate enough the last few months. stripped away – these will be re- to have exposure to many cultures As a team, the Foundation for inserted in time, and, of course, I’ in my formative years, I have seen Endangered Languages’ Executive always open to suggestions for new fi rst-hand how the use of individual Committee has put in a great deal of editorial sections. languages and dialects is bound hard work to reimagining Ogmios I feel it’s relevant to offer our up with cultural transmission, and as a print newsletter, and ensuring loyal readers some context about my helping communities remember it’s as useful, and engaging, a text as affi liation with the academic fi eld of what makes them unique. And while possible for both armchair linguists endangered languages, so as to put it’s a terrible shame that languages and academics working in the fi eld your minds to rest that Ogmios is in do regularly go out of service due alike. I do hope the sentiment safe hands. to natural causes, this is an especially is largely that we’ve fulfi lled this As a magazine editor, I’ve burning issue in populations whose objective. worked in a variety of contexts, but, languages have been seized by As you fl ick – or scroll – through like many journalists, my origins displacement or even use of violent the newsletter, you’ll notice that were in linguistics, rather than the force. My involvement with Ogmios we’ve put a greater focus on original many commercial subjects about is a personal fi rst step towards content than ever before, having run which I have written. making a tangible difference to the several interviews with endangered However, my time as a cause. language specialists in this issue. business editor has been extremely You can read more about the I was especially excited by the rewarding in allowing me to important work that he is carrying fi rst-hand account we received explore avenues that might make out to help us grow our reach on from Lauren Gawne, co-host of an impact in helping people stand page 2. And, under his careful the Lingthusiasm podcast, founder up to globalisation and preserve tutelage over the last year, I have of generalist linguistics website the languages that contribute to the been well-prepared for the task of Superlinguo, and David Myers construction of identities distinct infl uencing, and inspiring, linguists Research Fellow at La Trobe from the world’s dominant cultures. – passive and active – in using their University – on her specialist I’m sure that – if you’re a long- skills to make a difference in this research in Tibeto-Burman time subscriber – you’re also curious underserved fi eld. languages. about what Moseley, At the helm of this illustrious the newsletter’s dedicated editor for Hayley . Ferguson newsletter, I will be seeking out many years, is now doing. Editor, Ogmios even more original content with big While Chris may have taken [email protected] 2 – February 2018

FEL as a campaigning organisation

by Chris Moseley – Editor at large

Usually when human rights we should address ourselves their language, which is only issues appear in the media, wouldn’ be clear. incidental to this issue (at least language is not the focus of What I suggest that as far as media reports are the apparent injustice. FEL can do is to monitor concerned), but rather for their Language has to take a the language policies of religion and ethnicity. back seat when other, more multilingual states. When a new But the Arakanese language immediate issues of human government comes to power in is the mother of survival are at stake. A mother one of them, we could assess the vast majority of them tongue seems a luxury when whether factional interests in – Arakan and Rohingya are food, clothing, security and the government favour one almost synonyms. Arakanese shelter can’t be provided. language over another. might not be an endangered Cases of dying for the We could look particularly language were it not for sake of one’s language are at the provision of mother- this persecution; now it is quite rare when compared tongue education in them – becoming one. with other causes that people bearing in mind that in really So doesn’t it behove FEL have perished for. These more multilingual states, where to speak out – who else will immediate needs, for example, there are many endangered if we don’t? – to defend their are the focus of most of the languages, the government is ? A carefully radio and other media appeals strapped for cash. worded and well-researched on behalf of disadvantaged We can at least try to press release might put further people around the world. ensure that the situation pressure on the Burmese But deprivation of the doesn’t deteriorate for those government to take action. right to use one’s mother ethnic groups that are in a It doesn’t matter in the tongue is pernicious in the weak political position, low in least whether the majority longer term. And sometimes the pecking order and far from of Burmese people are the deprivation is deep-rooted the centre of power. And to also prejudiced against the and institutional, while in other ensure that such populations Rohingya; their government is cases it might be a temporary are the victims of real political supposed to lead, not follow, expedient of war or confl ict. oppression, rather than benign public opinion. For example, in the neglect. But that is just one confl icts in the nation-states Lately I’ve been inspired to salient instance at the present of Iraq and Syria, the Kurds, want FEL, or some responsible moment. I would like to see who have not had a state of linguistic organization, to our charity set up and ready to their own, have fared variously speak out on behalf of the ask governments everywhere as regards the right to use Rohingya Muslims in Burma, to step up and be accountable their language. Would it be who have been forced to fl ee for their linguistic policies. right for FEL to intervene in en masse into Bangladesh. However, they need to a case like that? Probably not, Now of course they are be measured against some as the administration to which not being persecuted for impartial and unchanging continues next pageÝ February 2018 – 3

minimum standard. major press and broadcasting been discussed in great detail by International covenants on organizations, as well, of the Committee. linguistic rights would be the course, as the government and This is an attempt to get strongest measure. relevant ministries of the target our membership involved in The closest that comes to country. our future discussions about our purposes and interests is Interventions will require a new direction for the FEL’s probably the United Nations careful research, so we can back activities. Our own publicity Declaration on the Rights of our claims, but they also require leafl et says that the Foundation Indigenous Peoples (the year some expertise on the countries exists to: of their rights is also coming in question and on language  Raise awareness of up in 2019). It is good to have policy generally. endangered languages that to fall back on – but what We have that expertise is to stop us from drawing up a among our membership, and  Support their use in the Code of Practice of our own? I’d like to appeal here in the home, in education, in the It would enhance our pages of Ogmios for members media and in social, cultural prestige as an organization, and to come forward and help us and economic life it would be our own guideline formulate the code.  Monitor linguistic policies to stepping in to intervene. I should add that I only and to seek to infl uence Our intervention, I suggest, fl oated this idea publicly at the appropriate authorities would be in the form of AGM of the Foundation in On that last point I press releases, distributed to Alcanena, and that it hasn’t yet rest my case. 

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Photo courtesy of: UK Foreign and Commonwealth Of and Commonwealth Photo courtesy of: UK Foreign Displaced Rohingya people in Rakhine State. 4 – February 2018

Lauren Gawne on working with Syuba communities

By Hayley Ferguson Lauren Gawne – co-host of All maps are made to tell a Indo-European or other dominant the Lingthusiasm podcast, founder particular story. I couldn’t fi nd any languages, it is attested in many of generalist linguistics website maps that told the stories of the Amazonian, Papuan and Tibeto- Superlinguo, and David Myers communities that I work with, so in Burman languages. Research Fellow at La Trobe the end I had to make them myself. In exploring the literature, University – on her specialist Luckily, there are a number of I came across Kagate, which research in Tibeto-Burman platforms for making really beautiful was described in only two small languages digital maps. I’ve run workshops on publications from the 1970s, but What fi rst sparked your TileMill and Carto, both of which appeared to have an interesting interest in endangered use CartoCSS, a mapping code built system of evidentiality. I contacted languages? on CSS. People who use in their one of the original researchers, who I have always been interested research have told me they like put me in touch with one of the in language, and so when a friend using the packages available in R for Kagate speakers from Ramechhap suggested that I join her for mapping. district she originally worked Introduction to Linguistics in my I think it’s important that we with. In the interim I also went fi rst semester of an undergraduate make maps that tell the stories of to Kathmandu, and a friend there arts degree, it sounded like a great the world’s languages. I also think said he knew someone who spoke way to round out my timetable. it’s important that the maps that we Kagate. This was quite surprising, Before the semester was over, given that earlier reports said I was completely hooked, and “I think it’s important there were probably only around a ended up majoring in a subject thousand speakers! I had not even heard of when I that we make maps I met Asa, the woman my enrolled. The linguistics program that tell the stories friend knew, and after a couple of at The University of Melbourne sessions working with her it was has a strong focus on Australian of the world’s clear that the language she spoke languages, in both teaching and languages.“ was not dissimilar to what was in research. For me, learning about those earlier publications – however linguistics and learning about the she was not from Ramechhap, but diversity of the world’s languages make are as beautiful as the maps Lamjung! There are fi ve villages in are inseparable. the tell the stories of dominant Lamjung district, near the start of I would say that my interest is in languages. Digital maps are great the Annapurna Circuit, that speak this diversity of human languages, because they can tell complex and a variety of Yolmo, which is very and how speakers use them. The nuanced stories, and can incorporate similar to Kagate. Speakers of this fact that so many of the world’s images, sounds links to other dialect were also called Kagate at languages are endangered is not an information. some point in history, and it’s likely inherent fact about these languages, Why did you choose to focus that they migrated from the main or the number of speakers that they your academic efforts on Yolmo Yolmo areas of the Helambu and have; community-scale languages and Syuba, specifi cally? Melamchi valleys around the same and local has been I was hired as a PhD student on time. My PhD thesis then became the norm for so much of humanity a larger Australian Research Council the fi rst description of the Lamjung across history. grant to look at how speakers variety of Yolmo. Tell me about the work you’ve of a Tibeto-Burman language Meanwhile I had got to know done with digital maps! How can use evidentiality in conversation. the members of the Kagate map-making projects be helpful Evidentiality is the encoding of community. They were keen to to language documentation, source of knowledge in grammar. develop an and literacy preservation and regeneration? Although we don’t see much of it in continues next pageÝ February 2018 – 5 materials in their language. This was how speakers perceive those tones. and Yolmo versions for the local part of a larger community change While I worked in Singapore communities. that saw them begin to use their I also teamed up with staff in the I have also worked with other preferred language name Syuba in School of Art, Design and Media researchers on archiving materials discussion with outsiders, rather to work with students on the in Syuba and related languages. I than the somewhat pejorative Nepal development of picture books for teamed up with the Mother Tongue term Kagate. Both are from the Syuba and Yolmo. Drawing on the Centre Nepal to archive their 2013 word for ‘paper’ in the respective corpus of traditional stories, and documentation of Syuba. This languages, in reference to their the images from my fi eldwork, the organisation trained Syuba speakers historical labor as papermakers for students created illustrated picture to record and transcribe audio, and the Tibetan and Nepali market. books. English and Nepali versions they collected more than 25 hours I’ve worked with Syuba speakers are available for a general audience, of materials in less than a week! over the last few years to document and these fund the printing of Syuba continues next pageÝ traditional stories, songs and oral histories. We also recorded the stories of over 30 people who experienced the earthquakes of April and May 2015. There were few fatalities in Ramechhap, but many people’s houses were destroyed or damaged. Although it was linguistic curiosity that lead me to work on these languages, I now enjoy that the work that I do is also useful for their own language maintenance goals. I have now been around for long enough that it’s also about working on mutually-interesting projects with people who are my friends. What sort of work have you done in Tibeto-Burman languages? The focus of my work with Lamjung Yolmo was evidentiality and related features of grammar, like reported speech and questions. I also published a sketch grammar and a dictionary of Lamjung Yolmo. My work on Syuba has focused on developing the corpus, and now I’m looking at some parts of the grammar as well as the gestures people use when they speak. I love the opportunity to work with other linguists and researchers to learn new things. I’ve teamed up with Amos Too to fi gure out the tone systems of Yolmo and Syuba, and then I teamed up with Suzy Styles at NTU in Singapore to see “I love the opportunity to work with other linguists and learn new things” 6 – February 2018

Those materials were used by the Indian subcontinent, it’s even been would be of interest to members of MTCN and Syuba speakers in the grammaticalised into Indo-Pakistani the community, and useful in other development of an orthography and sign language. ways too. a dictionary in 2014 and 2015. I’ve We have very little idea of how Sometimes it is a challenge to also helped archive recordings from widespread it is. For gestures with balance the aims of a particular Langang, and the Yolmo variety negation, when people use words academic research project with spoken in Melamchi. The most like ‘nothing’ or ‘no one’, they often the needs of community language meaningful archive work I did was accompany them with a quick fl ick use, particular with the reality that working with Monika Hohelig last of their hands down and away. so much work with endangered year to digitise and archive those Cross-cultural work on gesture languages has to fi t within an original recordings from the 1970s shows that negation is often academic research project to be that were the basis of the fi rst work linked to ‘away’ movements, but funded, but that’s all part of the on Syuba. negotiation process. It was profoundly gratifying to Sometimes I’ll have some return to the documentation, and “If you focus only experiment or elicitation data that the researcher, behind those original I will be aiming to collect, but my 1970s publications, which started my on what people say, main priority is that the majority journey into this part of the world. and not how they data collected is as useful to Syuba Tell me about gesture in speakers as it is to me. For the Syuba! How does gesture relate gesture, you miss out documentation of Syuba, I had to speech more generally? on so much of what’s great success training a few of the If you focus only on what young men to use the recording people say, and not how they happening in human equipment, and then let them gesture, you miss out on so much drive the documentation effort, of what’s happening in human communication.” particularly when it came to the communication. earthquake stories. We have not yet come across a I also spend a lot of time talking linguistic or cultural group that do this particular function had not to colleagues about how they work, not have gestures accompanying yet been attested. What all of this what equipment or processes have speech, even with signed languages work shows is that we need to do worked for them, and how they there are features of communication a better job of documenting the manage different situations. I also that are more gestural than world’s grammatical diversity, as talk to archives, policy makers and linguistic. well as its linguistic diversity. It’s researchers from related disciplines, While co-speech gesture for this reason I always encourage like anthropology, to see how we is a commonality of human colleagues to take a video camera on can do better. communication, the specifi cs of documentation projects! In language documentation gesture show cultural and linguistic What do you think is we don’t have a great tradition of variation. Gesture can give us most important in language sharing our research methods, in insight into features of cognition documentation? How do you a survey I did with Andrea Berez- or language that aren’t immediately ensure you’re documenting the Kroeker, Barbara Kelly and Tyler apparent in the grammatical choices components of a language that Heston, we looked at 100 descriptive people make. are important to the community in grammars, and found that many At the moment, I’m looking question? did not include discussion of basic at features of gesture that Syuba The most important things I’ve methods, like recording equipment speakers use when they’re asking learnt to do for any documentation used, time spent on documentation questions, and when using project are talk to people and plan. or archiving of data. grammatical negation. I try and spend as much time We know that people are doing With questions, Syuba speakers as possible talking to people about this amazing and thoughtful work, will often twist their forearm what they think they might want but it isn’t being talked about. and hand outwards, leaving the documented, suggest what has Sharing how we do documentation thumb and index fi nger extended. worked in my experience, and try work helps everyone build good This gesture is found across the and reach a consensus on what practice.  February 2018 – 7

Aboriginal singing practices and culture

James Wafer, co-editor of songs function as mnemonic devices Bracknell, the author of our fi rst Recirculating Songs: Revitalising for memorising placenames and/or chapter, who considers the question the singing practices of Indigenous their associated networks of stories, of how the cultural knowledge Australia, sat down to discuss geographical features and people. base can be re-activated in cases the issue of ancestral indigenous In other words, they contain where the song traditions have been singing practices in Australia, both the organising principles of disrupted. and its association with cultural the Aboriginal knowledge base and This is a widespread issue revitalisation, with the Ogmios the medium through which that throughout the continent, and readership. knowledge base is accessed and particularly in the south. Clint shows Ancestral indigenous singing activated in practice. how his work on the language of practices are at risk of extinction How does the book contribute his own people has facilitated the in many parts of Australia – the towards preservation of ancestral revitalisation of singing practices, book investigates the strategies singing practices? and, conversely, how “recirculating currently being implemented to In the past, those of us who songs” has contributed to bringing reverse this damage. Many of work in relevant scholarly fi elds the language back into use. its contributors are linguists as (in particular, Aboriginal studies, How broad a range of well as ethnomusicologists, and ethnomusicology, anthropology and geographical locations does the have a strong interest in language linguistics) have tended to follow the book cover? revitalisation. Boasian principle of collecting and The contributors to the book Give us some context for how analysing songs and related cultural have worked in a variety of locations ancestral indigenous singing data as artefacts (texts, images, that cover a wide geographical practices are bound up with recordings). spread. Clint’s chapter, for example, Aboriginal culture and language. But if these representative is focused on south-western What piqued your interest in this fragments are not to become just Australia, and there are a number of issue? museum pieces, the present situation other contributors who have written The idea that prompted me requires more than this. about similar situations south of the to propose the book to my co- We also need to recognise the Tropic of Capricorn. authors originally came from Carlo importance of the practices that But the book also includes Severi’s work on “mnemotechnical ensure the active passing on of the contributions from authors who anthropology”. “sonic keys” that open the cultural have worked in the north and centre, It has been slowly dawning storehouse. in places where the song traditions on those of us who work with Without the transmission of have not suffered the same level of Australian languages that Aboriginal these practices, the knowledge disruption. of how to “animate” this body Where do you see your of information is at risk of being research going next? lost to the rising generation of The next step could well be Aboriginal people, and could cease to devote some attention to the to play a constitutive role in their possibility of cultural exchanges contemporary lived reality. between those communities that The book is focused on how our have maintained a fairly unbroken work as scholars, both Aboriginal continuity of singing practices and and non-Aboriginal, can support those where song revitalisation projects intended to ensure the projects are based largely on archival continuity of the “singing practices” material. of the book’s title. This phrase was The book is available for review suggested by my co-editor, Myf by any readers who might wish to Turpin. contribute to the upcoming issue. The “recirculating songs” Write to [email protected] to component came from Clint register your interest.  8 – February 2018

Focus on Faroese

Faroese, the offi cial language of Faroese is similar in grammar to the , is spoken by Icelandic and , but closer between 60-80 thousand individuals in pronunciation to Norwegian. worldwide; reports on the exact In the twentieth century Faroese number of speakers are confl icting. became the offi cial language and, Aside from its offi cial status because the Faroe Islands are a in the Faroe Islands, it is also a self-governing country within the recognised as a minority in Kingdom of Denmark, Danish is – with 25,000 speakers – and is used taught in Faroese schools. by an additional 5,000 in . The fi rst recorded settlers of It is classed as vulnerable, the Faroe Islands were Irish monks though many Faroese speakers, (papar), so it is possible to assume, is closer to Norwegian dialects of and the Faroese government, that one of the fi rst languages in . Faroese is the are reported to be prioritising its the islands was some form of Old fi rst offi cial language of the island preservation in recent decades, Irish. Neighbouring was while Danish, the second, is taught following the establishment of the inhabited from the Stone Age, in schools and can be used by the Language Committee of the Faroe and was Pictish speaking when the Faroese government in public Islands in 1985. Norse arrived. relations. Faroese is a Germanic language Written Faroese (grammar Interestingly, which is descended from Old Norse. and vocabulary) is most similar to policy provides for the active and is one of the smallest of the Icelandic and to their ancestor Old creation of new terms in Faroese . Norse, though the spoken language suitable for modern life. 

Photo courtesy Zeijst of: Vincent van Klaksvík, on the island of Borðoy, is the Faroe Islands’ second-largest town. February 2018 – 9

Faroe volunteers run online translation service

With a growing tourism market, translates is picked at random. “We’re taking matters into our some wish to help Everyone who speaks Faroese can own hands and enlisting a whole visitors who would like learn a few help translate and local people have host of local Faroese people to phrases in Faroese. been encouraged to get involved in allow us to help those who want to “Faroe Islands Translate” will the campaign. learn a little Faroese. provide a free online service for All translations are reviewed to “In doing so, we will also build those visiting the islands or anyone make sure that they are appropriate. up a video database that visually and around the world curious to learn a Faroe Islands Translate Project audibly logs the Faroese language, little of the language. Manager, Levi Hanssen explains why something that’s never been done By visiting the project’s website, the islanders took matters into their before. Our dream is to have Google anyone can write a word or phrase own hands, Translate but, in the meantime, that they would like to be translated “Whilst most Faroese people we will have our self-made Faroe from their language into Faroese. speak good English, we have a Islands Translate The text is immediately forwarded beautiful language of our own that Lisa, one local person who to Faroese volunteers who will open we would love to share with those volunteered to help. A student by the video camera function on their who visit, and with the wider world day, Lisa will be on hand to help mobile phone and record a video in general. translate words and phrases sent of the translation. This is then When travelling in most in by people all around the world. uploaded to the site to be viewed by countries, tourists can use Lisa’s favourite Faroese phrase is the person who requested it. to help them to “um tær ikki dámar veðrið, bíða so Each video is also preserved in communicate with local people and bara í 5 minuttir” which means “if a database so that, if the same word to feel as if they are a true part of you don’t like the weather, just wait or phrase is requested again, the the destination that they’re visiting. fi ve minutes”. stored translation will automatically Sadly, in the Faroe Islands, this isn’t Find out more by visiting the be shown. currently possible – and we want to project website at: The Faroese volunteer who change that. www.faroeislandstranslate.com 

Bilingual Faroese-English publication has home at its heart Award-winning Faroese author Sissal úr uppgongdini (Ravens in silent Kampman recently published the fl ights – Poems from the Stairway) fi rst-ever bilingual Faroese–English she has released another four poetry publication of a work of Faroese collections which all circle around literature: Darkening/Myrking: the theme “home”; home as a Poems in Faroese. physical, emotional and spiritual The concept of home is at the place, home as a residence in this heart of its tale of love and longing, world and as a means of fi nding fi nding a place in people and time peace in a world of confl ict. She in a world of contrasts – looming won the Klaus Rifbjerg Debutant mountains and wide horizons, Prize for poetry in 2012. Darkening/ outfi elds and streetlights, island Myrking is her sixth collection of isolation and urban anonymity.” poems. Kampmann earned her MA The book was translated into in Nordic Literature and Modern English by Marita Thomsen.  Culture from the University of Paperback: 107 pages . Since her debut in Publisher: Francis Boutle Publishers 2011 with the poetry collection ISBN-10: 0995747334 Ravnar á ljóðleysum fl ogi – Yrkingar ISBN-13: 978-0995747333 10 – February 2018

Italian-language minority culture journal launches most recent issue

Following its most recent viewpoints on the invasion of writing theses and dissertations and publication, we spoke to Alessandro Serbia. The journal went on line and organise public events. The writers Michelucci about La causa dei was renamed La causa dei popoli are mainly academics and journalists. popoli ( (The cause of the peoples), (The cause of peoples). It had two We contact the former depending an Italian-language e-journal that short series, one in 2001 and another on the topics we want to deal with. covers indigenous issues. in 2005, totalling four issues. The Sometimes we translate foreign An Italian journalist-translator current series started in 2016 with a articles. based in Florence, Michelucci double issue on Turkey’s minorities; Is the subject matter has translated several books the second issue was devoted to generalised, or regionally- on indigenous and minority some genocides predating the specifi c? issues. He is the founder of Shoah; the third deals with Biafra. We try to cover all parts of the the Documentation Centre on This series will last long! world. We also devote a regular Threatened Peoples, the only Italian What need does it fulfi in the room to cinema and comics, as we public library devoted to indigenous fi eld? think they play a leading role in peoples, minorities and stateless There is no such publication shaping and showing nations. The journal’s upcoming in Italy. Minority and indigenous indigenous/minority identities. issue, dealing with Canada’s 150th issues appear in the news from time Tell us about some of the anniversary, will also touch on to time, but they use to be dealt most interesting case studies in the work of the Foundation for confusedly. For instance, even terms the most recent issue! Endangered Languages. such as autonomy and independence The next issue is mainly devoted What is the journal’s are often mistaken for each to Canada’s 150 anniversary, with background? other. This prevents people from articles on the three indigenous Our journal is not a new one. In understanding crucial issues. peoples (Indians, Inuit and Métis). 2001, we fi rst launched it as a sequel Who are the core audience, But we are already working on to the Italian edition of Pogrom and the writers involved in the the following one, dealing with the (1994-1996), the print magazine journal’s production? recent developments of Corsican published by the German-based It is not easy to say, but I think autonomism. Society for Threatened Peoples. that readers are scholars, students You can read the most recent Our association was born as the and ordinary people who need to issue on issuu at www.issuu.com/ Italian branch of it, but we severed have a clear idea of such issues. lacausadeipopoli. More information this link in 2000 due to different Also, we are contacted by people about the Documentation Centre.  Fall School on Documentary Linguistics in the MENA region A one week fall school on theory and all costs will be covered by the involving linguistic training. and methods in modern language EDLP.  some fi eldwork experience or documentation focusing on the Topics to be covered include: have concrete plans for doing Middle East and North Africa region  introduction to documentary documentation work on an (MENA) will be held at the Zentrum linguistics endangered language spoken in the fuer Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft,  the MENA context MENA region Berlin 10-17 October 2018.  language use and multimodality  be committed to and have a plan As part of its Endangered  semantics and lexicography for transferring the knowledge Languages Documentation  ethnography they acquire to others in their Programme, the school will provide  recording techniques universities and countries training in theory and methods of  data collection methods To apply complete the online application modern language documentation To be eligible, applicants must form below by 1 April 2018. to students and scholars who are fulfi l all of the criteria below:: Applicants will be notified of the outcome no later than 1 May 2018. working on endangered languages  reside and study/work in a MENA and are living in the MENA region. region country. Fall School Application Form There are 25 places available  minimum of BA or its equivalent Send questions to [email protected] February 2018 – 11

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Lost language: how Macau Macau, a Venetian [hotel] in Macau about what Macau is.” gambled away its past and now they are building a mini- https://www.theguardian.com/ London. From our perspective, as The Guardian’s Matthew Keegan world/2018/jan/10/macau-city- culturally aware citizens, this is all examines the regeneration losing-language-china-portuguese- rubbish – it says absolutely nothing movement in Macau for Patuá, a macanese creole language that is closely related to Kristang (see Ogmios April 2017). Patuá developed in Malacca in the 16th century, and spread to Macau with its Portuguese settlers. An amalgamation of Portuguese, Cantonese, Malay, the language began to decline in use, and was estimated in the year 2000 to have only 50 speakers left. “I think the casinos defi nitely could have tried harder to represent something local in Macau – something that will make tourists wonder and think about and discover Macau […] Out of Patuá developed in Malacca in the 16th century, and spread to Macau License CC-BY-SA Photo courtesy delso.photo, of: Diego Delso, nowhere you have an Eiffel tower in with its Portuguese settlers.

Keep Talking: the healing power of worked for a while to convince there, that we weren’t there to language targets Kodiak Alutiiq people that this was a worthwhile sensationalize, or do anything like Chicago-based fi lm critic and endeavour. Because, you know, that. It’s a different beast, and they podcaster Clint Worthington Alaska has a ton of reality shows, really worked with us on that.” featured an interview on the like Ice Road Truckers, so Alaskans Alcohollywood website with Lynn have become wary of camera crews. http://www.alcohollywood.com/ Weinberg, director and producer of It was a process of winning keep-talking-karen-lynn-weinberg- Keep Talking. trust and explaining why we were interview/ The documentary, made by Kartemquin Films, follows the language regeneration work of a group of Alaskan Native elders and educators’ for the Kodiak Alutiiq language. “There was defi nitely deliberation; when I submitted the proposal, I had met one of the language counselors, Kari Sherod, and had a sense that they wanted to do something. So I just fl ew out a proposal to her. Many months later, I assumed it was a no go, but suddenly [I learned] she succeeded in getting it past the elders. She “It was a process of winning trust, and explaining why we were there.” 12 – February 2018

‘A special place for ’s culture minister, https://www.theguardian. Luxembourgish’ told the Guardian. “I am not com/world/2017/dec/28/ Jennifer Rankin at The Guardian one of those who believes our luxembourgish-grand-duchys- reports on the Luxembourg language is on the point of dying native-language-enjoys- government’s 40-point action plan or disappearing. Emails, SMS renaissance?lipi=urn:li:page:d_ to revitalise Luxembourgish, long- and social networks have made fl agship3_feed;xz6aTE/ established as a language for the Luxembourgish, in its written form, KRveaO5EFTFYHnQ== home. more used than ever before.”  The language, which was only recognised as a in Luxembourg in 1984, has seen a recent resurgence in popularity, despite having been registered on UNESCO’s list of endangered languages in 2010. In the period between 2016 and 2017, twice the number of adults were enrolled on Luxembourg’s National Institute of Languages’ courses as a decade ago. “The goal is not to make Luxembourgish the offi cial language, but to allow it to coexist with the other offi cial languages, French and German,” Guy Arendt, The language was only recognised as a national language in 1984.

Newfound pride in Guaraní, Ladislaa Alcaraz, the government’s emphasis on Spanish, or a foreign a language long disdained in Minister for Language Policy. “It language, would make their children Paraguay is associated with poverty, rurality, more competitive in the job market. Myles McCormick of The New ignorance, with people who are “It’s a human rights issue,” York Times covers the Guaraní illiterate.” Ms. Alcaraz said. “People who use language’s rebranding by Paraguayan Many still hold negative Guaraní deserve to be tended to in offi cials and intellectuals, who are stereotypes of their language, and Guaraní.”  working to put Guaraní in an equal have pushed back against their https://www.nytimes. position to the country’s dominant children being taught in Guaraní, com/2018/01/06/world/americas/ language, Spanish, as per the 1992 with its high-pitched, nasal and paraguay-guarani-language.html Constitution. guttural sounds. They say that an The government is hoping to shift the public perception of the language by bringing it into offi cial communication – currently, less than one per cent of government public relations are conducted in Guaraní. And while civil servants are being taught to speak the language, and citizens now have the right to trial in either language, the movement to bring Guaraní into the curriculum has been met with pushback by Guaraní-speaking parents. “There is a stigma, a prejudice, associated with Guaraní,” said Phot corutesy of: Hugo.arg Books printed in Guarani. February 2018 – 13

Elfdalian language gets double Nordic languages. is being saved by Minecraft – written coverage “I’ve been going around the by Björn Rehnström and translated Continental Europe-based English- Nordics since I started studying and and adapted for The Local by language digital news publisher The studied some Faroese at a summer Catherine Edwards – investigates Local has shown a particular interest course, so I got a feel for all the to what extent the language’s in endangered languages over recent different Nordic languages but resurrection is due to its use in months, with two articles published the last Nordic language I didn’t sandbox video game Minecraft. about ’s ancient Elfdalian understand was Elfdalian, so that Rehnström writes that Minecraft (also known as Övdalian, Övdalsk, was kind of frustrating. That led me users are building the village of Övdalską, Älvdalska, or Älvdalsmål). to wanting to know more about it,” Älvdalen in the game, and are The North Germanic language he explained about his motivation to conducting all communications is spoken by 3,000 individuals in learn the tongue. in Elfdalian. The language’s use Western Sweden, and was written “When foreigners come to in popular culture can only bode using until the early 20th Denmark a lot of Danish people well, especially in light of its alleged century. In the fi rst , Sweden’s ask ‘why would you learn Danish branding as near-extinct. lost forest language now has when you can speak English?’, but “We want to make it interesting international speakers, Lee Roden I didn’t feel that in Älvdalen. The and fun for children to learn discusses Elfdalian with its new, older generation want to preserve Elfdalian grammar and the history foreign learners, who were enrolled the language, they think it’s a shame and culture of the area, by using a on an introductory course over it’s disappearing. I’m not sure the medium which children are already summer 2017. younger generation feels the same familiar with – millions of children “I have a Masters in linguistics way yet.” across the world play Minecraft.” and studied in both Copenhagen https://www.thelocal.se/20170901/ https://www.thelocal.se/20171011/ and Iceland, and learned Icelandic. -lost-forest-language-now- how-swedens-rare-viking-forest- I already had an interest in has-international-speakers language-elfdalian-is-being-saved-by- Nordic languages, and that gave The second feature, How minecraft me a nice insight into western Sweden’s ancient language Elfdalian

Tlingit project explores the for using futuristic materials to https://www.thestranger.com/ tensions between tradition and create objects that highlight the visual-art/2018/01/03/25642955/ innovation tensions arising between tradition in-one-gray-hair-alison-marks- In a feature by Emily Pothast, and innovation in the context of explores-the-tensions-between- Seattle newspaper The Stranger colonization.”  tradition-and-innovation examines “a collaboration between artist Alison Marks and her husband, Paul, a Tlingit language teacher and culture keeper whose father is one of the endangered language’s last fl uent speakers Tlingit artist.” As part of the project, Marks and her husband are giving stars Tlingit names using a free star- naming website “Symbolically, I am sending the language into space so that it may survive there if we don’t save it on Earth,” she tells Pothast. “One Gray Hair is the fi rst solo museum exhibition by Marks, a contemporary Tlingit artist known Marks’ work was recently on show in the Frye Art Museum. 14 – February 2018

Thousands of Taushiro people that leaked from certain trees and settled cities. But the Taushiro, along once spoke his language in the coated their clothes, making them with many other tribes, took another Amazon. Now, he’s the only one waterproof. route: They decided to disappear. In a long-form feature for the New But by the 19th century, Amadeo’s early memories from York Times, Nicholas Casey profi les Europeans had discovered the the hidden Taushiro settlement of the last living speaker of Peruvian utility of rubber as well, setting Aucayacu remain in the haze of a language Taushiro, Amadeo García off a boom. European and place where writing was unknown García. American companies descended and no records were kept, not even With limited opportunity for into the jungles, forcing indigenous of his birth, which he thinks was revitalisation, government linguists populations into slavery to tap the sometime in the 1940s. from the Ministry of Culture in rubber while building huge palaces His fi rst memory was walking Peru have worked to document the on the lands left behind. naked through the forest in a storm, language in cooperation with García The deadly Age of Rubber had the rain trickling down his body. García, who unfortunately has no begun in the Amazon. In many Contact with the outside world was children that speak the language. areas, as much as 90 percent of the rare, and often violent.” “The Taushiro and other indigenous population died from https://www.nytimes. indigenous groups had long disease and forced labor, researchers com/2017/12/26/world/americas/ harvested a sticky white substance say. Thousands moved into newly peru-amazon-the-end.html

Photo courtesy of: Jason HollingerPhoto courtesy of: Jason Amazon River, near Indiana, Peru.

New Zealand broadcasters refuse Despite this, Lloyd, who co- has committed to normalising and to stop using M�aori words hosts The Project NZ, has refused encouraging the use of Te Reo to stop using Te Reo in her through his programme, which is Eleanor Ainge Roy reports in The broadcasts. listened to by nearly half a million Guardian on the prominent New “In 2016, Radio New Zealand New Zealanders every day. Zealand media representatives journalists began signing off their On Monday night Lloyd who are pushing back in the face reports in Te Reo. TVNZ presenter recorded a passionate two-minute of hundreds of English speakers Jack Tame uses it regularly on his video rebuttal to her detractors, who say they feel “excluded” by the Breakfast show, as does Morning saying: “I actually felt a bit sorry use of the Te Reo Māori dialect in Report presenter Guyon Espiner. for these guys, sorry the world is primetime broadcasting. But the trend has sparked anger moving too fast for you my bros. Countless complaints have among some viewers. The change has already happened. been aimed at Newshub presenter Morning Report state they The Earth isn’t fl at, climate change Kanoa Lloyd, of Maori-descent, receive around half a dozen is real, the treaty was signed, we’re for her continued use of Te Reo complaints on an average day.” speaking Māori!” in her weather reports since Espiner of Morning Report https://www.theguardian.com/ 2015 – especially in referring to said he received daily messages world/2017/nov/28/new-zealand- New Zealand by its Te Reo name, from New Zealanders telling him broadcasters-refuse-to-stop-using- Aotearoa. to “stop speaking gibberish”, but maori-words