DOCUMENT RESUME ED 428 922 RC 021 955 AUTHOR Reyhner,' Jon, Ed.; Cantoni, Gina, Ed.; St. Clair, Robert N., Ed.; Yazzie, Evangeline Parsons, Ed. TITLE Revitalizing Indigenous Languages. Papers presented at the Annual Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium (5th, Louisville, KY, May 15-16, 1998). INSTITUTION Northern Arizona Univ., Flagstaff. Center for Excellence in Education. ISBN ISBN-0-9670554-0-7 PUB DATE 1999-00-00 NOTE 163p.; For selected individual papers, see RC 021 956-966. AVAILABLE FROM Center for Excellence in Education, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 5774, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5774; Tel: 520-523-4710 ($10.00 plus $3.00 postage) .Individual papers available at Web site: http://jan.ucc.nau.edurjar/RIL_Contents.html PUB TYPE Books (010) Collected Works - Proceedings (021) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC07 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *American Indian Languages; Community Education; Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; *Language Maintenance; Literacy; Material Development; *Second Language Instruction; Teaching Methods IDENTIFIERS *Endangered Languages ABSTRACT This volume of conference papers examines issues and approaches in the revitalization of American Indian and other indigenous languages. Sections discuss obstacles and opportunities for language revitalization, language revitalization efforts and approaches, the role of writing in language revitalization, and using technology in language revitalization. Following an introduction, "Some Basics of Indigenous Language Revitalization" (Jon Reyhner), the 11 papers are: (1) "Some Rare and Radical Ideas for Keeping Indigenous Languages Alive" (Richard Littlebear); (2) "Running the Gauntlet of an Indigenous Language Program" (Steve Greymorning);(3) "Sm'algyax Language Renewal: Prospects and Options" (Daniel S. Rubin); (4) "Reversing Language Shift: Can Kwak'wala Be Revived?" (Stan J. Anonby); (5) "Using TPR-Storytelling To Develop Fluency and Literacy in Native American Languages" (Gina P. Cantoni);(6) "Documenting and Maintaining Native American Languages for the 21st Century: The Indiana University Model" (Douglas R. Parks, Julia Kushner, Wallace Hooper, Francis Flavin, Delilah Yellow Bird, Selena Ditmar); (7) "The Place of Writing In Preserving an Oral Language" (Ruth Bennett, Pam Mattz, Silish Jackson, Harold Campbell); (8) "Indigenous Language Codification: Cultural Effects" (Brian Bielenberg);(9) "Enhancing Language Material Availability Using Computers" (Mizuki Miyashita, Laura A. Moll); (10) "The New Mass Media and the Shaping of Amazigh Identity" (Amar Almasude); and (11) "Self-Publishing Indigenous Language Materials" (Robert N. St. Clair, John Busch, B. Joanne Webb). Contains references in most papers, author profiles, and a poem, "Repatriated Bones, Unrepatriated Spirits" (Richard Littlebear). (SV) , 4g- I ' "re ( t 4.0o 1) U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educationp Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDU TIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as BEEN GRANTED BY received from the person or organization originating it. Jon Allan 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Rey-1111er °Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. -.,.Gpfito for- NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY c*celienc. in EcluOtiolt t' BES' COPY AVALABL edited by Jon Reyhner Gina Cantoni Robert N. St. Clair Evangeline Parsons Yazzie NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY Flagstaff, Arizona 1999 Revitalizing Indigenous Languages isa compilation of papers presented at the Fifth Annual Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposiumon May 15 and 16, 1998, at the Galt House East in Louisville, Kentucky. Symposium Advisory Board Robert N. St. Clair, Co-chair Evangeline Parsons Yazzie, Co-chair Gina Cantoni Barbara Burnaby Jon Reyhner Symposium Staff Tyra R. Beasley Sarah Becker Yesenia Blackwood Trish Burns Emil Dobrescu Peter Matallana Rosemarie Maum Jack Ramey Tina Rose Mike Sorendo Nancy Stone B. Joanne Webb Copyright © 1999 by Northern Arizona University ISBN 0-9670554-0-7 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 99-70356 Additional copies can be obtained from Center for Excellence inEducation, Northern Arizona University, Box 5774, Flagstaff, Arizona,86011-5774. Phone 520 523 8420. Reprinting and copyingon a nonprofit basis is hereby allowed with proper identification of thesource except for Richard Littlebear's poem on page iv, which can only be reproduced with his permission. Publication information can be found at http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/H arITIL.html ii4 Contents Repatriated Bones, Unrepatriated Spirits iv Richard Littlebear Introduction: Some Basics of Indigenous Language Revitalization Jon Reyhner Obstacles and Opportunities for Language Revitalization 1.Some Rare and Radical Ideas for Keeping Indigenous Languages Alive 1 Richard Littlebear 2.Running the Gauntlet of an Indigenous Language Program 6 Steve Greymorning Language Revitalization Efforts and Approaches 3.Sm' algyax Language Renewal: Prospects and Options 17 Daniel S. Rubin 4.Reversing Language Shift: Can Kwak'wala Be Revived 33 Stan J. Anonby 5.Using TPR-Storytelling to Develop Fluency and Literacy in Native American Languages 53 Gina P. Cantoni 6.Documenting and Maintaining Native American Languages for the 21st Century: The Indiana University Model 59 Douglas R. Parks, Julia Kushner, Wallace Hooper, Francis Flavin, Delilah Yellow Bird, Selena Ditmar The Role of Writing in Language Revitalization 7.The Place of Writing in Preserving an Oral Language 84 Ruth Bennett, Pam Manz, Silish Jackson, Harold Campbell 8.Indigenous Language Codification: Cultural Effects 103 Brian Bielenberg Using Technology in Language Revitalization 9.Enhancing Language Material Availability Using Computers 113 Mizuki Miyashita and Laura A. Moll 10. The New Mass Media and the Shaping of Amazigh Identity 117 Amar Almasude 11. Self-Publishing Indigenous Language Materials 129 Robert N. St. Clair, John Busch, B. Joanne Webb Contributors 138 Repatriated Bones, Unrepatriated Spirits Richard Littlebear We were brought back. We were brought back here to a place we don't know. We were brought back here to a place where we left no tracks. We were brought back here to a place we've only passed through when we moved camp or were hunting, or were looking for enemies. We were brought back here and yet we are lost. We were brought back to a place where we are confused. But now we are starting to sing our songs. We are singing our songs that will help us find our way. We are singing our songs because we want to rest in peace. We are singing our songs so that the people who have been so friendly to us will also be at rest. We came back to a people who look like us but whose language we do not understand anymore. Yet we know in our hearts they are feeling good too, to have us back here among them. We are back here now but preparing to journey on. We are singing our songs of joy and we are gradually, gradually becoming happy knowing we can now travel on and finally be at rest. Introduction Some Basics of Indigenous LanguageRevitalization Jon Reyhner Drawing from papers presented at the five StabilizingIndigenous Languages symposiums held since 1994, activitiesare recommended for language revitalization at each of Joshua Fishman'seight stages of language loss. The role of writing in indigenous languagerevitaliza- tion is discussed, and two types of languageuse, primary and second- ary discourse, are described. The conclusion stresses the importance of motivating language learners and using teaching methodsand ma- terials that have proven effective in indigenouscommunities. Symposiums on teaching indigenous languages have beenheld annually since 1994 under the cosponsorship of Northern ArizonaUniversity's Bilingual Multicultural Education Program in its Center for Excellencein Education. The symposiums have featured a wide range of presentations,ranging from market- ing the value of native languages, to implementingimmersion teaching pro- grams, to using Total Physical Response teaching techniques, to developingin- digenous language textbooks useful for children, andeven to teaching languages over the telephone. In the United States there is an "English-Only" politicalmovement that questions the value of teaching languages other thanEnglish, including indig- enous languages. Throughout the symposiums there has beena theme of how language and culture are intimately entwined andcannot be separated. The im- portance of cultural retention, and thus indigenous language retention,was brought home to me at the third symposium in Anchorage,Alaska, when I picked up a card describing Ifiupiaq Eskimo values. One side of the card read: Every Ifiupiaq is responsible to all other hlupiat for thesurvival of our cultural spirit, and the values and traditions through which itsur- vives. Through our extended family,we retain, teach, and live our blupiaq way. The other side read, "With guidance andsupport from Elders, we must teach our children Ifiupiaq values" and then the card listed thevalues of "knowledge of language, sharing, respect for others, cooperation,respect for elders, love for children, hard work, knowledge of familytree, avoidance of conflict, respect for nature, spirituality, humor, family roles, huntersuccess, domestic skills, humil- ity, [and] responsibility to tribe." The cardconcluded with "OUR UNDER- STANDING OF OUR UNIVERSE