1 BRO NEVEZ 95 August 2005 ISSN 0895 3074 __________________________________________________________________________________________ Editor: Lois Kuter (215) 886-6361 169 Greenwood Ave., B-4 [email protected] (NEW !!!) Jenkintown, PA 19046 U.S.A. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ The U.S. Branch of the International Committee for the Defense of the Breton Language (U.S. ICDBL) was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation on October 20, 1981. Bro Nevez ("new country" in the Breton language) is the newsletter produced by the U.S. ICDBL It is published quarterly: February, May, August and November. Contributions, letters to the Editor, and ideas are welcome from all readers and will be printed at the discretion of the Editor. The U.S. ICDBL provides Bro Nevez on a complimentary basis to a number of language and cultural organizations in Brittany to show our support for their work. Your Membership/Subscription allows us to do this. Membership (which includes subscription) for one year is $20. Checks should be in U.S. dollars, made payable to “U.S. ICDBL” and mailed to Lois Kuter at the address above. Dues and contributions can also be sent electronically via the U.S. ICDBL web site – see below Ideas expressed within this newsletter are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent ICDBL philosophy or policy. For information about the Canadian ICDBL contact: Jeffrey D. O’Neill, 1111 Broadview Ave. #205, Toronto, Ontario, M4K 2S4, CANADA (e-mail: [email protected]). Telephone: (416) 913-1499. U.S. ICDBL website: www.breizh.net/icdbl.htm From the Editor: The Breton Language in Crisis – Where do we go from here? Lois Kuter A recent article on the Eurolang website support for the Breton language from the (www.eurolang.net) reported on a seminar French government and European level held at the Summer University at the institutions. The recent vote of “no” by Festival de Cornouaille in Quimper this July. France for the European Constitution has This was one of a series of discussions on been cause for dismay by those who hoped the theme of “Brittany and Europe, Cultural that at least at the European level, the Diversity and Citizenship.” The title to the Breton language might be offered some legal Eurolang article reporting on a seminar on protection (Bretons voted for the constitution Europe and the support of minority by a slim majority). Whether the European languages was: “We can’t wait any longer, Constitution had been approved by France or we are losing 20,000 speakers a year, the not, it is clear that France does not plan to house is on fire.” This was a quote of Patrick ratify the European Charter for Regional or Malrieu, President of the Cultural Council of Minority Languages, which has had some Brittany, who expressed the frustration of positive impact on the place of minority many others who have worked to get languages in those countries where it has 2 been adopted. Nor will France be changing Some Grass-Roots Efforts the Article in its own Constitution that states Recognized that “French is the language of the Republic.” And this Article will continue to be For the fifth year the “Regional Prizes for the used by French politicians to block much Future of Breton” have been awarded by the needed public funding for programs to Ofis ar Brezhoneg (Office for Breton) for support regional languages in France. Time individuals, associations, and businesses in is of the essence. recognition of their work for the Breton language. Léna Louarn, Director of Ofis ar This means that the Breton people must Brezhoneg, and Jean-Pierre Thomin, Vice- continue at the grass roots level with work President of the Regional Council of Brittany that has been so encouraging in recent years and President of its Cultural Commission, – not just to continue a steady growth in presented the awards at the end of May. The bilingual and immersion schooling (at all winners were as follows: levels), but also to expand adult classes and encouragement of the use Breton in the Businesses: home and community, and to foster leisure 1. TV Rennes for its program on the Breton time activities where Breton is encouraged. language in urban settings; 2. Marc Paugam, They must also work to increase Breton for his use of Breton in is bio-agriculture language radio and TV programming and operations in Lanhouarneau; 3. Ouestélio, a publishing, and build incentives for the use numeric stamping business in Brest which of Breton in the workplace. They must insist incorporates Breton in its technology. on an increased presence of Breton in public signage on roads, in stores, and in offices. It Associations: will be the people of Brittany that carry their 1. Ubapar, Union bretonne d’animation des language into the future. Bretons must pays ruraux, in Saint-Nolff, for its promotion continue manning a bucket brigade to keep of Breton in leisure activities; 2. Kentelioù an the house from burning down. And, as noz, in Nantes, which not only organizes disheartening as it is, work also needs to classes in Breton but encourages learning by continue to make the French government using Breton in various activities for Breton take down the road blocks that keep the fire learners such as cooking, singing, and trucks from arriving. soccer; 3. Fea, in Arzano, for encouraging publications and creative activities in Breton What can we do as members of the U.S. for youth. ICDBL? We cannot magically stop the loss of 20,000 Breton speakers a year. We certainly Individuals: don’t have the means to send Bretons the 1. Céline Soun, of Plouvien, for her work financial support that the French government with youth in theater; should be investing in the future of the Breton language. But we can continue to 2. Arno Elegoed, of Quimper, the founder of encourage Bretons hard at work on all levels the publishing house Bannoù-Heol in 1999, of activity to keep up their good work, to not who published popular comic books Boule et give up, to not let the house burn down. And Bill and Titeuf in Breton; we can continue to express our outrage that a country like France, that presents itself to 3. Ferroudja Aït Aoudia, of Lannion, who is the world as a defender of human rights and teaching math and Arabic in Paris and cultural diversity, only seems willing to throw preparing a business degree in the Breton gasoline on the fire. language. 3 NEW BOOKS OF NOTE Language Shift” for those not familiar with it. A particularly useful table presents population, language speakers and percentage of Celtic language speakers for Reviewed by Lois Kuter the populations of Scotland, Brittany, Wales, Ireland (the Republic and Northern Ireland), Cornwall, the Isle of Diarmuid Ó Néill (Editor). Rebuilding the Celtic Man, and Nova Scotia. I can’t think of any other place Languages – Reversing Language Shift in the where I have seen these statistics (from 2001 and 2002) Celtic Countries. Preface by Joshua Fishman. gathered together. This is the first of many useful tables, (Caredigion, Wales: Y Lolfa / www.ylolfa.com). 2005. maps and charts found throughout the book. 461 pages. ISBN 0 86243 723 7. The book is organized by language with those in the Sociolinguist Joshua Fishman starts his Preface, “The Brittonic/Brythonic branch of Celtic presented first: soft smile and the iron fist,” by noting that the “white Welsh (in Wales and Argentina), Breton, and Cornish. death” of assimilation of minority cultures (delivered by The Goidelic/Gaelic languages make up the second half those with the “soft smile”) in these more benign times of the book: Irish (in the Republic and Northern Ireland), is not much different in its end results than the “black Scottish Gaelic (in Scotland and Nova Scotia) and death” of genocide (delivered by governments with an Manx. “iron fist”) in earlier days when minority languages were simply forbidden and crushed. And even when Colin Williams (University of Wales, Cardiff and The governments are “supportive,” the support is often more Welsh Language Board) gives a detailed presentation of verbal than real. Fishman’s advice to supporters of Welsh, including a historical overview relating the state threatened language is to “not place their ‘trust in of the language to political changes, and analyzing princes,’ but to primarily undertake efforts they can Welsh today in terms of the eight stages of Fishman’s implement themselves, by their own sweat, tears and scale. Not only does this give a good overview of where resources.” This is advice he feels is needed for the six Welsh stands today, but Williams also includes a Celtic languages in view of the lack of true support from number of practical and measurable steps to be taken to France or Britain. further strengthen Welsh. Welsh is spoken by 23% of the population of Wales – the strongest of all the Celtic In his research of a number of minority languages languages. throughout the world, Fishman has proposed that reversing a downward slide can be accomplished by Paul Birt presents the Welsh language in the Chubut building languages in stages which lay foundations for Province of Argentina as it has been sustained by an growth. This model was first published in his 1991 work emigrant community first arriving in the mid 19th Reversing Language Shift, and it involves eight stages century. He examines the history of this Welsh colony needed to reverse the loss of a language. At the base is and the role of language in their maintenance of a Welsh the transmission of a language within the family and its identity. This is a detailed and fascinating history of how use by a community.