Pathways to Creating Onkwehonwehnéha Speakers at Six Nations of the Grand River Territory
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Pathways to Creating Onkwehonwehnéha Speakers at Six Nations of The Grand River Territory 1 Acknowledgements I would like to thank Six Nations Polytechnic President Rebecca Jamieson for commissioning this study and Sara General for writing the initial project proposal. I would also like to thank the Ontario Trillium Fund for their generous grant so that this research study was possible. Special thanks goes to the initial planning team who provided me with direction and support throughout the research process: Rebecca Jamieson (President, Six Nations Polytechnic); Tom Deer (Language Program Coordinator, Six Nations Polytechnic); Karen Sandy (Coordinator, Six Nations Language Commission) and Jennie Anderson (Development Officer, Six Nations Polytechnic). Additional thanks goes to Pat Greene, Taylor Gibson, Josh Curley, Chelsey Johnson, Corey Green and the rest of the Six Nations Polytech staff who assisted with this project in any way. Nyá:wen! This project would not have been possible without the participation of the teachers, learners, students, speakers, and administrators of Six Nation's community language programs both past and present. Also, thanks is extended to both the Six Nations of The Grand River Territory and Rotinonhsyón:nih community citizens for supporting this study. This research study builds on all of your efforts to strengthen Onkwe'honwehnéha. Tekwanonhwerá:tons! I wish to extend my thanks to Waryá:nen, Dr. Marianne Mithun - our great friend and supporter in language for over 40 years who volunteered to edit the final draft of this research study report. Tekonnonhwerá:tons! Ne' yeská:konte' nakatewennayé:ra'te' tsi non:we' ratí:teron nakwá:tsire, tekwanonhwerá:tonhs wahskya'takénhnha' ká:ro tsi niyó:re' wakhyatonhseríhsonh kénh í:ken niyorihwá:ke'. Ne enwá:ton tsi nyenhén:we' Nonkwehonwehnéha entewatatíhseke'. Tohsa nonhwén:ton aonsayonkwatewennáhton'ne'. Tehota'kerá:tonh Jeremy Green Lead Researcher 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ................................................................................................................................ 7 Background ........................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 9 Description of the Project ...............................................................................................................9 Project Goals ............................................................................................................................... 10 Study Questions ........................................................................................................................... 10 Conducting the Study ................................................................................................................... 11 Key Findings................................................................................................................................. 11 The Path to Creating a Critical Mass of Speakers of a Rotinonhsón:nih Language ............................ 11 CHAPTER 2: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................ 14 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................................ 14 Auto-Ethnography .............................................................................................................................. 14 Critical Theory .................................................................................................................................... 15 Rotinonhsón:nih Consensus-Based Approaches ................................................................................ 15 Literature Review ........................................................................................................................ 15 Proficiency Assessment use in Language Programs at Six Nations .................................................... 15 Elementary School Use Of Oral Proficiency Assessments At Six Nations .......................................... 16 Elementary School Use of Oral Proficiency Assessments Internationally.......................................... 17 HLIP (Hawaiian Language Immersion Program) ............................................................................................ 19 Kaiaka Reo ..................................................................................................................................................... 20 C-PILA (Cherokee Preschool Immersion Language Assessment) & C-KILA (Cherokee Kindergarten Immersion Language Assessment) ................................................................................................................ 20 Student Oral Proficiency Assessment (SOPA)................................................................................................ 21 Hawaiian Oral Language Assessment (H-OLA) .............................................................................................. 21 Assessing Hawaiian........................................................................................................................................ 22 French Immersion in Quebec ........................................................................................................................ 22 Adult Language Program Use of Oral Proficiency Assessments at Six Nations .................................. 23 Language Vitality and Language Endangerment ................................................................................ 23 Language Planning ............................................................................................................................. 25 Quantitative Program Assessments ................................................................................................... 26 Limitations of Qualitative Research Methods .................................................................................... 26 Framework For Assessing Speaking Proficiency & Language Use ...................................................... 27 Framework For Assessing Instructional Frameworks and Teaching and Learning Methods ............. 28 Data Collection ............................................................................................................................ 28 Literature Review ............................................................................................................................... 29 Focus Group Meetings ....................................................................................................................... 29 Anonymous Language Learner Questionnaire ................................................................................... 30 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 30 Methodology Summary ................................................................................................................ 31 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH FINDINGS ......................................................................................... 32 Language Vitality at Six Nations .................................................................................................... 32 3 Ononda'gë:ga' .................................................................................................................................... 32 Gayogohó:no:' ....................................................................................... 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Kanyen'kéha ....................................................................................................................................... 33 Defining Speakers of Onkwe'honwehnéha .................................................................................... 33 Speakers ............................................................................................................................................. 33 Language Learners ............................................................................................................................. 33 Creating Speakers of Onkwe'honwehnéha .................................................................................... 34 Motivation .......................................................................................................................................... 34 Identity .......................................................................................................................................................... 34 Maintenance of Family Legacy ...................................................................................................................... 34 Inspiration ..................................................................................................................................................... 35 Speaking Proficiency .......................................................................................................................... 35 Targeting Building Speaking Proficiency Through Second Language Acquisition Processes ......................... 35 The Most Effective Instructional Frameworks .............................................................................................