Northwest Indian Language Institute Bi-Annual Newsletter Fall/Winter 2011
this issue Summer Institute 2012 P.1 Reclaiming Lushootseed Domains P.2 Language in the Home: Card Games P.2 Summer Institute 2011 Recap P.4 Hawaiian Language Revitalization Model P.5 NILI Collaborates with Tribes P.6 Thank you, NILI Donors! P.10 Upcoming Events P. 11
Stay in Touch
There are lots of ways to stay in touch with NILI and the things we are doing. Check out our News page and “like” us on Facebook. NILI News Feed NILI Facebook Page
Support NILI
Summer Institute 2012 “Reclaiming Daily Conversations” The 15th Annual NILI Summer Institute will be held Monday, July 9, 2012 to
There are lots of way you can support NILI. You can donate to our fund, host a training, donate items to be used for materials or curriculum, or write to the University of Oregon to let them know how NILI supports your community.
Friday, July 20, 2012 at the University of Oregon campus. This year we are offering a third week for people who wish to have a more “hands-on” experience with materials and curriculum making. The third week will begin July 23, 2012 and end July 27, 2012. “Reclaiming Daily Conversations” is the theme for the 2012 Summer Institute. Our thought behind this theme is to teach participants strategies on how to reclaim daily conversations from English. For example, instead of greeting someone in English with “Hi,” one could say, “He’ba’lo’,” which is a Wiyot greeting. You could then ask after a person’s family by saying “ʔəsx̌id š(ə) adsyayayəʔ” in Lushootseed or tell someone that it’s cold, “dret khul alta” in Chinuk Wawa. This may seem a small thing, but when we begin to use our ancestral languages in daily life, it becomes easier to make room in other areas of our lives for our languages. Other NILI courses will cover a range of topics including: Northwest Native languages, linguistics, teaching materials and technology development, and teaching methods. Page 1
Reclaiming Lushootseed Domains By Zalmai ʔəswəli Zahir I first heard the concept of reclaiming language domains from Lindsay Marean while attending the 2008 Northwest Indian Language Institute (NILI) at the University of Oregon. Marean was teaching a course in teaching methods. Although I and other language teachers have taught our students to try to begin using language learned in the
Language in the Home: Playing Cards By Judith Fernandes
classroom in everyday life, Marean was the first to put it in terms of ‘reclaiming domains back into the language’. Learning language is not the only element in language revival. We must also speak it. In other words, if we are serious about reviving endangered languages, then it’s
Start playing card games in your language! If you translate a few basic phrases and practice them each time you play, the whole game can be immersed in your language.
important we begin using the language in everyday life. Let’s breakdown the concept of language domain. As I think about it, it seems a language domain can be many things. Here are some examples:
Here are some good starting phrases to begin playing: It’s my turn. It’s his turn. It’s her turn.
1. A domain can be a topic, such as a greeting. I could decide to only say ʔəsx̌id
Whose turn is it?
I already played. He already played. She already played. Did you already play? Draw a card. Put down a card. Take a card. Deal the cards. How many cards? I win. You win. He wins. She wins.
čəxʷ for how are you when greeting people. If I commit to using this phrase every time, then I’ve reclaimed this one greeting FOR Lushootseed. 2. A domain can be a location. It can be my
Who starts? I start. He starts. You start. She starts.
Do you have a “2, 3 ,4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Jack, Queen, King, Ace”? Yes No
kitchen, my car, or walking along the water. When I’m in that location, I only speak Lushootseed. 3. A domain can be an activity. Let’s say my
Are you finished? I’m finished. He’s finished. She’s finished.
goal is to make my kitchen the location where I only speak Lushootseed, but let’s assume I don’t have enough fluency to do everything. So I start with one activity, such (Continued on page 3)
Page 2
Reclaiming Lushootseed Domains, continued (Continued from page 2)
going to translate for those who don’t understand you? Questions like these
as, putting away food in the
and others are for you to think about.
refrigerator to begin my goal of
Again, please feel free to share your
total kitchen immersion.
ideas. We all benefit.
ʔudəgʷəd čəd ti sqəbuʔ ʔal tə ̓ səxʷƛuxʷilali I am putting the
Now consider the big picture.
milk into the refrigerator, and so on. Once I’ve done this, then I can add another activity, until all my kitchen domains are reclaimed FOR Lushootseed.
Although ʔəsx̌id čəxʷ is only one small phrase, what if one hundred people decided to reclaim it FOR Lushootseed? Then five hundred. Then a thousand, and so on. One definition of an endangered language
4. A domain can be a relationship
is one spoken by less than five
to a person or group of people.
hundred people. If over five hundred
For example, those with good
people said this one phrase every day,
fluency may decide to only speak
all the time, then would this not be an
Lushootseed to their child, or a
elegant seed to plant for Lushootseed
teacher may only speak
revitalization and preservation?
Lushootseed to their students. Once again, this relationship
huyəxʷ čəd I am finished now.
domain is reclaimed FOR Lushootseed. These are just four examples of what a language domain might mean. You are encouraged to consider others and please feel free to share your ideas. When considering reclaiming a language domain, you will also need to consider to what extent you will reclaim it. In particular, who is your audience? Are you going to say ʔəsx̌id čəxʷ how are you to everyone, your community or only those that know Lushootseed? If you decide to say it all of the time, are you
Share your ideas about reclaiming domains with others. Ideas can be posted to the NILI Facebook page or shared via email. Let us know your thoughts! NILI Facebook NILI Email
Student Highlight: Carson Viles Carson, a Siletz tribal member and University of Oregon student, worked at NILI this fall term on formatting an elder-wawa storybook project for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. Carson is an Honors College student who is majoring in Environmental Studies. He is currently in his fifth year of studies and is a “senior in standing.” He is presently doing an internship with the Tribal Climate Change Project which is a collaborative project between the UO Environmental Studies Program and the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station. Out of respect for culture-bearing Native languages, Carson took two years of Ichishkíin taught by Yakama tribal members Roger Jacob, Greg Sutterlict, and elder Virginia Beavert. He is also studying his ancestral language Dee -ni’, a coastal Athabaskan language with the help of Pyuwa Bommelyn. Carson believes language is an important and powerful part of culture and that language carries cultural information. He observes that it is a struggle to maintain culture without language. Modern day Indians are going through this struggle and he’d like to see less of this and more language spoken. Carson says there is a lot of work to be done on his language as well as other Native languages in general. He feels it is important for the Native youth to be proactive in the language preservation effort. Another facet of Carson is his desire to be active and fit. Basketball is his sport of choice. He says that it is extra important for the Indian community to be fit because they have a lot of hurdles to face. Fitness is a way to strengthen oneself for those hurdles. He says he really stays fit for fun but the struggles of the Indian community are in his mind. A lesser known fact about Carson is his passion for preparing acorns. Every time there is a food celebration at the Longhouse and elsewhere, Carson can be counted on to bring acorn soup. Page 3
Summer Institute 2011 Recap Overview of NILI 2011, June 20-July 1 Another great Summer Institute was enjoyed by NILI Staff and tribal communities! Language teachers and learners from Muckleshoot, Smith River Rancheria, Quinault, Warm Springs, Yakama, Colville, Wiyot, and Siletz were represented this year. The participants started their day with a class offered by Dr. Michelle Jacob from the University of San Diego and a member of the Yakama Nation. Her class, Indigenous Language Revitalization Issues and Human Rights, culminated in an action project taking steps towards language revitalization. Projects made for the class were assembled into a booklet and include posters, resolutions, open-letters, language learning activities, and petitions. Participants next attended Linguistics classes, helping them take an analytical look at their language. Classes taught by NILI faculty included topics about grammar, vocabulary and phonology. The morning ended with intensive language courses in participants' languages. The language courses taught this year were: Sahaptin 1 (Virginia Beavert and Roger Jacob); Sahaptin 2 (Virginia Beavert and Gregory Sutterlict); Lushootseed (Zeke Zahir); and Tolowa Dee-ni’ (Loren Bommelyn). Based on this year’s theme of “Sharing Stories," afternoon classes were centered on teaching methods and teaching materials related to stories and teaching them. In the curriculum class, participants learned how to build language curriculum around a story, and went home with three new
stories they could teach in their languages. In the materials class in the late afternoon, teachers created materials around the teaching of a story, including digital and/or print versions of the stories, which they could also take home. Most participants stayed on the UO Campus for the two weeks of Summer Institute. We were able to gather for several group events, such as a dinner at the Longhouse, as well as a barbecue at the NILI house. This year, we welcomed Dr. Kimberly Espy, the incoming Vice President for Research and Innovation, and honored Dr. Rich Linton, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, and Dr. Charles Martinez, Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity, both of whom retired this past summer. Dr. Linton formalized NILI’s status as an Institute at UO. He and Dr. Martinez have supported NILI participant scholarships for the past 6 years. Perhaps one of the most discussed issues this year was the desire for more support for Distance Education initiatives. Based on this discussion, NILI is exploring technological solutions and is piloting a distance class this Fall in Lushootseed. Further feedback included the desire to extend the Summer Institute. For summer 2012, there will be an optional 3rd week based on this feedback. Be sure to check out the 2012 Summer Institute website for more information.
NILI Summer Institute 2012 http://pages.uoregon.edu/nwili/summer-institute Page 4
Hawaiian Language Revitalization Model October 5-8, 2011, the Northwest
revived Hawaiian as the first
Indian Language Institute,
language of their home.
University of Oregon, and the America’s Big Idea were pleased to host Dr. Kauanoe Kamana and Dr. Pila Wilson for a week of events highlighting their work in the Hawaiian Model for Language Revitalization for building speakers of endangered indigenous languages.
While Kauanoe and Pila were here they gave three presentations - all aimed at different members of the UO Community. Their first presentation Hawaiian Language Revitalization and the Role of Schools was geared towards the greater UO and Eugene/Springfield communities. A special
Lushootseed Immersion Week 2012 August 8 - 15, 2012 The Northwest Indian Language Institute will offer a one-week Lushootseed full-immersion course at the University of Oregon this summer. Students will be fully immersed in Lushootseed (Puget Salish) for seven days. All participants will be staying on the same floor of a dormitory, living, eating, and sleeping Lushootseed. Classes will include art, games, stories, and more.
Like many other indigenous
introduction was given by Tony
No prior knowledge of Lushootseed is necessary.
languages, Hawaiian is critically
Johnson, Chinook Tribal Member
Registration Fee
$470.00
endangered. Fluent first-language
and artist, who spoke about the
speakers are elderly and often
revitalization of Chinuk Wawa. An
Room & Board Double room ($49.00/night x 7 nights)
$392.00
scattered across the islands. For 20
overview of how the early Hawaiian
years, there has been a coordinated
preschools were established was
Single room ($69.00/night x 7 nights)
$483.00
community and government effort
shared as well as what it took for
to save the Hawaiian language and
the small group of Hawaiian
culture.
language advocates to come
The Hawaiian Model for Language Revitalization features communityfamily immersion language nests as the most successful model for building speakers of endangered languages. Hawaiian language programs have expanded from these nests into immersion preschools and Kindergarten-12 schools and the Hawaiian Language
together and build their speech communities. The second
For more information, please visit the Lushootseed Immersion webpage here: http://tinyurl.com/lushootseed2012
presentation, Issues in Hawaiian Language Revitalization, was
ancestral languages in the
geared towards folks who are
home and schools. These
interested in the study of
videos will be available on the
languages. Many students and
NILI website soon. Please
faculty from the UO Linguistics
check back for further
Department and tribal community
information.
members were in attendance.
We thank our partners,
College at the University of Hawai‘i
Saturday’s workshop, Hawaiian
College of Arts and Sciences,
at Hilo. Drs. Pila Wilson and
Insights Regarding Language Nests
Center for Latino/a and Latin
Kauanoe Kamana were the first of a
and Survival Schools, hosted local
American Studies, and
number of couples in Hawai‘i who
tribes working to reclaim their
Department of Linguistics!
Page 5
NILI’s Collaborative Projects: 2012 Throughout the year, we are
feedback. The overall goal is to
that link powerful moral
privileged to work with tribes and
restore the Karuk Language to
lessons with sites on the
organizations on various short and
something that is heard and
Reservation. We will also
long term projects. We very much
spoken by Karuk people every
develop two evaluation
appreciate being invited to be a
day throughout the Karuk
measures that assess (1) the
part of this kind of work, and we
homelands. Joana, Regan and
effectiveness of language and
learn and grow through these
Zeke were very pleased to share
cultural teachings in
collaborative efforts. Here are
this work with the Karuk
preventing drug and alcohol
some of the projects of the past
community. The Plan is now
abuse among Native youth;
year:
being edited by the Karuk
and (2) the relationship
Language Restoration
between language and cultural
Strategic Plan for Karuk Language
Committee and will be
teaching and increased self-
Restoration
presented to the Karuk Tribal
esteem and self-worth in
Council for review.
Native youth.
Language Restoration Committee
IchishkĂin Culture and Language
Nimiipuu Language Teaching
and Karuk Tribal and Language
as Protective Factors
and Family Learning
summer of 2011 to develop a
This project is a collaboration
At the beginning of October,
Strategic Plan for the continued
between NILI, the Yakama
Judith and Joana spent a
restoration of the Karuk language.
Nation Language Program, the
weekend with the Nez Perce
This work involved planning and
Yakama Reservation Wellness
Language program in Lapwai
facilitating a retreat with
Coalition, and three school
to work with teachers and
participation from Tribal staff,
districts on the Yakama Nation.
community members on
council members, language
The goal of the program is to
activities and strategies for
speakers and learners, and
increase self-esteem, cultural
teaching language and using it
community members with a
pride and drug and alcohol free
in the home. The first day
sustained interest in language
lifestyles in our Yakama Nation
focused on teachers, with an
restoration. During the retreat
at-risk teenagers. With tribal
emphasis on using stories and
weekend we evaluated resources
teachers and NILI summer
legends in the classroom. The
and challenges, set long-range
institute students, the team is
second day focused on using
goals, and developed a rough
developing culture-based
the Nez Perce language at
timeline and plan for attaining
curriculum centered around
home during play time, story
those goals. NILI staff then drafted
traditional foods and nutrition,
time, in different areas of the
a plan and revised it based on
longhouse protocol and legends
NILI staff worked with the Karuk
Program staff in the spring and
(Continued on page 7)
Page 6
Collaboration, continued focused on the development of
Apprentice teams based in
place and culture based
Toppenish, Goldendale,
house and while doing everyday
language immersion curriculum
Wapato and White Swan. In
activities. Also, a special honoring
for grades K-5. Topics included
addition, teams documented
was made to Haruo Aoki, a
berries, salmon, acorns, camas,
traditional activities to be used
Japanese linguist who worked with
canoes and canoe journeys and
in creating lessons and to be
the Nez Perce elders for more than
cedar basketry. Units contained
archived for future use. The
twenty years on creating the Nez
math, science and language arts
learners are now teachers,
Perce Dictionary. Other elders who
lessons in Chinuk Wawa. The
with various community
participate in language
Confederated Tribes of Grand
classes taking place. NILI
revitalization were also
Ronde has just been awarded
supported this project with
recognized.
another three year ANA grant.
teacher training in curriculum
There was a great turnout,
NILI will support teachers with
development, and linguistics
including a number of elders and
training and curriculum writing.
training.
master learners who provided the
The purpose of the new project
Nimiipuu words and sentences for
is to create a Chinuk Wawa
The Tolowa Athabaskan
the activities as well as rich
immersion school for K-1. Seven
Lexicon and Text Collection
cultural information. The Nez
new place and culture based
Project: Recording the Last
Perce Language Program is now
units will be created based on
Speakers of the Tolowa
offering to their community
language arts, math and science.
Dee-ni' Language
methods that were taught at the
The just-ending Yakama Nation
This National Science
training. Many who attended the
ANA grant paired 8 learners
Foundation funded
event continue to give positive
with 4 Elders in a Master-
documentation project will
reports to the language program
Apprenticeship program, with
result in an audio and written
about the event.
the goal of building speakers
catalogue of Tolowa Dee-ni’
and language teachers who are
language as well as a
Grand Ronde and Yakama Nation
knowledgeable about their
dictionary with selected sound
ANA projects
language and traditions, and
files. It is a collaboration
who maintain the virtues of
between the Del Norte County
NILI just finished supporting two
respect, honor, and discipline
Unified School District and
three-year ANA grants, one with
towards the Elders and within
NILI, and is supported by the
the Confederated Tribes of Grand
the family. Four different
Smith River Rancheria Tolowa
Ronde and one with the Yakama
dialects of the Yakama Nation
Dee-ni' Tribe.
Nation. The Grand Ronde project
were included, with Master-
(Continued from page 6)
monthly language sessions using
(Continued on page 8)
Page 7
Collaboration, continued
Staff Highlight: Judith Fernandes
(Continued from page 7)
Topics like personal recollections, geography, weather, birds, animals, food, and sayings. Sayings are central to the recordings, as these are subjects
through recollections, stories,
that provide rich insights into
songs and ceremonies. This
Tolowa Dee-ni’ culture in addition
NSF-funded project documents
to supplying language for the
the knowledge of the elders in
databases. Along with recording
their own language. It is a
new material, the project is taking
collaboration between the
an inventory of existing recordings
Yakama Nation Division of
and creating a searchable database
Natural Resources and NILI.
with speaker names, time indexes,
During the project, we will
and summaries. This work
record elders speaking to the
supports Tolowa Dee-ni' Wee-
broad themes of places and
ya' (language) Restoration Strategy
cultural and natural resource
and their culture preservation, and
management and preservation
will provide rich sources that
within the Yakama Nation;
teachers can use to develop
transcribe, translate and
classroom materials.
annotate these recordings, and produce a digital and paper
Ichishkíin/Sahaptin: Language
catalogue of Yakama natural
documentation of Yakama natural
resources, including places,
and cultural resources
plants, animals, fish, birds, and insects significant to Yakamas.
The importance of Yakama natural
This work will support and
and cultural resources, and all that
strengthen natural and cultural
their Yakama names represent, is
resource management and add
expanded upon and reinforced in
to efforts to teach and
the Yakama language by elders
preserve Ichishkíin.
Do you have a project you’d like to collaborate on with NILI? If so, contact us. We’d welcome the opportunity to collaborate and create language revitalization curriculum, materials, strategic planning, etc.
With a background in teaching that spans preschool to college level students, Judith is part of the NILI team as a teacher trainer and curriculum writer. She has several specializations areas in the field of education - language immersion, language teaching, language assessment, materials development, and creating teaching activities. Judith’s favorite project in recent years was centered on compiling basketry curriculum for classroom teachers at the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. They worked with master basketry weavers to create curriculum for both adults and children. Several children’s storybooks that were written as a literacy component in Chinuk-Wawa and a pictorial essay was developed for the harvesting, processing, and weaving of juncus and hazel. Master basket weavers went into the classroom to help even the smallest of hands to have an age-appropriate weaving experience. A traveling box with basketry materials and weavings were developed to permit others to borrow and implement the curriculum. Other projects Judith has enjoyed collaborating on include generating curriculum for teaching about: condors, turkey buzzards, canoes, wolves, beavers, bears, salmon, berries, acorns, camas, Native children’s games, and cedar. These all include age appropriate math, science, art, reading, and writing activities. What can Judith collaborate with you on? Give us a call to discuss! Page 8
Graduate Student Highlight: Zalmai ʔəswəli Zahir
Happy 90th Birthday to Virginia Beavert!
Zalmai ʔəswəli Zahir is a Ph.D. student in the Theoretical Linguistics Program at the University of Oregon. He is from the Puget Sound region of Western Washington and the primary language he works on is Lushootseed. Lushootseed is the language of thirteen different tribes in the Puget Sound area. ʔəswəli’s Puyallup Indian step-father began teaching him Lushootseed in 1974 when he was eleven. In doing so, ʔəswəli began his journey of discovering the very rich heritage of the Lushootseed people. Through his father and other Lushootseed speaking elders, he has learned language is culture and describes Lushootseed as the ‘heart’ and essence of the people. ʔəswəli continued to work on Lushootseed through high school and college and soon after graduating from school in 1988 with his undergraduate degree he began voluntarily teaching Lushootseed out of his home. Since then, his language work has included contracts with tribal language programs, doing full language-immersions for children and adults (reaching over a thousand tribal people), field and archival research, and development of Lushootseed text, audio, video and CD-ROM materials. ʔəswəli’s goal is to pass on the ‘heart’ of the people through Lushootseed to the next generation and to help keep Lushootseed alive. “Time is of the essence, for we no longer have first-language Lushootseed speakers, and the fast-pace life of the modern world is taking our younger generation further away from the language and culture of their ancestors,” ʔəswəli says.
Virginia Beavert celebrated her 90th birthday at the end of November at the Many Nations Longhouse with friends, UO’s President Richard Lariviere, students and faculty at UO. The party was a gift to her by NILI friend and donor, Dr. Taylor Fithian, NILI staff and her students. She was honored with a legend adapted into a play by her students, the Swan song sung by Zalmai Zahir and danced by students and NILI faculty, tributes, a Pendleton ‘Celebrate the Horse’ blanket, and many flowers including 90 roses.
His work at NILI, and being a linguistics graduate student at the UO, is an essential part of achieving his language goals. ʔəswəli says that “Learning linguistics is giving me tools to understand the underlying mechanics of Lushootseed, as well as, other North American languages. This includes language sounds, grammar and evolution. Working through NILI with a staff of some of the most premier, active people connected with language stabilization and revitalization on the West Coast, I am involved with creating and implementing approaches for creating healthy language programs.” During the fall term, 2010, ʔəswəli had the opportunity to help develop canoe curriculum, lesson plans and materials for the Grand Ronde Tribe. In Summer 2012, ʔəswəli will lead a seven-day full-immersion course in Lushootseed for adults. The Program will be presented through NILI at the UO and is aimed to provide students language skills to take back to their tribal programs. Page 9
Thank you NILI Donors! Your gifts enabled us to provide 4 Summer Institute scholarships, 5 teacher training workshops that included immersion language teaching strategies and materials development; and to develop 4 more storybooks. The AMB Foundation provided us grant funds to purchase software, laptops, iPods, and recording equipment for our language teachers to document their language and create teaching materials. We were able to bring Dennis Banks to UO for a pre-diabetes health fair and talk. Your tax deductible gift of any amount contributes to our special programs, supports teachers to become more skilled, and provides scholarships for Summer Institute participants, and can put books in the hands of tribal children by supporting our Storybook Project. NILI could not do the work we do without your generous support. A gift to NILI supports the Native languages, cultures and history of the Northwest. Together we can support our most precious heritage. We extend a heartfelt thanks to you all.
Aikens Trust AMB Foundation Anonymous Associated Students (UO) Lynne Bonnett Mr. Dave Easly Dr. Taylor Fithian and Family
Mrs. Robin Jaqua Mary Miller Native American Student Union (UO) Newman’s Fish Company Oregon Humanities Center Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe Smith River Rancheria
I would like to contribute to the Northwest Indian Language Institute, fund 20-6150. Name Address City, State, Zip Phone/E-mail Please charge my $
donation to my credit card
Card Number
Exp
/
My check, payable to UO Foundation, is enclosed
Please mail payment to: University of Oregon Foundation, 1720 E. 13th Avenue, Suite 410, Eugene, OR 97403-1905 AS0709 Page 10
Upcoming 2012 Conferences & Events 19th Annual Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposium Dates: May 17 - 19, 2012 Location: Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC Website: http://www.tru.ca/sils.html
CoLang/InField 2012 Dates: June 18 - 29, 2012 and July 2 - 27, 2012 Location: University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS Website: http://idrh.ku.edu/colang2012/
NILI Summer Institute 2012 Dates: July 8 - July 201, 2012 Location: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR Website: http://pages.uoregon.edu/nwili/summer-institute
NILI Newsletter Fall/Winter 2011
Lushootseed Immersion Week 2012 Dates: August 8 - 15, 2012 Location: University of Oregon, Eugene, OR Website: http://tinyurl.com/lushootseed2012
Northwest Indian Language Institute 1629 Moss Street University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon 97403 541.346.0730 ph 541.346.6086 fax nwili@uoregon.edu http://pages.uoregon.edu/nwili/ Page 11