APTN National News recently featured a three-part series on how the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia are reclaiming their education. It’s great to see how communities are providing a solid foundation for students through Indigenous language and culture programs.
To view the video clip on the APTN website, click on the following link: Mi’kmaq reclaiming what was lost through education.
The New York Times has recently written an article about the revitalization project amoung the Siletz tribe in Oregon entitled Tribe revives language on verge of extinction. They are incorporating language programs in school, teaching Siletz as a foreign language, for members of the community to learn. There is also a Siletz talking dictionary! (like the Mi’gmaq one!!) Their dictionary has attracted attention from users from related language groups as well as users all around the world. It has become more and more popular for youngsters to learn because not only is it part of their Siletz identity, the language also “can sound pretty cool” with its many sounds not found in English. Bridging technology and tradition, the Siletz are creating successful language resources.
Interesting new project from Google: a website for information in and about endangered languages. Description from their main page, at www.endangeredlanguages.com:
The Endangered Languages Project, is an online resource to record, access, and share samples of and research on endangered languages, as well as to share advice and best practices for those working to document or strengthen languages under threat. (Source)
More details on the project at the Google blog press release and an FAQ on sources for the information. People here at CoLang with me seem pretty interested by this, and a few of the people here are already involved.
I just checked out the entry for Mi’gmaq, and it’s pretty incomplete. For example, only one location is listed where the language is spoken, around Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, the primary spelling is listed as Micmac, and the primary classification is listed as Algic. There are three Youtube videos linked, but no other materials in the language.
However, people and organizations are encouraged to sign up and add more to the entries. On the one hand, getting involved could correct some of this information and make more resources available. On the other hand, it would be extra work for us, and we’re already making materials available online. At minimum, maybe we could consider logging in and making some links to Mi’gmaq-language resources that are already online? Anyone have any thoughts on this?
There’s an interesting-looking TV series starting on Al Jazeera about endangered languages. The description on the website reads “Living the Language: Every 14 days a language dies. Follow the people battling to save theirs.” One of the six featured languages is spoken in Canada (Ktunaxa) and another is spoken in Guatemala (Maya). More information here: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/livingthelanguage/
Here is a blog about tweets in indigenous languages. Kevin Scannell made a family tree for indigenous languages using tweets! So keep tweetin’ on in Mi’gmaq!
Howdy y’all!
This is an excellent series of documentaries about Aboriginal peoples in Canada (recommended by Janine). I learned a lot & I recommend that everyone take a look when you have time.
This week, there will be a book launch in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for a new book co-authored by Saint Mary’s University anthropology professor Dr. Trudy Sable and Mi’kmaw linguist, Dr. Bernie Francis: The Language of this Land, MI’KMA’KI.
From the Saint Mary’s University press release:
“In The Language of this Land, Mi’kma’ki, Sable and Francis examine the role of language, legends, song and dance in sustaining the Mi’kmaq to the present day. Despite centuries of cultural disruption, Mi’kmaw traditions and spirituality have been preserved by Elders in the words they spoke, the dances they danced and the land they walked. With this book, Dr. Sable and Dr. Francis have taken the next step in this journey of preservation.”
According to the press release, a book launch for The Language of this Land MI’KMA’KI will be held on Thursday, March 29, 2012 in the Library, Saint Mary’s University (Halifax, NS), Room 135 at 4:00 p.m. The book will be available for purchase at the launch. The launch is hosted by the Gorsebrook Research Institute for Atlantic Canada Studies and Cape Breton University Press.
For more information about the book, click on the following: Cape Breton University Press.
Check out today’s New York Times for an article titled “The Benefits of Bilingualism: Why Bilinguals are Smarter“.
What does this have to do with Mi’gmaq? Many endangered languages of the world––including languages of the Americas––have arrived at their current state because of education policies designed to “help” children assimilate to the dominate culture, whether this be English-speaking, Spanish-speaking, French-speaking, etc. The logic went (and often still goes…): if a child speaks Mi’gmaq at home, it will slow down her ability to learn English, putting her at a disadvantage later in life.
Work in recent decades, as discussed in this NYT article, points to a much different conclusion, but one that many people have suspected all along: bilingualism is good for kids! Not only from a cultural point of you, but also from a cognitive point of view. This is obviously good news for advocates of revitalizing indigenous languages. The issue is not a choice between maintaining one’s cultural heritage and linguistic identity versus being able to communicate in the dominant language. Rather, having access to two languages is not only a natural state, but one with clear benefits.
Question: Do you know of other work documenting the benefits––cognitive, cultural, political, etc.––of bilingualism? Please post to the comments!
Digital tools for endangered languages have been in the media. This recent piece from the BBC discusses the role of tools such as YouTube, social media, and text messaging in the promotion of endangered languages. It also discussed National Geographic’s Talking Dictionaries project, the focus of a recent Wall Street Journal article.