If you're reading this, it's likely to be because you are enrolled in LING/AIS210, 'American Indian Languages', at the University of Arizona. And if you're enrolled for Honors credit, you'll become a contributor to this blog. You may even have an invitation waiting in your inbox (at your official UA email address).
I'll be working with you to develop content for this blog which I hope will be interesting, fun and engaging for you - and helpful to your peers in our course.
And I thought I might start us off by directing you to this article, which was recently the subject of discussion on a listserv of academic and community scholars who work on issues related to Native American languages:
When Language is More than Words
At the end of the article is a link to this interview with Professor Treuer:
Read through the article, and listen to the interview - and then, if you wish, you can compose a response in a post of your own. You can collaborate with any of your peers to create a post, or create one on your own.
As we think about this, I'll also be sharing with you some of the responses to the piece that came from various participants on the listserv. But for now, if you feel inspired to do so, I'd love to hear your response.
I found it interesting when the article begins to discuss Ojibwe words that have found their way into the English language. Of particular interest, the states of Mississippi, Michigan, and Wisconsin were named based on Ojibwe words that described the areas. "Mississippi" in Ojibwe means large river, which was the name they gave to the now Mississippi River (http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/ms_intro.htm). The word "majigan" in Ojibwe means clearing which referred to a clearing on a peninsula on lake Michigan (http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/mi_intro.htm). The word "wisconsin" means grassy place in Ojibwe and was later used as the name for the state (http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/wi_intro.htm). Although it is interesting that these states are named after Ojibwe words, it is not enough to keep the language alive. In the article, it is estimated that only 1000 people speak Ojibwe fluently, however, many universities are making an effort to increase this number by offering classes to learn the language as well as the culture.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to me that people are "afraid" to ask these questions. I don't think that anyone should be afraid to ask questions as long as their intentions are good. It was interesting to me that he brought up the sweat lodge ceremony because last semester I wrote a paper on American Indian health and the sweat lodge is a huge part of that and I didn't realize that non native people do that. I agree with what he said about Native people being under represented. And I completely agree with what he said about the use of Native people in mascots (such as the Redskins) because I think it is wrong. It is easy for non Native people to be blind to how much it hurts the Native American population, but it is not hard for them to have some empathy at least. The Native American vs. Indian difference is still a bit confusing to be but I understand that different people prefer different different titles. The author wants everyone to think about "truth and reconciliation" and how it was maintained and how it is maintained today.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, I really enjoyed the description the the drum ceremonies that Anton Treue attends almost every weekend. It was disappointing to me but also expected that 60,000 people can kind of speak Ojibwe, but only about 1,000 can fluently speak it in the US.
It is just crazy that a language is lost every 14 days. From only being fluent in English, for my language to go away would probably be the end of the world for me. There wouldn't be anything for me to do besides adapt to the world's changing language and culture. The few people who still fluently speak their native languages, such as the Ojibwe, are inspiring to hear about. Treuer is doing an amazing job in keeping his native language relevant in today's changing world by teaching students at a university to singing at a community center on an Indian Reservation. After reading the article and how it explains how words are formed and said in our English language, Ojibwe is very interesting and intricate. I had no idea that "moose" or "chipmunk" came from Ojibwe, words that I use on a regular basis. Keeping this language alive and well is definitely something I want to happen. I really truly am inspired by what Treuer had to say in this article and what he's doing to secure his heritage.
ReplyDeleteWhat really intrigued me was when Treuer said, "Our grammar books ... are people." Growing up in an English household I was given grammar lessons in school by a teacher, but there were always books involved. Grammar books that became larger and larger as I went through elementary school, then into high school, and finally into college. Trying to picture a person recite off all the English grammar facts and tricks and what-to-do's and what-not-to-do's is unimaginable. To make this even more unusual to me, is that Ojibwe is considered "the most complex language in the world" according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Treuer doesn't believe this statement however, because the grammatical structures are more consistent than languages such as English or Spanish. This is extremely interesting to me, as I have tried to learn French and it was mainly the grammar that through me off. So once you break it down, it all comes back to the kind of grammar Ojibwe uses and what makes it possible for their grammar books to be people. I'm excited to learn more about American Indian Languages in this class, and comparing the grammar will be super interesting. Treuer has opened my eyes to how people can learn a language, keep their heritage, and not become part of the growing list of languages lost.
ReplyDelete