Arapaho Language Revalization

It is my opinion that Culture is expressed through language. That is why I am such a huge proponent of American Sign Language and giving it the respect it has not had since the mid 1800s. Around the same time that the push for Oralism (no signing, only lip-reading and speech) came along, the United States also began to implement its greatest attack on American Indian Languages and Culture - The Off Reservation Boarding Schools (eluded to in a previous post).

Children at these schools were, among other things, secluded from other children who spoke the same language (so English would be their common language) and endured corporal punishment if caught speaking their native languages. In part, these actions lead to a new generation of speakers that would not speak their language or pass it on to their children. Now, most fluent speakers of native languages are aged 50 or older. Language cannot survive if it is locked away only to be brought out at ceremonies and other events and a culture cannot truly survive with out its language. Language is how we describe the world around us and make it our own.

In this article, my favorite professor, Dr. Stephen Greymorning says (and I agree), "Language shapes how people give meaning to the world, and often the only way to get an idea of cultural differences is through the language," he says. "A language does some very interesting things that can give people an idea of the logic and values that distinguish one culture from another."

For the past several years, Dr. Greymorning has been working on a project to revitalize the Arapaho language by creating immersion language classes for Arapaho children, and most recently by creating another program that fosters more parental involvement. He also had a big role in teaming up with Disney to make an Arapaho dubbed version of Bambi. You can read about his efforts here, here, and here.

Yay to Dr. Greymorning!

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