One endangered language, Piegan (spoken by one of the nations of the Blackfoot), is making a comeback according to an article in The Smithsonian.
"Some people think our language is dead, but it's not," says DesRosier, a lanky teenager with a ready grin and dark, narrow braids that reach the middle of his back. "We still have our language and we're bringing it back."
What's at stake is more than words. Filled with nuance and references to Blackfeet history and traditions, the language embodies a culture. "The language allows kids to unravel the mysteries of their heritage," says Darrell Kipp, director of the school and one of its founders.
Darrell Kipp is one of the co-founders of the Piegan Institute whose mission is to research, promote, and preserve Native languages. Sounds good to me.
Posted by jim at October 30, 2003 04:51 PM | TrackBack