Saturday, February 19, 2011

ᏍᎩᏯᏛᏛ

Ꭷ ᏂᎦᏓᏊ ᏍᎩᎾᏍᏊ
ᏗᎫᎵ ᏗᏍᎩ asked me for an interview, and as a language instructor I felt compelled to aquiesse ᎭᎭᎭ.  His questions were so well written that I couldn’t help but indulge myself with these uncensored responses.  I was emotionally engaged and drawn into a period of contemplation about my feelings and beliefs.  These are his questions and my confessions about language revitalization.

"What do you feel are the most effective forms of Language Revitalization teaching? Are they being employed by Cherokee language speakers and if so, how well are they working?

ᎯᎠ ᎠᏉᎯᏳᎯ I believe that immersion ᏣᎳᎩᎭ is the tool par excellence ᏫᏓᏤᏢᎢ. I think there are many different types of immersion, but total language immersion with TPR, Form Focused approach, and Natural Language techniques should be practiced along with conventional etymological exploration and eventually grammar linguistic analysis. I’m afraid that one technique or practice will not have enough depth to meet the needs of a serious student to achieve fluency.

The Cherokee Nation, United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, and various Colleges, Universities as well as elementary schools both public and private have engaged in these various aspects of language instruction, some having more effective results than others, but none have successfully implemented a comprehensive approach Ꮭ Ꮟ ᏱᎩ.

I don’t know for certain the specific combination of techniques and strategies that will ensure complete success, but I know it cannot be one dimensional and unilateral. The more interface time and exposure to the language with any technique will yield the best results.

As of yet I have not seen any one educational system ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ on is own create a single fluent speaker of the same calibre as an elder first language learner, a true fluent speaker ᎬᎵ ᎦᏬᏂᏍᎩ. I too have not met that goal.


What do you feel is likely for the future of Cherokee language? For Native languages as a whole?

We have no choice but to succeed. I am a fanatic and will never give up, there are others out there more dedicated than myself and we will succeed, we have no choice.


What is the relationship between culture and language and how could cultural revitalization be used to enhance language learning?

ᎢᏯᏛᏁᎵᏓᏍᏗ Culture is everything. When it comes to the language, it doesn’t exist without the culture. Without the language the culture is dead. The language ᎦᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ is the vehicle for our life ways, values, beliefs and even behavior, it is the lifeblood of our culture. Without the culture the language has no meaning, purpose, role or value. Without the culture the language is simply a complicated code to express English ideas. ᏲᏁᎦᏛ

ᎢᎩᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᏱᎦᏛᏁᎵᏓᏍᏗᏃ they must go hand in hand, language revitalization must be decolonizing and must inherently be cultural revitalization.


In your opinion is language revitalization for Native tribes possible without cultural revitalization? Where do you see Native languages in 50 years?

Ꮭ No, I think they are inexorably the same ᏧᏠᏯᏊ. I’m afraid that in 50 years most native languages will be gone, but I believe some will be successfully renewed and vibrant expressions of contemporary native life ᎢᏯᏛᏁᎵᏓᏍᏗ. Those that are well documented can be renewed, but I believe any nation with even one fluent speaker still has hope to continue the living tradition. Given resources and time, and most importantly commitment it can be done. ᏂᎦᏛᏁᏗ It will take a movement, but I am hopeful that in 100 years those languages that have gone to sleep can be renewed and awakened. ᏗᎩᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ ᏕᎦᏓᎢᏤᎮᏍᏗ


What are the differences in Cherokee that make is essential for language speakers to understand the culture?

English ᏲᏁᎦ and ᏣᎳᎩ do not share the same foundation ᏗᎧᏃᏩᏛᏍᏗ of philisophical understanding or etymological analysis. This fundamental difference is as wide as can be discerned. In Cherokee ideas are not defined through binary opposition, where comparison or contrasts are used to define aesthetic and symbolic opposites such as white and black, cold and hot, good and evil, ect.

Those dichotomies can and do exist, but there is no word for opposite, only on the other side ᎠᎾᏗᏢ. Each Cherokee concept can and does stand alone. Just like individuals, ᏣᎳᎩ defines things as inherently unique, they carry their own weight. ᎤᎵᏍᎨᏗ ᏕᎦᏓᏰᎸᏎᏍᏗ There are cultural and philisophical patterns that defy verbalization and explanation, logos is not our foundation for truth ᏚᏳᎪᏛ


What do you feel is different in the mind of a Cherokee speaker who learned English as a second language?

ᎾᎦᎥ ᎡᎶᎯ ᏅᏬᏘ ᏥᎩ They see the world in concrete expressions of tangible experience. Descriptions are wholly visual and tied to the physical world. There are no inherent understandings for the English equivalent for ideas such as perfection, opposite or hate. ᎢᎩᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ only has ᎬᎵᏬᎯ complete, ᎠᎾᏗᏢ other side, Ꮭ ᏯᎩᎸᏉᏗ I don’t like that.   Spirituality is inherent.


Why is revitalizing Cherokee language so important?

Without ᎢᎩᏬᏂᎯᏍᏗ we will have no ᎢᏯᏛᏁᎵᏓᏍᏗ and there will be no more ᎠᏂᎦᏚᏩᎩ. To truly have a Cherokee people we need our language and culture. ᎤᏁᎳᏅᎯ ᏕᏣᎳᏏᎦᏕᏍᏗ that there is a value system, perspective, worldview, and behavior patterns that are valuable, not only for our own people but the whole world. We need a broader survey as a civilization before we can finalize our list of best practices.


If you were to give me a quote encouraging beginning speakers about the language and the hope for its future, what would it be?

ᏕᏣᏓᏝᏂᎪᎯᏍᏙᏗᏍᎨᏍᏗ ᎬᏩᎵᏨ ᏗᏣᏓᏲᎯᏍᏗ ᏕᏣᏓᏙᎯᏳᏎᏍᏗ ᏗᏣᏓᎫᏍᏓᎢᏃ ᎢᏤᎮᏍᏗ ᎾᏂᎥ ᏴᏫ ᏕᏥᏠᏯᏍᏗᏍᎨᏍᏗ ᏚᏳᎪᏛ ᏗᏝ ᏕᏣᏓᏎᎮᎮᏍᏗ

With strengthening and encouraging words, live and support one another, never giving up, treat one another as equals and direct one another in the Cherokee way of life. (My translation) From Benny Smith’s speeches about community values and traditional precepts" ᎣᏏᏳ

ᎠᏯ ᏩᏕ ᎦᎵᏍᎨᏫ ᎠᎴ ᏗᎫᎵ ᏗᏍᎩ ᏦᏍᏙᏪᎵᎦ

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

ᏏᏲ!

a)

You blog is very hard to read... the letters are dark and fade into the black...

I had to select everything and copy into an editor to read it. :(

b)

I would like to repost this blob entry on www.CherokeeLessons.com and link back to here.